Expeditions

068

Palmyra, Syria, 125 miles northeast of Damascus

Biblical Connection

Some 20 years into his reign, King Solomon (c. 965–928 B.C.) “built Tadmor in the wilderness” (2 Chronicles 8:4). Although some scholars think Biblical Tadmor (called “Tamar” in 1 Kings 9:18) lay in Judah, others believe it was the site of Palmyra, whose ancient (and modern) Semitic name is Tadmor. The reference to Solomon’s building Tadmor comes just after we are told that he built Hammath-zobah, another city in Syria. In any case, the region surrounding Tadmor/Palmyra has strong Biblical associations. In the records of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pilesar I (1115–1100 B.C.), for instance, Tadmor is mentioned as a town in Aram—a region in northern Syria frequently mentioned in the Bible.

Along The Silk Road

The city’s heyday came a thousand years later, however. As the Romans pushed east in the first century B.C., they annexed the site and renamed it Palmyra, city of palms. Lying halfway between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean, this desert oasis was an important stop on the Silk Road from China and India to Europe. By the time of Nero (54–68 A.D.), Palmyra had become a prosperous trading and caravan city; Palmyran merchants bought spices, silk, cotton and pearls from Arab, Indian and Chinese traders at the head of the Persian Gulf, shipped the goods up the Euphrates, caravanned their wares across the desert to the Mediterranean and sold them to merchants of the Roman Empire—at a price.

Palmyra’s Rise And Fall

As it prospered, Palmyra evolved from a Roman colony into a kingdom. At the height of the city’s power, King Odenathus (255–267 A.D.) earned Rome’s gratitude by twice defeating the Persians, who, for centuries, had collided with Roman power in the east. With Palmyra posed to control a vast territory to the east and south, Odenathus declared himself King of Kings. But then, under mysterious circumstances, he was assassinated in 267; his wife, Zenobia, who claimed to be descended from Cleopatra, succeeded him as ruler and expanded 069Palmyra’s power even further. The Roman emperor Aurelian (270–275) then put an end to Palmyra’s pretensions: He defeated Zenobia’s forces at Antioch, on the Syrian coast, and besieged Palmyra. Zenobia sought to enlist aid from Persia but was captured by the Roman cavalry at the Euphrates and carried off to Rome. Aurelian destroyed the city in 273.

Greco-Roman Ruins

The Palmyrenes, who spoke their own form of Aramaic, blended elements from Greek, Roman and Mesopotamian cultures. The site contains the remains of a theater (see phote, above), a square agora (to the left of the theater) and a colonnade leading to a triumphal arch (to the left of the agora; shown in the photo below). The most impressive monument is the temple to Palmyra’s chief god, Bel (the large structure in the upper right of the photo), consisting of a sacred enclosure and colonnaded courtyards. The walls of the temple are decorated with well-preserved relief carvings (see photo, below). The name “Bel” reflects the name of the archaic Babylonian god Bcol, which is related to the Semitic Ba‘al. Bel, a kind of Jupiter, ruled over a pantheon of gods representing planets.

How To Get There

From Damascus by private car, about 3 hours. Bus and railroad service also available. Numerous tours available that visit a number of Syria’s ancient sites, including Palmyra.

Accommodations

Several hotels in the upper and middle range.

Other Essentials

Tourist visa needed. (If your passport has been stamped by Israeli customs you may not be allowed to enter. If you are visiting Israel first, Israeli customs officials will, upon request, stamp your visa on a separate piece of paper.) Hot, dry summers (June to August) and cool to cold winters (December to February), with occasional snow or sleet. Women should wear at least knee-length dresses or slacks; no shorts.

Palmyra, Syria, 125 miles northeast of Damascus

Biblical Connection