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Bar Kribus

ABBA PANTALEWON. On a rocky pinnacle about 2 miles east of Aksum rests the monastery of Abba Pantalewon. Architectural elements dated to Aksumite times were discovered there, as well as walls that were described as similar to those of the Great Temple at Yeha, belonging to the Pre-Aksumite culture. An Aksumite inscription mentioning a dedication to Ares, the Greek god of war, was also uncovered at the site. Based on these finds, scholars have suggested that a Pre-Aksumite temple, followed by a pre-Christian Aksumite temple, stood there before the site was converted into a Christian monastery.