Temple of Jupiter

The Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, Lebanon, was a massive Roman temple completed in the 2nd century CE. Although only portions remain, it was an impressive structure entered through a propylaea, leading to a hexagonal forecourt and then a large rectangular main court. This court was surrounded by decorated exedrae and opened onto a portico with 84 granite columns brought from Aswan, Upper Egypt. The sanctuary, at the western end of the court, was a Corinthian building with 54 columns, each 62 feet high and 7.5 feet in diameter. The temple was dedicated to the Syrian thunder god Hadad (equated with Jupiter), the nature goddess Atargatis (equated with Venus), and a youthful god (equated with Mercury).1

Baalbek itself is a large archaeological complex in eastern Lebanon, located in the Bekaa valley. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984. The site came under Roman control in 64 BCE and was later made a Roman colony. While the Temple of Jupiter is a principal structure, the complex also includes the Temple of Bacchus, a round Temple of Venus, and other ruins. The term templum originally referred to a consecrated area of ground, which later evolved to include shrines and temples.12