FROM lERL'SALEM TO ALEPPO 



89 



constantly by numerous springs around 

 its shores. There is no visible outlet. 



The natives account for this in various 

 ways. Some of them say that the water 

 finds its way by a subterranean passage 

 to the other side of the mountain range, 

 where it Hows out, forming the spring 

 called Afka. They base this theory on 

 the fact that the fountain increases its 

 flow and also diminishes and ceases its 

 flow simultaneously with the lake. 



On the shore of the lake is a ruin, con- 

 sisting of large blocks of drafted stones, 

 which is said to be the remains of a tem- 

 ple of \ enus. Local mythology claims 

 this as the lake in which \'enus, when 

 pursued by Typhon. changed herself into 

 a fish.* 



Shortly after leaving Aineita until we 

 struck the Plain el Bika (the ancient 

 name being Coelesyria ) . the broad valley 

 between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, 

 these mountain slopes were covered with 

 forests of wild oak, juniper, almonds, 

 and pears. The latter were fr.U of fruit, 

 and a proportionate number of small 

 stones lodged among the twigs, thrown 

 up by youngsters in their attempts to 

 bring down the fruit. 



The forests are now denuded of about 

 all their tall, straight trees, and those 

 now left are short and gnarled. Seen 

 from a distance, this low range looks 

 black in comparison with the higher 

 ridge, which is bare of trees and there- 

 fore called in Arabic Ras el Akrah (the 

 Bald Head). 



THE WOXOERFUL RUIXS OF B.\ALP.EK 



From these forests to Baalbek on the 

 other or eastern side of the plain there 

 was little of interest, except large herds 

 of camels and their young, until we came 

 to the column of Yaat, which is an iso- 

 lated shaft 65 feet in height, composed 

 of 16 drums of limestone crowned with 

 a Corinthian capital. Traces of an in- 

 scription can be seen near the base, 

 which, however, does not disclose its 

 secret, and one can only guess why and 

 by whom it was built. 



A half hour's ride to the southwest 

 brings us to the world-renowned ruins 



History of Baalbek. Michael M. Alouf. 



of Baalbek, an adequate description of 

 which would fill a volume. 



These ruins, properly speaking, are 

 known as El Kalla (Citadel) and are 

 comi)osed of only two temples, and they 

 do not cover a large area when compared 

 with other ruins in Syria. They are, 

 however, unique in their massiveness 

 and in the great amount of both bold and 

 delicate carving with which they are 

 adorned, of which there is so much and 

 in such variety as to make one's first 

 visit quite bewildering. 



Since these temples were built on a 

 flat plain, it was important to raise them 

 above the surrounding level to render 

 them more imposing, and to that end 

 there are vast substructures of vaults and 

 passages supporting these shrines. 



THE GREAT TEMPLE 



The Great Temple, or the Temple of 

 Jupiter, as it is called, had its main en- 

 trance from the east. Here a wide flight 

 of steps led up to the propyh-ea. 19 feet 

 above the gardens and orchards that now 

 surround the ruins. This portico was 

 open to the east the full width of the 

 stairs, and the worshipers used to enter 

 between rows of columns, on the bases 

 of three of which are inscriptions stating 

 that the temple was erected to the "great 

 gods" of Heliopolis by Antoninus and 

 Caracalla. At an early period the Arabs 

 converted these temples into a fortress, 

 and to a certain extent remodeled them. 

 The columns mentioned were removed, 

 the staircase taken up. and the material 

 used to construct a solid wall where the 

 column.:, had been. 



Xext came the hexagonal forecourt, 

 entrance into which was made by means 

 of a central doorway, with a smaller one 

 on each side. This small court was sur- 

 rounded by a colonnade, and on four of 

 the six sides by exedrre. The .\rabs have 

 also blocked this three-fold entrance and 

 converted the exedras into fortifications, 

 filling them with brick masonry. 



WORK oi- THE c.i:kma.\ .\rch eoeocists 



Since the visit of Emperor William to 

 these ruins, in 1898. a body of German 

 excavators were sent to Baalbek, who 

 worked here from 190T to 1904. and 



