Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,2): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Appendixes and index (Cambridge, 1925)

The Mountain-cults of Zeus 887

p. 234 ff. = R. Cagnat—G. Lafaye Inscriptiones Graecae ad res Romanas pertmentes Paris
1906 iii. 406 no. 1060). At Byblos (Djebeil), some six hours north of Berytos, is a square
statue-base lettered Ad 'T^LcrTCti | HeKovXidpcos | Map^cts A^/x^rpiou (?)]. The upper part
of the base shows in relief a bust of the god, facing. He is bearded, and clad in chiton
and himation, with thunderbolt and sceptre to his right and left (R. Dussaud in the Rev.
Arch. 1896 i. 299 f. with fig. (inadequate), S. Ronzevalle in the Revue biblique inter-
nationale 1903 xii. 405 ff. with photographic cut). Ronzevalle loc. cit. contends 'que
VHypsistos de Byblos n'est autre que l'antique Moloch-Kronos de la meme ville': cp.
W. W. Baudissin op. cit. p. 76 n. 4.

(31) Samaria. On Mt Argarizon (Gerizim) near Neapolis (Nabhls) was a sanctuary of
Zeus "Tt/wros, to whom Abraham had devoted himself (Marinos in Damask, v. Isid. ap.
Phot. bibl. p. 345b 18 ff. Bekker 6'rt 6 diddoxos TlpoKXov, (pricriv, 6 Mapiuos, y&os rjv diro rrjs
iv ILaXaicrrivri Neas iroXews, irpbs bpei KaTq>KLcrp.evr;s T(p 'Apyapify KaXovp.evLp. ura fiXaafir/-
fxQiv 6 5v<Tcref3r]s (prjaiv 6 crvyypa<pevs, iv q> Aids 'Tipiarov dyiibraTov iep6v, u> Kadiipwro
"Af3pa/j.os 6 tlov TrdXai "E/3pat'cof irpoyovos, ws avrbs 'iXeyev 6 MapTvos) ; cp. Deut. n. 29,
27. 12 with Gen. 12. 6f.: Jehovah, from the heathen point of view, was 'a god of the
hills' (1 Kings 20. 23). Sanballat built a temple on Mt Gerizim (Ioseph. ant. hid. 11. 8. 4),
which during the persecutions of Antiochos iv Epiphanes was dedicated to Zeus 'EWrjvios
(id. ib. 12. 5. 5, Zonar. 4. 19 (i. 317 Dindorf)) or aevlos (2 Mace. 6. 2, Euseb. chron. ann.
Abr. 1850 versio Armenia (ii. 126 Schoene) = Hieron. chron. ann. Abr. 1849 (u- I27

Schoene) in Samaria super verticem montis Garizi Iovis Peregrini delubrum aedificat,
ipsis Samaritanis ut id faceret praecantibus). Sanballat's temple was destroyed by Ioannes
Hyrkanos i in 129 B.C. (Ioseph. ant. Iud. 13. 9. 1). But the mountain remained the
centre of Samaritan worship (John 4. 20 f.), and coins of Flavia Neapolis from the reign
of Antoninus Pius to that of Volusianus show it topped by a temple (Eckhel Doctr. num.
vet?\\\. 433ff., T. L. Donaldson Architectura Numismatica London 1859 P- 11& ff- no- 33'
G. F. Hill in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. xxviiiff., 48 f. pi. 5, 14—16 Anto-
ninus Pius, 59 pi. 6, 12 Macrinus, 60 f. nos. 94—100 Elagabalos, 63 nos. 112 —115 Severus
Alexander, no. 116 f. Philippus Senior, 66 f. pi. 7, 5 Philippus Senior and Philippus
Iunior, 68 no. 135 Otacilia Severa, 69 pi. 7, 9 Philippus Iunior, 70 f. pi. 7, 13 Trebonianus
Gallus, 73 pi. 7, 19 Volusianus; cp. pi. 39, 7 f., 12, pi. 40, r, Hunter Cat. Coins iii. 278
pi. 77, 25 Antoninus Pius, 281 pi. 77, 27 Volusianus, Head Hist, nuin? p. 803. My figs.
818 and 820 are from F. De Saulcy Ntunismatique de la terre sainte Paris 1874 p. 247 f.
pi. 13, 1 Antoninus Pius and pi. 14, 2 Volusianus. Fig. 819 is from a specimen struck by
Macrinus, in my collection. Mt Gerizim is often supported by an eagle (e.g. Brit. Mus.
Cat. Coins Palestine pp. 63 no. i i6f. Philippus Senior, 66 f. pi. 7, 5 Philippus Senior
and Philippus Iunior, 69 pi. 7, 9 Philippus Iunior, 73 pi. 7, 19 Volusianus) and sometimes
flanked by a star (sun?) on the left and a crescent (moon) on the right (ib. p. 71 no. 153 f.
Trebonianus Gallus): eagle and heavenly bodies would alike suit the worship of Zeus).
Mr G. F. Hill loc. cit. p. xxviiif. describes the coin-type as follows : ' It shows two dis-
tinct peaks, the steepness of which is certainly exaggerated. On the left-hand peak is the

Fig. 818.

Fig. 819.

Fig. 820.