Zeus Ombrios
coins of Gaza struck by Hadrian (figs. 3741, 37S2) and again by
Faustina Iunior and Lucilla3, Septimius Severus4, Caracalla6>
Plautilla6, and Geta7 show the facade of a temple within which
stand two youthful deities, apparently Apollon with his bow con-
fronting the huntress Artemis. Fortunately for our understanding
of the scene, the Apolline figure is expressly named Mamas
(or
more often Mama), and Sir G. F. Hill8 has made out a strong case
for regarding this divine pair as Marnas, the young Cretan Zeus,
who—be it remembered—was himself a hunter9, with Britomartis>
a Cretan form of Artemis10. The pair bore names of kindred orl&,
and significance ; for if Marnas recalls the Cretan mama, ' virgin >
and denotes simply 'young man,' Brito-martis is said to have bee'1
a Cretan term for ' sweet maid12.' Consorts could hardly have been
Fig. 374- FiS-375'
better matched. Naturally, however, among a Semitic peop ^
name Marnas was re-interpreted as Mama, 'our Lord,' and te
to drop its final sibilant13.
incised in an archaic alphabet of Graeco-Phoenician character (see e.g. j-]ie of '''e
p. 4 § 4), and Professor S. Langdon has suggested to me that the second m
impression (fig. 373, c) contains in retrograde script the name Marnas (tH
But the first line, though perfectly legible, remains obscure (P *\-] H3 =stol(° .^.^j
1 F. De Saulcy Numismatique de la terre sainte Paris 1874 p. 216 P1, u'qo0Y
fig. 374), Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. lxxv ff., i46f. pi. 15, >°> S' A'j .+, 39'
Religion of Ancient Palestine in the light of Archaeology London 1930 p. l8° P ' A
- Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. lxxv n. 3, 146 f. pi. 15, M { = ™y fig' 3 ...
3 lb. p. 158 pi. 16, 6. * lb. p. 161 no. no. 6 lb- P- l6j n°',
*Ji. p. .165 no. 135- 7 a. P- i«HI[J'
8 G. F. Hill Some Palestinian Cults in the Graeco- Roman Age (extr. iw"0).phfP
ceedings of the British Academy v) London 1912 pp. 13—17, id. The Lift ^„e;nacb
Bishop of Gaza, by Mark the Deacon Oxford 1913 pp. 1—152 (noticed by
the Rev. Arch. 1913 ii. 317 f.).
s Supra i. 157 n. 3, 645, 652, 663 n. 1, ii. 522, 727. r,
10 Supra i. 542 n. 4. 11 Supra i. 149 1
12 iwjOro i. 542 n. 3, cp. 543 n. 1. xiv. i899'
13 The point is contested (K. Preisendanz in Pauly—Wissowa Real-tin■■■ l0„ici s
Sir G. F. Hill Some Palestinian Cults p. 16 f. concludes 'that the two del^^tU •
like Apollo and Artemis, in the temple at Gaza, are Marnas and his con»
coins of Gaza struck by Hadrian (figs. 3741, 37S2) and again by
Faustina Iunior and Lucilla3, Septimius Severus4, Caracalla6>
Plautilla6, and Geta7 show the facade of a temple within which
stand two youthful deities, apparently Apollon with his bow con-
fronting the huntress Artemis. Fortunately for our understanding
of the scene, the Apolline figure is expressly named Mamas
(or
more often Mama), and Sir G. F. Hill8 has made out a strong case
for regarding this divine pair as Marnas, the young Cretan Zeus,
who—be it remembered—was himself a hunter9, with Britomartis>
a Cretan form of Artemis10. The pair bore names of kindred orl&,
and significance ; for if Marnas recalls the Cretan mama, ' virgin >
and denotes simply 'young man,' Brito-martis is said to have bee'1
a Cretan term for ' sweet maid12.' Consorts could hardly have been
Fig. 374- FiS-375'
better matched. Naturally, however, among a Semitic peop ^
name Marnas was re-interpreted as Mama, 'our Lord,' and te
to drop its final sibilant13.
incised in an archaic alphabet of Graeco-Phoenician character (see e.g. j-]ie of '''e
p. 4 § 4), and Professor S. Langdon has suggested to me that the second m
impression (fig. 373, c) contains in retrograde script the name Marnas (tH
But the first line, though perfectly legible, remains obscure (P *\-] H3 =stol(° .^.^j
1 F. De Saulcy Numismatique de la terre sainte Paris 1874 p. 216 P1, u'qo0Y
fig. 374), Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. lxxv ff., i46f. pi. 15, >°> S' A'j .+, 39'
Religion of Ancient Palestine in the light of Archaeology London 1930 p. l8° P ' A
- Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. lxxv n. 3, 146 f. pi. 15, M { = ™y fig' 3 ...
3 lb. p. 158 pi. 16, 6. * lb. p. 161 no. no. 6 lb- P- l6j n°',
*Ji. p. .165 no. 135- 7 a. P- i«HI[J'
8 G. F. Hill Some Palestinian Cults in the Graeco- Roman Age (extr. iw"0).phfP
ceedings of the British Academy v) London 1912 pp. 13—17, id. The Lift ^„e;nacb
Bishop of Gaza, by Mark the Deacon Oxford 1913 pp. 1—152 (noticed by
the Rev. Arch. 1913 ii. 317 f.).
s Supra i. 157 n. 3, 645, 652, 663 n. 1, ii. 522, 727. r,
10 Supra i. 542 n. 4. 11 Supra i. 149 1
12 iwjOro i. 542 n. 3, cp. 543 n. 1. xiv. i899'
13 The point is contested (K. Preisendanz in Pauly—Wissowa Real-tin■■■ l0„ici s
Sir G. F. Hill Some Palestinian Cults p. 16 f. concludes 'that the two del^^tU •
like Apollo and Artemis, in the temple at Gaza, are Marnas and his con»