DOI article:
Wais, Jacek: Malakbel and Melquart
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26181#0102
Jacek Wais
MALAKBEL AND MELQART
In my work conceming the iconography of Małakbel1 I hâve devoted
relatively much place to one of the reliefs of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra,
representing the ałliance-brotherhood of Aglibol and Małakbel (fig. 1). Now I
would like to return to my considérations expounded in that work. I had as-
serted there that the relief is a représentation of the alliance between both
gods, the solar and the lunar one, as two powers protecting végétation, the
hint to which are there the fruits of Palmyrene earth, visible on altars of both
gods. The alliance was perhaps in connection with the feast of harvesting in
Palmyra; I hâve asserted, too, that the eagle hovering the scene with the ser-
pent in its beak is maybe the guarantor of this alliance as a symbol of the su-
prême deity, and also as a symbol of immortality, and thus perhaps the symbol
of the permanence of the alliance between the two végétative deities. The above
conclusions had been taken from mostly theoretical prémisses. However, I hâve
not known as yet any représentation from Syria or elsewhere to confirai my
interprétation of the central scene of the relief. Now I am happily able to give
such an iconographical analogy coming from Syria. This is a coin type, preser-
ved in two specimens, found in Dura-Europos during American excavations
and coming from the town of Bhesaena (fig. 2)2. We can see here two Tychai
clasping their hands above the altar; in the air hovers the eagle with a wreath in
its beak. If we take into considération that wreath or serpent or thunderbolt
are in Syrian (and not only in Syrian) iconography équivalent symbols, both
représentations render the same iconographical type: on the coins from Rhesa-
ena and on the relief from Palmyra the eagle is clearly a warranter of the
alliance.
1 Problemy ikonografii Malakbela, „Studia • Palmyrehskie’TV, 1970, p. 5-63 (The pro-
blème of iconography of Małakbel).
2 A. R. Bellinger, The Excavations at Dura-Europos, Final Report 6, „The Coins”,
New Haven 1949, n° 1542.
7 Studia Paftnyreńskie z. V
97
MALAKBEL AND MELQART
In my work conceming the iconography of Małakbel1 I hâve devoted
relatively much place to one of the reliefs of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra,
representing the ałliance-brotherhood of Aglibol and Małakbel (fig. 1). Now I
would like to return to my considérations expounded in that work. I had as-
serted there that the relief is a représentation of the alliance between both
gods, the solar and the lunar one, as two powers protecting végétation, the
hint to which are there the fruits of Palmyrene earth, visible on altars of both
gods. The alliance was perhaps in connection with the feast of harvesting in
Palmyra; I hâve asserted, too, that the eagle hovering the scene with the ser-
pent in its beak is maybe the guarantor of this alliance as a symbol of the su-
prême deity, and also as a symbol of immortality, and thus perhaps the symbol
of the permanence of the alliance between the two végétative deities. The above
conclusions had been taken from mostly theoretical prémisses. However, I hâve
not known as yet any représentation from Syria or elsewhere to confirai my
interprétation of the central scene of the relief. Now I am happily able to give
such an iconographical analogy coming from Syria. This is a coin type, preser-
ved in two specimens, found in Dura-Europos during American excavations
and coming from the town of Bhesaena (fig. 2)2. We can see here two Tychai
clasping their hands above the altar; in the air hovers the eagle with a wreath in
its beak. If we take into considération that wreath or serpent or thunderbolt
are in Syrian (and not only in Syrian) iconography équivalent symbols, both
représentations render the same iconographical type: on the coins from Rhesa-
ena and on the relief from Palmyra the eagle is clearly a warranter of the
alliance.
1 Problemy ikonografii Malakbela, „Studia • Palmyrehskie’TV, 1970, p. 5-63 (The pro-
blème of iconography of Małakbel).
2 A. R. Bellinger, The Excavations at Dura-Europos, Final Report 6, „The Coins”,
New Haven 1949, n° 1542.
7 Studia Paftnyreńskie z. V
97