DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45582#0013
I56
Division II Section A Part 3
The remains of another Nabataean building, presumably a temple, were discovered
well to the northeast, about half way between the “Gate of Commodus” and the east
wall of the city. Only a few sections of the foundations are visible, with the bases
and capitals of two columns and fragments of the base moulding of the wall some of
which is in situ. These fragments are shown in Ill. 132. The bases of the columns (A)
are of the ordinary Attic form ·, but the torus
mouldings have the flat profile that characterizes
the bases of the smaller of the two temples at Sic.
The capital is of that peculiar variety, known only
at Petra, Bosra and Sf, in which a greatly exag-
gerated abacus with concave sides, is the main
feature of the capital. The illustration (A in
Ill. 132) shows this capital with a round bead
moulding below it, and a section of the shaft
attached to the capital. The base moulding (B)
is typical in profile. No plan of the temple could
be made out in the ruins, without removing much
debris; but, judging by the scale of the details, this temple was larger than the other.
Not far from the site of this temple another altar was found, - an altar of beautiful
form with interesting ornament —, with a Greek inscription 1 giving the name of
the Nabataean god Solmos. This probably belonged to the temple; and, being large
and very heavy, it was not removed far from its original place.
Gates and Walls.
There are six gates still visible in the walls of Umm idj-Djimal, two in the west
wall, two in the south and two in the east. Only one of these, the more northerly
of the two gates in the west wall, which bears the inscription of Marcus Aurelius and
Commodus and which, for the sake of brevity, I have styled on the map, the “Gate
of Commodus”, has any pretensions to monumental character. One of the south gates
was flanked by towers, and may have been similar to the Gate of Commodus, but it
is much ruined. The main east gate also has towers, but is smaller and simpler in de-
sign. All the others are plain arched openings in the wall, in many cases placed be-
tween buildings built against the wall.
Gate of Commodus: Date, 176—180 A.D. This was apparently the principal gate
of the city, situated in the northwest quarter, at the end of a road from Kasr il-Bacik
— the nearest ruin on Trajan’s great road which was the main artery of commerce in
the Arabian province. The gate is a very simple structure (Ill. 133), consisting of
two towers, which project outside the walls, connected by two arches which spring
from piers placed against the opposite faces of the towers. The towers probably served
as guard-houses, and each had a doorway between the piers of the arches. The gate
was almost devoid of ornament. The caps of the piers have a right-lined, but salient,
profile; the arches were less than semi-circles, and had no mouldings. Ill. 134 shows
the present condition of the gate: one tower is well preserved, having lost only one
1 Div. Ill, insc. 239.
Division II Section A Part 3
The remains of another Nabataean building, presumably a temple, were discovered
well to the northeast, about half way between the “Gate of Commodus” and the east
wall of the city. Only a few sections of the foundations are visible, with the bases
and capitals of two columns and fragments of the base moulding of the wall some of
which is in situ. These fragments are shown in Ill. 132. The bases of the columns (A)
are of the ordinary Attic form ·, but the torus
mouldings have the flat profile that characterizes
the bases of the smaller of the two temples at Sic.
The capital is of that peculiar variety, known only
at Petra, Bosra and Sf, in which a greatly exag-
gerated abacus with concave sides, is the main
feature of the capital. The illustration (A in
Ill. 132) shows this capital with a round bead
moulding below it, and a section of the shaft
attached to the capital. The base moulding (B)
is typical in profile. No plan of the temple could
be made out in the ruins, without removing much
debris; but, judging by the scale of the details, this temple was larger than the other.
Not far from the site of this temple another altar was found, - an altar of beautiful
form with interesting ornament —, with a Greek inscription 1 giving the name of
the Nabataean god Solmos. This probably belonged to the temple; and, being large
and very heavy, it was not removed far from its original place.
Gates and Walls.
There are six gates still visible in the walls of Umm idj-Djimal, two in the west
wall, two in the south and two in the east. Only one of these, the more northerly
of the two gates in the west wall, which bears the inscription of Marcus Aurelius and
Commodus and which, for the sake of brevity, I have styled on the map, the “Gate
of Commodus”, has any pretensions to monumental character. One of the south gates
was flanked by towers, and may have been similar to the Gate of Commodus, but it
is much ruined. The main east gate also has towers, but is smaller and simpler in de-
sign. All the others are plain arched openings in the wall, in many cases placed be-
tween buildings built against the wall.
Gate of Commodus: Date, 176—180 A.D. This was apparently the principal gate
of the city, situated in the northwest quarter, at the end of a road from Kasr il-Bacik
— the nearest ruin on Trajan’s great road which was the main artery of commerce in
the Arabian province. The gate is a very simple structure (Ill. 133), consisting of
two towers, which project outside the walls, connected by two arches which spring
from piers placed against the opposite faces of the towers. The towers probably served
as guard-houses, and each had a doorway between the piers of the arches. The gate
was almost devoid of ornament. The caps of the piers have a right-lined, but salient,
profile; the arches were less than semi-circles, and had no mouldings. Ill. 134 shows
the present condition of the gate: one tower is well preserved, having lost only one
1 Div. Ill, insc. 239.