DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45584#0081
356
Division II Section A Part 5
the middle intercolumniation of the porch. There are many carved details of great
beauty in the village of cAtil, some of which are unique. The ancient city was the
site of a sanctuary of a Nabataean divinity Theandrites, as has been pointed out by
M. Dussaud.1 It is not impossible that one of the temples was sacred to that god.
The ancient name of the place was Athela, as has been discovered in an inscription.2
115. SLEM (SELA/MA).
This village, with its ruined temple, is situated in the northwestern part of the
Djebel Hauran, on the very edge of the lava fields of the Ledja. It is a com-
paratively large place in which there are several ancient buildings and parts of buildings,
that are utilized as habitations, together with fragments of at least two Classical
structures, and numerous inscriptions in Greek. On the east side of the village, and
detached from it by a hundred metres or more, are the foundations and parts of the
superstructure of a temple of medium size. The building faced the east. The south
parastade, or anta-wall, which is extremely thick, and in which there were a small, stone-
roofed chamber and a stair, is preserved to a height of over 3 m. The northeast
angle of the opposite parastade is preserved to its full height of over 12 metres. The
remainder of the temple plan is to be traced only in foundation walls that are almost
hidden in fallen building stones. A photograph of this building is to be obtained from
Dumas of Beirut; unfortunately my own films were damaged after they had been
exposed, and only the upper half of one of them could be printed. This I present in
enlarged form (Ill. 319). The temple was set on a high podium with rich base mould-
ings. Its plan is most unusual (Ill. 320); for the anta-walls project very far, and are
thick enough to contain chambers. Between these antae were two pairs of columns.
The ends of the antae are provided with two pilasters, the inner ones 0.81 m. wide
to correspond with the columns, the outer pair 1.16 m. wide. The wide pilasters were
reproduced along the flanks of the temple, six on a side (Pl. XXVI), and upon the
rear wall. The interior plan is much more difficult to extricate from the debris. There
are certainly two piers which carried a transverse arch over the middle of the cella.
At the west end there is an apse, or niche, 2.65 m. wide, with a narrow chamber
beside it on the north, and, presumably, a similar chamber on the south. Among the
ruins at this point are drums of several columns of smaller scale than the exterior
columns, and these I have placed in front of the west wall in the manner already seen
in the interior of the Tychaion at is-Sanamen (cf. Ill. 289). The podium is perfectly
preserved below the two parastades; between them there is no sign of a wall but only
a depression filled with debris. It must be that a flight of steps ascended at this
point; but this leaves no footing for the two columns which stood between the antae-
pilasters to carry the entablature above. Among the debris here I found a cap, like
the top of a pedestal, with mouldings like the cap of the podium. It was not in place,
but lay nearly in line with the two pilasters. In the restoration of the facade (Ill. 320)
I have used this cap as a basis for supplying two tall pedestals for the outer columns.
Within these; according to my restoration, the steps ascend, broken by two shorter
pedestals to carry the two other columns of which there are numerous fragments.
There can of course be no doubt as to the height of the order, for this is given by
M. S. p. 20.
2 Wadd., 2372.
Division II Section A Part 5
the middle intercolumniation of the porch. There are many carved details of great
beauty in the village of cAtil, some of which are unique. The ancient city was the
site of a sanctuary of a Nabataean divinity Theandrites, as has been pointed out by
M. Dussaud.1 It is not impossible that one of the temples was sacred to that god.
The ancient name of the place was Athela, as has been discovered in an inscription.2
115. SLEM (SELA/MA).
This village, with its ruined temple, is situated in the northwestern part of the
Djebel Hauran, on the very edge of the lava fields of the Ledja. It is a com-
paratively large place in which there are several ancient buildings and parts of buildings,
that are utilized as habitations, together with fragments of at least two Classical
structures, and numerous inscriptions in Greek. On the east side of the village, and
detached from it by a hundred metres or more, are the foundations and parts of the
superstructure of a temple of medium size. The building faced the east. The south
parastade, or anta-wall, which is extremely thick, and in which there were a small, stone-
roofed chamber and a stair, is preserved to a height of over 3 m. The northeast
angle of the opposite parastade is preserved to its full height of over 12 metres. The
remainder of the temple plan is to be traced only in foundation walls that are almost
hidden in fallen building stones. A photograph of this building is to be obtained from
Dumas of Beirut; unfortunately my own films were damaged after they had been
exposed, and only the upper half of one of them could be printed. This I present in
enlarged form (Ill. 319). The temple was set on a high podium with rich base mould-
ings. Its plan is most unusual (Ill. 320); for the anta-walls project very far, and are
thick enough to contain chambers. Between these antae were two pairs of columns.
The ends of the antae are provided with two pilasters, the inner ones 0.81 m. wide
to correspond with the columns, the outer pair 1.16 m. wide. The wide pilasters were
reproduced along the flanks of the temple, six on a side (Pl. XXVI), and upon the
rear wall. The interior plan is much more difficult to extricate from the debris. There
are certainly two piers which carried a transverse arch over the middle of the cella.
At the west end there is an apse, or niche, 2.65 m. wide, with a narrow chamber
beside it on the north, and, presumably, a similar chamber on the south. Among the
ruins at this point are drums of several columns of smaller scale than the exterior
columns, and these I have placed in front of the west wall in the manner already seen
in the interior of the Tychaion at is-Sanamen (cf. Ill. 289). The podium is perfectly
preserved below the two parastades; between them there is no sign of a wall but only
a depression filled with debris. It must be that a flight of steps ascended at this
point; but this leaves no footing for the two columns which stood between the antae-
pilasters to carry the entablature above. Among the debris here I found a cap, like
the top of a pedestal, with mouldings like the cap of the podium. It was not in place,
but lay nearly in line with the two pilasters. In the restoration of the facade (Ill. 320)
I have used this cap as a basis for supplying two tall pedestals for the outer columns.
Within these; according to my restoration, the steps ascend, broken by two shorter
pedestals to carry the two other columns of which there are numerous fragments.
There can of course be no doubt as to the height of the order, for this is given by
M. S. p. 20.
2 Wadd., 2372.