Buzz
The identity of an unnamed deity described in inscriptions in the ancient city of Palmyra, located in present-day Syria, has long puzzled scholars. But now, a Polish researcher claims she has found the answer.
The ancient Roman town of Palmyra, Syria, mostly destroyed, with only a few standing columns, set against a hill with a settlement on top against the backdrop of a blue sky, with clouds. The ancient city of Palmyra flourished about 2,000 years ago as a trading hub.
Palmyra has existed for millennia, and this city flourished about 2,000 years ago as a trading hub connecting the Roman Empire to trade routes in Asia, such as the Silk Road.
The unnamed deity mentioned in numerous Aramaic inscriptions in Palmyra is referred to as the 'deity of eternal blessings,' the 'lord of the universe,' and the 'benevolent one,' according to Science in Poland, a government-run news outlet. Many of these inscriptions date back approximately 2,000 years.
To unravel this mystery, Aleksandra Kubiak-Schneider, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wrocław in Poland, compared inscriptions from Palmyra with those found throughout Mesopotamia dating back to the first millennium BCE.
She discovered that the gods worshipped in Mesopotamia were referred to in a similar manner as the unnamed deity of Palmyra. For example, 'Bel-Marduk' - the supreme god of Babylon - was also called 'the benevolent one.' The phrase 'lord of the world' - a title akin to 'lord of the universe' - sometimes used to refer to Baalshamin, a sky god.
Kubiak-Schneider stated that the unnamed 'deity' mentioned in inscriptions in Palmyra is not a singular deity but multiple gods including Bel-Marduk and Baalshamin. She also suggested that people not mentioning the names of the gods is a sign of reverence.
Furthermore, when people inscribed prayers to the divine, they didn't always seek a specific deity but any god who would heed their prayers.
Kubiak-Schneider said: 'There is no such thing as a nameless deity, every god listening and showing favor to requests deserves praise.'
Kubiak-Schneider presented this hypothesis to the scientific community, who will debate it, and each scholar will decide whether to accept or reject it.
Another researcher agrees that the unnamed deity could refer to multiple gods, but expresses concern that some Babylonian texts, which Kubiak-Schneider studied, predate the inscriptions from Palmyra by centuries.
The findings of Kubiak-Schneider's research have recently been published in the e-book (translated from French) 'The Unnamed Offerings of Palmyra's Blessings'.
