The Petra Great Temple: A Nabataean Architectural Miracle - Research Paper Example

The Petra Great Temple: A Nabataean Architectural Miracle A Review In the Near Eastern Archaeology journal, the newly designed version of the Biblical Archaeologist journal, volume 65 is devoted to the archaeological discovery of Petra and the distinct architecture that makes this city such a magnificent find. The city of Petra has a controversial association with the Old Testament. The city was thought to be inhabited by the Edomites who were the descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau. References in the Old Testament are presumed by some, but not all, biblical scholars to be within the word Sela, which means “the rock” and is believed by some to be the place where . The city has also been shown in historical documents to be referred to as the “rose-red city” (Hammond, 1960, p. 29). References that are thought to be about Petra in the Old Testament include Psalms 108:10, which says “Who will bring me into the strong city, who will lead me into Edom?“ and is further explored in Kings 14:7 “Sela of Edom, near the valley of salt.“ (Forder, 1901, pp. 338). However, the most controversial interpretation that is thought by some to refer to Petra is when Jesus said “and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." - Matthew 16:13-19 (Bibleanswers, 2009), in that the rock that He was referring to was actually Petra. In an article in volume 65 of Near Eastern Archaeology, Martha Sharp Joukowsky, Professor at Brown University, Director of the Center for Old World Archaeology and Art, and Professor in the Department of Anthropology, discusses her work in excavating the Petra Great Temple that she has been focused on since 1993 (Joukowsky, 2002, pp. 248). The architecture of Petra is a magnificent study in cut rock dwelling that rivals the architecture of the period for its unique and detailed work. Within in Petra there are over 800 tombs to explore and many of the structures are cut directly into the mountainous rock. There are several free standing structures, including the Great Temple. Petra was first explored by R. E. Brunnow and A. von Domaszewski in the late 19th century, however, in 1921 it was W. Bachmann who believed that there was a temple that was yet to be uncovered. It wasn’t until the Brown University excavations that Joukowsky participated in that the Great Temple has been brought back into academic existence. Much of the temple has either crumbled, been destroyed by the earthquake that took so much of the city, or was restructured as others used the architectural space for their own purposes after the city had been abandoned. The temple is divided into three distinct terraces that have indications of their use through the finds of the excavation processes. The Great Temple owes some of its design from the Hellenistic influences, but Joukawsky believes there is a distinction of style from the Nabataeans. A horned alter and several betyls (stones that are said to house the essence of a deity) can be found within the structure, indicating the nature of the use of the building. Underneath the Great Temple is a series of canals, most likely used to bring water into the city. These have been discovered through the use of ground penetrating radar techniques and further excavation. This leads to the conclusion that the center alter was removed by Bedouins who used this for their own cultivation in later centuries. Discoveries of fresco on the walls, multiple carved relief areas, and techniques of in-situ decorative plaster include a wall with purple border surrounding a red wall. Despite some of the assumptions that Petra has traditions within the Old Testament, some of the work within the Great Temple dates only to 100 C. E. The Greek goddess, Tyche-Fortuna is the patron goddess of the city and a series of reliefs of her can be found that are done in coloration of either yellow and white or red and white. One of the more dramatic structural changes can be seen where an amphitheater was added that could provide seating for 640 people. The décor of the Temple include a great deal of still preserved or ascertainable carving that includes acanthus leaves, blooming hibiscus flowers, pine cones, and a beautiful set of capitols for columns that are done with an elephant motif. The elephants have emotional qualities that can be said to be passive or angry, and masculine or feminine. The purpose of the elephant motif is not clear, but the beauty of the work is unquestionable. The purpose of the Great Temple has yet to be discovered. While assumptions can be made about which gods and goddesses were worshipped by the users of the building, the actual rites and traditions have no clear foundation. There is no lack of artifacts or preserved sections of the Temple. Unfortunately, there is not enough written history to explain enough about the Edomites that the purpose of the temple can be decided by scholars. Despite the beauty of the discovery, there may always be answers that cannot be found. The Great Temple at Petra is a piece of architecture that is not familiar. However, the article goes to great lengths to describe the architecture of the building and provides a clear point of view from which to understand how it is positioned within the city of Petra. Some of the details, however, are not as clear as they could be because Joukowsky sometimes jumps from one area to another without a clearly focused transition. However, there are detailed charts and pictures included that help to lend some clarity to this description. Although, it might serve the piece better to move from one section to the next, rather than connecting styles in different areas that cannot clearly be identified by someone who has never seen the Temple. The beauty of the work within the Temple is without question from the lovely descriptions of the detailed artwork that has survived the ages. The elephant capitols are a new concept that I have never experienced in studying the architecture of ancient structures. The details of the elephants with emotional and engendered expressions has left me perplexed by the purpose of these beautiful structures. While I have experienced viewing a great number of different styles that can be found within the ancient world, this detail is a new revelation. According to Joukowsky, the use of these elephant enhanced capitols is unique to the Nabataean decorative aesthetic, and the meaning of the elephants, if they represent deities or some other aspect of worship, remains an intriguing mystery. The article by Martha S. Joukowsky is an informative article that describes the process of her discovery of The Great Temple at Petra since 1993. The Temple is still a work in progress as they continue to make new discoveries. The lack of history that cannot be processed by archaeologists always is a surprising aspect of the continuing hunt for history. Of course, the use of the elephant head capitols could simply reflect an appreciation for this particular design aspect by a person in power. Or, it could reflect the personal aesthetic of the artist, although this is very unlikely. Still the possibility of a connection to a religious ceremonial aspect of the life within Petra would provide a fascinating extension of the current knowledge of comparative religions of antiquity. In finding the city of Petra, there is some speculation that a part of a prophecy has been set into motion. Petra represents one of the cities that was once lost from the Old Testament, although there is no clear proof that this is the city that was referred to as Sela and the Strong City within scripture. There is even less proof, of course, that further reference to Petra was made by Jesus in reference to the building of his church. However, aside from allusions to prophetic predictions, the existence of such a similar city to the descriptions within the Bible suggest that a sense of truth is found within its pages. With the powerful architectural elements of the carved stone buildings, it is clearly possible that these references could refer to Petra. As well, it fits into the descriptions of the city of the Edomites that have a place within Old Testament writings. In finding proof of the existence of such places, Biblical archaeology has the opportunity to prove that the places that are written about from these ancient civilization do exist, giving some credibility to the writings as historical records. While there is a great deal of writing that does not clearly define the references to some of these places, finding ruins that fit the descriptions goes a long way in making scientific associations from tangible findings. This makes the Bible a powerful source of information for the archaeologist who seeks to find the ruins of ancient cities and associate them with possibly historical relationships. However, because the Bible does not read like a road map through history, divining the truth is not always a simple process. As in the example of Petra, there is no clear information on the people, the purposes, or the relationship that the city might have to the Biblical references that might exist. There is no surety that the temple is an example of any one religious affiliation, although the Greek goddess of the city is clearly depicted on the walls. Because of the diversity of the artwork within, there is a real possibility that there was worship of an unknown purpose that was carried out within its walls. Fortunately, there are enough similarities to other finds that certain aspects of the city and the Temple can be determined for their purpose. As an example, the betyls show that the essence of gods were felt to be embodied within these sacred stones which connects the form of worship that the inhabitance of the city to others who shared similar worship habits. Petra is a magnificent city with uniquely detailed carvings into the mountain that provide dwellings, political seats of power, and over 800 tombs. The article written by Martha S. Joukowsky is a detailed account of her observations of The Great Temple that she has spent a great many years excavating and studying the artifacts that she has discovered. The excavation of any site would be so much less interesting if every possible answer was quickly found and no mystery could still be observed. This is true of the Bible as well. If the truth were known without the requirement of faith, the religiosity of faith would be absent. Therefore, as archaeologists discover the ancient world, it is well understood that not all of the mysteries will be unveiled. As cities are unearthed and written histories are uncovered, there will still remain a sense that mankind cannot know everything. After all, if the mysteries of the world were all gone and the sense of discovery was no longer available, what fun would that be? References Bibleanswers. (2009). “Upon this rock I will build my church” Ranalagh Christian Church. Retrieved on 27 April 2009 from http://www.bibleanswers.ie/rock Forder, A. (November, 1901). “Sela or Petra, “The Strong City” The ruined capitol of Edom”. The Biblical World. Vol. 18, No. 5, pp. 328-337. Hammond, P. C. Jr. (February, 1960). “Petra”. The Biblical Archaeologist. Vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 29-32. Joukowsky, M. S. (December, 2002). “The Petra Great Temple: A Nabataean Architectural Miracle”. Near Eastern Archaeology. Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 235-248. Read More