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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GinoLR, post: 24804393, member: 128351&quot;]Julia Domna, Emesa, AE 24 mm</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1587336[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv.: IOV[ΛIA] ΔOMNA [AVΓ]. , bust of Julia Domna right</p><p>Rev.: [EMICΩ]N KOΛΩNIAC / ZKΦ : year 527 sel. = 215-216 AD. , monumental cubic altar on three steps, with 2 storeys ornamented with 3 niches with statues, small lighted altar on top.</p><p><br /></p><p>This kind of monumental cubic altar is well-known in Roman Syria. There was one much like it in front of Jupiter&#039;s Temple in Heliopolis (Baalbek, Lebanon), not far from Emesa ; it has been excavated and partially restored by a Swiss mission. A structure of the same kind has been restored in Gerasa (Jerash, Jordan) in front of Zeus Temple. We know no trace of any ancient sanctuary in today&#039;s Homs, but the cubic altar depicted on this coin was probably in front of the Elagabal Temple. The High-Priest (future emperor Elagabalus) is said to have been &quot;dancing around the altars&quot; : this was in fact the <i>circumambulatio</i>, the same rite of the &quot;<i>tawwaf</i>&quot; performed by today&#039;s Muslims who turn around the Cube (<i>Kaaba</i>) in Mekka.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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