Talk:Thrones of Astarte

Naïsque?

@Elie plus: have you come across the French word "Naïsque"? It is used by Seyrig in his description of two of these thrones, and when I google it I see only references to Phoenician and Greek artefacts. I wondered maybe it is connected to Naiad (fr:Naïades) but just a guess. Onceinawhile (talk) 23:46, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

Hi @Onceinawhile:, no it's not related to Naiad, it's a poor francization of Naiskos. ~ Elias Z. (talkallam) 05:44, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Merci Elie! That also explains why the sources for these two don't show images of the same kind of throne. I hope all is well with you, given everything going on in Lebanon. Onceinawhile (talk) 06:28, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Khirbet et-Tayibeh, south of Tyre

Hi @RomanDeckert: one of these thrones was found in “Khirbet et-Tayibeh, south of Tyre”. Have you heard of this place in your travels round the area? I can’t find it on google. Onceinawhile (talk) 06:36, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I have found it at 33.22°N 35.23°E / 33.22; 35.23, based on the location at [1]. Google has it as "Taybeh (الطيبة)". @Elie plus: have you ever heard of this? Onceinawhile (talk) 07:31, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

I know of a Taybeh near Marjayoun, but there are toponyms that repeat in Lebanon. ~ Elias Z. (talkallam) 08:31, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

This one is between Ras al-Ain and Deir Qanoun En Nahr. Onceinawhile (talk) 08:39, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

It is the most important of the thrones because it is the only one which has a Phoenician inscription and the only one which mentions Astarte. This is the original description from 1907:

French: Par bonheur, un voyage récent à travers la Galilée m'a mis en mesure de voir l'original lui-même, ainsi que l'endroit où il aurait été découvert. D'après les dépositions du détenteur de l'objet et les déclarations d'un Métouali qui aurait assisté à l'extraction du bloc, ce dernier se trouvait encastré dans une construction maçonnée, que je reconnus être de basse époque, et située à environ un quart d'heure au Sud-Est de Râs el-'Ain, près de Tyr, au lieu nommé Hirbet et-tayibeh. De là, il aurait été transporté à Râs el- 'Ain, puis acquis et emporté à Tyr. Je n'insisterai pas sur cette constatation qui, si elle est fondée, comme je le crois, et si on la rapproche du fait de la découverte d'un beau sarcophage à Râs el-'Ain même, naguère signalée par M. Héron de Villefosse ', pourrait jeter un jour inespéré sur la question du site de Palœtyr. Mais ce n'est pas ici le lieu de revenir sur ce sujet controversé.
, lit. 'Fortunately, a recent trip through Galilee enabled me to see the original itself, as well as the place where it was allegedly discovered. According to the owner of the object and a Mutawila who attended the extraction of the block, it was embedded in a masonry construction, which I recognized to be of late period, and located approximately a quarter of an hour south-east of Râs el-'Ain, near Tyre, at the place called Khirbet et-Tayibeh. From there it would have been transported to Râs el-'Ain, then taken to Tyre. I will not insist on this observation which, if it is founded, as I believe it, and if we compare it to the fact of the discovery of a beautiful sarcophagus at Râs el-'Ain itself, recently reported by M. Héron de Villefosse, could throw an unexpected light on the question of the Paleo-Tyre site. But this is not the place to return to this controversial subject.'

Onceinawhile (talk) 09:30, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Wow, thank you Onceinawhile, really fascinating info, Astarte definitely one of my favs! Unfortunately, I did not come across it (only noticed the one close to near Marjayoun), also perhaps because it is security-wise a very sensitive and usually off-limits behind the checkpoints. However, I have a good relation with chief-archaeologist for Southern Lebanon Dr. Ali Badawi and hope to return to Tyre for a visit as soon as possible, so would ask him then, cheers! RomanDeckert (talk) 21:31, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Hi RomanDeckert, that would be great. I am sure Dr. Badawi will know. On another topic, I recently did some work at Palestinian refugee camps - if I remember correctly you known something about this topic, so any comments there would be appreciated. Best, Onceinawhile (talk) 21:35, 29 July 2020 (UTC)