User:Elias Ziade/sandbox11

Sursock bronze
Sursock bronze
Completion date	2nd century AD
Catalogue	AO 19534
Medium	Gilded bronze
Subject	Jupiter Heliopolitanus wearing an ependytes featuring the busts of planetary deities Helios, Selene, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Juno, and Saturn. Tyche is featured on the pedestal.
Dimensions	38.4 cm × 14.7 cm (15.1 in × 5.8 in)
Condition	Missing right arm. Statuette vandalized in antiquity
Location	Louvre, Paris

The Sursock bronze also known as the Sursock statuette^[1] is a second century AD gilded bronze sculptural group of Jupiter Heliopolitanus. The statuette is 38.4 cm (15.1 in) tall; the god is depicted standing on a square base measuring 5.5 cm × 5 cm (2.2 in × 2.0 in) on each side. Two bulls, flank the effigy of the god, with the entire group resting on a base measuring 14.7 cm (5.8 in) wide, 12.7 cm (5.0 in) deep and 4.7 cm (1.9 in) high.^[2]^[3] The entire statuette was originally coated in gold, and although much of the gold has worn away, there are still visible traces of it remaining.^[2]

The Sursock bronce is the showpiece of the Louvre's Department of Oriental Antiquities Roman Levant collection.^[4] The statuette *originated* from the Charles Sursock collection. In 1920, French archaeologist René Dussaud, then Deputy Curator of the Department of Oriental Antiquities, selected the Sursock bronze as the subject for the article inaugurating the first issue of the Syria journal, a leading publication for French archaeological research in the Levant.^[4]

Jupiter Heliopolitanus, also known as Jupiter Optimus Maximus Heliopolitanus, was a syncretic supreme god venerated in the great temple of Baalbek, in modern-day Lebanon. The deity known by different names throughout history, including Baal, Baal Hadad, Helios, Zeus, and Jupiter Optimus Maximus Heliopolitanus.

Jupiter Heliopolitanus

(see main article)

Jupiter Optimus Maximus Heliopolitanus was a syncretic supreme god venerated in the great temple of Baalbek, in modern-day Lebanon. The cult of Jupiter Heliopolitanus evolved from ancient Canaanite religion, specifically from the cult of the West Semitic good Baal-Hadad, an ancient storm and fertility god worshipped in various regions in the Near East, including Canaan and Syria. Baal is a title meaning "lord", "owner" or "master" and was used for various local gods. Hadad, specifically, was known as the god of rain, thunder, and storms, and was associated with agricultural fertility, and was often depicted holding a whip and thunderbolt. In different areas and periods, Baal-Hadad was associated with different natural phenomena and powers.^[5]^[6]

During the Hellenistic period, the cult of Baal Hadad in Baalbek acquired significant solar characteristics. The Greek Diadochi identified him with their sun god Helios, and consequently renamed the town Heliopolis.^[7] This association endured after the Roman colonies were established in the Levant.^[7] The name Heliopolis, shared with the famous Egyptian city of the same name, allowed the priests of the Egyptian Heliopolis to assert that the cult of Baalbek had originated from their own traditions, as recounted by Roman historian Macrobius (Saturnalia, early 5th century CE),^[8] who reported that the cult statue of Jupiter Heliopolitanus in Baalbek originally came from Egypt.^[7]^[9] Modern scholars dispute this claim, recognizing it as part of the broader syncretic tendencies of Roman religion.^[2]^[10] The cult of Hadad found its way to Rome, where he was mentioned in three inscriptions on an altar uncovered on the eastern slopes of the Janiculum hill. The inscriptions read: "to the god Adados", "to the god Adados of Libanos", and "to the god Adados of the Mountain-top" are believed by Cook to suggest an increasing trend toward associating Hadad more with Jupiter, known as a mountain god, rather than with Helios.^[11] The cult of Hadad/Helios eventually syncretized with the Roman chief god Jupiter,^[5] evolving a cosmic and universal deity.^[12]^[13] In the second century AD, the Romans built a monumental temple complex in Baalbek, dedicated to Iupiter Heliopolitanus, Heliopolitan Jupiter. The cult of Heliopolitan Jupiter spread from this cultic center to the entire empire.^[11]

University of Nottingham scholar Andreas Kropp challenges the established notions of a solar syncretism of Jupiter Heliopolitanus,^[14] and his identification with the Semitic Hadad. He suggests that before the Hellenistic era, a local deity influenced the image of Heliopolitan Jupiter, but he does not specify the name of this deity.^[15]

The statuette depicts the tutelary god of the Great Temple of Baalbeck, Jupiter Heliopolitanus, known by his epithet Iupiter Optimus Maxiumus Heliopolitanus. The

Fifth century AD Roman historian Macrobius

History

Earlier depictions

French archaeologist and Assyriologist François Lenormant first described the Heliopolitan representation of Jupiter in 1876,^[16] based on a relief engraved on a votive stele discovered in 1752 in the basin of a Roman-era fountain in Nîmes.^[17] A significant number of representations of the Heliopolitan Jupiter type have been identified including bronzes, statuettes, stone or marble reliefs, and coins from various cities across the Roman Empire like Neapolis in Samaria, and Eleutheropolis and Nicopolis-Emmaus in Palestine.^[16]

Discovery

The discovery location of the Sursock Bronze remains a subject of debate. Dussaud identified Baalbek as the discovery site, in contrast to Jesuit scholar Sébastien Ronzevalle's more ambiguous claim that it was found "in Lebanon".^[18] The bronze was sold to Beirut aristocrat Charles Sursock by antiquarian Jamil Baroudy, who may have cited Baalbek as the find spot to enhance the statuette's appeal and increase its market value. Another contemporary Lebanese antiquarian, Élie Bustros, suggested an alternative site near Choueifat, a location considered credible by historian Joseph Hajjar due to its association with two dedications to Heliopolitan Jupiter.^[19]^[20]

Initially, only the top part of the statuette including the idol's body was discovered; later, the lower part with the bases and bulls, was also found. The right arm however, was never located. All parts of the bronze group were hacked and disjointed with the kalathos headdress separated from the head, the head detached from the body and the small cubic pedestal separated from the underlying larger base. The bulls and the nose of the idol were particularly affected by axe blows in antiquity.^[2] The bronze was acquired by the Louvre in 1939.^[4]

Composition and description

The statuette is 38.4 cm (15.1 in) tall; the god is depicted standing on a square base measuring 5.5 cm × 5 cm (2.2 in × 2.0 in) on each side. Two bulls, flank the effigy of the god, with the entire group resting on a base measuring 14.7 cm (5.8 in) wide, 12.7 cm (5.0 in) deep and 4.7 cm (1.9 in) high.^[2]^[3] The entire statuette was originally coated in gold, and although much of the gold has worn away, there are still visible traces of it remaining.^[2]

The god is depicted youthful, beardless and with a full face; these attributes reflect an ancient local type of the god Hadad devoid of classical influence. The eye grooves were once inlaid with enamel or precious stone according to the Syro-Phoenician practice. A powerful blow to the face slightly curved the tip of the nose downwards. The neck is thick, with a prominent Adam's apple, and he hair falls onto the shoulders in four layers of curly locks, completely covering the ears.^[21] The statuette's head is crowned by a kalathos, a basket shaped headdress that flares upward and outward from a torus-shaped base. The body of the kalathos decorated with four ears of wheat and an interlocking pattern of foliage or intertwined reeds that compose the basket.^[22] The top of the front of the kalathos features a sun disk framed by two uraei (representations of a sacred snake used as a symbol of sovereignty and divinity in Ancient Egypt).^[21] He wears an ependytes, a short-sleeved tight-ﬁtting tunic, covered by a cuirassed: scrollwork bands delimit compartments with figured decorations.^[22]^[4]^[23]

The front and back of deity's cuirass is divided into square registers, with one to two registers per row. The front registers contain miniature busts of seven planetary deities, while the back registers house cultic animals and symbols.^[23] On the front, from the top, a single register features a winged disk, followed in the next row by two square registers with the busts of Helios, representing the sun, and Selene/Luna, the crescent Moon. The third register is also comprised of two registers featuring Mars in arms, and Mercury with a caduceus and a winged helmet.^[a] The fourth row features the busts of a bearded and draped Jupiter, and his consort Juno wearing a diadem. Underneath the duo, and in a single compartment is a bust of a bearded and veiled Saturn. The bottom register of the front of the dress features a lion head figure positioned above the statuette's bare feet. The reverse of the tunic is divided into ten registers featuring from top to bottom, a winged solar disk with uraei, an eagle with outstretched wings, two ram heads facing each other, two four-pointed stars and four rosettes.^[4]^[26] The sides of the dress comprise of a vertical ﬁeld stretching from under each of the statuette's armpits to its feet. These fields feature each a stylized thunderbolt.^[23]

Important

According to Franz Cumont: List the deities Juno/Venus , presence of two rosacea stars (see BECK Roger) and explain the star symbolism from BECK^[27]

Cumont page 43 talks about order from right to left as read by semites and see BECK for same comment. Planetary distance and revolution speed. From left to right it gives the days of the week. Talks about musical harmony --> Neo pythagorical concepts that might have influenced the eastern cults

The front face of the small base supporting the figure of the deity is adorned with the image of Tyche, the tutelary goddess of the city, wearing a mural crown and holding a cornucopia.^[28]

The bulls / calves

two bulls flank the small base upon which the deity is positioned. Dussaud remarks that this positioning of the bulls is a recurring motif in various reliefs; according to him, the proportions of the Sursock bronze bulls confirm that these are young bulls, further evidenced by their underdeveloped horns. This observation is corroborated by the relief in the Calvet Museum, which elucidates that in the parallel Israelite cult of the golden calf, the Hebrew term used is *cgel, meaning "young bull."^[29] In the Levant, the bull/calf was the animal of Hadad.^[30]

The base (summarize further)

The Sursock bronze features a large base with some intriguing and somewhat puzzling characteristics. The base is composed of a horizontal top plate and four side panels, forming a hollow structure with no bottom. Each side panel has two circular holes, about 1 centimeter in diameter, aligned in pairs across opposite sides. Given that all the holes are at the same height, it's unlikely that they were meant to hold rods passing through from one side to the other. Instead, these holes likely served to accommodate short pegs or wooden dowels that would secure the side panels of the base to the walls of a box or structure beneath it.^[31]

Additionally, the top plate of the base has a circular opening, about 73 millimeters in diameter, which likely corresponded to a hollow space below. This opening was probably not intended for inserting another figure, as doing so would have obscured the smaller figure of Tyche positioned on the base. Furthermore, the edge of the opening shows no signs of wear or fitting, which suggests it wasn't used to hold an object like a cup or incense burner.^[31] It is possible that this opening was intended to receive offerings, such as jewelry, a practice common in ancient times. For example, it is said that Aaron made the golden calf from the earrings of the Israelites, and similarly, the Tabernacle's utensils and furnishings were created from various gold ornaments offered by the people.^[32]

This idea aligns with other ancient practices where offerings, particularly jewelry, were buried or placed in sacred locations. For instance, in Genesis 35:4, Jacob buried his family's earrings under an oak tree near Shechem, an act that symbolized the abandonment of old religious practices. Similarly, pre-Islamic Arabs would create a cavity beneath an idol, often a sacred stone, where they placed the blood of sacrificed animals and other offerings.

However, during the Roman era, donation boxes (loculi), although often placed near the image of the deity, were typically much smaller to prevent theft. This raises doubts about the offering theory, suggesting instead that the large opening might have served a different purpose.^[32]

One plausible explanation is that the setup was designed for the god to receive written questions from devotees, a practice that was popular in some ancient sanctuaries.^[32] As the writer Macrobius describes, people would send sealed messages to the god, who would respond in the order the questions were received.^[32] For example, the Roman emperor Trajan, before leading his army against the Parthians, sent sealed tablets to the oracle of the god of Heliopolis to seek advice. The god did not reply in writing but instead issued the response aloud, directing the priests to return a parchment, sealed and blank, to Trajan. When Trajan received it, he was surprised, as he had sent blank tablets. This oracle's response turned out to be symbolic, predicting Trajan’s death.^[33]

The Sursock bronze could have been an idol of Heliopolitan Jupiter used in such oracular practices. If the idol were placed on a platform with the large base secured above an opening in the platform, it would have allowed priests to discreetly retrieve the messages, read them, and then deliver the oracle's response aloud, unseen by the devotees above.^[33]

Dating and interpretation

https://www.livius.org/articles/religion/jupiter-heliopolitanus/

Dussaud

The Sursock bronze is a miniature of the cultic image of Jupiter as he was venerated in the great temple of Baalbek around the mid-second century CE.^[34] Dussaud believes that the Sursock bronze was not merely a votive statuette, but rather an idol that was used in the worship practices at the temple of Baalbek. The vandalism to which the statuette was subjected and its find location imply that the idol was damaged by early Christians seeking to eradicate remnants of polytheism.^[16] (if not ebalorated remove) Early Christian writers reported that Baalbek was strongly resistant to the spread of Christianity.^[35]

Dussaud draws attention to the statuette's prominent Adam's apple, and notes how other replicas emphasize this anatomic feature. He linked its exaggerated representation to the deity's oracular abilities.^[21]^[c]

Origins

Dussaud noted that the statuette's imagery and attributes were not novel, and the overall posture is consistent with earlier representations of the god Baal-Haddad. The left arm is brought close to the body, holding ears of grain, while the right arm, broken at the elbow, was originally raised, brandishing a whip. This whip replaced Hadad's weapon when the god, having become a solar deity, adopted the emblem of Helios to symbolize his journey across the sky. The arrangement of the group in two tiers is corroborated by several replicas, including a relief in the Calvet Museum.^[36]

Some elements of this idol, such as the grouping of divine busts in line with the later trend of creating pantheon-like deities, do not date back much earlier than the second century CE; however, other features are much older. The Louvre Museum holds an unpublished bronze that appears to represent an earlier form of the Heliopolitan Jupiter, also known as the Hadad of Baalbek.^[36]

Only the upper part of this bronze has survived. The figure's body, shaped like a column, which resembles a prototype of the Roman-era sheath, supports a beardless head. The face lacks a beard but features a prominent throat, a detail similar to those described in other representations. The ears are pierced, each with a hole in the lobe, and there is a notable emphasis on the rendering of the upper eyelids and eyebrows.^[36]

The hairstyle is particularly intricate. The ancient conical cap of the Syro-Phoenician gods is significantly reduced in size. From its base, a uraeus (cobra) emerges at the front, while two bull horns on the sides symbolize the animal associated with the god, representing his particular strength. The cap is topped with the solar disk between uraei; on the sides, it widens into two appendages that are intended to represent ostrich feathers, often seen flanking the Egyptian crown. Typically, ram horns support the base of these feathers, forming what is known as the Atef crown. In this bronze, however, the ram horns are placed above the feathers and are adorned with a spiral design. A final attribute, a bird with a broken head—likely an eagle—further decorates this headdress. The presence of the eagle is of particular interest, as no document prior to Alexander the Great's conquest associated this animal with the Syrian god. It was previously thought that this connection arose under Greek influence, as Hadad, when identified with Zeus, would have adopted the eagle, the emblem of the ruler of Olympus. However, this bronze suggests that the eagle's association with the god is older, potentially dating back to the Persian period.^[36]

Comparison to other oxen supported xoana

Dussaud also explains that when examining the marble bas-relief mentioning IOMH from Avignon, one can understand why the term naos zugophoroumenos (a shrine carried by yoked oxen) might have naturally come to the mind of Philo of Byblos. Although the application of this term to the idol of Jupiter Heliopolitanus has been disputed, Philo describes a highly revered wooden statue (xoanon) in Phoenicia, housed in a small shrine carried by oxen, representing Agrueros or Agrotès. Dussaid believes that Philo employed his Euhemeristic method, suggesting that Jupiter Heliopolitanus, who governs rain and agricultural growth,was rationally converted into a heroic figure emblematic of agriculture. Philo further notes that in Byblos, this deity was called "the greatest of the gods," a title borne by Jupiter Heliopolitanus in inscriptions. He also informs us that the king of the gods was named Adodos, equating to Hadad, which is precisely the indigenous name of Jupiter Heliopolitanus.^[34]

Style

MatetrekaSha2feWe7deHayde VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Despite the overall portrayal aligning with the conventional imagery associated with this deity, various details suggest a syncretic approach to its representation. The use of Egyptian-inspired iconography appears to be largely artificial, possibly drawing from the brief presence of the Ptolemaic dynasty in the Beqaa region during the 3rd century BCE and capitalizing on the homonymy with the sacred city of Egypt. Furthermore, the ornamentation on the sheath surrounding the deity reveals a new conceptualization, which emerged during the imperial era: its power has evolved into a cosmological, universal force. It governs the movement of planets, time, and the fate of humanity, thus possessing an oracular capacity that enjoyed significant popularity during the imperial period.^[12]

ON Other image variability VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The variability in the representation of cultic statues found in various artifacts: These statues typically feature depictions of deities and celestial bodies, with different combinations and arrangements of figures, symbols, and decorative elements. While some artifacts adhere to specific themes such as the representation of planetary deities or zodiac symbols, others deviate from these patterns. The passage suggests that this variability may not result from artistic carelessness or frequent changes in the cult image's appearance but rather reflects uncertainty due to limited access to the original cult statues kept in temple adyton. The lack of Jupiter's depiction on coins of Heliopolis serves as evidence that local authorities showed minimal interest in promoting the god's image.^[37]

Significance

The Sursock bronce is the showpiece of the Louvre's Department of Oriental Antiquities Roman Levant collection.^[4] The statuette *originated* from the Charles Sursock collection. In 1920, French archaeologist René Dussaud, then Deputy Curator of the Department of Oriental Antiquities, selected the Sursock bronze as the subject for the article inaugurating the first issue of the Syria journal, a leading publication for French archaeological research in the Levant.^[4]^[38]

Notes

^ Dussaud wrongly identified these deities with Athena and Hermes.^[25]
^ Dussaud
^ In Semitic cultures, the throat was considered the organ of speech; it is mentioned in this regard in the Old Testament.^[b]

External links

References

Citations

^ "Statuette of Jupiter Heliopolitanus ("Sursock statuette")". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Dussaud 1920, p. 4.
^ ^a ^b The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2024). "Statuette of Jupiter Heliopolitanus ("Sursock statuette")". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Bel 2012b, p. 14.
^ ^a ^b Dupont-Sommer 1949, pp. 109, 113.
^ Seyrig 1929, pp. 315, 346.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cook 1914, pp. 549–550.
^ Macrobius 2006, 1.23.12.
^ Seyrig 1929, p. 347.
^ Seyrig 1929, pp. 346–347.
^ ^a ^b Cook 1914, pp. 550–551.
^ ^a ^b Bel 2012b, p. 14–15.
^ Seyrig 1929, pp. 333, 340–341, .
^ Kropp 2010, p. 261.
^ Kropp 2010, p. 237.
^ ^a ^b ^c Dussaud 1920, p. 3.
^ Lenormant 1876, p. 78.
^ Ronzevalle 1913, p. 522.
^ Hajjar 1977a, p. 274–275, footnote.
^ Fleischer 2015, p. 337.
^ ^a ^b ^c Dussaud 1920, p. 5.
^ ^a ^b Dussaud 1920, pp. 4–5.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kropp 2010, p. 233.
^ Lenormant 1876, pl. 21.
^ Dussaud 1920, p. 8.
^ Dussaud 1920, pp. 5–8.
^ Cumont 1921, p. 41.
^ Dussaud 1920, pp. 8–10.
^ Dussaud 1920, p. 10.
^ Seyrig 1929, p. 317.
^ ^a ^b Dussaud 1920, p. 13.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dussaud 1920, p. 14.
^ ^a ^b Dussaud 1920, p. 15.
^ ^a ^b Dussaud 1920, p. 11.
^ Theodoret of Cyrus 1675, pp. 254–255.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dussaud 1920, p. 11–13.
^ Kropp 2010, p. 233–234.
^ Cumont 1921, p. 40.

Sources

Beck, Roger (2015). Planetary Gods and Planetary Orders in the Mysteries of Mithras. Leiden: Brill. pp. 63–69. ISBN 9789004296664. OCLC 1194929967.
Bel, Nicolas (2012a). Jupiter Héliopolitain (in French). Somogy éditions d'art. ISBN 978-2-35031-386-3.
Bel, Nicolas (2012b). "La collection héliopolitaine du musée du Louvre: des objets d'exception" [The Musée du Louvre's Heliopolitan collection: exceptional items]. Revue des musées de France (in French). 5: 14–16.
Cook, Arthur Bernard (1914). Zeus : A Study in Ancient Religion. Vol. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. OCLC 277236168.
Cumont, Franz (1921). "Le Jupiter héliopolitain et les divinités des planètes" [Heliopolitan Jupiter and the deities of the planets]. Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire (in French). 2 (1): 40–46. doi:10.3406/syria.1921.8760.
Dupont-Sommer, André (1949). Les Araméens [The Arameans]. Orient ancien illustré, 2 (in French). Paris: Dépôt: A. Maisonneuve.
Dussaud, René (1920). "Jupiter héliopolitain. Bronze de la collection Charles Sursock". Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire. 1 (1): 3–15. doi:10.3406/syria.1920.2849.
Fleischer, Robert (2015). Artemis von Ephesos und Verwandte Kultstatuen aus Anatolien und Syrien [Artemis of Ephesus and Related Cult Statues from Anatolia and Syria] (in German). Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004295001. OCLC 1194930684.
Hajjar, Joseph N. (1977a). La triade d'Héliopolis-Baalbek: son culte et sa diffusion à travers les textes littéraires et les documents iconographiques et épigraphiques (in French). Vol. 1. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 274–284. ISBN 9789004049024. OCLC 310464404. https://archive.org/details/latriadedheliopo0000hajj/page/n3/mode/2up
Hajjar, Joseph N. (1977b). La triade d'Héliopolis-Baalbek: son culte et sa diffusion à travers les textes littéraires et les documents iconographiques et épigraphiques (in French). Vol. 2. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004049048. OCLC 609786558. https://archive.org/details/latriadedheliopo0002hajj/page/n5/mode/2up
Kropp, Andreas J. M. (2010). "Jupiter, Venus and Mercury of Heliopolis (Baalbek). The images of the "triad" and its alleged syncretisms". Syria (87): 229–263. ISSN 0039-7946. OCLC 9970007128.
Lenormant, François (1876). De Witte, Jean; Lenormant, François (eds.). "Jupiter Heliopolitanus" (PDF). Gazette archéologique : recueil de monuments pour servir à la connaissance et à l'histoire de l'art antique (in French). Paris: Librairie centrale des beaux-arts. pp. 78–82, pl.21. OCLC 1254213573. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
Macrobius (2006) [c. 431 AD]. Saturnalia — Liber Primus. University of Chicago. 1.23.12. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
Ronzevalle, Sébastien (1913). "تمثال جديد معدني لجوبتير (المشتري) البعلبكي" [A new metal figurine of Jupiter Heliopolitanus]. al-Mashriq (in Arabic). 16 (7): 522–525. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024.
Seyrig, Henri (1929). "La triade héliopolitaine et les temples de Baalbek". Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire. 10 (4): 314–356. doi:10.3406/syria.1929.3414.
Theodoret of Cyrus (1675). Histoire de l'Église écrite par Théodoret et par Evagre [History of the Church by Theodoret and Evagrius] (in French). Translated by Cousin, Louis. Paris: Pierre Rocolet chez Damien Foucault.