Temple of Bel Confirmed Destroyed

Temple of Bel confirmed destroyed by ISIS

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news.artnet.com[/caption]The long standing Temple of Bel (Baal) in Palmyra, Syria has been destroyed by ISIS. Founded in 32 AD, the temple was originally consecrated to the Bel, the God of Mesopotamia, in triad with the Sun God Yarhibol and the Lunar God Aglibol. This temple was considered one of the most well preserved of it's time and been used as a Christian Church and was later modified and preserved by local Arabs. From the Wall Street Journal:BEIRUT—The United Nations on Tuesday condemned the destruction of the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, a monument it called one of most important in the Middle East.Initial reports indicated Islamic State fighters had partially destroyed the temple on Sunday using explosives. But late Monday, the U.N. Institute for Training and Research said the temple’s inner sanctuary and nearby columns had been entirely demolished.“We can confirm destruction of the main building of the Temple of Bel as well as a row of columns in its immediate vicinity,” the institute said, citing satellite photographs.Their full story can read at WSJ.com.

Newsweek reported as well on the long history of the temple and what has been lost at the hands of ISIS. From Newsweek:The United Nations has confirmed the destruction of the Temple of Bel, a historically significant structure in the ISIS-controlled city of Palmyra, Syria, and the latest ancient architectural site demolished by the terrorist group.The U.N.’s educational, scientific and cultural agency (UNESCO) on Tuesday called the temple’s destruction “an intolerable crime against civilization” and a “war crime." The destruction of the temple, dedicated to the Semitic god Bel, is particularly devastating due to its unique architectural design and central role in Palmyra, the 2,000-year-old city that grew from a caravan stop to a metropolis and linked the Roman Empire with India, Persia and China.See the remainder of the story as well as images of the temple at Newsweek.com.If you hate ISIS as much as Grunt Style does, show them and the world with any of our Fuck ISIS gear over at GruntStytle.com.[mwi-cat-listing cat="94" ppp="4" cols="4" desc="false" type="view" btn_color="black" ]