Recitation 3: Modern-day Iconoclasm
The evidence of modern-day Iconoclasm
Modern-day Iconoclasm is the destruction of important monuments and images with specified reasons.
Palmyrenes religious way of life was diverse and they had many belief systems that allowed the worship of many gods. The long colomnade street leading to the Bel temple large alter that was used for animal sacrifice making it evident as part of their culture. The great temples of Bel and Baalshamin survived through the modern days because they were converted into churches and mosques respectively. These temples were used for worship hence changing them still served their purpose. They adopted a new religion hence the worship of many gods and offering of human sacrifices changed. Hellenistic sources attribute the multiethnic and multireligious society to the large population of Jews in Palmyra.
Palmyrene is an Aramaic language that was widely used in the first century to the time of the decline of the city. The language disappeared after that time. This occurred in the late third century and it coincided with Emperor Aurelian’s conquest of the city. The conquest was guarded by Roman troops which suggested that the language was willingly changed by the empire. The language symbolized the high regard for the city and the independent character of its people.
The curiosity about the monuments and sculptures of Palmyra in the nineteenth century turned into professionalized archeology. The archeologists during the interwar period conducted evacuations. The cleared the temple of Bel and moved the antiques away to a museum in Damascus. These archeological projects changed the physical appearance of the Palmyra landscape. Excavations at the market place have revealed more about the daily life of the Palmyrene people. Despite the change in the landscape by digging the large- scale restoration efforts reset the architectural blocks remarking the ruins into a modern-day archeological park.