Twin temples linked to Hercules and Alexander the Great discovered on top of each other in Iraq
Twin temples linked to Hercules and Alexander the Great discovered on top of each other in Iraq
In a major discovery, twin temples which were built on top of one another were unearthed by archaeologists in Iraq. The newer temple, which was reportedly built in the Hellenistic era and dates back to the fourth century BC, was said to be linked to Alexander the Great.
Inside the temple, the archaeologists found a fired brick which had an Aramaic and Greek inscription, that referred to “the giver of two brothers”, which was seen as a possible reference made to the Macedonian king, who had ruled for 13 years from 336 BC to 323 BC and conquered much of the known world.
The archaeologists, who are associated with the British Museum in London, found the older temple during excavations being carried out in Girsu, which is a Sumerian city and is also called Tello in southeastern Iraq.
The excavations were being carried out as part of the museum’s ongoing venture called The Girsu Project which focuses on gathering more information about the storied history of the city.
The remnants of the older Sumerian temple were discovered buried “on the exact same spot” as the newer temple which was dedicated to the “Greek god Hercules and his Sumerian equivalent, the hero-god Ningirsu [also known as Ninurta],” said Sebastien Rey, an archaeologist and curator of Ancient Mesopotamia at the British Museum, who headed the excavation, while responding to Live Science.
The researchers said that the temple was built on the same site where one stood 1,500 years earlier and it was no coincidence. They added that the site must have some significance for the people of Mesopotamia.
“It shows that the inhabitants of Babylonia in the [fourth] century BC had a vast knowledge of their history. The legacy of the Sumerians was still very vibrant,” said Rey.
Inscription of Zeus on the coin
The archaeologists, while exploring the dual temple site, discovered a silver drachm (an ancient Greek coin) which was buried underneath an altar or shrine, along with a brick with the two brothers’ inscription.
“The inscription is very interesting because it mentions an enigmatic Babylonian name written in Greek and Aramaic,” said Rey. “The name ‘Adadnadinakhe,’ which means ‘Adad, the giver of brothers,’ was clearly chosen as a ceremonial title on account of its archaizing tone and symbolic connotations. All the evidence points to the fact that the name was extraordinarily rare,” he added.
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The inscription found appeared to be that of Zeus, the Greek sky god, who has been a symbol of a lightning bolt and an eagle. The two symbols were found on the coin, which is likely to have been struck in Babylon “under Alexander the Great’s authority,” said Rey.
“It shows Hercules in a youthful, clean-shaven portrait that strongly recalls conventional representations of Alexander on one side, with Zeus on the other,” he added.
Zeus also “famously acknowledged Alexander as his son through the agency of the Ammon oracle,” he added. “He became quite literally the ‘giver of brothers’ because he affirmed a fraternal bond between Alexander and Heracles,” said Rey.
(With inputs from agencies)