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Ancient ‘harbour’ revealed to be part of fertility god’s lavish shrine

Re-examination of an artificial body of water uncovers its true purpose as a ritual pool dedicated to the god Ba’al.
View of the refurbished ‘Kothon’ with a replica of the statue of Ba’al at its centre, a sacred pool of water in the countryside.

A replica of an ancient statue of the god Ba’al stands in a refurbished pool dedicated to the deity. Credit: Sapienza Univ. Rome Expedition to Motya

A 2,500-year-old artificial lake on an Italian island was one of the largest sacred pools in the ancient Mediterranean1.

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Nature 603, 553 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00737-9

References

  1. Nigro, L. Antiquity https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.8 (2022).

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