A Companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East

A Companion to Late Antique Literature

Edited by Scott McGill and Edward Watts

A Companion to Religion in Late Antiquity

Edited by Josef Lössl and Nicholas Baker-Brian

Edited by

Ted Kaizer

Durham University

Durham, UK

This edition first published 2022

© 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Kaizer, Ted, 1971- editor.

Title: A companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East / edited by Ted Kaizer, Durham University, Durham, UK.

Description: Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, 2021. |

Series: Blackwell companions to the Ancient world | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020047557 (print) | LCCN 2020047558 (ebook) | ISBN 9781444339826 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119528531 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119037293 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119037422 (epub) | ISBN 9781119037354 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119037392 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Middle East--Civilization--To 622--Historiography. Classification: LCC DS57 .C564 2021 (print) | LCC DS57 (ebook) | DDC 939.4/04--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047557LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047558

Cover image: © Niha Monument, Courtesy of Rubina Raja

Cover design by Wiley

Set in 9.5/11.5 Galliard Std by Integra Software Services, Pondicherry, India

In memory of Sir Fergus Millar

1 Cover

2 Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World

3 Title page

4 Copyright

5 Dedication

6 Preface

7 List of Figures

8 List of Maps

9 Contributor Biographies

10 Abbreviations

11 Maps

12 1 Introduction

13 2 Historical Narrative

14 Part I Sources 3 Geographical Sources and Documents 4 Berossos between Greek and Babylonian Culture 5 Lucian, Philo of Byblos, and Ps.-Meliton 6 Jewish Sources 7 Josephus 8 Syriac Sources 9 Greek and Latin Inscriptions 10 Ancient North Arabian 11 Parchments and Papyri 12 Statues, Reliefs, and Paintings: Hellenism versus Local Culture 13 Archaeology and Architecture 14 Numismatics 15 Air-Photography 16 Mosaics

15 Part II Regions, Places, and Peoples 17 The Tetrapolis and Other City Foundations 18 The Decapolis 19 Commagene 20 Hellenistic and Roman Phoenicia 21 Lebanon 22 Judaea, the Palestinian Coast, the Galilee, Idumaea, and Samaria 23 The Nabataeans 24 Palmyra 25 Dura-Europos 26 The Middle Euphrates 27 The Parthian and Sasanian Near East (including Hatra, Edessa, and the Characene) 28 The Desert and its Peoples

16 Part III Themes 29 The Roman Armies in the Near East 30 Roads and Harbors 31 Kingdoms and Principalities 32 Trade 33 Local and Regional Economies 34 The Arabs 35 Indigenous Law 36 Funerary Traditions 37 Religious Life 38 Early Christianity in the Near East

17 Bibliography

18 Index

19 End User License Agreement

1 Chapter 3Figure 3.1 Near Eastern section from the Peutinger...

2 Chapter 10Figure 10.1 Distribution of the scripts of the oases...

3 Chapter 12Figure 12.1 Bottom part of gigantic marble...Figure 12.2 Painted synagogue from Dura-Europos...Figure 12.3 Basalt lintel from Suweida in the...Figure 12.4 Funerary relief from Palmyra, now...

4 Chapter 13Figure 13.1 Colonnaded main street in Apamea...Figure 13.2 Capital from the Sanctuary of Artemis...Figure 13.3 The Sanctuary of Artemis in Gerasa...Figure 13.4 Temple A in Niha...

5 Chapter 14Figure 14.1A Silver stater of Aradus, fourth century...Figure 14.1B Athenian tetradrachm or Syrian imitation of one, fourth century...Figure 14.1C Copper-alloy coin of Alexander the Great...Figure 14.1D Silver tetradrachm in the name of Alexander the Great...Figure 14.2A Silver tetradrachm of Aradus...Figure 14.2B Silver drachm of Aradus...Figure 14.2C Silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy...Figure 14.2D Silver tetradrachm of Antiochus...Figure 14.3A Copper-alloy coin of the Seleucid...Figure 14.3B Silver tetradrachm with the portrait...Figure 14.3C Silver tetradrachm minted at Antioch...Figure 14.3D Silver tetradrachm of Augustus...Figure 14.4A Silver tetradrachm of Nero...Figure 14.4B Silver denarius of Septimius Severus...Figure 14.4C Silver “radiate”...Figure 14.4D Silver tetradrachm of Philip...Figure 14.4E Base silver tetradrachm of the...Figure 14.5A Radiate of the eastern usurper Quietus...Figure 14.5B Radiate of Maximianus...Figure 14.5C Post-reform radiate of Constantius...Figure 14.5D Copper-alloy coin of Nerva...Figure 14.5E Copper-alloy coin of Elagabalus...Figure 14.5F Copper-alloy coin minted in...Figure 14.6A Silver tetradrachm minted at Aradus...Figure 14.6B Silver tetradrachm minted at Tyre...Figure 14.6C Copper-alloy coin of Antiochus...Figure 14.6D Copper-alloy coin of Ptolemy...Figure 14.7A Copper-alloy coin of Sidon...Figure 14.7B Silver drachm of the Nabatean...Figure 14.7C Copper-alloy coin of Trajan...Figure 14.7D Copper-alloy coin of Macrinus...Figure 14.8A Copper-alloy coin of Macrinus...Figure 14.8B Copper-alloy coin of Severus Alexander...Figure 14.8C Copper-alloy coin of Antoninus Pius...Figure 14.8D Copper-alloy coin of Valerian...Figure 14.9A Copper-alloy coin of the joint...Figure 14.9B Copper-alloy coin of Gallienus...Figure 14.9C Copper-alloy coin of the early fourth...Figure 14.9D Copper-alloy coin of Justin...