The Red Cloud chief., 1913-05-08

for the Berlin museums now possess many Of the
finest examples of the carvings found there.
Baalbek is the name of ruined city OF ancient
Coea-Syria. sgnifying the "city Of Baal," the sun
god. The name was converted by the Greeks
during the Seleucidian dynasty, into it's Greek
equivalent. Helopolis. 1t is situated in latitude
81 degrees. l minute north longitude 36 degrees,
II minutes east, in the plain of Bukas. at the
northern extremity Of low range Of bleak hills.
about one mile from the base of Antilibanon, In
q well watered and delightful locality. a little
more than 40 miles northwest of Damascus 1t
was once the most magnificent Of Syrian cities,
full of palaces, fountains and beautiful monu-
ments.
These ruins are known as the Acropolis and are
unique for their massiveness and for the great
amount of both bold and delicate carving with
which they adorned. There is indeed so
much carving and such variety as to make ones
first visit bewildering. The temples being built
on a fiat plain, 1t was important to raise them
above the surrounding level to render them more
imposing, and to that end there are vast sub.
structures and vaults and passages supporting
the shrines The most imposing was tha.iCf the
great Temple of the Sun, which was a rectangu-
lar building 290 feet by 160. having its roof sup
ported by a peristyle OF "a Corinthian columns,
10 at each side and 10 at each end. OF these
six are still standing The circumference of
these columns is about 20 feet, and the length
of the shaft about IS feet; with pedestal capital
and entabature they measure about so feet IN
height. The great Temple OF the Sun occupied
platform the Acropolis about 1000 feet by 450
feet. The main entrance Of the temple was on
the east. Here wide fight OF steps led UP to
q portico 10 feet above the gardens and orchards
that now surround the ruins. An inscription on
the great portico states that the temple was
erected to the "Great Gods" of Heliopos by
Antonnus.
Beyond the portico is hexogonal court
through which q large gateway opens into the
great square, at the west end Of which is the
temple on lofty stylobate. Except the columns
mentioned little OF the great temple or Of the
buildings in front Of 1t Is left standing. but the
ground is covered with their ruins. The vast size
of the stones used in the substructures OF the
great platform Is remarkable, some OF them being
over 60 feet long and ~ feet thick
South from the great tcmple is a smaller one
known as the Temple of Jupiter. 1t is smaller
in form, having its perstyle and the walls OF its
cells still mostly standing. Its dimensions are
227 feet in length by III feet in breadth, with
Is columns at the sides and at each end. Both
temples well the surrounding structures
built of limestone, In a richly decorated.
somewhat fantastic Corinthian style. Besides
these there stands at distance OF 300 yards from
the others a circular building supported six
granite columns built In mixed Ionic and CORN.
THAN style.
Nearby also are the remains of the Temple Of
Bacchus, famed for its magnificent carvings.
Here are enormous slabs of stone deliberately
carved with the heads of emperors and deities
and interviewer with floral designs the whole
forming unique ceiling. The portal is the gem
OF the entire edifce. The door posts are beauti'