Nebi Safa

Nebi Safa
	Shown within Lebanon
Alternative name	Nabi Safa, An Nabi Safa', En Nabi Safa, Thelthatha
Location	13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of Rashaya
History
Cultures	Roman
Site notes
Condition	Ruins
Public access	Yes

Nebi Safa

Nabi Safa, An Nabi Safa',
En Nabi Safa, Mazraet Selsata,
Thelthatha
Nebi Safa Nabi Safa, An Nabi Safa', ; En Nabi Safa, Mazraet Selsata, ; Thelthatha
Village
	The temple ruins at Nebi Safa, ca 1851, by van de Velde
Country	Lebanon
Governorate	Beqaa Governorate
District	Rashaya District

Nebi Safa, Nabi Safa, Neby Sufa, An Nabi Safa, An Nabi Safa' or En Nabi Safa also known as Mazraet Selsata or Thelthatha is a village in the Kfar Mishki municipality situated 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of Rashaya in the Rashaya District of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The village is situated in a gap in a ridge overlooking the Wadi Al-Taym between the Merj Shemiseh and is predominantly occupied by Druze.^[4] It was visited by Edward Robinson in 1852, who noted two sarcophagi (roman temples) in the area.^[5]

Roman temple

There are the ruins of a Roman temple in the village that is included in a group of Temples of Mount Hermon. It is larger than the one at Hebbariye, measuring 72 feet (22 m) long (from east to west) and 35 feet (11 m) wide (from north to south). It faces east with a commanding aspect towards Mount Hermon.^[5] It was noted that the view "of Hermon from this point is imposing beyond the power of language to express".^[6] George Taylor noted that the doorway of the temple was at least thirty degrees offset from the peak.^[7] The stone blocks used to make the temple were around 3 feet (0.91 m) thick, not as large as those at Hebbariye and with a lighter entablature of 4.5 feet (1.4 m). It feature an elegant pediment with graceful architecture. Only the northern wall remains standing with pilasters in the northeast corner. The east entrance featured 3 feet (0.91 m) thick columns that possibly formed a portico.^[5] At the west end of the temple is an altar with stairs leading down to an underground chamber or crypt that runs for the length of the temple.^[7] Thirteen courses of stones were recorded by Robinson to a height of 43.5 feet (13.3 m).^[5]

The site was suggested to have been used by the Druze as a shrine to a prophet called Safa, who was descended from Jacob and whose people lived towards Hebron and Jerusalem. Little record of the prophet Safa remains, although it was said that "The honourable body is there, and the spirit is always to be found there. Any day that a man seeks him he will find him, it depends on his faith."^[4]

References

^ Brown, J.; Meyers, E.; Talbert, R.; Elliott, T.; Gillies, S. "Places: 678302 (Nebi Safa)". Pleiades. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
^ Daniel M. Krencker; Willy Zschietzschmann (1938). Römische Tempel in Syrien: nach Aufnahmen und Untersuchungen von Mitgliedern der Deutschen Baalbekexpedition 1901–1904, Otto Puchstein, Bruno Schulz, Daniel Krencker. W. de Gruyter & Co. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
^ Ted Kaizer (2008). The Variety of Local Religious Life in the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods. BRILL. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-90-04-16735-3. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b Samuel Curtiss (30 January 2005). Primitive Semitic Religion Today. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 83–. ISBN 978-1-4179-7346-0. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d E. ROBINSON (1856). Biblical Researches in Palestine and the adjacent regions: a journal of Travels in the years 1838 and 1852. Murray. pp. 426–. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
^ Charles Wilson (3 June 2010). Picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt. Sophia Perennis et Universalis. ISBN 978-1-59731-459-6. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b George Taylor (1971). The Roman temples of Lebanon: a pictorial guide. Les temples romains au Liban; guide illustré. Dar el-Machreq Publishers. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

Bibliography

Warren, C.; Conder, C.R. (1884). The Survey of Western Palestine: Jerusalem. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. (p. 491 ff)

External links

[1] Brown, J.; Meyers, E.; Talbert, R.; Elliott, T.; Gillies, S. "Places: 678302 (Nebi Safa)". Pleiades. Retrieved September 19, 2012.

[KrenckerZschietzschmann1938c-2] Daniel M. Krencker; Willy Zschietzschmann (1938). Römische Tempel in Syrien: nach Aufnahmen und Untersuchungen von Mitgliedern der Deutschen Baalbekexpedition 1901–1904, Otto Puchstein, Bruno Schulz, Daniel Krencker. W. de Gruyter & Co. Retrieved 17 September 2012.

[Kaizer2008-3] Ted Kaizer (2008). The Variety of Local Religious Life in the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods. BRILL. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-90-04-16735-3. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

[Curtiss2005-4] Samuel Curtiss (30 January 2005). Primitive Semitic Religion Today. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 83–. ISBN 978-1-4179-7346-0. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

[ROBINSON1856-5] E. ROBINSON (1856). Biblical Researches in Palestine and the adjacent regions: a journal of Travels in the years 1838 and 1852. Murray. pp. 426–. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

[Wilson2010-6] Charles Wilson (3 June 2010). Picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt. Sophia Perennis et Universalis. ISBN 978-1-59731-459-6. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

[Taylor1971-7] George Taylor (1971). The Roman temples of Lebanon: a pictorial guide. Les temples romains au Liban; guide illustré. Dar el-Machreq Publishers. Retrieved 19 September 2012.

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v t e Rashaya District, Beqaa Governorate
Capital: Rashaya
Towns and villages	Ain Arab Ain Ata Ain Harcha Akabeh Ayha Ayta el Fekhar Bakifa Bakka Beit Lahia Bireh Daher el Ahmar Deir El Aachayer Helwah Hoch Kaukaba Kfar Danis Kfarfouk Kfarmechki (including Nebi Safa) Kherbet Rouha Majdel Balhiss Mdoukha Mhaydseh Rashaya Al-Rafid Tannoura Yanta
Other	Aach ed Djâjé Khirbet El-Knese Tell Ain el Meten

v t e Roman archaeological sites in Lebanon
Roman Berytus (actual Beirut)	Berytus ¹ Roman Forum of Berytus Berytus Roman Baths Cisterns of Berytus Baths Berytus Cardo Decumanus Berytus Colonnaded street Byzantine mosaics Roman hippodrome of Berytus Roman Law school of Berytus
Roman Phoenicia (actual Lebanon)	Heliopolis Temple of Bacchus Temple of Jupiter (Baalbek) Temples of Mount Hermon Temples of the Beqaa Valley Aaqbe temple Afqa Ain Aata temple Ain Harcha roman temple Amioun Monastery Arca Caesarea Augusti Pagus Bakka temple Batroumine Bziza temple Canalizations of Zenobia Dakoue temple Mansourieh Roman aqueduct Hebbariye temple Iaat column Kafr Zabad temples Khirbet El-Knese roman temples Labweh Roman temple Libbaya roman temple Monastery of Qozhaya Monastery of Saint Maron Nahle roman temple Nebi Safa temple Niha Hosn Niha Qalaat Faqra Qal'at Bustra temple Castra Chbib Castra El Banat Saraain El Faouqa Schleem roman temple Colonia Aurelia Pia "Sidon" Temnin el-Foka nymphaeum Tripolis in Phoenicia Tyrus ¹ Tyre Necropolis Roman temple to Venus in Yammoune
Related	Roman Lebanon Phoenice (Roman province) Palaestina Secunda Phoenice Libanensis Stone of the Pregnant Woman Ulpianus Marcus Valerius Probus Eudokia of Heliopolis Saint Barbara of Heliopolis Coele-Syria List of Christian cathedrals in Lebanon Christianity in Lebanon Catholic Church in Lebanon Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral 2nd century in Lebanon 3rd century in Lebanon 4th century in Lebanon 5th century in Lebanon 6th century in Lebanon 551 Beirut earthquake
¹ UNESCO World Heritage Sites ² Proposed Category:Roman sites in Lebanon