Jews and Others
Parthian Dura ends as it began, with a strong Palmyrene influence. The most
striking aspect of that influence is represented by the two carved reliefs of
.. which represent respectively the Fortune (Gad) of Dura and that
of Palmyra (see figs. and ). The reliefs are illustrated by Greek and Pal-
myrene texts, which are deployed in combination to produce as explicit an
identification of all the figures as possible: Hairanes, the dedicator; the Gad
of each city; and Seleucus Nicator (SLWKWS NYQṬWR). Only the Nike
who is shown crowning the Gad of Palmyra on the second relief (fig. ) is
not explicitly labelled. It should be stressed, however, that the formally cut
inscriptions intended as functional elements to accompany the reliefs are all
in Palmyrene. Greek comes in only in the form of a dipinto added on the
top of each relief, identifying the dedicator.
It may be useful to lay out as clearly as possible the disposition of the Greek
dipinti and the Palmyrene texts (transliterated) attached to each of the reliefs.
The first relief (fig. and table ) is labelled with:
(a) Dipinto above head of dedicator: ‘‘Aira[nē]s [M]ali[chou]’’
(ReportVII/VIII, , no. )
(b) Carved Palmyrene inscriptions below figures (ReportVII/VIII, no.
PAT, nos. –)
The second relief (fig. and table ) is labelled with:
(a) Dipinto near head of dedicator: ‘‘Let [Hai]ranes son of Malichos son of
[Nasor] be remembered’’ (ReportVII/VIII, no. )
(b) Carved Palmyrene inscriptions below figures (ReportVII/VIII, no.
PATnos. –)
It must remain not wholly certain, however, whether these two reliefs repre-
senting the personifiedTychaiof Palmyra and Dura are sufficient to demon-
strate that the architectural setting in which they were found is a temple, and
specifically a temple of these deities. It should be recalled that the same two
personifications, duly labelled in Greek, are also represented on the famous
wall fresco of the Roman period from the temple which should be labelled as
that of Zeus (no. above), representing a sacrifice conducted by thetribunus
Iulius Terentius.^68
As always, therefore, the details of the excavation record, the consider-
ations which led to the identification of particular remains as belonging to
distinct buildings, and the relation of the inscriptions to their physical envi-
. For the painted inscriptions, see Cumont (n. ), , no. c.