Al-lāt

Al -Lat (Arabic اللات, DMG al -Lat, ( the ) goddess ') is a pre-Islamic goddess of the Arabs and already by Herodotus (I, 131; III, 8) as Alilat ( Άλιλάτ ) testifies that compared with Urania been. Her cult is known since the 4th century BC in Syria. She was one of three revered in Mecca main deities in pre-Islamic times in addition to al -Uzza and al - Manat. My seat was adopted in a square, white stone, with pilgrimages they brought their votive offerings and offerings; battle idols of al -Lat were carried by the Meccans in battle.

Forms of the cult

The cult of the goddess al -Lat is mentioned by Herodotus in the middle of the 5th century BC as the most important in the North Arabian region. According to Wellhausen were very common in Roman times with its composite persons name in palmyrischen area, such as the son of Odaenathus and Zenobia, the Wahballāt bore the name ( "gift of al - Lat" ), as: ' Abdallat, "Slave of al - Lat ". During this period her cult flourished especially in Syria, then up to the introduction of Islam in the 7th century in central Arabia.

In the oasis of Palmyra in eastern Syria al -Lat is palpable in inscriptions from the 1st century AD. The al -Lat - worship went to Palmyra from the Bene Maazin, one of the four Arab tribes, who were among the founders of the city. Another tribe, the Bene Yedi'ebel worshiped the goddess also as patroness, as can be read on a 62/63 dated altar that was in Baalshamin Temple found at Palmyra. Al -Lat appears on two tesserae as a seated figure with lion, the camel also pictured belonged to the family coat of arms of the Bene Nurbel, a branch of the Bene Maazin. In the Arab city district in the west 62 and 64 AD were erected two statues bearing the name of the goddess in the dedication inscription. Your site was probably at the Temenos of al -Lat temple. The temple cult is mentioned in inscriptions starting in the year 115. In an inscription of 129 on a pillar bracket at the colonnaded street, two brothers are honored because they financed six columns of the portico and part of the ceiling and this was done in honor of the three gods of the temple. Side was al -Lat, the ( byt mrt ') " Mistress of the temple " called, belonged to the Babylonian sun god Šamaš and the Arab God Raḥhim ( RHM ) to do so.

A Nabataean inscription of 56 AD shows that the cult was widespread at an early time in the Hauran. The Nabataeans had taken 85 BC, Damascus and ruled since the southern region. The inscription from the place Salkhad reported from the preparation of al -Lat temple and suggests that the cult of the goddess was not known before, and was introduced from far away.

In Jordan's Wadi Rum, 40 kilometers east of Aqaba at the foot of Jabal Rum, in 1931, another temple of al -Lat was discovered. The excavation in 1933 and a re-excavation in 1959 brought a central 4.1 × 4.9 meter shrine on a platform to the fore, the on three sides by a ring of columns ( peristasis ) and was surrounded on the outside by side rooms. The inner courtyard opened to the stairway to the east. Before the stairs stood beside the northeast corner of the temple, a great altar for sacrifice. 100 meters east of traces of a thermal facility were identified who had received from a nearby source of water. The believers would come here probably before entering a ritual bath. The temple belonged to a caravan stop on the Incense Route.

A connection exists between al -Lat and fertility goddess Astarte. On the front of the Tessera Trias Bel, Jarchibol and Aglibol is shown, while on the other side of Astarte with a long tunic clothed holding a scepter in his hand. Under various names a single sky goddess was raised in Syria. Astarte was in Palmyra the counterpart of the Babylonian Ishtar. According to Herodotus, the Arabs worshiped only a male and a female deity. Al -Lat he sat with Aphrodite Urania same.

Al -Lat can be supplied as standard for the companion Bel according to the inscriptions of two tesserae. There is ' gn bl blty to read, where bl represents Bel and blty, ( " my lady " ), the goddess is meant. On the back of al - Lat is displayed in the frontal seating position, with a lion to one side and a bird in the hand. This motif is known by the goddess Atargatis.

In the 2nd century, al -Lat changed towards an armed Athena wearing a helmet on his head, a Aigis hung and a spear in his right hand while the left hand rests on a shield at her side. So it can be seen in the Hauran on reliefs. The connection with Athena is confirmed by Greek inscriptions from there and by 1974 at the al -Lat temple Greek text matched by Palmyra.

The Bel Temple of Dura Europos, a relief was a victim scene in which two men offer incense to a group of five standing deities. The mean gods figure, probably represents Bel, which is flanked by Jarchibol and Aglibol. On the far left is al -Lat to see with a long robe and a shield. Occupy some inscriptions in the temple that the Palmyrene deities except by Roman soldiers worshiped by native slaves and servants of the Roman families in Dura Europos.

Tradition in the Koran

Al -Lat is in the Koran, verse 19 to 23, and 27, 28 mentioned Surah 53 al -Uzza and next to al - Manat:

A ( most with weak chains of narration ) tradition asserts that the verses 21 and 22 because of a kind of devilish insinuation ( Satanic Verses ) during the presentation of the Prophet what were the following:

In Götz book of Ibn al - Kalbi heist about al -Lat:

Accordingly, the Arabs called the Jews, who used to pound in the deity grits, al - Latt and thus established a connection to the name of the idol ago (Part. act of arab.laṯṯa لث, لت /, grain crush / grind ' ).

The idol of the Goddess was destroyed after the capture of Mecca by Muhammad and his followers. In its place was erected the first mosque of the settlement. Your HIMA district is maintained by Mohammed and been sanctioned in Islam. Do not forget you have the deity but. After all, the British explorer and Orientalist Charles Montagu Doughty reported in the late 19th century in his famous book: Travels in Arabia Deserta (Vol. II 511 and 515-516 ) over boulders in at- Taif, which the inhabitants at that time al-' Uzza, al -Lat and Hubal called and where she secretly sought help in disease cases.

1772
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