Page 190 - DILMUN 24

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Was an Aslepieion founded ‫»ﺍ‬y the Seleuids

reached other places in lie Lae found at Lae Tiberias, eapolis
Tiberias, eapolis (ablus) and (ablus) and Asalon. However,
Asalon. At the Phoenician coast, we do not now whether the cult
there was a sanctuary at Sidon, moved earlier to these locations

where Aslepios too over from a and syncretied with or absorbed a
local deity. His cult even moved to local healing deity. Due to the fact
Tyros.AIl this widespread presence that Aslepios cult had already

of Aslepios in the Mediterranean been at Dor since the middle of the

reached its pea during hte 3rd centuyr B.C.,it is reasonable to

Hellenistic period.(25) The cult assume that the cult had spread to

had travelled as far asCahtrage on Lae Tiberias, eapolis (ablus)

the Libyan coast and to Rome. and Asalon much earlier than our

A shrine of Apollo was evidence suggests, possibly during

established at Dor (Ancient Gree the Hellenistic period.

colony of Dora) in the 7th to 6th A series of bronze coins minted

centuyrB .C. Apollo was still by the city of Tiberias in 99 A.D.

worshipped at Dor up until the and 18 A.D. connects Tibeiras's

middle of the 3rd century B.C. hot springs which were famous

when his son Aslepios had taen for theri healing qualities, with

over. It is possible that before a Aslepios. On the obverse of the

temple was built for Aslepios at coins, is the bust of Trajan and, on

Dor, an altar had already been built its reverse, is Hygeia, the daughter

in his honour within the existing of Aslepios, sitting on a roc

Apollo precinct. We thus have at from which water is gushing out

Dor the gradual transfomation holding in her hand the Aslepios

from Apollo's oracular shrine to sacred seprent. The hot springs rae

a healing sanctuayr of Aslepios. called today A1 Hammam, which

On top of the sanctuary, the is connected to the Hellenistic city

Byzantines built the Bpiscopal Emmaus. Aslepios had possibly

Basilica of Dor. Futrher deifnite taen over from a local deity much

evidence of the presence of the earlier as a result of the Hellenistic

cult of Aslepios during the ifrst inlfuence. Another site where hte

and second century A.D. has been Aslepios cult had moved was the

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