Area B: the Temple

Sondage alpha carried out in 1986-1987 uncovered the paving of the temple in an area at the head of the wadi leading down to the Euphrates river.

Excavation by Graeme Clarke in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 revealed an amphiprostyle, Doric, east-facing temple, the construction of which appears to have commenced about the second quarter of the third century BCE. While the outward appearance of the temple is undoubtedly Greek, the internal layout and proportions conform more to a Mesopotamian formula.

Including the two porticoes, the temple measures 17 x 13 m. The cella, 13 x 11 m, had a tripartite adyton comprising a central sanctuary and smaller side sacristies. Fragments show that the temple housed a number of statues.

After the settlement was abandoned around 70 BCE the temple area continued to be a sacred site and a new temenos was constructed, which appears to have been in use until the early third century CE and perhaps served a different religious tradition.

Major report:

• Graeme Clarke, 'Area B. The Jebel Khalid temple'', in Jebel Khalid on the Euphrates Volume Five: Report on excavations 2000-2010. Mediterranean Archaeology Supplement 10 (Sydney, 2016) 9-36.

Other publications
Temple trenches 2002 (Barry Rowney)
Temple ground plan (Barry Rowney)
Reconstructed temple plan
Reconstructed temple
Field books

The Australian Mission to Jebel Khalid is a joint project of the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne.