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The Square with the Stairway The rebuilding of the Temple of Baal stretched over several years[124] and was heralded as a historic milestone.[125] The temple was surrounded by a walled precinct.[126] The precinct's focus was the courtyard in front of the temple, equipped with a stepped altar and a statue representing a Ugaritic king - the only statue found in the city so far.[127] The courtyard had a wide, grand entrance facing west, where a monumental stairway, or stepped ramp, led to a square at one end of the rectilinear street to the royal Palace. This article deals with the socio-political dimension of public space in 13 SP th sp -century bc Ugarit, with a particular focus on the city's squares. Egyptian-style memorial steles erected inside the temple's cella by high functionaries epitomize that the temple's space belonged exclusively to the uppermost religious and political echelons of the Ugaritic society.[139] Several Levantine temples were similarly organized, combining a highly secluded inner sanctum of strictly limited access, a segregated precinct for medium-scale elite gatherings, and an outside space for large-scale civic participation.[140] The archaeological evidence indicates that the celebrations in the temple precincts revolved around animal sacrifice and banqueting. Here, two imposing temple-towers and a major official building were located: the Temple of Baal, a twin temple of uncertain identification,[120] and, between them, the I Maison du Grand Prêtre i , the residence of the High Priest, the highest religious office of the city. [Extracted from the article] |
