Petra Tour: Bab as-Siq
In the necropolis along the path from the Visitor Centre to the deep gorge of the Siq, one can see remarkably unusual burial sites, including some of Petra's oldest.
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In the foreground right an aedicula with betyl (D 20, detail in the photos above), behind it, several pit graves and in the background, the entrance to the Siq.
On the western edge of the plateau, where the Aslah Triclinium Complex stands, there is a series of smaller rock promontories, into which more than 50 pit tombs were carved in Nabataean times. These include the tombs of Aslah and members of his clan. However, none of them is larger than the others or specially assigned to the triclinium, which is why there is no reference to the burial place of the founder himself.
The deity represented by the betyl in the great aedicula was probably the protector of graves in one of the surrounding rock hills.
© Photos, text: Haupt & Binder
In the necropolis along the path from the Visitor Centre to the deep gorge of the Siq, one can see remarkably unusual burial sites, including some of Petra's oldest.
A betyl (Semitic: bait-el = house of God; Greek: baitylos) is an aniconical God symbol, usually in the form of a vertical rectangular plate or stele. It can also be a negative form in a niche. Often there are several betyls in a niche next to each other, on top of each other or grouped together. "The betyl is not a representation of the God, neither an image of the God, nor an idol. As a medium of the presence of the God, however, it can also experience cultic veneration. This in turn means that in the act of worship, one could offer sacrifices and gifts to the betyl." (R. Wenning, 2007. Transl. UiU)