On the northwest slopes of Mount Sannine (2,548
meters), against a still wild scenic background,
water thunders out from two mighty springs, Nabeh
el Laben and Nabeh el Assal (the Spring of Milk
and the Spring of Honey), and then cascades tumultuously
down the two steep valleys of Kafar Zebbian and
Faraya.
Just above the waterfall where the river tumbles
out of Nabeh el Laben, there stands a Canaanite
temple dedicated to Astarte, the mother goddess
who was the symbol of fertility. Only a few meters
away from this shrine there rises a large Roman
temple of the 2nd century A.D., 30m long by 16m
wide. In front of it there is a rectangular courtyard,
built up on one side and on the other side level
with the virgin rock. A grandiose peristyle of six
Corinthian columns of 2m diameter each, like those
of Baalbek, overlooks a sacrificial altar and a
cella of great hewn blocks. This temple was dedicated
to the God of Gods.
Faqra: Natural
bridge, Kfardebian
Somewhat to the north of these constructions, one
sees a fine monolithic bridge whose arch spans a
hollow sculpted by the eroding river before its
savage leap over the cliff named Blanche. This splendid
natural bridge, one of the greatest in the world
with its 50-metre span, overhangs a basin full of
enormous blocks of stone that have crashed down
from the sides. A keen eye easily discovers fossilized
seashells embedded in the surrounding strata, dating
back 200 million years.
They delight collectors and excite the wonder of
geologists and men of learning. The springs of water,
the natural bridge and the temples all in such close
proximity make this upper valley of Naher el Kaleb
a favorite haunt of hikers and sightseers, for whom
Nature displays her captivating contrasts of power
and of controlled violence, of austerity and of
generous abundance, of disturbing question-raising
phenomena and of long-vanished deep religious sensibilities.
Joseph
Matar - Translation from the French: K.J. Mortimer
- Roman temple: >> View
Movie << (2001-03-01)
- Natural bridge, Kfardebian: >> View
Movie << (2001-03-01)
