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PALMYRA

A major oasis in the Syrian Desert (modern Tadmor). The city’s perennial spring, which still provides water for Palmyra’s agriculture and population, explains why this site rose to prominence in antiquity. Presumably the name of the ancient city is derived from its concentration of palm trees and production of various types of dates. The sedentary population of the oasis grew wealthy because Palmyra was located halfway between the Euphrates River and Damascus, and tariffs were charged for goods carried by passing caravans. These camel caravans transported local products and luxury cargoes obtained through long-distance trade; products from the Arabian Peninsula and from India and the Far East passed through Palmyra en route to the cities of the Roman Empire. In this regard, Palmyra was an important trading partner with Rome, like those described in Rev. 18. In a.d. 269, however, Palmyra’s Queen Zenobia rebelled against Roman hegemony, and the city was destroyed in 272. Though the site was not totally abandoned, Palmyra never recovered its former glory. It was brought to the attention of the West through visits to the ruins by Robert Wood and James Dawkins in 1751.

2 Chr. 8:4 refers to Solomon’s construction of “Tadmor in the wilderness” (Palmyra’s ancient Semitic name, to which it has reverted today). Almost all of the remains uncovered at Palmyra date to the Roman period, and the city’s art and architecture reflect international connections in this late period. A difficulty arises with regard to the Solomonic link with Palmyra/Tadmor, since 1 Kgs. 9:18 refers to Solomon’s construction of “Tamar in the wilderness” (in the territory of Judah). Some scholars assume that it was unlikely that Hebrew building projects were carried out as far as Tadmor in the Syrian Desert and think that 2 Chronicles has inserted “Tadmor” for the correct reading “Tamar.” On the basis of 2 Sam. 8:3-6, it is possible that Solomon was involved in building activities at Palmyra/Tadmor, and the antiquity of this site is demonstrated by its appearance (as Tadmor) in cuneiform texts from Kültepe (in Anatolia), Mari, and Assyria. European and Syrian archaeologists have cleared and reconstructed a fair proportion of the ruins, but considerable work remains.

Bibliography. S. Abou Zayd, ed., “Palmyra and the Aramaeans,” ARAM Periodical 7 (1995) [22 articles]; I. Browning, Palmyra (London, 1979); R. Stoneman, Palmyra and Its Empire (Ann Arbor, 1992).

Gerald L. Mattingly

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PALMYRA

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)