How Baalbek Could Have Been Laid Out Using Measuring Cords

By

Robert Kerson 2/25/2015

(The reader must first read the article, How Jerusalem Jewish Temple Was Laid Out Using Ropes before reading this paper. Also, all labels of identical features in this article are labeled identically with the labeling of the figures in the proceeding article. Thus, point (A) in both articles mark the northeastern corners of each square etc. This paper I present as a proof that the Jerusalem temple used the same survey technique since the designers of the Jerusalem temple must have had knowledge of sacred temple building techniques. This is confirmed stated in 2Chronicles 2:1-13. This knowledge could not have existed in a vacuum but very likely was known throughout the region. This knowledge could be expected to be used in Semitic pagan temples dating from the time a Jerusalem Temple existed.) First, I must state that these temples are of very late date (1st century B.C.) This was the time when the Jerusalem temple existed but not the Solomon one. It seems these Roman temples were built over Phoenician temples dedicated to Phoenician gods. This knowledge was not lost in Roman times since the Roman buildings seem to preserve this sacred knowledge. Figure 1 shows the temple in Jerusalem as shown in my Jerusalem temple paper. The outer red square is the 500 Cubit Ritmeyer square. Court of the Women square on the east, and the 153 by 187 Cubit Azarah Court on the west, both drawn in red. Two rectangles one on the north and the other on the south side of these courts which had buildings and gates are also drawn in black. An 11 Cubit wide semi sacred zone surrounds the entire complex., is drawn in black. Fig. 2 shows how eight 5:8:8 triangles can be laid inside any square. Notice the four intersections making a small square inside the larger square. Fig, 3 shows how these eight triangles superimposed over the temple. Fig. 4 shows the platform of Baalbek with eight 5:8:8 triangles superimposed over these structures.. Here the square shown in red is 330 Royal Cubits instead of the 500 Royal Cubits in Fig. 1. Note the same four intersections can be drawn over Baalbek within the large 330 Royal Cubit square. These intersections are at the crossings of dotted lines. These intersections also can form an inner square. One intersection is significantly drawn over a feature. This is the most important element of the large temple. It is intersecting over the N.E. corner of the altar. This was part of the most ancient and an original part of the complex dating back to when the site was holy. You can see this altar as the small square. The larger square to the east was a larger altar complex of a later date. In my papers on the Jerusalem temple and the Church of the Holy sepulcher, I discuss the importance of the N.E. corner of structures. This corner would have contained the cornerstone of the altar. AS you look about Fig. 4. You will notice a number of features which appear to be on alignments of these triangles. The use of intersections on key features is shown in this paper at both the Jerusalem Fig. 1 and Baalbek sites of Fig. 4. Labeled points are as follows: They are at important features such as one point I is on the dotted line marking the eastern edge of so called Temple of Bacchus. Two others are overlapping and on an inner wall of this temple, and a third is on a wall. Point V is the center of

the square. Inside are the 153 Cubit Each of the eight apexes marks the line of the stoa on each side of the square. Point A is marks a point where a building juts out. I cannot find any information on this feature. It may not be ancient but it is unique to the design. Point B is where two triangles overlap within a stella of the so called temple of Bacchus. Others points of interest are on the two rectangles. The northern one has the line of a triangle touching a corner. The southern rectangle is on the dotted line between apexes. The rectangles are not of equal lengths, and this may be do to the triangles being used in laying them out. These are very ancient features dating from the time of the original altar. This could be a very important piece of evidence that triangles were used.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. . 4

Size of the large square

The size of the large red square shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. I believe it to be 330 Royal Cubits

(52.5cm). I measured the length to not exactly this distance but still off by less than 1 meter. No

other ancient unit of length comes close to this figure. (The size of the large red square shown

in Fig. 1 was 500 Royal Cubits.) This number is half way between 300 and 360 Cubits. If we take

60* 5 = 300. If we take 60* 6 = 360. The courtyard west of the Propylaea was originally a

square, but was remodeled vary late into a hexagon (six sides). Note the number six.

I have found in Gen. 6:15, the size of Noah’s ark contained three numbers 300, 50, 30. If we

add two numbers (300+30) we get 330, the size of the square at Baalbek. If we multiply 50 by

10 we get (50*10) 500, the size of the square at Jerusalem. Both sites have a connection. Note,

both sites use the same size unit of measure. This story in Genesis, similar to a similar story

from the Gilgomish Epic is preserving the same numbers.

(See Fig. 5 for the following.) At the bottom of the figure, I have drawn the design of the same

two courtyards as seen in Fig. 1 onto Fig. 5. On this the Baalbek drawing, the large square is

drawn in red. I have drawn the same two courtyards, also in red, in the correct proportion and

in the same relative position up against the western (left) side of the square. Note that the

eastern edge of the little square matches the eastern side of the small altar at point A. Also,

note point V is on the southern edge of the temple and the little strip defines features of the

temple as well.

Fig. 5.

An important observation is that the axis line of the temple and courtyards is not the axis

line of the red lines which would be the axis line of the Jerusalem temple. The Jupiter temple

(on site of a temple to Baal) was shifted a small distance to the north of the Jerusalem temple.

The Jerusalem temple axis line would have ran through the second column south of the Jupiter

temple axis line.

(See Fig. 6) Fig. 6 shows placing the same correct proportional areas (red drawn areas in Fig. 1 is the same redrawn areas in Fig. 6). First let us look at the so called temple of Bacchus at the bottom. With point V placed as shown, the area of the rectangle fits perfectly over the area of this temple. Also shown is point V, placed as is point V in the Jerusalem temple shown in Fig. 1 marking the exact center of the large square. The rectangular inner courtyard (azarah) and its square to the east, along with the thin strip area at the southern end of the azarah are also shown in red. Note how the temple of Jupiter fits within the rectangle and how the lengths of the two courtyards reach the large altar complex at point A. in the Jupiter square courtyard. (Remember, the areas of these two courtyards are of the same proportion as in the Jerusalem temple but are not the same areas.) I have drawn the small strip at the southern edge of the square seen in Figs. 5, 6. Note how the strip lines up on the western and eastern sides of the large square. The large Trilithon stones may have been set according to this measurement.

The important N.E. corner of large red square, the square’s cornerstone, which would be analogous to the N. E. corner of the Jerusalem Temple’s cornerstone. (see Jerusalem and Church of Holy Sepulcher paper on importance) is on a structure. Also the southeast corner was on a structure. Neither the northwest nor the southwest corner of the square has any remains to mark them.

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

(See Fig. 7) In Fig. 7 I have drawn the diagonal of the large red square as a dotted line. If this diagonal length was laid out at their western ends as shown, their eastern ends would measure as shown. There is a small step within the Propylaea which marks out the inside sacred from the outside profane. This step may be on the second or third lines drawn. This observation is important because it adds credibility to the large red square actually being measured and laid out. Note how the western end of the large red square is positioned. The wall of the Temple of Jupiter overhangs the lower wall at some location. This may be significant. I have discovered the large square at ein Dara measured 42 Royal Cubits. So this is another location working. (see ein Dara paper for discussion. ) (see Fig. 8) Here is a comparison of four center axis lines overlaid on the major 8:8:5 triangle. All four lines are east- west. 1. The axis line of the Israel temple at Arad determined by the northern point I (6x of the total line length 8x) 2. The axis line created by the apex. This line determined the first column on the north front. 3. The axis line of the Temple of Jupiter and related courts running just south of 2. 4. The axis line of the Jerusalem Temple determined by the southern point I. (6x of the total line length 8x.) Another axis line can be drawn south of 4 which marks the center line of the red drawn courts in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8

Fig. 9 shows two 5:8:8 triangles within the large red square with the two temples of Jupiter

and Bacchus laid out on them. Another smaller square is shown east of the Temple of Jupiter

with smaller 5:8:8 triangles drawn inside this square. Points of triangle intersections are shown

as red dots. Notice how they fall on archeological features of the site.

The Temple of Bacchus can be divided into three parts. The southern edge of the long side of

the triangle crosses the center axis line of the temple at a distance of 2.4 parts of this line.

Fig. 9