Elagabalus (deity)

Elagabalus (), Aelagabalus, Heliogabalus () or simply Elagabal (Aramaic: 𐡀𐡋𐡄𐡀𐡂𐡁𐡋 ʾĕlāhaʾgabāl) was an Arab-Roman sun god, initially venerated in Emesa (modern-day Homs), Syria. Although there were many variations of the name, the god was consistently referred to as Elagabalus in Roman coins and inscriptions from AD 218 on, during the reign of Emperor Elagabalus.

Cult

Elagabalus was initially venerated at Emesa in Syria, where the Arab Emesan dynasty acted as its priests. The name is the Latinised form of the Arabic Ilah al-Jabal (إله الجبل), the Emesene manifestation of the deity, which is Arabic for 'God of the Mountain'. The deity successfully preserved Arab characteristics, both in his names and representations.

The cult of the deity spread to other parts of the Roman Empire in the second century, where he would be revered as Elagábalos (Ἐλαγάβαλος) by the Greeks and Elagabalus by the Romans. For example, a dedication has been found as far away as Woerden, in the modern-day Netherlands.

In Rome

The cult stone or baetyl was taken to Rome by the Emperor Elagabalus, who, before his accession, was the hereditary high priest at Emesa and was commonly called Elagabalus after the deity. The Syrian deity was assimilated with the Roman sun god known as Sol and became known as Sol Invictus ('the unconquered Sun') among the Romans.

A temple called the Elagabalium was built on the east face of the Palatine Hill to house the holy stone of the Emesa temple, a black conical meteorite.