Translations:Ḏušarē/12/en

Depictions of Ḏušarē

In Petra, Dushara was mostly depicted as a baetyl, a cult stone, which was common for all deities. No doubt most of the rock-cut niches with betyls in Petra were dedicated to Dushara, but not all. Though some examples can be found carved into rock faces, others are freestanding and moveable. There are also portable baetyls that can be carried by hand. The 10th century encyclopedia Suda states, under the entry of "Theusares" (Dushara): "This is the God Ares in Petra in Arabia … The image [of the God] is a black stone, rectangular, unhewn, four feet tall and two wide. It stands on a base of gold. To this they sacrifice, and they pour on it the blood of the animal victims." Its interesting to note that worship of Ares is attested in the Hauran though there doesn't seem to be a connection to Dushara there, the author probably just confused the term Dusares with Theos Ares. The Ares of the Hauran is most probably the God Arsu, not Dushara.