Leah F. Borquez (University of California, Berkeley)
In recent years, archaeological and geological surveys have revealed important new information about the landscape surrounding the Bay of Gadir and the Temple of Melqart in the city. Archaeologists have located the Temple underwater (Monterroso Checa, 2021), for example, and have recreated the seascape and coast lines of Gadir as a whole (Bernal-Casasola et al, 2020). In the wake of such findings, the Temple of Melqart at Gadir is overdue for a reevaluation.
This paper combines these recent archaeological surveys with accounts from Stabo, Polybius, Pliny, and others authors to offer a more holistic understanding of the nature of ritual and ritualistic space in the Temple. Through this analysis, this paper argues that the Temple of Melqart in Gadir is most legible as Gaditanian, following local traditions and customs rather than strictly Phoenician or Graeco-Roman. This paper focuses on two topics: the interaction of the Temple with the natural environment, particularly the Atlantic Ocean; and the nature of religious life in Gadir specifically as Melqart takes on aspects unique to the city as opposed to his worship in other Phoenician centers.
The aspect of the Temple of Melqart that gripped Graeco-Roman imaginations was the incorporation of water and the sea as a part of the Temple experience. Strabo 3.5.7-9 reported that the various springs within the Temple as well as the surrounding waters changed during the seasons and days due to the cycles of the tide. The Temple was designed and used by locals to worship Melqart as a protector of maritime travels, so the incorporation of the sea was central to properly honoring the god.
Gadir and its Temple was one of the most important sites for the worship of Melqart, especially as a key pilgrimage destination. With its foundation myth being connected to the oracle of Melqart, this does not come as a surprise. However, Gaditanian worship of Melqart was distinct from other major Phoenician centers such as Tyre or Carthage. In addition to focusing on the maritime side of Melqart, Gadir also had several hymns and traditions celebrating Melqart as a deity with connection to death. Celebrations on his death day occurred annually, and differentiated Gadir from other Phoenician cities.
Due to the unique aspects of both ritual space of the Temple of Melqart and the traditions of Gadir, this paper provides a much needed reimagining of the Temple of Melqart in Gadir as a local Phoenician practice through its own lens, rather than that solely of Graeco-Roman authors. Furthermore, the case of the Temple of Melqart shows the importance of local histories and traditions when evaluating Phoenician colonies in the Mediterranean