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(71km from Beirut)
In Afqa is a huge grotto which is the source of the "Nahr
Ibrahim" River. Across from the grotto are the remains of the
Roman temple of Venus. Walk down the steps at the side of the
structure to appreciate its massive size. A curved tunnel, still visible
beneath the foundations, was used to channel water. Growing from between the
temple's great stones is a fig tree with bits of material tied to its
branches, a carryover from ancient tradition which attributed special powers
to this spot.
Although the temple was destroyed by the Christian Emperor Constantine
(285-337 AD), it was later rebuilt by Julian the Apostate (360-363). The
Adonis-Astarte fertility rite continued in Lebanon into the 5th century AD.
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