Are the World's Biggest Building Blocks Prehistoric?
In 27 BC, the Roman Emperor Augustus supposedly took the unfathomable
decision to build in the middle of nowhere the grandest and mightiest temple
of antiquity, the Temple of Jupiter, whose platform, and big courtyard are
retained by three walls containing twenty-seven limestone blocks, unequaled
in size anywhere in the world, as they all weigh in excess of 300 metric
tons. Three of the blocks, however, weigh more than 800 tons each. This
block trio is world-renowned as the "Trilithon".
If we think within the official academic framework of history,
no obvious reasons for selecting Baalbek as the temple's building site.
Supposedly, Baalbek was just a small city on a trading route to Damascus
through the Bekaa valley in Lebanese mountains, about sixty kilometers from
the Mediterranean coast (34º lat., 36º long.) It was of no special religious
significance, apart from being in the centre of a burial region, in the midst of thousands of rock cut
But, lavishing great architecture on Baalbek then seems totally out of
character for the undeniably selfish Rome, which had at the very same time
been stealing historic treasures from other countries, such as the obelisks
from Egypt. It makes more sense that Baalbek had something no other place
could offer, not even the city of Rome, the heart of the empire. This
something may also be the reason why so many people wished to be buried
there. Indeed, it has been noted that the blocks in the retaining wall
of the Baalbek temple site clearly look a lot more eroded than
the bona fide Roman ruins of the Temple of Jupiter, as well as those of the
other two Roman temples also on the site. Therefore, the heavily eroded
blocks should be much older.
Bonfils, ca. 1870. Negative inscribed "468. Mur Cyclopeen a Balbek."
11 x 9 inches.
© 1996 Middle East Section.
Joseph Regenstein Library.
The University of
This fact naturally gives rise to a different scenario: At
Baalbek Rome had
found a fabulous ready made foundation, a mighty platform to add a suitably
majestic structure to, stamping the Roman eagle upon the whole for the
perception of future generations.
The much greater erosion of the big Baalbek blocks qualifies as material
proof of their much greater age. The issue really seems rather simple. This
is how the stone looks when it is almost like new after having
been recently sanded. However, sanding did not get rid of the deep pits,
signs of either considerable previous erosion, or the product of drilling,
if not both.
One also finds plenty of circumstantial evidence undermining the official
version of Trilithon's origins:
a) Absence of Baalbek records.
Above all, Rome records no claim to the incredible retaining wall.
b) Presence of other records of actual Roman transport capabilities.
Elsewhere in the Roman empire, just a little over 300 metric tons seemed to
be the limit for the transport of big blocks, achievable only with the
greatest difficulty. Transport of the 323 ton Laterano obelisk to Rome
spanned the reigns of three emperors. Clearly, the record setting engineers
from Baalbek, had they existed, could have also managed the task of
transporting the relatively light Lateran Obelisk.
The fact that they were nowhere to be found, no matter, how crucial the
task, indicates that they simply did not exist.
c) Baalbek was an important holy place.
The Ptolemys conferred the title of Heliopolis upon
Baalbek. Therefore, like
the other Heliopolis (Sun City) under Ptolemys' domain in
Egypt, it had to
be an ancient holy place, it must have had some notable architecture, and
the two places had to have some connection. I suggest it was the titanic
blocks that instilled awe in everybody. In Phoenician times,
supposedly been a religious centre devoted to Baal. Local Arab legends place
the cyclopean walls (the Baalbek Terrace) into the time of Cain and
d) Roman and Megalithic styles of building.
Orthodox scholars of today scoff at all suggestions that Romans had not
brought the great blocks to the temple site, despite the fact that building
with meg