Ancient Baalbek

The ruins of Baalbek are the largest ever uncovered, bigger than the structures in Rome," Jay explained as he drove the car from the hills into the Beqaa Valley. But the place was well known before the Romans, even the Greeks settled, ruled alternately by Egyptian and Canaanite priests. During the Canaanite period, the local temples were largely devoted to the Heliopolitan Triad: a male god, Baʿal, his consort, Astarté, and their son, Adon. Ba'al was the early Canaanite's sky god, their King of Heaven, and Astártē was their Queen of Heaven," Jay explained.

The site of the present Temple of Jupiter was probably the focus of earlier worship, as its altar was located at the hill's precise summit and the rest of the sanctuary raised to its level.