Temple Deity
Who did the Nabateans worship in this temple at Dhat Ras? We do not know for sure. The site’s name may provide a clue. “Dhat Ras” is feminine and means “goddess of the mountain,” assuming the name is an ancient name, which often is the case. Nelson Glueck suggests the deity was Atargatis or Allat (Deities and Dolphins, p. 56), two names for the same deity. Atargatis was one of the most prominent deities of the Nabatean pantheon, according to Glueck (Deities and Dolphins, p. 359). She was the creator and sustainer of life. Life was impossible without the life generating power of water. She was the goddess of vegetation and a moist sky goddess. The dolphin, an image inseparable from water, symbolized her. Sometimes, she is depicted as a mermaid. According to Glueck, she was represented in a relief at et-Tannur as having ears of grain above and beside her head. He calls her the “grain goddess” and “fish goddess.” Dhat Ras was a well-suited area for grain production, as it continues to be today.
Glueck says Atargatis combined with the native deity of Allat when the Nabateans settled down from traveling merchants to become an agricultural civilization. Thus both names refer to the same goddess.
Although no images have been found at Dhat Ras, the small temple was designed to collect water. A deity associated with water, such as Atargatis, seems appropriate. Atargatis’ association with grain also fits well with the temple given the fertile grain fields around Dhat Ras. For more information about Atargatis, click here and select “Atargatis” under the “Phoenician” category.