A baetyl (/ ˈbiːtɪl /; also betyl), literally "house of god" is a sacred stone (sometimes believed to be a meteorite) that was venerated and thought to house a god or deity. [1] . The most famous example is the Omphalos stored in the Temple of Apollo at the Greek town of Delphi. [2]

Betyls are blocks of stone that represent the gods of the Nabataeans. The term "betyl" is derived from the Greek word Βαιτύλια and a myth told by the Greeks about Ouranos, who created animated stones that fell from heaven. [17] Betyls were commonly placed on altars or platforms where religious rituals were performed. [17]

Beryl (/ ˈbɛrəl / BERR-əl) is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O 18. [6] . Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several meters in size, but terminated crystals are relatively rare.

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Mar 15, 2023 · Believed to be imbued with divine healing and protective powers, betyls were worshipped by many cultures in the ancient Near East, including the Canaanites, Phoenicians and Arabs. Some of the most famous examples of betyls include the Black Stone and the Kaaba in Mecca , one of the holiest sites in Islam.

Stone carvings, camel caravans, and betyls (the famous god blocks) set in niches, appear. But these elaborate carvings are merely a prelude to one’s arrival into the heart of Petra, where the Treasury, or Khazneh, a monumental tomb, awaits to impress even the most jaded visitors.

Oct 27, 2024 · One also finds depictions of rectangular stone blocks, or betyls, carved in the stones and rock faces throughout Petra’s cavernous passageways. These typically unadorned blocks (though some have schematized facial features) are thought to be traditional representations of Nabataean deities.

The Nabataeans venerated their deities in betyls (aniconic stone slabs). This contribution, based primarily on a survey carried out by the author in Petra, offers an overview of the main aspects of these betyls.

A betyl (Semitic: bait-el = house of God; Greek: baitylos) is an aniconical God symbol, usually in the form of a vertical rectangular plate or stele. It can also be a negative form in a niche. Often there are several betyls in a niche next to each other, on top of each other or grouped together.

One of the phenomena at Petra is the pres­ ence of many rock-cut votive niches with betyls all around the city; these betyls are often explained as representations of Dushara, the main deity of...