Ain Aata Explained

Official Name:	Ain Aata
Other Name:	Ain Ata, 'Ain 'Ata, Ayn Aata
Settlement Type:	Village
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Type1:	Governorate
Subdivision Name1:	Beqaa Governorate
Subdivision Type2:	District
Subdivision Name2:	Rashaya District
Unit Pref:	Imperial
Area Total Km2:	58.02
Population Total:	around 4000
Population Blank1 Title:	Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:	Religions
Elevation M:	1330

Ain Ata
Alternate Name:	Ain Aata, 'Ain 'Ata, Ayn Aata
Map Type:	Lebanon
Map Size:	200
Location:	99km (62miles) east of Beirut
Region:	Rashaya
Coordinates:	33.4364°N 35.7794°W
Cultures:	Roman
Public Access:	Yes

Ain Aata, Ain Ata, 'Ain 'Ata or Ayn Aata is a village and municipality situated southwest of Rashaya, 99km (62miles) south-east of Beirut, in the Rashaya District of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.^[1]

The name is thought to mean "gift spring".^[2] There is a remarkably cold spring in the area.^[3]

History

In 1838, Eli Smith noted Ain 'Ata's population as being Druze and "Greek" Christians.^[4]

Roman temple

Recent epigraphic surveys have confirmed the ruins of a Roman temple and cult site in the village that are included in the group of Temples of Mount Hermon.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

See also

• Druze in Lebanon
• Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christians

Bibliography

• Book: Harvey, Annie Jane . 1861. Our Cruise in the Claymore, with a Visit to Damascus and the Lebanon. Elibron.com. 978-1-4021-3492-0. 145.
• Book: Kaizer, Ted. Aliquot, Julien., Sanctuaries and villages on Mount Hermon in the Roman period in The Variety of Local Religious Life in the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods. 2008. BRILL. 978-90-04-16735-3. 76.
• Mouterde . R. . Antiquités de l'Hermon et de la Beqâ . Mélanges de l'Université St. Joseph . 29 . 19–89 . 1951–1952. 10.3406/mefao.1951.1033 . 239122864 .
• Book: Robinson. E.. Edward Robinson (scholar). Smith. E.. Eli Smith. 1841. Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Boston. Crocker & Brewster. 3.
• Book: Robinson, E.. Edward Robinson (scholar). Smith, E.. Eli Smith. Later Biblical researches in Palestine, and in the adjacent regions: a journal of travels in the year 1852. 438. 1857. Crocker and Brewster.
• Book: Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain). The journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London. 1837. J. Murray. 98.
• Book: Stanley, A.P.. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley. Sinai and Palestine: in connection with their history. 22 September 2012. 1871. J. Murray. 408–.

External links

• Ain Aata on Localiban
• 'Ain 'Ata on geographic.org
• Photos of Roman temples in the Rashaya area on the American University of Beirut website
• Roman Temples on discoverlebanon.com
• Ain Ata on wikimapia
• Ain Ata on geody.com
• Hebrew concordance entry for Beth-Anath, "Temple of Anat"

Notes and References

1. Kitto, 2003, p. 344–
2. Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain), 1837, p. 98–
3. Harvey, 1861, p. 145 ff
4. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 138
5. Kaizer, 2012, p. 76 ff
6. Mouterde, 1951–1952, pp. 19–89
7. Robinson and Smith, 1857, p. 438 ff
8. Stanley, 1871, p. 408 ff