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Bterram has a very old underground temple called Eshmunit, which is composed of eight rooms (one big and seven small) all carved in the rock and accessible through 11 rocky stairs (see picture below).
Eshmunit is though to be the temple of Eshmun's consort and the only remaining site dedicated to her. Eshmun is 'the Holy Prince', the god of the Phoenician city of Sidon, and a god of vital force, health and healing. He was worshipped in Tyre and in the colonies Cyprus, and Carthage, but not in Ugarit. The Greeks identified him with Asclepius. His symbolic attributes were a snake rolling on a rod and also a snake biting its own tail, making a circle, symbol of eternity, power feeding on itself.
Inside the Phoenician temple "Eshmunit"
The access to the main room of Eshmunit through rocky stairs.
Short historical description by Dr Semaan Salem engraved on a stone affixed to Eshmunit's wall (click to enlarge)
Dr Semaan Salem, who wrote several historical books and publications, is sharing with us the following additional information: "Eshmunit is about 3500 years old. It's was dug to be a graveyard. The fact that the name of the monument is still preserved without being written anywhere indicates that Bterram has been continually inhabited for that long period." Recently, Dr Salem engraved a short description on a stone affixed to Eshmunit wall (see above picture). The project was offered by Balamand University.
