Emesa was an ancient city on the Orontes River in Syria. It existed in the late 3rd millennium BCE.
It had a temple to the Syrian sun god El Gebal (Aramaic), also called Elagabalus (Latin) and Heliogabalus (Greek). During Roman times Emesa was ruled by its local dynasty of priest-kings. It was the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, better known as Heliogabalus, who was a hereditary priest of the his namesake deity and succeeded his cousin Caracalla in 218. Emesa was also Roman Emperor Aurelian's headquarter during his campaign against Queen Zenobia of Palmyra.
The Emesa temple to the sun god El Gabal, with the holy stone, on the reverse of this bronze coin by Roman usurper Uranius Antoninus.
It was the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, better known as Elagabalus, who was a hereditary priest of the his namesake deity and succeeded his cousin Caracalla in 218.
Emesa was also Roman Emperor Aurelian's headquarter during his campaign against Queen Zenobia of Palmyra.
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