Male Funerary Relief Bust from Palmyra (Syria)

Palmyra, an oasis in the Syrian desert, prospered as a caravan stop between the Roman empire to west and the Parthian empire to the east. During this period elaborate tombs were constructed for important men and women in the city. Funerary compartments in the walls were sealed with stone slabs, which were sculpted with representations of the deceased. An Aramaic inscription on this bust reads, “Woe! (It's a pity) Hanina, son of Hanina, [may he (?)] ascend!”

Sources:
- David Gilman Romano and Irene Bald Romano, _Catalogue of the Classical Collections of the Glencairn Museum_, 1999, 34-35.
- David Gilman Romano and Irene Bald Romano _Greece and Rome: The Classic World: An Exhibit of Greek and Roman Artifacts_, Glencairn Museum, 1986, 11.