Editing Manbij (section)

==Cult of Atargatis==
{{main|De Dea Syria}}
This worship of [[Atargatis]] was immortalized in ''[[De Dea Syria]]'' which has traditionally been attributed to [[Lucian of Samosata]], who gave a full description of the [[Cult (religion)|religious cult]] of the shrine and the tank of sacred fish of Atargatis, of which [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]] also relates marvels. According to the ''De Dea Syria'', the worship was of a [[phallic]] character, [[votary|votaries]] offering little male figures of wood and [[bronze]]. There were also huge phalli set up like [[obelisk]]s before the temple, which were ceremoniously climbed once a year and decorated.<ref name="EB1911"/>

The temple contained a holy chamber into which only priests were allowed to enter. A great bronze [[altar]] stood in front, set about with statues, and in the forecourt lived numerous sacred animals and birds (but not swine) used for sacrifice.<ref name="EB1911"/>

Some three hundred priests served the shrine and there were numerous minor ministrants. The lake was the centre of sacred festivities and it was customary for votaries to swim out and decorate an altar standing in the middle of the water. [[Self-mutilation]] and other [[Orgy|orgies]] went on in the temple precinct, and there was an elaborate ritual on entering the city and first visiting the shrine.<ref name="EB1911"/>