Michael C. Luddeni
Just a few miles north of Bierut, the Dog River (Nahr el-Kalb) flows west from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea. The river’s mouth is a deep gorge cut through a limestone bluff rising up from the shoreline. It was a significant natural boundary and made the river difficult to cross. For whatever reason, ancient armies decided to take time to commemorate their safe arrival at the Dog River by carving stelae along the pathway leading down the limestone bluff to the river.
From 1292 BC to AD 1942 Pharaohs, Kings, Sultans, Emperors & Generals Have Left Their Calling Cards On These Rocky Cliffs.
Called the Lycus River in antiquity, its modern Arabic name is Nahr el-Kalb. Translated “Dog River” in English, the name is attributed to the legend of a wolf statue once sitting on a rock plinth just past a Greek inscription along the southern bank at the river’s mouth. One local tradition says the statue would howl as a warning against invaders. Supposedly, in 1942, Australian soldiers working on the nearby railway uncovered a large but badly damaged wolf statue. Unfortunately, its whereabouts today is unknown. If there really was a wolf statue, and if it really did howl at times, possibly the wind blowing through a hollow place of the statue may have produced an unusual sound.
All the inscriptions were carved on the southern bank of the river, except King Nebuchadnezzar’s sixth century BC cuneiform inscription carved into the river’s north bank. Monuments carved before 1920 have been catalogued and designated by Roman numerals.
During the reign of Rameses II (1279–1212 BC), Egypt was losing control over the northern part of its empire in Syria to the Hittites. Rameses II launched a campaign in the fourth year of his reign leading his troops along the coast as far north as the Dog River. In the spring of the next year he led his army into Syria and met the Hittites. The battle was not decisive, but established the boundary between Egypt and Hati at the Dog River. An alliance was concluded between Rameses II and the Hittite king Khattusilis. They were not to encroach on each other’s territory and pledged to render assistance in case of attack from any other power. The friendship that followed was cemented by the marriage of the daughter of King Khattusilis and Rameses II. Rameses II commemorated his passage at the Dog River by carving three stelae in the cliff side. The cliff acted as a natural barrier to hold off invading armies along the coast going north or south.
BSpade 15:4 (Fall 2002) p. 103
Stele XIV—Pharoah Rameses II sacrificing a prisoner to the god Harmakhis, 1279–1212 BC. This is the oldest inscription at Nahr el-Kalb
Stele XIII—An unknown Assyrian King in a prayer position.
Commemeration of French troops landing in Lebanon in 1860, during the reign of Napoleon III.
The three Egyptian stelae of Rameses II are numbered V, XIV and XVI. Stele V shows the Pharaoh slaying a captured prisoner in front of the Egyptian god Ptah. It was seen by an Egyptologist in AD 1845. In I860, however, an inscription commemorating the landing of French troops under Napoleon III was written over this stele. Stele XIV shows Ramses II with a captive kneeling at his feet in front of the Egyptian god Harmakhis. Stele XVI shows the Egyptian king bringing down a blow on the head of a captive that he is holding by the hair. A god wearing a headdress of two feathers, characteristic of that worn by the Egyptian god Amon Re, witnesses the scene.
Six Assyrian inscriptions were carved at the Dog River (VI, VII, VIII, XIII, XV, and XVII). Unfortunately only XVII, a 671 BC cuneiform inscription of king Esarhaddon, can be identified with any certainty.
BSpade 15:4 (Fall 2002) p. 104
Nebuchadnezzar’s stele (I), two unclear Greek inscriptions (XI and XII) and a Latin inscription by Roman emperor Caracalla (III) are the only other ancient monuments at the site. Beyond a 14th century AD Arabic (II) and an 1860 French (now covering ancient Egyptian Stele V) inscription, the final eight are 20th century AD monuments.
Stele III—A Latin inscription from Roman Emperor Caracalla, AD 211–217.
Stele IX—Commemorating the capture of Damascus, Homs, and Aleppo in 1918 by British Desert Mountain Corps, Indian Cavalry, French Regiment, and the Arab forces of King Hussein.
In AD 1232 a German Dominican monk passed by the Dog River on his way to Jerusalem and was amazed by the strategic importance of the pass. He wrote, “This place called the Dog’s pass, a few men could forbid all the world to pass by here.”
Unfortunately, these important ancient inscriptions are terribly weather-worn and almost no texts are readable today. They should be treated as a national treasure for the Lebanese people, but the area is left totally exposed to the elements and completely unprotected.
Following is a list of the ancient and modern stelae:
I—Cuneiform inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II (sixth century BC), recording his campaigns in Mesopotamia and Lebanon. Carved into the rocky wall of the river’s north bank, it is the only monument on that side of the river.
II—14th century Arabic inscription from Sultan Seif ad-Din Barquq commemorating his building of the original bridge nearby.
III—Latin inscription from Roman emperor Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius, AD 211–217) recounting the achievements of his third Gallic Legion. Just above this inscription is a modern (1942) obelisk marking the arrival of the French and Allied armies in Lebanon. Beyond it is a 1941 inscription commemorating the liberation of Lebanon and Syria from Vichy forces.
IV—French inscription marking General Gouraud’s invasion of Damascus on July 25, 1920. Not far from this is an Arabic inscription dated 25/3/1979. Next to this is a modern plaque engraved with a cedar tree. Another Arabic inscription commemorates the withdrawal of French troops from Lebanon in 1946.
V—The original stele at this site showed the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and the god Ptah. It is covered by a later inscription commemorating the French army’s 1860 expedition in the Chouf.
VI—A badly preserved monument of an Assyrian king wearing a crown with his right hand raised.
VII—An Assyrian figure almost impossible to make out today.
BSpade 15:4 (Fall 2002) p. 105
The Dog River illustrated in 1836 by W. H. Barlett.
The Dog River today with a bridge over the river’s mouth. The limestone cliff is where the inscriptions are carved.
BSpade 15:4 (Fall 2002) p. 106
VIII—Another Assyrian stele in a very bad state of preservation.
IX—Commemoration of the British-led “Desert Mountain Corps” and its 1918 capture of Damascus, Horns and Aleppo.
X—A 1918 British commemoration marking the achievements of the British 21st Battalion and the French Palestine Corps.
XI—A weathered Greek inscription.
XII—Another very worn Greek inscription. Just past this is the rock plinth where the wolf statue supposedly once stood.
XIII—Assyrian king apparently in a position of prayer. Nearby are some modern cedars carved into the rock by Phalange fighters.
XIV—A rectangular tablet of Pharaoh Rameses II of Egypt (1279–1212 BC) sacrificing a prisoner to the god Harmakhis. This is the oldest inscription at Nahr el-Kalb.
XV—Inscription of an Assyrian king.
XVI—Another rectangular stele of Rameses II sacrificing a prisoner to the sun god Amun by burning him to death.
XVII—Cuneiform text describing Assyrian king Esarhaddon’s victory against Egypt in 671 BC.
Stele IV—Celebrating French General Gouraud’s invasion of Damascus on July 20, 1920.
1942 Obelisk—Celebrating the French and Allied armies arrival in Lebanon.
Arabic inscription commemorating the withdrawal of French troops from Lebanon.
BSpade 15:4 (Fall 2002) p. 107