This volume deals with the religion of Palmyrenes in Dura-Europos during the first three centuries of the Common Era, and focuses upon the religious interaction between this migrant community and their new residence. By studying the religious interaction of distinct groups on a local level, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the process of religious development and change in Syria during the Roman period. Information on the Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos consists primarily of archaeological remains that have been found there. The Palmyrene materials from Dura-Europos have never been published collectively, and for this reason they are enumerated and re-evaluated in the appendix. The book is richly illustrated with 20 figures and 22 plates.

Dura-Europos is one of Syria's most important archaeological sites. Situated on the edge of the Euphrates river, it was the subject of extensive excavations in the 1920s and 30s by teams from Yale University and the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Controlled variously by Seleucid, Parthian, and Roman powers, the site was one of impressive religious and linguistic diversity: it was home to at least nineteen sanctuaries, amongst them a Synagogue and a Christian building, and many languages, including Greek, Latin, Persian, Palmyrene, and Hebrew which were excavated on inscriptions, parchments, and graffiti. Based on the author's work excavating at the site with the Mission Franco-Syrienne d'Europos-Doura and extensive archival research, this book provides an overview of the site and its history, and traces the story of its investigation from archaeological discovery to contemporary destruction.