The ancient name for the city of Homs in modern-day Syria, known for its sun temple and role in Roman history.
From Aramaic, the local Semitic language spoken in that region of the Middle East. The name likely derives from root words related to the sun or light worship that was prominent there.
Emesa was ruled by a family of priest-kings who made a sun god the center of their city—so important that one of them, Elagabal, became a Roman emperor and tried to make his sun god the official religion of Rome!
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