Preface

I The Natural Environment of Palmyra , and the Caravan City
1. Natural Environment
2. Caravan City

II A Brief History of Palmyra and its site
1. A Brief History
2. Site
Appendix Silk Textiles of Han Dynasty China that have been unearthed in Palmyra

III Customs Law of Palmyra
1. Translation
2. Explanation
2. Significance

IV Trade Activities of the Palmyrenes
1. A Brief History of Characenes
2. Translation and explanation of Palmyrene inscripyions about Characene
3. Denomination and location of Vologesia
4. Translation and explanation of Palmyrene inscriptions about the commercial colony in Vologesia
5 Fast-West expansion of Palmyrenes

V Palmyrene and four major tribes
1. Palmyrene and caravans　　
2. Palmyrene inscriptions about carvn
i From the first century to the middle of the second century
Ii About the end of the second century
iii About the middle of the third century
3　Four major tribes in Palmyra
i Palmyrene inscriptions about the four major tribes
ii Four major tribes of the relief of the Temple of Bel
iii Life of the Palmyrenes

VI Religion of Palmyra
1. Construction of the Temple of Bel
2. Triad of Bel
i Origin of Bel
ii Nature of the Triad of Bel
iii Bel’s associations with other gods
3　Stele　and “anonymous god”
4　Tower tombs and Hypogea

VII Art of Palmyra

VIII Petra and Dura-Europos
1 Petra
2 Dura-Europos
3 Palmyrenes in Dura- Europos

IX Zenobia,Queen of Palmyra
1. Character of Zenobia
2. Status of Zenobia
3. The people surrounding Zenobia
4. Collapse of Zenobia’s Reign

X Syria in light of Ancient Western Asian History
1. Distinctive features of Syria
2. Unification of Western Asia by the Achaemenids
3. The era of Hellenization
4. Formation of the Arsacid Iranian Empire
5. Conflict between Arsacid Empire and Roman Empire
6. The era of the Sassanid Iranian Empire

Conclusion
Bibliography
A Chronological table of the History of Palmyra
Index