Ancient seafarers built the Mediterranean’s largest known sacred pool

A big pool on a tiny island helped Phoenicians track the stars and their gods

photo of the Phoenician pool with a white statue of Ba’al in the center and the ocean in the distance

Shown after excavations, a sacred pool built by Phoenicians around 2,550 years ago on a tiny Mediterranean island includes a replica of a statue of the god Ba’al at its center.

Sapienza University of Rome Expedition to Motya

On a tiny island off Sicily’s west coast, a huge pool long ago displayed the star-studded reflections of the gods.