Jerash, the present day capital of the Jerash Governorate, northern Jordan, was known as Gerasa in antiquity, and it thrived as an ancient Greco-Roman city that was given the moniker of ‘Antioch on the Golden River’. Now from the historical perspective, Jerash was (possibly) already inhabited since the early Bronze Age (circa 3200 BC); but the settlement arguably reached its apical stage by later 1st century AD when it was transformed into a trading hub. Thus came in the flourish of Roman architectural projects, including the triumphal arch of Hadrian and the Cardo Maximus of the city. But this time around, archaeologists have comes across a sculptural scope in Jerash that is more ‘Greek’ in nature. We are talking about an imposing statue of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and procreation.
http://www.realmofhistory.com/2016/05/20/aphrodite-statue-found-jerash-jordan
