In April, part of the Temple of Baal that stood in Palmyra, Syria will be reconstructed in Times Square in New York City and in Trafalgar Square in London.  The specific portion that is being erected in both cases is the 48-foot-tall arch that stood at the entrance to the temple.  The Institute of Digital Archaeology is the organization behind this effort, and the display of these two arches is intended to be the highlight of UNESCO’s World Heritage Week late next month.  After seeing my initial story, one of my readers observed that an arch is really just a gateway or a portal.  In other words, it can serve as both an entrance and an exit.  So could it be possible that we will be unknowingly setting up a gate or a portal of some sort in Times Square?

The worship of Baal, also known as Bel, can be…