A marble statue of Hercules from the 2nd century CE was discovered in an Antiquities Authority dig at the Tarbanat Ruins in the framework of the Valley Railway administered by the National Routes Company.
According to Dr. Walid Atrash, from the Antiquities Authority, “It is a rare find. The Statue was probably standing in a niche, and was part of the decoration of a bath pool we have discovered. It is approximately 1.7 feet tall, made of smooth marble, with high craftsmanship. Hercules is depicted in three dimensions, standing on a pedestal. His muscles are bulging, and he is leaning on his staff to his left. The top of his staff is adorned with the hide of the Nemea lion-like beast that was defeated by Hercules on his first mission, according to Greek mythology.”