\paperw6990 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \li105 \f1 \fs22 Initially religious rites were conducted chiefly in the mountains, in the vicinity of water, trees, and stones,
which were considered sacred. Most temples consisted of a sacred enclosure open to the sky, with a small chapel in the middle containing a betilo, or sacred \b \cf1 \ATXht16 pillar\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . An altar for sacrifices stood in front of the chapel.
The sanctuary generally contained a sacred spring or pool as well.\par
City temples had a different layout, with the typical tripartite structure consisting of an antecell, \b \cf1 \ATXht3 cell\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf1 \ATXht19 sanctum sanctorum
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . An example of this can be be seen in the temple at Kition, probably dedicated to \b \cf4 \ATXht1139 Ashtaroth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Another type of religious building that was common in \b \cf4 \ATXht93 Carthage\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during the He
llenistic period had a cell preceded by a portico with two columns that stood on a socle with a flight of steps. The roof was terraced and had an \b \cf1 \ATXht5 entablature\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with no pediment. \par
