UN's organization for education,science, and culture (UNESCO) declared the destruction of Baalshamin's Temple at Palmyra by ISIS a war crime. Baalshamin was an ancient secondary god in the Levant and mention numerous times in the Old Testament as Baal. The temple dates to the Roman era, or first century AD. Scholars consider the god to be propitious and who acted as an intecessor for humans. The Daesh group of ISIS demolished the temple on August 23rd with explosives one week after killing Professor Khaled al-Assaad, the archeologist in charge of caring for the ruins for four decades. Head of UNESCO said the action demonstrates ISIS intent to
deprive the Syrian people of their cultural identity through "cultural cleansing" of what ISIS considers pagan influences. She called upon the international community to stand against such acts. In March the UN's Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report saying other actions by ISIS--
such as execution of civilians and rape-- may be war crimes.
