Palmyrahaslongattractedtheattentionoftheworld.Wellbeforeitsrediscoveryintheseventeenthcentury,theancientcitygainedlegendarystatusbecauseofitsQueenZenobia,whointhethirdcenturyCErebelledagainstRomeandexpandedPalmyra’sterritoryintowhatisnowmodernTurkeyandEgypt.EventhoughZenobia’sempirewasafairlyshortinterludeandtheRomansstruckbackhard,devastatingthecity,herpathtoimperialpowerwasonewhichtellsusmuchaboutPalmyreneidentityintheperiodbeforethedefeat.WhileZenobiahasgainedrenewedinterestamongbothscholarsandthepress,andwhileshehasservedasapoliticalsymbolforSyria’spresidentAssad--astatueofherwasrecentlyerectedinDamascus--thetimeleadinguptoherreignstillremainsunderexplored.?PearloftheDesertisthemostcomprehensivehistoryofthisfabledancientcityinEnglish.Assimilatingthericharchaeologicalandliteraryevidence,RubinaRajaunfoldsthestorychronologically,fromtheearliestevidenceofsettlementintheBronzeAgetoPalmyra’sriseasanurbancenterinthelateHellenisticandRomanperiods,itsdestructionbyRomein273CE,anditssurvivalintheByzantineandmedievalIslamicperiods.ThebookendswithadiscussionofPalmyra’smodernrediscoveryand,morerecently,itschaoticmisfortunesduringtheSyriancivilwarwhenitwasusedasasymbolof,alternately,theresistanceoftherebels,thepowerofISIS,andthesupremacyoftheSyrianstate.Afterseveralyearsofdestructionandlooting,securingofthesitehasbegunaswellasplanningforitsrestoration.AtthisturningpointinPalmyra’slonghistory,thereisnobettertimetoassessthepast,present,andfutureofthisremarkablecity.
