The Baalbek Stones are six large Roman stone blocks located in Baalbek, Lebanon (ancient Heliopolis). These stones are known for their extremely large size, which is unmatched in ancient history. The stone was taken from nearby hills, and some of the large stones were only partially shaped from the rock.

The smaller three stones are part of a wall in the Roman Temple of Jupiter Baal (Heliopolitan Zeus), called the "Trilithon." Each of these stones weighs about 750–800 tonnes. The quarry where the stones were taken was slightly higher than the temple, so no lifting was needed to move them. The large stones may have been moved into place using rollers along temporary dirt paths from the quarry.

The other three stones are large monoliths not part of a larger structure. They are known as the "Stone of the Pregnant Woman" (about 1,000 tonnes), the "Stone of the South" (about 1,242 tonnes), and the "Forgotten Stone" (about 1,650 tonnes). These are the first, third, and fifth largest stones ever quarried in human history. They were likely meant for the Jupiter Baal complex, possibly as an addition to the Trilithon, but they were never moved from the quarry. They have not been used since they were taken from the rock, and some were only partially removed in ancient times.

Many archaeological studies have been conducted at the site since the 1800s, mainly by German and French teams. Research at the site has continued into the 21st century.

Trilithon

The Trilithon (Greek: Τρίλιθον), also known as the Three Stones, is a group of three large stones that lie horizontally and are part of the base of the Temple of Jupiter Baal at Baalbek. These stones are located on a hill in the area called Tel Baalbek. Each stone is 19 meters (62 feet) long, 4.2 meters (14 feet) high, and 3.6 meters (12 feet) thick. They weigh about 750 to 800 tonnes (1,650,000 to 1,760,000 pounds). The layer of stones beneath them includes stones that are estimated to weigh about 350 tonnes (770,000 pounds) and are 11 meters (36 feet) wide.

Although these stones do not form a trilithon as modern archaeologists define it, they have been called the Trilithon since at least the early Byzantine period.

Stone of the Pregnant Woman

The Stone of the Pregnant Woman (Arabic: حجر الحبلي, romanized: Ḥajar el-Ḥible), also called the First Monolith, remains in the ancient quarry, 900 meters (3,000 feet) away from the Heliopolis temple complex. Although the smallest of the three monoliths, it is the most famous because of its excellent condition, the steep angle at which it lies, and the fact that it has never been completely covered by soil.

The block was never fully removed from the ground, as its bottom remains attached to the bedrock beneath it. A study in 2015 found cracks and a flaw on the northwest face of the monolith, which is the side that was furthest downhill and possibly the last part to be excavated.

In 1996, a survey team from the Austrian city of Linz measured the site to determine the exact size of the two monoliths and their possible role in building the large Jupiter temple. Their calculations showed the block weighs about 1,000 tons, supporting earlier estimates, such as those made by Jean-Pierre Adam.

The rectangular stone block is:

There are several stories about the name. One says the monolith is named after a pregnant woman who tricked the people of Baalbek into believing she could move the giant stone if they fed her until she gave birth. Others claim the name comes from legends that pregnant jinn were responsible for cutting and moving the stone. Another story suggests the name reflects the belief that a woman who touches the stone may experience increased fertility.

Stone of the South

The Stone of the South (Arabic: حجر القبلي, also written as Ḥajar el-Guble), also called the Second Monolith, was found again in the same quarry in the 1990s. It weighs about 1,242 tonnes (2,738,000 pounds), which makes it larger than the Stone of the Pregnant Woman. Some people are confused about the name because its location was forgotten. Some sources say "Stone of the South" is another name for the Stone of the Pregnant Woman.

These are the measurements of the rectangular stone block, assuming the shape is the same in the parts that are still buried.

Forgotten Stone

The Forgotten Stone, also known as the Third Monolith, was found in the same quarry in 2014 by archaeologists from the German Archaeological Institute. It weighs about 1,500 tonnes (3,300,000 pounds). The stone is 19.6 meters (64 feet) long, 6 meters (20 feet) wide, and at least 5.5 meters (18 feet) high.