▁as ▁are ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁hero . ▁ ▁Joseph us ▁records ▁( Ant iqu ities ▁ 8 . 5 . 3 ), ▁following ▁Men ander ▁the ▁historian , ▁concerning ▁King ▁Hir am ▁I ▁of ▁Ty re ▁( c . ▁ 9 6 5 – 9 3 5   B CE ): ▁He ▁also ▁went ▁and ▁cut ▁down ▁materials ▁of ▁tim ber ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁mountain ▁called ▁Leb anon , ▁for ▁the ▁roof ▁of ▁tem ples ; ▁and ▁when ▁he ▁had ▁pulled ▁down ▁the ▁ancient ▁tem ples , ▁he ▁both ▁built ▁the ▁temple ▁of ▁Her acles ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁` As ht art ; ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁aw ak ening ▁( eg ers is ) ▁of ▁Her acles ▁in ▁the ▁month ▁Per it ius . ▁ ▁The ▁annual ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁Mel q art ' s ▁" aw ak ening " ▁may ▁identify ▁Mel q art ▁as ▁a ▁life - de ath - reb irth ▁de ity . ▁ ▁The ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Sept im ius ▁Sever us ▁was ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁Le p cis ▁Mag na ▁in ▁North ▁Africa , ▁an ▁originally ▁Pho en ician ▁city ▁where ▁worship ▁of ▁Mel q art ▁was ▁w ides p read . ▁He ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁constructed ▁in ▁Rome ▁a ▁temple ▁dedicated ▁to ▁" L iber ▁and ▁Her cules ", ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁assumed ▁that ▁the ▁Emperor , ▁seeking ▁to ▁honour ▁the ▁god ▁of ▁his ▁native ▁city , ▁identified ▁Mel q art ▁with ▁the ▁Roman ▁god ▁Liber