 Bowersock favors the identity of the former, with his theory being that "Macoraba" is the word ""Makkah"" followed by the aggrandizing Aramaic adjective "rabb" (great).The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus also enumerated many cities of Western Arabia, most of whom can be identified.According to Bowersock, he did mention Mecca as "Geapolis" or "Hierapolis", the latter one meaning "holy city", referring to the sanctuary of the Ka'bah, well known already in pagan times.