Hostname: page-component-669899f699-tzmfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-25T11:05:46.278Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The sceptres of life-sized divine statues from Canaanite Lachish and Hazor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2020

Yosef Garfinkel
Yosef Garfinkel*
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (✉ [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite the investigation of hundreds of ancient temples across the Near East, life-sized statues of divine figures are rare and none have been found in the Canaanite Levant. In this article, contextual and iconographic analyses are used to argue for the interpretation of objects from Canaanite temples at Tel Lachish and Hazor, Israel, as sceptres associated with life-sized statues. This represents the first evidence for life-sized divine figures in the region. In turn, this identification may assist in the recognition of similar objects from elsewhere in the Levant and beyond, and stimulate discussion of the power embodied by these statues.

Keywords

LevantIsraelCanaanite religionsceptresstatuesiconography
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 94 , Issue 375 , June 2020 , pp. 669 - 685
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bahrani, Z. 2003. The graven image: representation in Babylonia and Assyria. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812206777CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bretschneider, J. 1991. Architekturmodelle in Vorderasien und der östlichen Ägäis vom Neolithikum bis in das 1. Jahrtausend (Alter Orient und Altes Testament 229). Kevelaer: Butzon & Bercker.Google Scholar
Cline, E.H. 2000. The battles of Armageddon: Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11583CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cornelius, I. 1994. The iconography of the Canaanite gods Reshef and Ba‘al: Late Bronze and Iron Age periods (c. 1500–1000 BCE) (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 140). Fribourg: Universitätsverlag.Google Scholar
Cross, F.M. 1973. Canaanite myth and Hebrew epic. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
David, A. 2016. Akhenaten as the early morning light: revisiting the ‘consecration’ ritual in Amarna. Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 52: 93–101. https://doi.org/10.5913/jarce.52.2016.a005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Day, J. 2000. Yahweh and the gods and goddesses of Canaan. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.Google Scholar
Dick, M.B. 1999. Born in heaven, made on earth: the making of the cult image in the ancient Near East. Winona Lake (IN): Eisenbrauns.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, J.M., Green, J. & Teedter, E.. 2017. Highlights of the collections of the Oriental Institute. Chicago (IL): Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y. & Mumcuoglu, M.. 2015. A shrine model from Tel Rekhesh. Strata: Bulletin of the Anglo-Israeli Archaeological Society 33: 77–87.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y. & Mumcuoglu, M.. 2016. Solomon's temple and palace: new archaeological discoveries. Jerusalem: Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem & Biblical Archaeology Society.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y., Shlomo, D. Ben & Korn, N.. 2010. Sha'ar Hagolan volume 3: symbolic dimensions of the Yarmukian Culture: canonization in Neolithic art. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y., Hasel, M.G. & Klingbeil, M.. 2013. An ending and a beginning: why we're leaving Qeiyafa and going to Lachish. Biblical Archaeology Review 39(6): 44–51.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, Y., Kreimerman, I., Hasel, M.G. & Klingbeil, M.. 2019a. First impression on the urban layout of the last Canaanite city of Lachish: a view from the northeast corner of the site, in Maeir, A., Shai, I. & McKinny, C. (ed.) The Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages of southern Canaan (Archaeology of the Biblical Worlds 2): 122–35. Berlin: de Gruyter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garfinkel, Y. et al. 2019b. Lachish fortifications and state formation in the Biblical kingdom of Judah in light of radiometric datings. Radiocarbon 61: 695–712. https://doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2019.5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grissom, C.A. 2000. Neolithic statues from ‘Ain Ghazal: construction and form. American Journal of Archaeology 104: 25–45. https://doi.org/10.2307/506791CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hundley, M.B. 2013. Gods in dwellings: temples and divine presence in the ancient Near East. Atlanta (GA): Society of Biblical Literature. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt5vjz5qCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hundley, M.B. 2015. Divine presence in ancient Near Eastern temples. Religion Compass 9: 203–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec3.12154CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurowitz, V.A. 2003. The Mesopotamian god image: from womb to tomb. Journal of the American Oriental Society 123: 147–57. https://doi.org/10.2307/3217848CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katz, H. 2016. Portable shrine models: ancient architectural clay models from the Levant (British Archaeological Research International series 2791). Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kempinski, A. 1989. Megiddo: a city-state and royal centre in north Israel. Munich: Beck.Google Scholar
Kletter, R. 2015. A clay shrine model, in Kletter, K., Ziffer, I. & Zwickel, W. (ed.) Yavneh II, the ‘Temple Hill’ repository pit: 28–84 (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, Series Archaeologica 32). Fribourg & Göttingen: Academic Press and Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.Google Scholar
Layard, A.H. 1856. Nineveh and its remains. London: D. Appleton & Co.Google Scholar
Loud, G. 1948. Megiddo II: seasons of 1935–39. Chicago (IL): Oriental Institute Publications, University of Chicago.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. 1980. Excavations at Tell Qasile, part one: the Philistine sanctuary: architecture and cult objects (Qedem 12). Jerusalem: Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.Google Scholar
Mazar, A. & Mullins, R.. 2007. Excavations at Tel Beth-Shean 1989–1996, volume II. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.Google Scholar
de Miroschedji, P. 2001. Les ‘maquettes architecturales’ palestiniennes, in Muller, B. (ed.) Maquettes architecturales de l'antiquité, actes du colloque de Strasbourg, 3–5 décembre 1998: 43–85 (Travaux du Centre de recherche sur le Proche-Orient et la Grèce antiques 17). Paris: Diffusion de Boccard.Google Scholar
Moorey, P.R.S. 2003. Idols of the people: miniature images of clay in the ancient Near East. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197262801.001.0001Google Scholar
Moscati, S. 1988. The Phoenicians. Milan: Bompiani.Google Scholar
Muller, B. 2002. Les ‘maquettes architecturales’ du Proche Orient ancient: Mésopotamie, Syrie, Palestine du IIIe au milieu du 1er millénaire av. J.-C. (Bibliothèque Archéologique et Historique 160). Beirut: Institut français d'archéologie du Proche-Orient.Google Scholar
Muller, B. 2016. Maquettes antiques d'Orient: de l'image d'architecture au symbole. Paris: Picard.Google Scholar
Negbi, O. 1976. Canaanite gods in metal: an archaeological study of ancient Syro-Palestinian figurines. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University.Google Scholar
Ornan, T. 2017. Metal statuary, in Ben-Tor, A., Zuckerman, S., Bechar, S. & Sandhaus, D. (ed.) Hazor VII: the 1990–2012 excavations. The Bronze Age: 514–18. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.Google Scholar
Parrot, A. 1959. Mission archéologique de Mari, volume II: le palais. Documents et monuments. Paris: P. Geuthner.Google Scholar
Pope, M.H. 1955. El in the Ugaritic texts. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004275256CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaeffer, C.F.-A. 1971. Alasia, volume IV. Paris: Collège de France.Google Scholar
Schmidt, K. 2010. Göbekli Tepe—the Stone Age sanctuaries: new results of ongoing excavations with a special focus on sculptures and high reliefs. Documenta Praehistorica 37: 239–56. https://doi.org/10.4312/dp.37.21CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroer, S. 2011. Die Ikonographie Palästinas/Israels und der Alte Orient. Eine Religionsgeschichte in Bildern, volumen 3: die Spätbronzezeit. Fribourg: Academic.Google Scholar
Seeden, H. 1980. The standing armed figurines in the Levant (Prähistorische Bronzefunde I). München: C.H. Beck.Google Scholar
Stager, L.E. 2008. The Canaanite silver calf, in Stager, L.E., Schloen, D.M. & Master, D.M. (ed.) Ashkelon 1: introduction and overview (1985–2006): 577–80. Winona Lake (IN): Eisenbrauns.Google Scholar
Tadmor, M. 1989. The ‘cult standard’ from Hazor in a new light. Eretz-Israel 20: 86–89 (in Hebrew).Google Scholar
van der Toorn, K. (ed.) 1997. The image and the book: iconic cult, aniconism and the rise of book religion in Israel and the Ancient Near East. Leuven: Peeters.Google Scholar
Ussishkin, D. 2004. A synopsis of the stratigraphical, chronological and historical issues, in Ussishkin, D. (ed.) The renewed archaeological excavations at Lachish, volume I: 50–119. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University.Google Scholar
Ussishkin, D. 2018. Megiddo-Armageddon: the story of the Canaanite and Israelite city. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society & Biblical Archaeology Society.Google Scholar
Walker, C. & Dick, M.B.. 1999. The induction of the cult image in ancient Mesopotamia: the Mesopotamian mīs pî ritual, in Dick, M.B. (ed.) Born in heaven, made on earth: the making of the cult image in the ancient Near East: 55–122. Winona Lake (IN): Eisenbrauns.Google Scholar
Walls, N.H. 2005. Cult image and divine representation in the ancient Near East. Boston (MA): American Schools of Oriental Research.Google Scholar
Weeks, S. 2007. Man-made gods? Idolatry in the Old Testament, in Barton, S.C. (ed.) Idolatry: false worship in the Bible, early Judaism and Christianity: 7–21. London: T & T Clark.Google Scholar
Weissbein, I., Garfinkel, Y., Hasel, M.G. & Klingbeil, M.. 2016. Goddesses from Canaanite Lachish. Strata: Bulletin of the Anglo-Israeli Archaeological Society 34: 41–55.Google Scholar
Weissbein, I., Garfinkel, Y., Hasel, M.G., Klingbeil, M., Brandl, B. & Misgav, H.. 2019. The Level VI north-east temple at Tel Lachish. Levant. https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2019.1695093CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winter, I.J. 1986. The king and the cup: iconography of the royal presentation scene on Ur III seals, in Kelly-Bucellati, M., Matthiae, P. & van-Loom, M. (ed.) Insight through images: studies in honor of Edith Porada: 253–68. Malibu (CA): Undena.Google Scholar
Winter, I.J. 2010. Opening the eyes and opening the mouth: the utility of comparing images in worship in India and the ancient Near East, in Winter, I.J. (ed.) On art in the ancient Near East, volume II: from the third millennium BCE: 377–405. Leiden: Brill.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadin, Y. 1972. Hazor: the head of all those kingdoms. London: British Academy.Google Scholar
Yadin, Y., Aharoni, Y., Amiran, R., Dothan, T., Dunayevsky, I. & Perrot, J.. 1960. Hazor II: an account of the second season of excavations, 1956. Jerusalem: Magnes.Google Scholar