it is a little difficult to discern the exact identity of this quadruped: it is most likely a sheep or a horse. It hardly seems to matter, for its naive energy and lack of  More »

it is a little difficult to discern the exact identity of this quadruped: it is most likely a sheep or a horse. It hardly seems to matter, for its naive energy and lack of specific details add to its appeal. Such animals were probably turned out in great numbers near temple sites to be offered as gifts to the local deities. Holding its simple form today, we wonder who it was first set it upon the altar and what they dared ask for in return. - (Z.0077)Origin: Beir Ulla, Hebron, Israel Circa: 1200 BC to 600 BC Dimensions: 1.875" (4.8cm) high x .875" (2.2cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Biblical Style: Iron Age Medium: Bronze   « Less

Discovered together, this case of votive figures was offered centuries ago to win the favor of some ancient god. The human figure, arms held out in an attitude of prayer, was  More »

Discovered together, this case of votive figures was offered centuries ago to win the favor of some ancient god. The human figure, arms held out in an attitude of prayer, was meant to be stuck upright in the earth. The animals--bulls, rams, a donkey--represent the livestock considered the most precious sacrifices to the gods. The hopes, the wishes and the dreams that these small votives represent have been forgotten in the mists of time. Yet, we somehow understand that the blessings man sought millennia ago have altered little through the years. - (Z.0268) Origin: Jericho, Israel Circa: 1900 BC to 1600 BC Dimensions: 1.75" (4.4cm) high x 2.375" (6.0cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Biblical Style: Middle Bronze Age Medium: Bronze   « Less

Bulls have long been regarded as a sacred creature, a symbol for fierce strength and potency. In ancient Egypt, the Apis was a bull considered to be the divine reincarnation  More »

Bulls have long been regarded as a sacred creature, a symbol for fierce strength and potency. In ancient Egypt, the Apis was a bull considered to be the divine reincarnation of the gods Osiris or Ptah. Jupiter took the form of a bull when he abducted Europa. Even today children are born under the astrological sign of Taurus and matadors continue to test their bravery in bullfights. The Old Testament tells the story of Moses smashing the Ten Commandments. After God spoke to him on Mt. Sinai, Moses returned to discover the Israelites worshipping the false idol of a golden calf. Presumably, this statue of a bull is such an idol. Forged from bronze, a metal that during the time of its creation was more valuable than gold, this extraordinary work predates the time of Moses. The stories of the Bible were a direct reaction against the polytheistic, pagan beliefs represented by this statue. Most likely, given its diminutive nature, this bull was a household object to be worshipped in private. Its survival is in itself remarkable. How many countless such icons were destroyed or melted down for their precious metals? This masterpiece is a relic from one of the most revolutionary epochs in history, a reminder of the pagan beliefs our modern monotheistic theologies reacted against. No longer will false gods like this bull be idolized, for a new path towards enlightenment had been discovered. - (FZ.372)Origin: Israel Circa: 3300 BC to 2300 BC Dimensions: 3" (7.6cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Bronze Age Medium: Bronze   « Less

Forged from bronze, a metal that, during the time of its creation, was more valuable than gold, this extraordinary work predates the time of Moses. The rich green patina  More »

Forged from bronze, a metal that, during the time of its creation, was more valuable than gold, this extraordinary work predates the time of Moses. The rich green patina attests to the bronze’s high copper content, again reiterating the preciousness of this material. The earliest stories of the Bible were a direct reaction against the polytheistic, pagan beliefs represented by this statue. Found in Canaan, this statue probably depicts the ancient warrior god Baal, making it one of the earliest examples of a deity cast in the lost wax technique. Most likely, given its diminutive nature, this statue was a household object to be worshipped in private. Its survival is in itself remarkable. How many countless such icons were destroyed or melted down for their precious metals or pagan ideology? This masterpiece is a relic from one of the most revolutionary epochs in history, a reminder of the pagan beliefs our modern monotheistic theologies reacted against. No longer will false gods like this statue be idolized, for a new path towards enlightenment had been discovered. - (FZ.373)Origin: Israel Circa: 3300 BC to 2300 BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high x 1.25" (3.2cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Bronze Age Medium: Bronze   « Less

Once having lived east and southeast of Palestine, the Nabateans were an ancient Arabic people who maintained their independence from 312 B.C. to 106 A.D., at which time they  More »

Once having lived east and southeast of Palestine, the Nabateans were an ancient Arabic people who maintained their independence from 312 B.C. to 106 A.D., at which time they finally submitted to Roman rule. This very charming camel comes from the beautiful city of Petra in Southwest Jordan. Though the animal itself was, and of course still is, prolific in the Middle East; depictions of it in ancient art are rare. Resting on an oblong base, with legs folded comfortably underneath, this camel in repose is simple in form and quite realistic. It may have been designed as a lid; and yet the textured bottom suggests a more practical function, perhaps used for sanding rough surfaces. It is particularly delightful to see represented an animal that was so important to a people--in this case one that assisted the fiercely independent Nabatean people in maintaining their freedom for so many centuries. - (PF.5264)Origin: Petra, Jordan Circa: 300 BC to 100 AD Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Nabatean Medium: Bronze   « Less

The bullae was used as a voucher originally attached to strings that once wrapped a document or letter. Then it was often broken and discarded, once the document was opened.  More »

The bullae was used as a voucher originally attached to strings that once wrapped a document or letter. Then it was often broken and discarded, once the document was opened. The impression of a seal, preserved on a bullae suggest that the seal functioned as validation of documents,and as a guarantee of exchanged goods and services both in an administrative context and in private society. Private seals and impressions, distinguished by a single motif sometimes accompanied by an inscription, or an iconographic pattern, reflects the cultural and religious traditions of ancient Israel. This Lead bullae, due to the symbol on it, clearly was used by a high priest, or one of the leaders of the wars against Rome. - (FJ.0438)Origin: Israel Circa: 100 BC to 100 AD Collection: Biblical Style: Roman Period Medium: Lead   « Less

the kingdom of Saba is better known as the Biblica Sheba. Biblical accounts speak of the wealth of this ancient civilization of gold traders and merchants, and modern  More »

the kingdom of Saba is better known as the Biblica Sheba. Biblical accounts speak of the wealth of this ancient civilization of gold traders and merchants, and modern archaeological excavations confirm these reports. This magnificent bronze sculpture of a bull is but one example of the luxurious nature of Sabean art. The bull is one of the more popular animal subjects in the Sabean ouevre. He stands frontally on all four feet on a rectangular stepped base. The head is strongly sculpted, with a raised bone structure between the curved horns. Behind the horns are upright ears, the eyes have heavy brows, the genitals are prominent, and the tail falls straight down. The solid stance is characteristic of the local Sabean style. The bull has been worshipped since the dawn of civilization as a symbol of strength and power. Ancient Israelis worshipped a golden cow before they were converted to monotheism by Moses. Ancient Egyptian mythology and the Hindu religion both hold the bull to be a sacred animal. Zeus was known to take on the guise of a bull. We might wonder what god this bronze bull represents? - (X.0026)Origin: Yemen Circa: 700 BC to 400 BC Dimensions: 7.75" (19.7cm) high x 8.625" (21.9cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Sabean Medium: Bronze   « Less

In 1937, archaeological excavations in Northern Syria at the site of Tell Brak uncovered evidence of the “Eye Temple,” named after the hundreds of small eye idols  More »

In 1937, archaeological excavations in Northern Syria at the site of Tell Brak uncovered evidence of the “Eye Temple,” named after the hundreds of small eye idols found fixed into the mortar of the temple itself. Located off a tributary of the Euphrates River, Tell Brak was one of the first large cities in Mesopotamia that would later serve as an administration center for the Akkadian Empire. However, even during the Chalcolithic era, the region of Northern Syria was an extremely important center for trade, linking the civilizations of Babylon with the mountainous areas of modern-day Turkey Little is known about eye idols and their name derives solely from their appearance. Shaped like a weight surmounted by two eyes, much scholarly conjecture has been proposed about their meanings. Some see them as the earliest link to wide-eyed figurative idols that would become popular in later millennia. It is noted that the state of open eyes on a religious idol symbolized devotion to the gods. Thus these little stone eye idols might have been some of the earliest devotional objects from the Near East. Other scholars believe that their function might have been more practical. It is believed that some of the larger idols with drilled holes in them may have served as aids in twisting threads of wool or linen into chord. It is also possible that the round features assumed to be eyes may actually be breasts, and the base in fact a torso.   « Less

n the Temple of Jerusalem and in synagogues throughout the ancient world, the fragrant smoke of incense filled the air. The high priest burned this aromatic blend of spices  More »

n the Temple of Jerusalem and in synagogues throughout the ancient world, the fragrant smoke of incense filled the air. The high priest burned this aromatic blend of spices and gums on a special altar before the Holy of Holies. The smoke was intended to purify the air of the sanctuary and to please the deity. A costly offering, incense was considered the worthy gift of princes and heads of state. It also carried great spiritual significance hence the saying, ‘Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice,’ (Psalms 141:2). The mahta, or incense shovel, was employed in the ritual of burning and for removing the ashes afterwards. This splendid example, free from graven images, was almost certainly used in a synagogue of the Roman Period. The handle is in the form of a Corinthian column on top of an animal hoof. The rectangular pan has been decorated with scrolling and rosette motifs executed in raised relief on the exterior.   « Less

The Roman occupation of Ancient Israel is a torrential chapter in the history of both the Roman Empire as well as the Jews that would ultimately lead to the expulsion of  More »

The Roman occupation of Ancient Israel is a torrential chapter in the history of both the Roman Empire as well as the Jews that would ultimately lead to the expulsion of Jewish population from their homeland. With the decline in power of the ruling Seleucid dynasty of Syria in the second century B.C., the Maccabeans began to assert greater political independence for the Jewish people. Upon the death of Alexander Jannaeus in 76 B.C., his widow Salome Alexandra took over the reigns of power. However, because a woman could not hold the office of high priest, this title was given to her son by Jannaeus, Yehohanan Hyrcanus II. When Salome died in 67 B.C., a civil war broke out between Hyrcanus and his brother Aristobulus II that lasted four years, until the Roman general Pompey intervened. Pompey then conquered Jerusalem but left the powers of Yehohanan Hyrcanus as high Priest intact. From this time onward, the Romans took an active hand in the political affairs of Judea. One of John Hyrcanus chief advisors was Antipater the Idumean who saw that his own son Herod was eventually installed on the throne after the death of Hyrcanus in 40 B.C. Origin: Israel Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Dimensions: 7.50" (19.1cm) high x 8.2" (20.8cm) wide Collection: Biblical Style: Roman Period Medium: Lead   « Less