Image Details

ERICH LESSING / ART RESOURCE, NY

DEPICTING THE DIVINE. The biblical kingdom of Ammon east of the Jordan River produced a wealth of stone statuary. Several statues are believed to be deities based on their distinctive crown, which has a tall conical body and large side volutes. Similar in form to the Egyptian atef crown, this element was included in depictions of gods and goddesses throughout the region as early as the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000–1550 BCE). This bust, with its piercing eyes, well-defined features, and closely cropped beard and moustache, represents an Ammonite deity, perhaps the chief god, Milkom.