Zev Radovan

From Tell Mevorakh

This odd monkey-like face, part of a vase, was found in the excavations at Tell Mevorakh. The face is a representation of the demi-god Bes. Bes appears in many forms throughout the ancient near-east—sometimes male, and sometimes female. In this fifth century B.C. Phoenician version the Bes is male—a beard and moustache are incised below the nose. It has no mouth. The characteristic feathered headdress is scratched into the brow above close-set eyes and widely spaced ears.