ON THE COVER: The rich and stormy history of the Hittites, an ancient people who ruled the rocky Anatolian terrain in the second millennium B.C., and who are frequently mentioned in the Bible, comes to life in Aharon Kempinski’s article,
“The Hittites in the Bible—What Does Archaeology Say?” The bronze stag standard on the cover was discovered at Alaca Huyuk. It is a superb example of Hattian (pre-Hittite) craftmanship. The head, antlers, and body of this 20-inch-high stag are inlaid with silver circles and linear designs. The standard was probably attached to a ritual object. Numerous stag standards have been found in Hattian tombs from the third millennium B.C. The stag became a familiar subject in later Hittite art, although not on standards. Then the stag appears on engraved stones both alone and with an anthropomorphized deity standing on its back.