Image Details

Stone headrests. On the burial benches of the St. Étienne cave tombs, these horseshoe-shapes cradled the heads of the deceased. Unlike the thin, simple “u” shaped headrests in Cave Complex 1 (see photograph), these, in Cave Complex 2, are slightly higher and thicker and curve out at the ends. This gives them the look of the wig typically worn by the Egyptian goddess Hathor, an indication of the cultural influence of Egypt in ancient Israel.