Image Details

Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

El, the Cannanite God, is depicted by a bronze statuette discovered at Megiddo in a temple that was a “sibling” to Shechem’s fortress-temple. The seated deity is covered from head to foot in gold foil and wears a conical hat. Its facial features are highlighted by black inlay, probably bitumen, which emphasizes the god’s eyebrows, eyes, moustache and beard.