Image Details

Harvard Semitic Museum

In addition to square, architectural shrines, the ancient Near East also produced house shrines that resemble pottery jars. In the photo, a 4-inch-tall calf, once entirely covered in silver, emerges from a jar-like abode. Discovered in the excavations at Ashkelon, the calf is associated with the worship of the Canaanite gods Baal and El and recalls the Golden Calf in the Book of Exodus. The Ashkelon calf dates to the Middle Bronze Age (2000–1550 B.C.).