Survivors of the Fire
Although the invaders of Hazor tried to utterly destroy the city, a wealth of figurines endured the attack. Some sacred statues, like the seated male figure (above), were intentionally buried in the city’s last hours to protect them from desecration by the invaders. Discovered beneath the floor in the palace’s northwestern side room, the 1-foot-tall seated figure may represent a ruler of Hazor.
Excavated in the palace courtyard, the standing figure (below) may depict Baal, the Canaanite storm god, or Reshef, both of whom are portrayed as smiting gods, with one arm raised.
Called a peg figurine, the bronze cross-shaped object (below) was also found in the courtyard. Although in Mesopotamia such peg figurines are often found in foundation deposits—objects ritually buried beneath palaces and temples—in Canaan they were generally left at cult sites as offerings to gods. Several snake figurines were discovered, including this 7-inch long example (second photo below)—yet another treasure from the courtyard. An Egyptian amulet in the form of a crouching lion (last photo) was intended not only to protect the owner but to endow him with the ferocity of the king of beasts.
