The "Bes-Vessel" discovered March 20th, 2019. (photo credit: ELIYAHU YANAI/CITY OF DAVID)
Posted on 03/25/2019 12:24:32 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Just in time for Purim, a fragment of a clay jar decorated with a human face that dates to the Persian period (fourth to fifth centuries BCE) that had been found in the City of David was revealed to the public, according to the Antiquities Authority on Wednesday...
While pottery from this time period had been previously exposed in the City of David, "this is the first time that such a vessel has been found in excavations in Jerusalem" or anywhere in the region, according to Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University and Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the authority...
The few finds that have been discovered through excavations include more pottery sherds (a form of pottery fragments), coins and stamp impressions, and most have been found in the City of David area.
The type of jar the sherd belongs to is called a Bes vessel, a jar type that was common during the Persian period, and is originally from Egyptian mythology. Bes was the protector deity of households and domestic issues, as well as mothers, children and childbirth in general.
Such Bes vessels from the Persian period have been likewise discovered in other regions, such as Tel el-Hesi, an ancient site south of modern-day Kiryat Gat.
Bes later became a god affiliated with music and dancing... His image is depicted as a bearded dwarf with a large face, protruding eyes and a tongue sticking out, and wearing a feather hat. The image of Bes is intended to illicit joy and to drive away evil spirits with his absurd appearance. Bes images have been found in cities such as Shushan and Persepolis, and were spread to other settlements in the Persian Empire outside of Persia itself.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
Whoops, forgot somethin'... all fixed...
I don't think I'd previously known that Egypt's household everyday regular-person deity Bes had caught on with the Persians. It definitely was popular in Greek and Roman Egypt.
archeologists digging up my yard will discover a veritable army of dwarf gods deposited by my wife showing them engaged in daily activitys
Kilroy was here
One mistake above: “illicit” joy should be “elicit joy”.
When I was a kid I broke a dish my mom got when stationed in Japan. It survived a couple of years of total war, and a couple hundred years before that.
It did not survive my six year old hands. I hid it by burying It in my back yard.
1,000 years from now that will confuse the archeologists.
One poster explained the “mistake:” “it’s the naughty kind of joy.”
LOL
That depends on the ‘joy’ part.........................
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it
Numerous examples of “barbie”, a late 20th century goddess of beauty, have been found in digs at tel-Rumpke in mid-north America
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