1st-century Buddha statue from ancient Egypt indicates Buddhists lived there in Roman times

Live Science ^ | May 02, 2023 | Owen Jarus

[SunkenCiv]

The Buddha statue depicts Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in South Asia around 2,550 years ago. Born a prince, he would later renounce his worldly wealth and seek out enlightenment, eventually becoming the Buddha, a Sanskrit-derived word that means "the enlightened one," according to Buddhist tradition...

The newfound statue dates to between A.D. 90 and 140, said Steven Sidebotham, a history professor at the University of Delaware who is co-director of the Berenike Project, told Live Science in an email.

The 28-inch-tall (71 centimeters) statue shows the Buddha standing and holding parts of his robes in his left hand, representatives from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement. A halo is shown behind him, with sunlight radiating downward. In addition to the statue, a separate Sanskrit inscription was found at Berenike, the ministry noted.

The statue dates to a time when the Roman Empire controlled Egypt. There was considerable trade between Egypt and India during that time, the ministry noted, adding that ships from India would bring ivory, pepper and textiles, among other products, to Egypt.

It's possible that the Buddha statue was made locally by people from South Asia living in Berenike, Sidebotham said. While the Sanskrit inscription is damaged, it appears to be a dedication of some form and dates back to the time of the Roman emperor Marcus Julius Philippus (better known as "Philip the Arab"), who reigned from A.D. 244 to 249, Sidebotham said...

"The new Sanskrit inscription and associated finds now show clearly that there was a settled Indian merchant community, rather than just traders passing through," Richard Salomon, professor emeritus of Sanskrit at the University of Washington in Seattle who was not involved in the finding, told Live Science.

[SunkenCiv]

This 1,900-year-old statue of the Buddha is 28 inches (71 centimeters) tall and was found at Berenike, an ancient port city in Egypt by the Red Sea.

Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

[Larry Lucido]

He appears to have been slimmer back then.

[Red Badger]

Drunken Indian sailor......................

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

• I'm not going to post this article -- Scottish boy digging for potatoes found 'masterpiece of Egyptian sculpture' on his school grounds. How did it end up there? | Sascha Pare | LiveScience | November 24, 2023

[reed13k]

Trade is my guess.. rather than anything else.

[TexasGator]

” indicates Buddhists lived there in Roman times”

Click-bait. I have a Buddhist elephant but I am not a Buddhist.

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

[TexasGator]

“He appears to have been slimmer back then.”

Read first sentence ...

[frank ballenger]

To show my ignorance (again) does anyone know if the Buddha was a symbolic or mythical figure or if he actually lived?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yes.

[TexasGator]

“To show my ignorance (again) does anyone know if the Buddha was a symbolic or mythical figure or if he actually lived?”

Je lived. He founded Buddhism.

[TigersEye]

Lha gyalo!

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the Berenike and RomanTrade keywords, sorted, with emphasis added, and one additional topic:

• Buddha statue from 6th c found in Viking hoard in Helgo, Sweden [04/26/2005]

  ---

• Roman Coins Found on Island in Baltic Sea [04/17/2023]
• Exhibition: Roman Coins in India [2011] [10/13/2022]
• UAE-led project makes groundbreaking discovery in Zanzibar's famed Stone Town [09/04/2022]
• Use of Silk In Ancient Egypt [07/24/2022]
• Ancient Chinese Historian Describes The Roman Empire [07/23/2022]
• Jars Retrieved From The Ocean Reveal The Secrets of Ancient Roman Wine [07/05/2022]
• Indian Ocean's Oldest Shipwreck Set for Excavation [06/26/2022]
• The Mysterious History of Cinnamon [05/09/2022]
• How did the Romans Capture Animals for the Colosseum? [04/21/2022]
• Volcanic eruption may have forced ancient Egyptians to abandon a city [03/21/2022]
• Were Roman Roads more Durable than Modern Highways? [02/12/2022]
• Ruins of bustling Roman town discovered in UK [South Northamptonshire, which may be just north of North Southamptonshire] [02/06/2022]
• Ancient Greek Buddhists [10/15/2021]
• Book Review: Federico De Romanis and Marco Maiuro, eds., Across the Ocean: Nine Essays on Indo-Mediterranean Trade [08/14/2021]
• Ancient Roman Road Discovered Under The Waves of Venice [07/23/2021]
• Spalding dig uncovers evidence of Romans transporting salt from road site [10/07/2020]
• Trekking The Roman Road To Scotland [05/31/2020]
• All roads DID lead to Rome [11/26/2019]
• This 2,300-Year-Old Egyptian Fortress Had an Unusual Task: Guarding a Port That Sent Elephants... [01/04/2019]
• Roman road discovered during digging in German city Aachen [11/09/2017]
• Long-lost Roman roads discovered on flood maps: Hi-tech Lidar data... [01/12/2016]
• Like being there: Walking through an ancient Roman town [06/23/2015]
• Roman rubbish dump reveals secrets of ancient trading networks [06/07/2015]
• Archaeologists discover Britain's longest road to be 10,000 year[s] old [06/14/2014]
• Mould for minting Roman coins found in Talkad [India] [05/30/2014]
• An ancient wreck tells the tale of Romans in France [03/20/2014]
• 'Roman' roads were actually built by the Celts, new book claims [10/13/2013]
• Trash Talk [ Monte Testaccio, imperial Roman landfill ] [05/05/2012]
• Iron Age road link to Iceni tribe [08/15/2011]
• Secrets of Egypt: 'Spectacular' archaeological site provides details of ancient life [06/12/2011]
• Big noses, curly hair on empress's coffin suggests deep cultural exchange on Silk Road [09/20/2010]
• Roman Shipwreck Discovered Near Aeolian Islands [07/02/2010]
• Well-preserved Roman road found in southern Serbia [06/24/2010]
• South Indians in Roman Egypt? [04/07/2010]
• More evidence unearthed at ancient port of Muziris [03/19/2010]
• U.S. and Polish archaeologists successful at Berenike [05/25/2009]
• Tamil Brahmi script in Egypt [12/03/2007]
• Ancient Roman road map unveiled [11/26/2007]
• Archaeologists Unearth Roman Era Artefacts In Kerala (India) [03/25/2007]
• Ancient boat shows Jewish maritime life. [01/24/2007]
• Ancient Roman Road Found In Netherlands [01/06/2007]
• Ancient Indian port linked to Roman Empire faces extinction(India) [08/22/2006]
• Road sees first traffic for 1,400 years [07/28/2006]
• Tamil-Brahmi inscription on pottery found in Thailand [07/17/2006]
• Search For India's Ancient City (Muziris - Roman) [06/11/2006]
• Egnatia Digs Reveal Roman Road Secrets [07/28/2005]
• Scientists Discover Ancient Sea Wharf (Marine Silk Road) [12/30/2004]
• Roman roads in Britain [10/16/2004]
• The Voyage around the Erythraean Sea [09/12/2004]
• Tamil Trade [09/11/2004]
• Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Maritime Spice Route Between India, Egypt [02/08/2004]
• Archaeologists Find Silk Road Equal [06/12/2002]

[nwrep]

He lived and died and never rose again. /Mic drop/

[nwrep]

Bo maolo!

[TigersEye]

I did a search on that and the only result was your post.

[SunkenCiv]

The Buddha statue depicts Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in South Asia around 2,550 years ago. Born a prince, he would later renounce his worldly wealth and seek out enlightenment, eventually becoming the Buddha...

Additionally, SG was the fourth Buddha.

[nwrep]

Sorry, it means nothing. Just some gibberish I made up.

[Cronos]

well, there was trade between India and Egypt from at least the Bronze age - and arguably the ships from Dilmun went to the Indian continent