A farmer discovered a valuable stone statue from the Bronze Age while digging his land in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. According to Palestinian archaeologists, the statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat.
A statue of great value
At the time of its discovery, Nidal Abu Eid did not think the statue he had unearthed would be so valuable. ” It was muddy but when I washed it off with water I realized it was a precious thing. At first I was hoping to sell it to someone to make money, but an archaeologist told me it had great archaeological value “, he said in a communicated.
The discovery of the stone was made public by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Hamas during a press conference. Carved in the limestone rock, it is 22 centimeters high and represents the face of the goddess Anath wearing a serpent crown. It is currently on display at the Qasr al-Basha museum in Gaza.
An important discovery
Jamal Abu Rida, director of Hamas’ Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, explains in a statement that the goddess ” Anat was the deity of love, beauty and war in Canaanite mythology “. She would be the daughter of the god Dagan and the sister of Baal, the god of the storm and the main deity of the peoples of the Near East.
According to archaeologists, the statue representing the goddess Anat discovered in the south of Gaza is a key element of the ancient history of the country. The cult of this goddess was notably celebrated in all the western regions of the Near East and in Egypt.
Jamal Abu Rida says the object has strong political implications. ” Such discoveries prove that Palestine has a civilization and a history, and no one can deny or falsify this history. It is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilization “, did he declare.
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