Abstract
This paper discusses a krater recently discovered in a cultic building at Tel Burna in the Shephelah. Of special interest is the krater’s relatively well-preserved decoration containing multiple nature scenes related to the so-called tree of life or sacred tree motif. The krater’s physical description and archaeological context and the decoration’s relationship to relevant comparanda are explored in order to elucidate the significance of its iconography. In light of this discussion, we conclude that the decoration includes an abstract representation of a Canaanite goddess as a “pubis of life” variation of the “tree of life” motif on the krater as a votive vessel in the Late Bronze Age cult.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 573-596 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Oriental Society |
| Volume | 142 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 American Oriental Society. All rights reserved.
Funding
Authors’ note: We would like to thank Izak (Sakkie) Cornelius and the reviewers for their helpful comments on a previous version of this paper. This study was made possible through support from the Israel Science Foundation Grant No. 257/19 (I.S.).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Israel Science Foundation | 257/19 |