General Description
During the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, there were numerous figurines found in the various archaelogical sites of Palestine which depicted a nude female figure with her hands holding her breasts (Pritchard, p. 42). This figure differed from the Qadesh type of plaque primarily in that it did not show the female with any accessories such as lotus or papyrus stalks. Into the Iron Age (1200-587-6 B.C.E.), these nude female structures were replaced by one similar to the former, which was given the name of "pillar" figurines. This figurine could be described as a nude woman, roundly shaped with her arms supporting her breasts (Pritchard, p. 56). In these figures, the vulvar region was not usually indicated as in the earlier forms, nor was the naval visible (Pritchard, p. 56). The lower body of the figurine took on a bell-shaped, cylindrical form with a flat bottom so that the figure was self supporting and thus free standing (MaCalister, p. 417).
The figure was constructed in two separate pieces, the head and the body. The head was made in an open mold for giving it specific facial features and then picked out with a stick, at which point clay was added to the back of the head to give it a full appearance (Pritchard, p. 56). The head was connected to the body by a dowel which stuck into the clay body (Pritchard, p. 56). MaCalister described the connection between the head and the body as joined by mortice and tenon joint (MaCalister, p. 418). Like the figurines of the earlier times in which a woman was also shown holding her breasts, it is not totally clear as to their function in daily life. It has been often suggested that these figurines represented fruitfulness and fertility in some way, but whether they were related to a particular goddess or not is still uncertain. No evidence that we have from literature would suggest that the figurines were symbolic of any of the three major goddesses of the period, Asherah, Ashtart, or Anat (Pritchard, p. 85).
Historical Context and Significance
James Bennett Pritchard suggested in his authoritative work regarding figurines in Palestine, that the "pillar" figurine which was prominent during the Iron Age may have been a later version of the figure which he classified as "nude woman holding breasts" (Pritchard, p. 84). This assessment would make sense to this author since the style found in the earlier times was not found into the Iron Age. The first figurines in which women were depicted holding their breasts came from the Halaf period (Pritchard, p. 57). These figurines were hand shaped, but later gave way to a molded model which appeared in the third millennium and years after (Pritchard, p. 57). From the Ishtar-temple of Ashur, we have some first notions of a rounded figurine like the pillar figurine, whereas earlier forms all appeared in a plaque form (Pritchard, p. 57). This model from Ashur, however, had clearly indicated breasts and hands supporting them, but unlike the pillar figurine, these figures were shown with stitches which might imply clothing (Pritchard, p. 57) It is by this characteristic that Pilz ruled out connection between these two figures. that more attention should be placed on the Ashur figure since the forms resembled each other in such precise manners and although the figure may have shown clothing, Pritchard seems to imply that this characteristic is debatable (Pritchard, p. 57). MaCalister preferred to link these figurines to the Cypriote version which appeared during the period around 1000 B.C.E. (MaCalister, p. 417). Two problems arise here; the first being that the figurines gained prominence in Cyprus at the same time as the ones in Palestine, thus making it difficult for their connection to be made. The other issue Pritchard mentioned, when he said that none of the Cypriote examples showed the hands holding the breasts as the Palestine examples always do, without exception (Pritchard, p. 58).
The meaning of this figurine is probably closely related to the function of stimulating fertility or fruitfulness in expecting or would be mothers. This belief is common in other cultures and would be a logical explanation here as well. The overly emphasized breasts possibly give the impression of abundant supply of milk which would clearly be an asset for new mothers in nourishing their children. The prominence by which they were found in Palestine would lead us to believe that these figurines were usually found in private homes most frequently. By this connection, Pritchard, and this author as well, would link the "pillar" figurine of the Iron Age to sympathetic magic whereby objects may be used to promote events through their likeness (Pritchard, p. 87). In this sense, a mother who praised the figurine with an ample supply of milk would be returned with her own abundance of milk. An interesting conflicting argument came from Bliss, who suggested that the archaeological remains of these figurines at Judeideh contribute to affirming the scriptures, which said that heathen religions continued in Palestine along with the Orthodox religion (Bliss, p. 136). This author would argue, been made to any deity at all and the figurine may only be a symbol of fertility, such a statement is therefore completely invalid and cannot be supported by any evidence contrary.
Parallels
Ain Shems Ain Shems Excavations IV pl. 51; 24
Ain Shems Ain Shems Excavations IV pl. 51; 28
Ain Shems Ain Shems Excavations IV pl. 51; 29
Ain Shems Ain Shems Excavations IV pl. 51; 30
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 24; M4549
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 24; M4835
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 24; M2213
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 28; M5402
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 28; M5376
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 29; M2060
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 29; M1071
Meg
M1906
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 32; M4418
Judeideh Excavations in Palestine pl. 68; 9J
Judeideh Excavations in Palestine pl. 68; 10J
Tell es Safi Excavations in Palestine pl. 67; 2S
Tell es Safi Excavations in Palestine pl. 67; 4S
Tell es Safi Excavations in Palestine pl. 67; 6S
Tell es Safi Excavations in Palestine pl. 70; 11S
Tell es Safi Excavations in Palestine pl. 70; 12S
Gezer Excavations at Gezer II pl. 416; 501
Gezer Excavations at Gezer II pl. 417; 502
Gezer Excavations at Gezer II pl. 420; 505
Gezer Excavations at Gezer III pl. 18; 2
Gezer Excavations at Gezer III pl. 18; 28
Gezer Excavations at Gezer III pl. 220; 1
Gezer Excavati
Gezer Excavations at Gezer III pl. 221; 23
Tell Beit Mirsim Excavations at Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 9
Tell Beit Mirsim Excavations at Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 10
Tell Beit Mirsim Excavations at Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 11
Tell Beit Mirsim Excavations at Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 12
Tell Beit Mirsim Excavations at Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 13
Tell el Ajjul Ancient Gaza III pl. 16; 39
Tell el Ajjul Ancient Gaza III pl. 16; 49
Beth Shan The Iron Age at Beth Shan fig. 111; 2
Beth Shan The Iron Age at Beth Shan fig. 112; 6
Bibliography
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Bliss, Frederick Jones and R. A. Stewart MaCalister. Excavations in
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Kindred Studies, 1931.
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Pennsylvania Museum, 1966.
MaCalister, R. A. Stewart. Excavations at Gezer II, III. London:
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May, Herbert Gordon and Robert M. Engberg. Material Remains of the
Megiddo Cult. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1935.
Petrie, Flinders. Ancient Gaza. London: British School of Archaeology,
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