General Description
Found at many archaeological site in Palestine, the Qadesh type of figurine, or plaque, is a prominent artifact used for looking at the religious lives of the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 B.C.E.) inhabitants of Palestine. The most extensive research of the Qadesh figurine was done by James Bennett Pritchard, who described the Qadesh figurine as a small one sided plaque in which a nude female figure was depicted with her arms extended upward or sideward resulting in a V shape (Pritchard, p. 32). MaCalister said usually measured approximately 6 by 2.5 inches (MaCalister, p. 411). There were numerous variations of this simple form, all of which appear with some frequency. The first variation which we find present deals with the actions of the extended hands of the nude female figure. Most often, the hands were holding some sort of stalk, either lotus or papyrus, while at other times the hands were empty in an extended position or holding serpents (Pritchard, p. 32, 36). Albright refers ot this stalk as a lily stalk, however (Albright, p. 69). The presence of lotus or papyrus stalks in the hands of the female figure, though, might lead us to believe that the figurine represented a sort of Egyptian deity (Pritchard, p. 37).
Another common variant to the style of the Qadesh figurine was the style which the hair was fashioned. The first showed the female with long slender locks which hang to the shoulders or visible breasts, containing a part in the hair at the forehead (Pritchard, p. 40). This style gave the impression of natural hair. The second style, on the other hand, consisted of two massive locks with no visible part, which extended down to the shoulders or breast region, often ending in spirals (Pritchard, p. 40). This style resembled more a wig, and has been often linked to the Hathor headdress of Egyptian fashion (MaCalister, p. 412).
Another common variation which Pritchard paid attention to was the position of the feet of the nude female figure. In most cases, the figure was seen as full faced to the observer (Albright, p. 68), yet sometimes the feet appeared to be turned sideways in one direction or the other. This depiction of turned feet has led some archaeologists to believe that these which the figure is shown standing on the back of a lion, or other animal (Pritchard, p. 41). Occasionally, the figure was depicted wearing a feathered headdress, which would also relate to images of Egyptian deities (Pritchard, p. 42). Other general descriptions might say that the female figure appeared to have a childish look on her face (MaCalister, p. 412). The other characteristic which MaCalister paid more attention to than Pritchard was the presence of jewelry on the female figure, usually bracelets or anklets (MaCalister, p. 413).
Historical Context and Significance
In PritchardÕs work, he spends much time describing the three most prominent deities from Palestine during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Through his study of Asherah, Ashtart, and Anat, he concluded that there was no obvious relationship between the Qadesh type figurine and these three goddesses which appeared frequently in the literature of the period (Pritchard, p. 87). Pritchard attributed the characteristics of the Qadesh figurine to an amalgamation of sources, of which the 19th dynasty of Egypt seems to figure prominently. From these people, Pritchard attributed the positions of the turned feet and the feathered headdress, both which would symbolize some sort of deity (Pritchard, p. 83). The presence of a deity standing on an animal can also be traced to the third millennium where we find examples from Ur (2200 B.C.E.) and Kish (1900 and 200 B.C.E.) where we find goddesses standing on lions (Pritchard, p. 37). COMMENT: My discussions with Pritchard indicate that this was the key element for identifying the figurines with goddesses Another source by which the Qadesh figurine may have been based was the cylinder seals of the Syro-Hittite region during the period from 1700 to 1200 B.C.E. (Pritchard, p. 36). These seals usually showed a female figure on a lion with the end of a garland or her robe in her hands. The Hathor headdress may be related to 12th dynasty Egypt, while the double locks may be traced to Mesopotamia in the early third millennium (Pritchard, p. 41). The style of the plaque, however, Albright has linked to the terra cotta plaques of the first dynasty of Babylon, 2700 B.C.E. (Albright, p. 69).
Although the name Qadesh may appear in the Ras Shamra texts as qds, it is not clear whether this name implies the same goddess evident in the 19th dynasty of Egypt (Pritchard, p. 86). The precise meaning of the figurines is not totally lucid, yet Pritchard believes that the Qadesh type was associated with some sort of deity or sacred harlot (Pritchard, p. 86). Galling took the easy route by referring to these figures simply as depictions of the consort of Yahweh, rather than identifying it with a specific name of a deity (Pritchard, p. 87). Legarin suggested, as others have, that the figurine may have been magical in function, perhaps pertaining to fruitfulness or fertility (Pritchard, p. 86-87). Albright, on the other hand, said that the bareheaded Qadesh figure with a Hathor wig was a symbol of the "Lady of Byblos" cult, which was identified with Hathor at Byblos as early as the 12th dynasty in Egypt (Pritchard, p. 86). This belief was based only on the style of hair, and not other characteristics, and this author would suggest that there were too many other variations to identify the Qadesh figurine based solely on one attribute of the figure.
With the abundance by which this figurine type has appeared in Palestine, it may be believed that the figurine was most commonly found in homes rather than being confined to the cultic areas of a community. Because no specific function has yet been agreed upon by archaeologists, interpretation of the Qadesh figurine may be left open to the individual scholar. This author would suggest, based on the frequency by which the plaques were found and the connections to the various deities, that the Qadesh figurine was a household object which was revered, although maybe not verbally, as a bringer of fertility to mothers.
Parallels
Tell el Hesy Excavations in Palestine pl. 68; 2H
Zakariya Excavations in Palestine pl. 67; 11Z
Zakariya Excavations in Palestine pl. 67; 14Z
Zakariya Excavations in Palestine pl. 68;1Z
Tell es Safi Excavations in Palestine pl. 67; 15S
Ain Shems Ain Shems Excavations IV pl. 15; 17
Ain Shems Beth Shemesh pg. 35
Megiddo Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult pl. 30; M2884
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 220; 22
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 221; 3
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 221; 10
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 220; 12
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 19; 16
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 221; 12
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 220; 14
Gezer Excavation at Gezer III pl. 221; 7
Gezer
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 3
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 4
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 25; 5
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 26; 2
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 27; 7
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 27; 8
Tell Beit Mirsim Tell Beit Mirsim II pl. 27; 9
Bibliography
Albright, William Foxwell. Excavation at Tell Beit Mirsim II. Annual of
the American Schools of Oriental Research. New Haven, 1938.
Bliss, Frederick Jones and MaCalister, R. A. Stewart. Excavations in
Palestine.London: Palestinian Exploration Fund, 1902.
Grant, Elihu. Ain Shems Excavations. Haverford, PA: Biblical and
Kindred Studies, 1928-29, 1930-31.
Grant, Elihu. Beth Shemesh. Haverford, PA: Biblical and Kindred
Studies, 1929.
MaCalister, R. A. Stewart. The Excavation of Gezer III 1902-1905, 1907-
1909. London: Palestinian Exploration Fund, 1912.
May, Herbert Gordon with Engberg, Robert M. Material Remains of the
Megiddo Cult. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1935.
Pritchard, James Bennett. Palestinian Figurines in Relation to Certain
Goddesses Known Through Literature. Philadelphia: American
Oriental Society, 1943.