Horse figurine from Jerusalem, Iron II C Period (800 – 586 B.C.). Measures 4 inches in height x 5 inches in length x 2 inches in width. Few figurines survive intact or nearly so; the ones that do survive generally come from caves or tombs. The exact meaning and use of these figurines remains unknown. They do however, open a window on the way social meaning was constructed and manipulated in ancient Judean society. Horses were used only by the royal family and the military. Horses and riders, therefore, are likely to represent military power, and their frequent presence in the figural repertoire suggest that military power was a significant concern for the inhabitants of Judah. Includes certificate of authenticity from Majed Othman Wazwaz, Jerusalem Museum, Old City – Alwad Street – No. 16. 

{Majed Othman Wazwaz is the same antiquities dealer that sold the “JAMES SON OF JOSEPH BROTHER OF JESUS OSSUARY” to Oded Golan. “Golan says it was some time in the early 1970s that he purchased a simple stone ossuary from one of these dealers, Ot’man Waz-Waz, that was typical of the type used by Jews in Roman times.” (MATTHEW KALMAN, Jerusalem Post, Forged in faith – Acquitted antiquities collector Oded Golan discusses his future, JUNE 12, 2012).

IRON AGE II CLAY FIGURINE FRAGMENTS FROM EXCAVATIONS

Yonatan Nadelman, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

“The discovery of figurine fragments in the vicinity of the Temple and the administrative compound is extremely interesting if their findspots are indeed near the places of their original use. From the Bible it is known that idolatry was practiced, in defiance of the laws of the national cult, not only near Jerusalem of this period (II Kings 23:13) but also near and periodically within the Temple itself (II Chron. 29:5-7, 33:15). It should be noted that clay figurines were also found at non-Israelite/Judean sites where such cultic practices would be expected (Holland 1977, pp. 125-131).”

“These figurines are perhaps identifiable as teraphim (II Kings 23:24) or other types of niddah, ‘filthiness’ (II Chron. 29:5), mentioned as being worshipped instead of the Israelite’s God (see Encyclopedia Biblica, Jerusalem, Vol. VIII, 1982, pp. 935-936, s.v. teraphim; Vol. I, 1955, pp. 495-497, s.v. ephod; Vol. VI, 1971, pp. 526-529, s.v. pesel). The three cultic reforms by Hezekiah (II Kings 18:4; II Chron. 29:3, 16, 30:14, 31:1), Manasseh (II Chron. 33:15), and Josiah (II Kings 23:4-20; II Chron. 34:3-5, 7) reacted severely by destroying these objects.” (QEDEM Monographs of the institute of Archaeology – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, EXCAVATIONS IN THE SOUTH OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT – The Ophel of Biblical Jerusalem, Appendix A, Yonatan Nadelman, 1989, p. 123).