Silver Calf, c. 1600–1550 BCE

Silver Calf

 

Location of the discovery of the silver calf.

This silver calf was discovered at Ashkelon by Larry Stager in 1990, in the debris of the Middle Bronze II c. 1600–1550 BCE rampart. This religious icon, associated with the worship of El or Baal in Canaan, was discovered in a shrine-shaped pottery vessel in the storeroom of the sanctuary. The sanctuary served the people of the city as well as those arriving at or departing from the port.

When Canaanites and Philistines Ruled Ashkelon, Lawrence E. Stager, BAR 17-02, Mar-Apr 1991.

See also-

• Canaanite Fortifications of Ashkelon, c. 1950 BCE
• Oldest Arch, c. 1850 BCE