Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem, by David Harris |
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Scepter from the Cave of the Treasure
Cave of the Treasure, Nahal Mishmar, Judean Desert Chalcolithic period, 4500-3500 BCE Copper H: 27.5; W: 13 cm Israel Antiquities Authority Accession number: IAA 1961-88 |
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This beautifully designed scepter, decorated with the heads of four ibexes and a ram, has become a symbol of the Chalcolithic Period. Produced with the innovative "lost-wax" technique, it was found in a hoard of hundreds of ritual objects hidden in a cave in the Judean Desert. The hoard apparently came from the nearby sanctuary at En Gedi. The scepter was mounted on a pole and probably carried during processions held in or near the sanctuary. Publications: Treasures of the Holy Land, Ancient Art from the Israel Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, 1986 Digital presentation of this object was made possible by: The Ridgefield Foundation, New York, in memory of Henry J. and Erna D. Leir |
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