A Roman Bronze Figurine of a Seated Infant from Shivta in the Negev

A small Roman bronze figurine of a seated infant was found in Byzantine Shivta in the arid region of the Negev in southern Israel. The figurine was probably part of a sculptural group or part of a vessel or other utensil. This paper studies the iconography of the figurine, and aims to decipher the g...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Erlich, Adi (Author)
Contributors: Asscher, Yotam ; Ṭeper, Yotam
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Palestine exploration quarterly
Year: 2025, Volume: 157, Issue: 1, Pages: 73-88
Further subjects:B Harpocrates
B Shivta
B Amulet
B Nabateans
B Heirloom
B Bronze figurine
B Byzantine Negev
B Roman bronzes
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:A small Roman bronze figurine of a seated infant was found in Byzantine Shivta in the arid region of the Negev in southern Israel. The figurine was probably part of a sculptural group or part of a vessel or other utensil. This paper studies the iconography of the figurine, and aims to decipher the gap in time between its production in the Roman period and its discovery in a Byzantine context, some two centuries later. We argue that the Roman figurine was readopted in Byzantine Shivta as an amuletic object, and we strive to explain its function as a miniature relic transferred in time, and perhaps also in place.
ISSN:1743-1301
Contains:Enthalten in: Palestine exploration quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/00310328.2024.2439742