And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in…And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab [commander of King David’s army]. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city…
– 2 Samuel 20:14, 22 (ESV)
An exhibit in the famous Israel Museum in Jerusalem displays the glazed ceramic head of a statue which archaeologists think may have been a nobleman of the Iron Age—perhaps even a king.
Discovered during excavations of the ancient city of Abel Beth Maacah, the exquisite ceramic head unearthed last summer may approach 3,000 years in age. This artifact was unearthed at a joint archaeological site shared by Hebrew University and Azusa Pacific University. Excavation at this site in northern Israel began in 2015.
The city Abel Beth Maacah is mentioned more than once in the Hebrew Bible. As the Washington Post points out, Sheba, a traitor to King David, once took refuge in that city. King David’s forces laid siege to Abel Beth Maacah. When the people of that city cut off Sheba’s actual head and threw it over the wall, that ended the siege. The dramatic standoff took place around 1,000 BC on the Bible’s timeline.
Archaeologists presiding over the current excavation believe the ceramic head found recently was cast between 900 and 800 BC. Far from representing the head of a traitor, the ceramic head is believed to be royalty.
Dr. Robert Mullins, the lead archaeologist and Chair of the Archaeology Department at Azusa Pacific, is credited with supplying details for this description of the artifact in an AP news release.
“The head measures 2.2 x 2 inches and has carefully executed features, including glossy black tresses combed back from a headband painted in yellow and black and a manicured beard. His almond-shaped eyes and pupils are lined in black and the pursed lips give him a look that is part pensive, part stern. The glazed surface is tinted light green due to the addition of copper to the quartz paste.”
Mullins speculates that the original statue was 8-10 inches high and says the “distinguished personage” of the image indicates the man depicted was probably of royal blood.
“We’re guessing probably a king, but we have no way of proving that,” said Mullins to LiveScience.
Whose Head Is It?
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.
—1 King 16:29-32 (ESV)
If it was a king, which one was it? As the Washington Post pointed out, Abel Beth Maacah stood at the crossroads of three nations in the 9th Century BC, and the city was known to vacillate in allegiance to these nations depending on which way the political winds blew.
Mullins, quoted in the Christian Post, mentioned three kings that could be the subject of the glazed statue. “Given the head was found in a city that sat on the border of three different ancient kingdoms, we do not know whether it depicts the likes of King Ahab of Israel [1 Kings 16:30], King Hazael of Aram-Damascus [1 Kings 19:15], or King Ethbaal of Tyre [1 Kings 15:31], rulers known from the Bible and other sources,” states Mullins. “The head represents a royal enigma.”
All three kings reigned during the era when the image is said to have been cast. Other famous Israelite kings from this era include Omri and Jehu.
Up until now, little evidence has been found for monuments and statues produced by the Israelite kingdoms. Perhaps this is because doing so was viewed as straying too close to the second commandment, which prohibited carving images (idols) in the likeness of anything in creation and worshiping them. However, an Israelite king such as Ahab may have forgone this prohibition, as he did with so many others. Egyptian pharaohs were worshiped as incarnations of the gods and they spread images of their kings and gods across the ancient world.
A writer for the Washington Post makes the observation that two of the kings who are prime suspects had a relationship with one of the most notorious women in the Bible: Jezebel. Known for her cruelty, Jezebel was the daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre, and she married King Ahab of Israel. Both these two rulers and their kingdoms are linked to Abel Beth Maacah.
In any case, reports the Post, the archaeologists who dug up the head will return this summer to do more digging. Could the discovery of a ceramic body to match the ceramic head be in the offing? Names and titles were often recorded on the bases of statues. Will we learn the true identity of the figure whose face is currently on display in the Israel Museum? What do these finds say about the accuracy of the biblical record?
New information is being uncovered every day. Keep on thinking…
TOP PHOTO: A 9th Century BC glazed ceramic head found at Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel. Who does it depict? (Credit: Photo: Gabi Laron, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Conservation: Mimi Lavi, Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.)
