Israel: ancient artefact found on beach

A small statue of Hathor, an ancient Egyptian deity has been found on Palmahim Beach in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported on Wednesday. The figurine dating back to the period between 1500 and 1000 BC was found by Lydia Marner, a 74-year-old Israeli woman who migrated from Azerbaijan to the occupation state about a month ago.

“It was a rather stormy day; the waves were high, and the weather was wintry,” Marner was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying. “During the walk by the water, I noticed a stone coming towards me. I immediately called my husband and told him; this isn’t something usual. I saw that there was something unusual there.”

Marner contacted the Israeli Antiquities Authority, which came to the site and examined the statue, and later granted the woman a certificate of appreciation.

“These figurines, which were used for worship and are usually identified with the Egyptian goddess Hathor, are typical of the Canaanite culture in the Land of Israel [sic], mainly in the Late Bronze Age and also in the Iron Age,” Dr Amir Golani, an expert at the authority who specialises in the Bronze Age, told the Jerusalem Post.

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