4,500-year-old Canaanite statue discovered in Gaza
A farmer found the treasure by chance while plowing his Gaza field.
Gaza's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of an ancient statue dating back to the Canaanite era on April 26. A farmer had found the statue in the Sheikh Hamouda area of Khan Yunis in the southern enclave.
Jamal Abu Rida, director of antiquities at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor that the 22-centimeter (nine-inch) limestone statue is of a head wearing a crown of snakes.
Abu Rida said, “The statue dates back 4,500 years and belongs to the Canaanite goddess Anat, who is the goddess of love, beauty and war, according to Canaanite mythology. The statue is currently exhibited in the Pasha Palace Museum in Gaza.”
He explained, “The ministry has long worked on a multitude of projects in maintenance, restoration and archaeological excavation. Chief among these are restoration works at the site of Saint Hilarion Monastery and the Byzantine Church, in addition to excavating the Roman cemetery in northern Gaza City.”
