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This 1.5-inch-long, 1-inch-wide sherd was discovered by Hershel Shanks’s daughter Elizabeth in the early 1970s. Originally part of a pot handle, it dates to the 13th century B.C.E. (Late Bronze Age). The sherd is incised—by cutting into the surface of the clay—with a figure wearing upturned shoes, a short skirt or tunic, and a pointed hat. The figure’s outstretched right hand holds a spear, while his left hand seems to hold another weapon, perhaps an axe, mace, or spear.

When six-year-old Elizabeth discovered this sherd on the ground at Hazor, her father took it to legendary archaeologist Yigael Yadin, who excavated the site for many years. Yadin identified the figure as a Syro-Hittite deity depicted in the “smiting god” pose, a common motif for that era.