Thanks to all for the help and guidance you provide.
Rolf, I was aware that many people believe that the syro hittite female fertility figures (astarte?) were ritually broken. I tend to accept that theory, but were any of these figurines made out of metal? If so, I am sure they were not meant to be broken.
Did they also ritually break the horsemen? Is the figure on the horse a male god (possibly baal - or his equivalent?).
Are the merhgarh female idols related to the syro hittite idols in that they represent the same fertility goddess (Astarte or Asherah etc.)
Many of the Tel Halaf idols I have seen also have a bird face - can they also be placed in the same category? Do the artifacts from Tel Halaf suggest that they were ritually broken?
I have seen some Tanit figurines for sale recently - they do not seem to have been ritually broken. I realize they are Phoenician, but it seems possible that ritually breaking idols was somewhat of a common practice in ancient times - to release the 'mana' or powers locked within the idol.
Is it probable that the Tel Brak 'eye idols' were also ritually broken? I have noticed that many of the stone idols have been broken at the neck (if terracotta - one of the 'eyes' are usually broken). Could the breaks be due to structural weakness - the long body of the 'Astartes' and the thin necks of the 'eye idols'?
Tony
From: rolf5568 <heliosgallery@btinternet.com> |
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