Statue of an Ammonite King
Iron Age II C (end of 8th/beginning of 7th cent. BC)
Basalt. H 83 cm; W 30 cm; D 26 cm.
Found at the north side of the citadel of Amman.
The man is wearing a shawl over a garment in the Aramaic-Syrian tradition. His legs are close together and he is standing on a stone pedestal that was formed of the same stone. There is no inscription on the pedestal but the man is wearing an Egyptian style atef crown (the feathered crown of the Egyptian deity Osiris), symbol of kings and gods.
The formal pose, dress and crown indicate that this statue is of a king or of a god. The unmarked pupils on this statue perhaps symbolize the sleep of death of a deified king.
© Text: The Jordan Museum
© Photo: Haupt & Binder
Exhibits from the periods between 3600 and 332 BC, with additional information. Part of the visual informative tour through The Jordan Museum in Amman.