A farmer in the Gaza Strip has discovered a 4,500-year-old sculpture of an ancient goddess while working on his land.
The sculpture represents the head of Anat, “the goddess of love, beauty and war” in Canaanite mythology, according to Jamal Abu Rida, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Nidal Abu Eid, the farmer who made the discovery, said he was working his land as usual on Monday in the Qarara area east of Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, when he made the discovery.
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“While I was plowing the land to plant it, we discovered this statue,” he told NBC News on Wednesday. “What caught our attention is the inscription of the snake on the head, which means it is very important.”
In the sculpture, Anat is shown wearing a snake as a crown, a symbol of strength and invisibility. The goddess likely served as an inspiration for Athena, the Greek goddess of war, who is also frequently portrayed surrounded by snakes.
The 6.7-inch tall limestone head is estimated to be dated to around 2,500 B.C, the ministry said, and is now being displayed at Qasr al-Basha, a small museum with an antiquities department in Gaza.
