Terracotta Juglet, 1900 BCE - 1600 BCE
Terracotta
12.1 x 8.9 cm
4 3/4 x 3 1/2 in
4 3/4 x 3 1/2 in
BF.037
In Israel, as in other ancient kingdoms, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses...
In Israel, as in other ancient kingdoms, it was customary to dedicate persons or objects to sacred use by anointing them with oil. Thus Samuel anointed Saul king, as Moses had hallowed the tabernacle and Aaron the High Priest before, and Abraham had sanctified Isaac. A vessel such as this--simple but elegant--may have contained oil for ritual use. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess, yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs.