The Thinker from Yehud, also known as the Thinker of Palestine, is an archaeological

figurine A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...

discovered during salvage excavations in the Israeli city of

Yehud Yehud ( he, יְהוּד) is a city in the Central District of Israel that is part of the joint municipality of Yehud-Monosson. In 2007, the city's population stood at approximately 30,000 people (including Neve Monosson – see below). History ...

. The figurine, which sits atop a ceramic jug in a posture resembling Rodin's famous sculpture "

The Thinker ''The Thinker'' (french: Le Penseur) is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, usually placed on a stone pedestal. The work depicts a nude male figure of heroic size sitting on a rock. He is seen leaning over, his right elbow placed on his left ...

," dates back to the Middle Bronze Age II Palestine ( 1800–1600 B.C.E.). It was found in a tomb accompanied by various items, including daggers, spearheads, an axe head, a knife, two male sheep, and a donkey, all likely buried as offerings. After its discovery, the broken jug had to be stabilised and restored before being displayed in the Canaanite Galleries of the

Israel Museum The Israel Museum ( he, מוזיאון ישראל, ''Muze'on Yisrael'') is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world’s leading encyclopa ...

in Jerusalem.

Discovery

The Thinker from Yehud, also known as the Thinker of Palestine, is an archaeological clay male

, which is a part of a vase and more specifically of a prochos. The find was revealed on 23 November 2016 in excavations carried out by the Authority in

, a suburb of the city of

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, just north of

Ben Gurion Airport Ben Gurion International Airport, ; ar, مطار بن غوريون الدولي , commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the ...

. According to Israeli archaeologists, the vase is a typical example of the Middle Bronze Age II (2200-1500 BC) in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East J ...

and dates back to around 1800–1600 B.C.E.

Description and purpose

After its discovery, the broken jug had to be stabilised and restored. The peculiarity of the vessel lies in the presence of the clay male figure, which was affixed to the upper part of the vessel after its construction. The procho's neck served as the base for forming the upper part of the statuette, while the legs, arms and face were added afterwards. It is unknown whether this was done by the potter himself or by a different craftsman. The figurine is high and depicts a seated male figure, who supports his face with his right hand in a contemplative posture. The figurine is seated with the body positioned on top of a ceramic jug. The figure's face is resting on one hand, with the elbow placed on the knee or thigh, suggesting a posture of introspection and reflection. The head is slightly inclined downward, emphasizing the focus and concentration of the individual. The construction of the form captures in a unique way the details of the body, but also the expressive features of the face. Other objects, such as vases, arrowheads, swords, but also the bones of sheep, and probably of a donkey, were also found near the place where it was found. Gilad Itach, head of the excavations and doctoral candidate at

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic ...

, speculates that this is a set of burial offerings, probably in honor of an important person of the community there. At the beginning of the year, a total of 94 graves were found near the spot where the "thinker" was found, also dating to the Middle Bronze Age. The Middle Bronze Age period has been characterized as one of the longest and darkest periods in the history of Palestine and many interpretations and opinions have been put forward by scholars. The era is characterized by the influences from neighboring peoples, such as the Egyptians, the

Mesopotamians Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

and even the Minoans, with various trade relations, the development of new types of pottery, the extensive use of copper and the cultivation of the vine. The people of the period seem to have had a developed degree of ideology and, as evidenced by their burial customs, they believed in some kind of afterlife. The recent finding of the "thinking" man seems to argue for the existence of a developed ideology of some type in this period, while it is impossible not to refer us to similar timeless types, such as the " Karditsa Thinker" of the Neolithic era or even of

Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

's "

" in modern times. The figurine is displayed in the Canaanite Galleries of the

in West Jerusalem.

References

External links

* {{Cite AV media , url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1kkISKEag&ab_channel=SciNews , title=The thinker of Yehud, a 3800 year old figurine , date=2016-11-23 , last=SciNews , type=YouTube , language=en Clay sculptures Israel Museum Terracotta sculptures 18th-century BC works 17th-century BC works Archaeological discoveries in Israel 2016 archaeological discoveries