Gaming Board

On Display in the Megiddo Gallery

Ivory game board inlaid with gold and blue paste, for the game of 58 holes, excavated at Megiddo, Stratum VIIA, dated to the Late Bronze Age II, 13th century B.C.. OIM A22254 (D. 005480).

Bronze Deity Statue

On Display in the Megiddo Gallery

Gilded bronze statue of a seated divine figure, probably the Canaanite deity El, Megiddo, Stratum VII, Late Bronze Age II, ca. 1400–1200 BC. OIM A18316 (D. 005445, D. 005442, D. 005438).

Megiddo Ivory

On Display in the Megiddo Gallery

Ivory plaque from Megiddo depicting the figure of a reclining griffin, a motif that suggests early trade connections between Megiddo and Mycenae, Late Bronze Age IIB, ca. 1300–1200 BC. OIM A22212 (D. 005473).

The Haas and Schwartz Megiddo Gallery features artifacts from the Oriental Institute’s excavations at Megiddo, modern Israel (ancient Armageddon), including the famed Megiddo ivories, whose artistic style is evidence for early internationalism. The excavation of the mound at Megiddo is documented by objects such as lamps, weapons, and pottery arranged in stratigraphic order to illustrate how archaeologists could recreate the culture from 5000 to 600 BC. Other objects trace the rise of the Israelites and the royal city of Megiddo. Artifacts of special interest include a gold-covered statue of the Canaanite god El, a fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls – one of few on permanent display in the United States – and a cast of the Moabite Stone.