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Essay: Unique Bes Figurine from Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia: a Pre-Islamic Deitys Impact on the Region

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A Unique Bes Figurine from Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia

Mahmoud Abdel Basset Attia

Faculty of Tourism and Archeology – King Saud University

Abstract:

Arabian Peninsula is distinguished by its fairly unique geographical location. This has enabled it to establish close relations with neighboring civilizations since ancient times, whether in the East, West, North or South. The goal of the research is to bring to attention one of its cultural aspects, which has undeniably been affected by its neighboring civilizations. This aspect is manifested in religious beliefs, which will be confined to Bes, one of the Pre-Islamic deities. Scholars have differed as to his place and time of origin; some arguing that his homeland was the Arabian peninsula itself.

Introduction:

Archaeological excavations continue to reveal findings, day after day, that imply strong cultural continuity and a correlation between the civilizations of ancient Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. This is not exclusive to nearby northwestern regions or those that border the Egyptian Empire; it extends to the southern, central and eastern parts of the peninsula, be it direct or indirect.

The transferability of monuments, artifacts, and relics between two regions does not solely reflect trade and exchange. In fact, it reflects an openness to embrace the other’s culture, such as their concepts, ideas, and objectives, in order to ultimately improve one’s own culture. This is no less inclusive to the Arabian Peninsula with its relation to Egypt as it is to all other neighboring civilizations.

Ancient Egyptian beliefs spread in some of its neighboring countries courtesy of the communication between them, either by trade or a consequence of Egypt’s extensive rule and influence outside its borders, with the former having a larger impact. These effects have been observed in the Near East, particularly in the Levant, the Mediterranean region, as well as areas south of Egypt and some northern African regions(5). Archaeological evidences support the fact(6) that these Egyptian ideological influences were also present in many parts of the Arabian Peninsula, as there were tombs found that were adorned with ancient Egyptian religious symbols such as the Winged Sun, as well as statues of the Sphinx. Seals and scarabs which bore images of ancient Egyptian deities such as Horus, Thoth, Nekhbet and Wadjet were also found, along with statues and amulets of some deities, among them the Osiris Trio (Osiris, Isis, Horus/ Horus the Younger), Sekhmet, and Bes.

This research will discuss the dwarf statues discovered in the Arabian Peninsula, which embody the Pre-Islamic deity Bes. He is regarded by the ancient Egyptians as the god of joy and pleasure, as well as the warder of evil spirits during birth. It will be structured as follows: General information about Bes along with his appearance, a brief overview of opinions regarding his origin, then an in-depth look into the statues discovered in Al-Faw (see map 1).

Al-Faw site:

Al-Faw is a large archaeological site in Central Arabia. It is situated  

The Bes-image

Bes occupies a very prominent position in the ancient Egyptian religion, as he is among its most popular tutelary deities. He started to gain popularity in the New Kingdom, which continued into the Late period, as well as the Greek and Roman eras, until it reached a point where he vied with the three main deities (Osiris, Isis, and Horus) for status and grandeur. As a matter of fact, Bes came close to overcoming Osiris in Abydos. His prophecies began to be held in great esteem, to a point where he started to answer written questions. His worship broadened to that outside of Egypt (places of his worship were found outside of it)(7). There were also depictions of him found, primarily because of the Phoenicians, in the ancient Near East(8). It should be noted that the name Bes is a general term used for various dwarf gods with ugly faces, usually wearing a crown made of feathers and a lion’s mane(9).

Despite Bes’ admirable character, positive role, and praiseworthy qualities, he has always been depicted in an ugly and unpleasant manner; a small dwarf-sized body, with a massive head, an irregular shape, and bowlegs. He is characterized by his wide face, lion ears and mane, flat nose, a feathery crown, shaggy beard, an animal tail, and a tongue which usually protrudes outward(10). Simply looking at him brings about joy and happiness till this day. Additionally, he can be likened unto monsters of Greek mythology, for example: Many a time he is seen serving the greater gods, bringing happiness and joy into their hearts through dance and music, and guarding their children(11).

The magical symbol of protection “SA سا” is considered to be his chief attribute, and as god of music he also carries a harp. He wields a knife or a short sword in his right hand held aloft; perhaps it is because his primary role is to ward off harmful beings and evil gods roaming in the desert or the underworld. If he wishes, he can be a valiant warrior, or conversely a subtle musician; but, he never ceases to be a guardian(12). In the Greco- Roman period, he was taken as the protector of the dead, as he was previously specialized for the living(13).

Many have differed regarding the emergence of the name Bes; some suppose that it emerged at the end of the New Kingdom, and some for the first time have supposed that it emerged in texts from the Twenty-first Dynasty. His name has never appeared alongside his dwarf image before Ptolemaic period(14)  .

As scholars differed concerning Bes’ first sighting, they too differed with respect to his place of origin, which can be categorized into three main opinions: He was Egyptian in origin, named after the animal “Besa” or “Basu” since early periods because he wore its skin; Asiatic Semitic in origin; or African in origin(15). The last two views stem from titles that he carried in the Late and Greco-Roman periods which were related to some geographical sites. Among them: “Bes the Pure Master of Pwenet: bs nfr nb pwnt” which appeared in the writings of Mammisi (house of birth) in the temple of Dendera; “the one who came from Ta Netjer (Land of God)” which appeared in writings of the Temple of Armant of the Ptolemaic period(16). This induced many, including Ahmed Fakhry, to believe that Bes is not Egyptian, but Arab in origin, owing to the fact that he believed Arabia to be the Land of Punt, which is known for its incense(17). Bes’ statue in which he wears a nose-ring provoked them to hold that he was a foreign Asian deity that immigrated to Egypt. It was a small statue of Bes (3.4 cm tall) made of faience and is quite peculiar in its form. He wears earrings of silver and a nose-ring of gold, and it dates between the 19th and 22nd Dynasties, about 1200-900 BC. The presence of nose-rings in Egyptian art is a rather rare phenomenon, while earrings are known to be present on bronze statues of cats(18). Under these divergent views, along with the lack of archaeological evidences discovered in the Arabian Peninsula, there is no assurance for the view that the peninsula is his place of origin. And thus, it will remain a possibility, so long as scholars continue to differ about the exact location of Pwenet and the Land of God, or until archaeological evidence or written text explicitly states their exact geographic location.

Bes Figurine from Al-Faw

During the eighth excavation season in the site of Al-Faw, a Bes figurine made of faience was found (Fig. 1). A gold frame inlaid with a ruby in the center surrounded it. Its dimensions are 3.8 cm x 1.5 cm. It is currently displayed with the label F8.35 at the museum of the Archaeology Department in the Faculty of Tourism and Antiquities in King Saud University(19) [but when I visited the national museum in Riyadh on Thursday, 9th of November, 2017, I found it displayed there]. It consists of two holes so that it can be worn similar to a necklace or a pendant.

Bes appears in his typical dwarf body and large head with his feather crown on top, which appears as though it is mounted on a rectangular base. The crown is made up of four feathers that are separated by three deep grooves. The artist of the amulet fixed interwoven gold strips in each groove, as if each strip was three plaits. But by further observation, it becomes apparent that each strip is merely a mix of three columns, a straight unbraided one in the center of two plaited columns. Only two strips are remaining, with remains that point to the existence of a third. Each gold strip is decorated at the top with a circular gold compact piece welded to it. At the bottom of the two strips lies a gold frame encircling the base that rests on the head, representing the base of the feather crown or garland. This gold frame has two plaited edges that slightly bulge out. The inner surface of the frame between the two edges features decorative elements of small gold balls spaced into groups as made by the artist. Each group consists of four small welded balls that form the shape of flowers with four petals.

As for his broad face, he has large wide eyes that resemble a rectangular shape and appear as though they are inlaid with a precious stone. He also has an oblate straight nose that starts from the eyebrows and continues downward until it disappears behind a ruby, which also hides the area of the mouth; so it cannot be determined whether his tongue sticks out or not. It should also be noted that there are no ears. The two cheeks are represented by indentations (grooves), possibly denoting a shaggy beard. The lower part of his body begins under the head, represented by the circular abdominal area, which is centered by a small hole or cavity that represents the navel. Two arms extend along the entire length of the body embellished by a pair of bracelets that are bound upon the upper arms.

 

Fig. 1: Bes Figurine from Al-Faw

The amulet ends with a base enveloped by a gold frame, similar to the first one, although it is wider and its outer decoration differs; whereas it is composed of small gold balls arranged in triangular groups. Each group consists of about seven gold balls. A gold strip, the length of the amulet, connects the lower left edge (according to the amulet's perspective) of the upper frame to the upper right edge of the bottom frame. This strip resembles the top three strips of which two are remaining; whereas it consists of two long plaited columns with a third straight one between the two. In the center of the strip sits a ruby, set in a well-polished gold frame, encompassed by a group of small gold balls.

This amulet, despite the simplicity of its material (faience) and lack of quality, manifests the artist's desire to make it more aesthetically pleasing; by surrounding it with a gold frame and adorning it with the gemstone ruby, giving it greater physical and aesthetic value.

It is found that the amulet, in view of the raw materials and method used to make it, resembles one of the Egyptian scarabs (Fig. 2), which was also discovered in Al-Faw. The scarab was also made of faience and surrounded by a gold frame with an embellished cover consisting of small triangular gold balls arranged together. Al-Ansari mentioned that it was brought to Al-Faw by a merchant upon his return from a commercial trip(20). This strengthens the fact that the Bes amulet was imported, predominately because these amulets were spread in the Near East areas, including the Syrian-Palestinian area during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and what follows them, as previously mentioned.

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