Zei Și Idoli. Reprezentări Și Simbolizări Ale Divinităţii În Religiile Israelului Antic (IIB /2.2) Aniconismul – Zeul din piatră

The maṣṣēḇāh /standing stone was the central object in public devotion in Ancient Israel and, together with the bāmâh /high place and the mīzbēaḥ /altar, formed the cultic complex used to perform ritual acts of worship to the deity. The maṣṣēḇāh tradition was characteristic of all Levantine religions since the Bronze Age and continued throughout the history of the Ancient Near East, extending into Byzantine spirituality and Islamic culture. The present research has analyzed the significance and usage of these artifacts based on archaeological findings from Hazor, Lachish, and Tel Arad, dating to the Iron Age – a period with a distinctly Israelite identity.