Judean Pillar Figurines and Ethnic Identity in the Shadow of Assyria

Abstract

This article examines the much-debated Judean pillar figurines (JPFs), which date to the late Iron Age in the Levant and appear to be uniquely Judean artifacts. Scholarly discussion of JPFs, which has spanned a century, focuses primarily on questions of representation and use, and has contributed to the ongoing debate over the role of Asherah/asherah in monarchic Judah. The article begins with a survey of this significant discussion. Its ultimate goal, however, is to move towards a new understanding of the figurines’ popularity in the eighth and seventh centuries bce. Why did the figurines flourish in Judah during this particular period? Drawing from Antonio Gramsci's concepts of cultural hegemony and ideology, the article suggests that JPFs should be understood as part of a late Iron Age cultural discourse: the figurines represent one attempt to maintain local identity as the Neo-Assyrian empire rapidly expanded and absorbed much of the region.