During the second millennium B.C. in the Levant, small statues of Canaanite gods were produced that incorporated elements from a variety of cultures. The conical hat worn by many of the seated figures may reflect Egyptian inspiration, although it had become a defining feature of the local style by the time it was used in this period. Many of the male figures produced in this tradition take one of two forms: either that of a benevolent, mature deity like this one, or that of a youthful deity raising a weapon in his right hand. The latter was called a “smiting god” and his dynamic stance derives from Egyptian images of kings triumphing over fallen enemies, another motif borrowed from Egypt and transformed within a Canaanite context. These warlike deities probably represent the young Canaanite storm god Baal, while the seated gods, like this one, likely represent El, the head of the Canaanite pantheon. Both were the subject of widespread worship in the Levant during the later second millennium B.C.
