Casting a Wide Net: Notes on the Inspiration for the Fish Motif on Philistine Pottery

Abstract

The article reexamines the fish motif within the Philistine ceramic repertoire and draws upon parallel elements from within the Aegean basin, Cyprus, and coastal Anatolia in order to arrive at a better understanding of the inspiration for the fish motif on Philistine pottery. It is argued that the iconography of the Philistine fish motif derives mainly from the Aegean region, including mainland Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. As such, the fish motif can be added to a long list of Philistine cultural features that derive directly from the post–palatial Aegean world.