Abstract
The seemingly ubiquitous anthropomorphic "pillar" figurines of eighth and seventh century Judah have been interpreted variously as fertility goddesses and as objects connected with the domestic cult. Here, the author proposes an additional theory-that the artifacts' distribution, method of manufacture and symbolic fecundity are best understood against the ideological emphasis on social reproduction in Judah following the Assyrian destruction of Samaria and the mass deportations of Sennacherib.
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