Daily Life under Egyptian Rule

The Egyptian presence in Canaan affected the inhabitants of the land not only politically, but also in terms of their day to day lives. A large quantity of Egyptian and Egyptian-style vessels in pottery, stone, faience, glass, and bronze have been uncovered both in the Egyptian strongholds and in settlements in the land. Luxury items have also come to light, such as mirrors, cosmetic vessels, jewelry, amulets, scarabs, and games, and Egyptian motifs were incorporated into ... Read More »
From the Catalogue »

Kohl container

Megiddo, 1400-1300 BCE, serpentine and gold
Israel Antiquities Authority


From the Catalogue »

Treasury Room

From the Catalogue »

Pilgrim flask

Deir el-Balah(?), 1500-1130 BCE, alabaster
The Louis and Carmen Warschaw Collection,
gift of Susan Warschaw Robertson and Hope Warschaw, Los Angeles, to American Friends of the Israel Museum
Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Thirty pendants in the form of an Egyptian hieroglyph or a lotus bud

Horvat Humra, 1400-1300 BCE, gold
Israel Antiquities Authority

Fly-shaped pendants

Tell el-`Ajjul, 1600-1400 BCE, gold
Israel Antiquities Authority

Falcon-shaped earring

Tell el-Ajjul, 1600-1400 BCE, gold
Israel Antiquities Authority

Reconstructed collar

Lachish, 1400-1300 BCE, faience
Israel Antiquities Authority

Egyptian ivory inlays with floral motifs

Megiddo, 1200-113 BCE, Painted ivory
Israel Antiquities Authority

Scimitar

An unknown site in Canaan, 1500–1200 BCE, bronze,
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

The Egyptians adopted the scimitar from the Canaanites. The sword exhibited here was intentionally bent in antiquity to signify the death of the warrior in whose tomb it was found. In 1979 Prime Minister Menachem Begin presented a replica of the scimitar to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, alluding to Isaiah’s vision: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares… Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war” (Isaiah 2:4).