(photo by Michal Fattal in Haaretz)

This article in Haaretz about the recent findings Khirbet Qeiyafa  is worth a quick peek. The findings from the 10th century B.C.E. will factor into ongoing debates about the “historical King David.” What are these things? Are they Judean or Canaanite? It’s probably too early to say. The archaeologists will hash it out. As for me, I’m not sure it matters. Judean or Canaanite, they belong to the same milieu. They look like toys. I like their diminutive object character, and the box-like construction. The findings suggest the presumably cult function of miniaturized architectural objects. No figures were found at the site. Without a figure inside the box, “the medium was the message.” The House itself is the icon.