Dionysus was known to dance rich Romans to the afterlife, but the coffin peeping from the sands of Roman Caesarea shows a scene not seen before in Israeli parts
A marble sarcophagus from the Late Roman period recently found amid the sands of Caesarea and showing the gods cavorting is unlike anything seen in Israel before, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Monday.
Who was buried there will remain a mystery forever more. But its unique imagery, showing the legendary drinking competition between the god Dionysus and Hercules the hero, may attest to the character of the deceased, speculates Nohar Shahar, an archaeologist with the IAA who is excavating the site with Shani Amit.
Sarcophagi from this period have been found in Israel, made of expensive imported marble or local stone. Sarcophagi decorated with Dionysus, the Greek god of festivity and wine, have also been found.
But never before has a coffin bearing the image of Dionysus drinking Hercules under the table been found, at least not in Israel. Analysis remains to be done, but Shahar's gut instinct tells her that the sarcophagus had been imported – in fact, it had to be – probably from northern Turkey. Israel has no marble at all.
