Egypt and Philistia in the Iron Age I: The case of the Philistine lotus flower

The article discusses the presence of Egyptian motifs and styles in Philistine pottery. Certain Philistine vessels display an Egyptianized decorative scheme dominated by a lotus flower motif. While these vessels have been previously recognized, their Egyptian parallels are presented here for the first time. The Egyptian prototypes are both regionally and chronologically restricted, as well as limited to mortuary contexts, while the Philistine adaptations of the Egyptian style appear in a variety of contexts and vessel-types. The process by which the Philistine potter incorporated the Egyptian style can be reconstructed in more than one way, as discussed in the conclusions.