God images in Negev Rock Art

Rock art represents humanity’s earliest recorded reflections, predating writing by millennia. When studied in context, these engravings reveal how ancient societies envisioned both their world and the divine (Keel & Uehlinger 1998). Among the most compelling motifs are depictions of gods. But what did the god look like?

Xenophanes of Colophon (c. 570–475 BCE) observed: But if cattle and horses and lions had hands or could paint with their hands, they would depict the gods’ shapes like their own bodies. (Xenophanes, DK 21B15; Lesher 1992).

Indeed, people created gods in their own image, projected onto the most striking feature of the night sky— the Milky Way, conceived as a cosmic giant (Eliade 1958). Xenophanes’ insight highlights how divine form is shaped by human and cultural experience, extending naturally to celestial phenomena.

One of the most recognizable and widespread divine poses in ancient art is known as the "Smiting God" posture. This iconographic tradition appears across numerous cultures throughout the Fertile Crescent and beyond, suggesting a common origin or shared symbolic understanding.

The striking consistency of this pose across cultures and centuries hints at a common visual template. Observed seasonally, the Milky Way’s band can resemble a towering, limb‑extended figure—an image that ancient artists could readily adopt for divine power (Rappenglück 1999; Burkert 1992).

In this reading, the Milky Way becomes a colossal figure spanning the sky: arms outstretched, legs set apart in a dynamic stance, one foot advanced, and the raised arm poised to strike—the quintessential “Smiting God.” A conical headpiece or crown further accentuates its sovereignty. The parallels with Near Eastern figurines are noteworthy (Keel 1978; Keel & Uehlinger 1998).

Conclusion

The Negev engravings of god images, when read alongside Fertile Crescent figurines, point to a shared visual grammar of divine power. The recurring “Smiting God” posture, mirrored in both rock art and ancient statuary, suggests that the Milky Way itself inspired a universal image of cosmic authority. This enduring archetype demonstrates how early societies translated the overwhelming spectacle of the night sky into a recognizable symbol of the divine.

Bibliography

Cross, Frank Moore. 1973. Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Keel, Othmar, and Christoph Uehlinger. 1998. Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Lesher, James H. 1992. Xenophanes of Colophon: Fragments. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Rappenglück, Michael A. 1999. “The Milky Way as the World Axis: An Interpretation of a Paleolithic Picture.” Rock Art Research 16(2): 135–148.

Copyright © All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of negevrockart.co.il