Window into the Bible
Shields, Cuirasses and Other Armour
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Bronze Shield
Date: 7th c BC.
Place: Etruscan, Narce, tomb 2
Photographed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
In the Old Testament, God is often refered to as a shield for his people. This is especially common in the Psalms, eg. Psalm 28:7, 33:20, 91:4.
Bronze Cuirass
Date: 7th century BC.
Place: Cretan, from Afrati.
Photographed at the M. C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This cuirass or body armour was dedicated at the temple of Athena as plunder of war.
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Bronze Cuirass
Date: Late 7th century BC Place: Greek
Photographed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA.
The artist has depicted the male anatomy in highly stylized relief work – showing rib cage, pectoral muscles, shoulder blades and spine.
But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” (2 Chronicles 18:33) |
Bronze Muscled Cuirass
Date: 375 – 325 BC.
Place: Southern Italy
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
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Bronze Foot Guards
Date: 520 - 840 BC. Place: Greek - Italian
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
Foot guards like these are seldom found. This may be because they were too heavy and restrictive to be practical. |