Sculpture Of Greek God Apollo Found Off The Shores Of Gaza

A 26 years old Gaza resident told Reuters that he saw the bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo in shallow waters about a hundred meters from the beach and just north of the border between Gaza and Egypt. At first, the fisherman thought he was looking at charred body, but after diving, he then discovered that it was another rare statue.

After the fisherman found the statue, he consulted with experts in archeology in Gaza, and for a short time, it was also on sale for auction at his house. The price tag on the statue is about half a million dollars, a price far lower than the estimated value of the statue. After a picture of the sculpture was posted on the internet, the police came to the house of the man, took the statue and requested to download the picture from eBay. Authorities in Gaza are now preparing an investigation in acquiring further details on the statue, its origin and real value.

According to current estimates based on the picture that was posted, the sculpture is approximately from the first century to the fifth century. “This is unique sculpture,” said Jean-Michel Tragon, a historian at the French School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. “No price for it is too special. This is like asking the price of the Mona Lisa. It is rare to find a statue like this that is not made from marble or stone but from metal.” The historian added that according to the picture, the condition of the statue is good despite its having been in the sea.

The weight of the statue is 500 kg, and archaeologists from around the world are making efforts to gain access to the statue and examine it. Researchers on the Hellenistic period are raising many questions about the statue’s origins, but all they have is one picture of the statue posted on the Internet.