Archaeologists find mysterious ancient dolphin statue near Gaza

An archaeological team discovered a rare dolphin statuette in March this year at a site near Kibbutz Magen, 12 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea, on the border of the Gaza Strip amid the ruins of a settlement dating from the late Byzantine and early Islamic periods. It depicts a dolphin carrying a fish in its jaws and is carved out of marble, standing about 16 inches high. It may have been part of a larger sculpture, perhaps that of a god or goddess.

The announcement of the carvings discovery was made last week by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“It’s interesting because the statuette was lying face down, so it was impossible to see its appearance” head archaeologist Alexander Fraiberg told The Times of Israel. Mr Fraiberg believes the sculpture could be Roman, but it may have been incorporated into the later, Byzantine-era, building.