[Avodah] Shimshon -- contemporary evidence

[Joe Slater]

R' Micha Berger wrote: It realy does look like a long-haired man
fighting some animal that could well have a mane.

It looks to me as though it's a man leading an animal with a bridle,
perhaps with a man on its back. Maybe it represents Avrohom and
Yitzchok! Or perhaps it's an angel facing a donkey - so it must
represent Bilam! Unless it's actually from much later, in which case
it's Haman leading Mordechai ...

Some archeologists have an unfortunate habit of leaping to wild
conclusions about their finds. This is a ring that appears to have a
man and a quadruped, possibly with a rider, and possibly with a
bridle. It doesn't necessarily represent anything at all in Tana"ch;
why would it? Unless the owner happened to be called Avrohom or
Mordechai or whatever it's probably either a reference to the owner's
name (e.g., Susi) or a picture that shows how important he is -
perhaps a chief servant to the man riding the horse, or the owner of
the horse himself.

Joe Slater