Unique Lion-Headed Handles from a Roman-Period Cist Tomb South of Khirbat Ibreika

A salvage excavation at Khirbat Ibreika unearthed eight cist graves, one of which contained a group of four unique, bronze lion-head discs and ring-handles dated to the Roman period (first-second centuries CE).The restoration demonstrates that the ring-handles were connected to the top of the lion's head, rather than through its mouth.This article discusses the function of the lion-headed handles, as decorative elements or as handles used for carrying a wooden coffin or lowering it into a grave.Similar lion-headed handles are presented from various contexts to reconstruct their function in funerary contexts and decipher the symbolism of the lion and its cultural affinities.