Funeral stele depicting a banquet scene

The relief was found near a looted burial chamber and in the immediate vicinity of one of the palaces (known as Hilani I) on the castle hill of Sam’al. The stele, which originally stood on a pedestal, is decorated with a scene that can be interpreted as relating to the cult of the dead. The image area, framed by a narrow border, depicts a dining scene with the winged sun disk hovering above it: the deceased sits on a throne before a set table, with a servant figure, rendered significantly smaller, standing opposite her. Given the elaborate depiction (body adornments on the neck, arms, and ankles), the main figure holding a drinking vessel and a flower stem is likely a member of the royal family, possibly the queen herself. She wears a robe reaching down to her ankles, shoes, and a close-fitting cap on her head, adorned with a rosette ribbon hanging down her back. The depiction of a robe brooch in the area of the left breast is unusual. On the small folding table lie several dishes, including flatbread and a fish. The secondary figure in a long robe, holding a curved knife in her left hand, is fanning the seated woman with a palm frond. [Ralf B. Wartke]