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A 4,500-year-old sculpture of an ancient goddess was recently discovered by a farmer working on his land in the Gaza Strip.
Nidal Abu Eid told NBC News that he was working on his land in Qarara when he spotted the sculpture representing the head of Anat, "the goddess of love, beauty and war" in Canaanite mythology, according to Jamal Abu Rida, a spokesperson for Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
“While I was plowing the land to plant it, we discovered this statue,” Abu Eid said. “What caught our attention is the inscription of the snake on the head, which means it is very important."
The 6.7-inch limestone sculpture shows Anat -- believed to have served as the inspiration for the Greek goddess Athena -- wearing a snake as a crown, which symbolizes strength and invisibility.
The sculpture, estimated to have been created around 2,500 B.C., has since been sent to Qasr al-Basha, a small museum with an antiquities department in Gaza, to be put on display.
“This statue documents the history of the Palestinian people on this land and that its origins are Canaanite,” Abu Eid said, adding that he hadn't thought of selling the piece, donating it to the museum for the Palestinian people to see.