Dig unearths ancient cult figurines of AphroditeUPDATE: Was there still an Aphrodite cult as recently as 1500 years ago? That date sounds off to me.
By Ofri Ilani (Haaretz)
Remains of an ancient cult to the goddess of love have come to light in the southern Golan Heights site of Susita
At the site, on a 350 meter-high-plateau overlooking the eastern shore of Lake Kinneret, archaeologists found a cache of three figurines of Aphrodite (whom the Romans called Venus), dating back about 1,500 years. The figurines, made of clay, are about 30 centimeters tall. They depict the nude goddess standing, with her right hand covering her private parts - a type of statue scholars call "modest Venus."
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UPDATE (16 September): It looks as though there was, if clandestinely. Details here.