The statue of Buddha Shakyamuni with a halo behind his back was probably created by Indians living in the city of Berenike in the 1st century.
The Buddha statue is about 71 cm tall. Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
A 1,900-year-old Buddha statue discovered in the ancient Egyptian port city of Berenike on the Red Sea likely belonged to a South Asian migrant, Live Science reported on May 2. The Buddha statue depicts Sakyamuni Buddha, who lived in South Asia 2,550 years ago. He was originally a prince, but later gave up a life of luxury to become a monk.
The newly discovered statue dates to 90-140 AD, according to Steven Sidebotham, a history professor at the University of Delaware and co-director of the Berenike project. The 71-centimeter-tall specimen depicts the Buddha standing and holding the hem of his robe in his left hand, said a representative of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. There is a halo behind the Buddha. The statue dates back to the time when the Roman Empire controlled Egypt. Egypt and India had a lot of trade during that time. Ships from Egypt often brought ivory, peppers, textiles and other products to Egypt. It is possible that the Buddha statue was made by people from South Asia who lived in Berenike.
In addition to the statue, archaeologists also found a Sanskrit inscription at Berenike. Although the inscription was destroyed, it was created during the reign of the Roman emperor Marcus Julius Philippus, who reigned from 244 to 249. Sidebotham and his colleagues are preparing to publish their findings in a journal.
According to Richard Salomon, Sanskrit inscriptions indicate that there was a community of Egyptian merchants who settled in ancient Egypt rather than passing through to trade. Historical records also show that there were Indians living in Alexandria.
An Khang (According to Live Science )
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