hercules statue

(photo - Israel Antiquities Authority) 

A marble statue of Hercules from the second century has been uncovered in Israel around the Jezreel Valley.
Hailed as a rare discovery, the statue was part of the decoration of a bathhouse pool that was exposed during excavations. It is made of smoothed white marble and is of exceptional artistic quality.
The hero Hercules, of Greek and Roman mythology, was the son of the god Zeus. Hercules was considered the strongest man in the world, a symbol of power, courage and superhuman strength; one of the most famous legendary heroes of ancient Greece who battled the forces of the netherworld on behalf of the Olympian gods.