Byzantine Plates - Herakleios, early 7th century
with scenes from the life of David

		Confrontation of David with Eliab	Presentation of David to Saul
		Arming of David	David and Goliath

In 628–29 the Byzantine emperor Herakleios (r. 610–41) successfully ended a long, costly war with Persia and regained Syria, Egypt, and other Byzantine territory. Silver stamps dating to 629–30AD on the reverse of these plates place their manufacture in Herakleios’ reign. The biblical figures on the plates wear the costume of the early Byzantine court, suggesting that, like Saul and David, the Byzantine emperor was a ruler chosen by God. Elaborate dishes used for display at banquets were common in the late Roman and early Byzantine world; generally decorated with classical themes, these objects conveyed wealth, social status, and learning. This set of silver plates may be the earliest surviving example of the use of biblical scenes for such displays.