A social media post is going viral, alleging that archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have discovered artifacts in the desert that resemble the depiction of Allah in the Quran and Hadith.
(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)
Is this true?: No, the claim is false.
The statue depicts Pazuzu, the ruler of wind demons, and has ties to Mesopotamian religious beliefs. Pazuzu, thought to be the offspring of Hanpa and sibling of Humbaba, was thought to provide protection to humans against other demons.
What we found: We conducted a Google Lens search on the viral image and found a similar one published by an X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The post featured three images and was uploaded with the caption, "Whatever possessed you? The Exorcist."
This showed a similar image of the statue and also indicated the viral image had been altered.
About the statue: We undertook a relevant keyword search using phrases such as "exorcist statue"
We came across an article on Britannica. It featured a similar image as the viral image.
The article described Pazuzu, the ruler of wind demons, son of Hanpa and the sibling of Humbaba (Huwawa) in Mesopotamian religion. Supporters thought that Pazuzu assisted people in protecting themselves from other evil spirits, so images of his face were widely used as protective charms in the Middle East during the first millennium before the Christian era (BCE).
The first archaeological proof of Pazuzu was discovered in the tomb of a queen in Nimrud around eighth century BCE, near modern-day Mosul, Iraq. Pazuzu's depictions can be seen in various locations across the ancient Middle East.
In cinema and books: The Britannica article stated that The Exorcist (1973), portrayed Pazuzu as the villain which led to an increase in the modern interpretations.
We checked the trailer of the film and found a scene featuring the statue.
It was also featured in Marvel comic books. Pazuzu has also been shown in the TV series Constantine (2014–15) and Supernatural (2005–20) as well as featured in the video game House of Ashes.
We found no historical evidence or research to prove that an alleged statue of Allah was found in Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion: While the statues are not identical, the viral image has been falsely shared as statue of Allah.
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