Neo-Babylonian Cylinder Seal with Rampant Sphinxes, 7th-6th Century BCMade of chalcedony, with oppos
Neo-Babylonian Cylinder Seal with Rampant Sphinxes, 7th-6th Century BCMade of chalcedony, with opposed rampant sphinxes flanking a stylized “Tree of Life” with a winged sun-disc above, along with an eight-pointed star and crescent moon.In Mesopotamian mythology, a crescent is a symbol of the moon god, Sin, while the eight-pointed star represents Ishtar, the goddess of love and war. The winged solar disc symbolizes Shamash, the sun god. The winged human-headed animals portrayed here are referred to as “sphinxes.” They were a common motif in Mesopotamian art and are considered to be guardian type entities. The meaning of the stylized “tree of life” is still unknown and a much debated subject. -- source link
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