78 



FLORA OF THE 



d'Aviella (p. 176) refers to an Assyrian bas-relief, shown 

 in fig. 33. It is suggested that the kneehng person is 

 praying the divinity that the act of date-fertihzation 

 should take effect, while the genii are preparing to 

 perform this act. 



Fig. 33. — From Layard's ' Monuments of Nineveh.' 



I take a totally different view of this composition. 

 First, we have to note that the cone-figure is always 

 winged. Everybody must have known that fertilization 

 of date trees was done by ordinary men ; yet this is 

 never so shown. 



My interpretation of the composition is this : The 

 symbol of the date tree stands for their date plantations. 

 The king, who is also high-priest, is invoking protec- 

 tion from the Deity on the date trees against the evil 

 eye, or other evil spirits. This is indicated by the 

 strings coming down from the winged disc, and ending 

 in a bident, or pair of horns (which in this case is 

 suggestively like a horse-shoe). The horns arc the 

 symbol of protection against the evil eye. Then, as 



