THE SEATED GOD WITH APPROACHING FIGURES. 109 
with fruit. The worshiper holds one hand lifted in worship, and on the other arm 
he carries a goat. ‘The crescent is of the flat style more frequent in the early art. 
In later cylinders the crescent is nearer a half-circle. Another case of a single figure 
before the god is shown in fig. 303. This is a royal cylinder, although the date of 
Ankisari, King of Ganhar, is not known. The style of the cylinder would indicate 
that it is as old as Gudea. 

But more usually there are two, three, or four figures approaching the god. 
Very frequently the worshiper, commonly the second of them, is led to the god by 
the hand held by a female figure, while a similar female figure may follow, and, 
perhaps, immediately behind the worshiper will be a servant, often nude, carrying 
a pail or basket for an offering. The nudity characterizes the slave condition. 
This explains the biblical language where it is said (I Kings 21: 21) that the Lord 
would cut off from the house of Ahab every one that urinates against the wall, 
meaning slaves. Saul, as a man of rank, “covered his feet”’ in the cave, I Sam. 24: 3. 
These have been called by Ménant the cylinders of the School of Ur, because some 
of them bear the name of a king of Ur. A remarkable cylinder of this class is shown 

3034 
in fig. 303a, already included as that of Ur-Engur among the royal cylinders in Chap- 
ter 111. This cylinder shows the high-water mark of its period. Its genuineness has 
been questioned without good reason, but has been abundantly proved. ‘The ox’s 
leg of the god’s seat and also the back of the seat are unusual, but not unique. 
We observe also that the god’s headdress is of the style worn by kings in the Gudea 
period, a very plain and low turban. The shape of the crescent 1s also that which 
prevailed at a later period. The god, who holds no vase, extends his hand with a 
gesture which must indicate kindly reception of the worshiper. ‘The worshiper, 
between the two female figures, is shaven and beardless, as in the Tello sculptures, 
a condition which may indicate a ritual purpose. We know that among the ancient 
