THE SEATED GOP WITH APPROACHING FIGURES. 113 
worshiper stands before the god; and behind him, as in fig. 312, stands the figure 
referred to the goddess Aa, wife of Shamash. In the case of this cylinder, which 
much resembles fig. 305, as very frequently with this type, there is the simple 
inscription “Shamash, Aa.”’ The accessories are the dog under the inscription, 
the sun in the crescent, and the vase of Aquarius over the object which usually 
accompanies it, and which may provisionally be called the balance, or libra, although 
it is very doubtful if such it is. Much like this is fig. 313, except that a squatting 
figure and a sitting dog or lion take the place of the dog. A similar scene appears 
with different accessories in fig. 314, where the bearded god holds a vase, and we 
have two small figures of a personage like Gilgamesh, in front view, one of which 
is kneeling and has the streams from his shoulders. But this figure has been 
discussed in Chapter xt. 




Gauu. 
TIT 
Wo 




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Eo, “Wy = 

We have given above (fig. 304) what is evidently a royal cylinder of a period 
quite as early as Gudea, in which the worshiper is led by the hand to the bearded 
god. In that case the inscription was illegible. In fig. 315 we have one of a similar 
age, a royal cylinder of which the inscription is fortunately preserved, but here 
the worshiper simply stands before the god, followed by the flounced goddess whom 
we call Aa. The inscription reads: 
Bur-Sin, mighty King, King of Sumer and Akkad ; 
Amel-Bel, the scribe, son of Shar. . . . his servant. 
Bur-Sin belonged to the second dynasty of Ur, and his date has been set at about 
2700 or 2800 B.C. This cylinder is cut with great nicety in a red jasper with black 
streaks and is concave on the face. The god in a garment not flounced, and wear- 
ing the close cap with a band, as in the Gudea sculptures, sits on a stool covered 
with a fringed cloth and holds a vase in his hands. ‘The worshiper has his hands 
on his breast and is followed by the goddess with uplifted hands, whose headdress 
is high and horned. 
There are much older cylinders of this type. Such a one is shown in fig. 316, 
a shell cylinder in fair preservation. This is one of those whose thickness, as usual 
8 
