CHAPTER XVIII. 
THE SERPENT GODS. 
There is a class of cylinders of the older period, not at all numerous, on which 
there is represented a seated, bearded deity, whose body consists of a serpent coil. 
Before him there may be one or more standing worshipers, or he may be faced by 
a seated goddess, and behind him there may be a gate. Such an example is seen 
in fig. 362. In this cylinder the serpent god carries a small branch in his hand, 
the gate is behind him, and the goddess opposite holds a shallow bowl in her hand; 
above her arm is the crescent, and behind the two is the early form of an emblem 
which seems to mean the designation of a deity. 

Another characteristic example is seen in fig. 365, where an altar, under the 
moon and star, stands between the god and his worshiper, while behind the wor- 
shiper is the gate with its porter. In fig. 364 the gate appears, and the worshiper 
is led by the hand to the god. Again the gate is seen in fig. 363, where we see the 
crescent and a single worshiper approaching the deity. In fig. 366 there is no gate, 
but there are three worshipers and an archaic inscription. 
A more than usually interesting example of this type is seen in fig. 367, which 
shows peculiar variations. The god has rays from his shoulders, such as we see in 
the case of the seated Shamash (Chapter xiv). Between the god and his seated god- 
dess is an hourglass-shaped altar; and the gate is of an unusual pattern. There 
prevails, however, an extraordinary sameness about the designs on these cylinders. 
Another of the usual pattern is seen in fig. 368. ‘This cylinder, which is of 
green serpentine and very well preserved, shows no sign of a beard on the serpent- 
god. Between the two deities is a simple altar, apparently of bricks, from which a 
flame arises. We see also a star and two crescents, one for each of the deities. 
But there is another serpent-god who appears very rarely in early Babylonian 
art, for our knowledge of whom we are indebted, as for so much of value as to early 
Babylonian art, to M. Heuzey. (See “Sceau de Goudéa,”’ fig. 6; Revue d’Assyrio- 
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