CHAPTER LXIX. 
EMBLEMS OF DEITIES. 
On the earlier Babylonian cylinders the gods are usually represented by the 
full human figure; but as art became more conventionalized emblems of gods 
were substituted for the gods themselves, until in the later mythologic art we 
sometimes find, especially on the kudurrus or “boundary stones,” occasionally on 
the later cylinders and generally on the Assyrian cone seals, only the symbols 
representing the divinities. It becomes necessary, from all sources of evidence, to 
disentangle these emblems, and, as far as possible, to assign them to their several 
divinities. In the case of a few this is easy enough; with others it 1s difficult, if not 
impossible. The three that come oftenest together, the sun of Shamash, the crescent 
of Sin, and the star of Ishtar, are easily recognized. Others require more study. 

Tei 
The first careful study* of the various emblems of gods found in connection 
with the bas-reliefs of the Assyrian kings was made by von Luschan, in a chapter 
on “The Monolith of Asarhaddon,”’ contained in Heft XI (“Ausgrabungen in 
Sendschirli,” pp. 11, jf.) of the “Mittheilungen aus den orientalischen Sammlun- 
gen” of the Imperial Museum of Berlin, 1893. This monolith, found at Senjirli, 
contains twelve figures or emblems of gods (fig. 1279) just in front of the head of 
the king, one of the most elaborate of the designs of this sort known. Other 
examples generally have a smaller number of emblems. Four of these emblems 
are such columns as are found on the cone seals. With this bas-relief von Luschan 
compares other steles of Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, Sargon, etc., also the bas-relief 
of Maltaia, all of which have similar figures. Of the identification of some of these 
emblems there can be no doubt. Thus the crescent is certainly the Moon-god Sin, 
and the star is Ishtar; and there can be no question but that the deity who holds 
the thunderbolts is Adad. We should also naturally conclude that the winged disk 

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