EMBLEMS OF DEITIES. 411 
sometimes been regarded as the seven heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and five 
planets. But this would imply an improbable duplication. Or they may represent 
Nergal, lord of the Pleiades; and this is supported by the fact that on a kudurru 
figured in No. 4, 1900, of the “Mittheilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft, ”’ 
the dots have stars included, as in a. Similarly the dots are stars in fig. 752. 
42. The fish is a very frequent emblem on the late Syro-Hittite cylinders, 
but there is no definite clue to its symbolism known to me. On the older Baby- 
lonian cylinders the fish accompanies the streams that fall from the 
vase held by Shamash, to indicate that they are streams of water. 
But this seems to offer no solution to the fish which, with the rhomb, is 
so common on the late seals. We may naturally recall the sacred fishes 
still held in reverent protection in certain sacred pools in the East. 

[42] [43] 
43. The frog is not frequent, and its attribution is not known to me. 
44. The Head or Ax of Teshub: Very rarely we have a column, or ashera, 
with the head of the Hittite Teshub on it, as in fig. 1308, or his ax as in fig. 1309. 

1309 
45. The Guilloche or Rope Pattern: There are many forms of this, some com- 
plicated, which will be seen in the chapters in Syro-Hittite cylinders. This design 
comes into use with the Syro-Hittite period; and yet there are three examples of 
it in what seem to be quite archaic cylinders (see figs. 58, 95, 108a). In the case 
of two of these the rope pattern is, however, very irregular and angular, quite 
different from the carefully, if not suspiciously, regular form of the guilloche in 
the bituminous bas-relief, which would appear to be of the extremely early date of 
Entemena. For this see Heuzey, “Une Villa Royale,” p. 80; “Cat. Ant. Chald.,”’ 
p. 123. Heuzey says (“Une Villa Royale,” p. 40) that a copper vase of early 
Babylonian work has the interlace. This seems to be in Constantinople and I 
have not seen it. But certainly the guilloche was so rare in the early and middle 
Babylonian period that it might almost be said to be non-existent. It is character- 
istic of the Syro-Hittite art, being its most favorite ornament. It has many varia- 
tions in the choicest examples, being developed with braided forms, and at other 
times it is extremely simple. ‘The guilloche probably had its origin in ornamental 
work in gold wire, which was applied to metal or other work. In the earlier forms 
the helix, or S curve, seems to have prevailed, probably brought from Egypt, and 
then in Syria contracted, or consolidated, into the rope pattern. In the later forms, 
