Winged Bull - Two Sided
Could this 5-legged winged
bull guardian of Sargon the Great have been seen by Hebrew captives?
Colossal Winged Bull. This Winged Bull was discovered in the ruins of ancient Khorsabad by Paul Emil Botta in 1843.
A colossal human-headed winged bull standing over 14 feet tall and weighing over 16 tons guarded the entrance to the palace of king Sargon II of Assyria in about 710 BC at his capital city, Khorsabad. The winged bull was called a "lamassu," which was believed to be a spiritual being with the head of a human, the body and ears of a bull, and the wings of an angel or bird. This winged bull has 5 legs to supposedly make it appear balanced from any angle. The mythical creatures were placed on each side of palace entrances to give magical protection against evil spirits. The Winged Bull discovery is important in the study of Biblical Archaeology and confirms the Biblical text. Sargon is not mentioned by name in any literature outside of the Bible and was considered a biblical myth by many scholars. In 1843 the French archaeologist Paul Emil Botta uncovered the ruins of Sargon's palace in Khorsabad revealing him as one of the most powerful monarchs of all time.
"In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it" Isaiah 20:1
One of Sargon's inscriptions reads "In my first year I captured Samaria. I took captive 27,290 people. People of other lands, who never paid tribute, I settled in Samaria."
"...Where can we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?" Isaiah 20:6
Material -
Gypseous alabaster
Neo Assyrian
Reign of Sargon II
Date:
721-705 BC.
Height: 4.40 m (14.43 feet)
Width:
Weight: 16 tons
Khorsabad, Northern Iraq
Sargon Palace, Court VIII
Excavated by: P.E. Botta 1843
Location: The Louvre, France
Item: AO 19857
The Louvre Excerpt
Winged Assyrian bull
Khorsabad, palace of Sargon of Assyria
721-705 BC
Gypseous alabaster
H 4.40 m
AO 19857
King Sargon II built his palace in the
citadel of the new town that he founded near Nineveh, which was discovered
by Paul-Emile Botta in 1843. The gates were guarded by bulls with human
heads. These benevolent spirits, called "lamassou", were the
guardians of the foundations of the world; in the same way they assured
those of the palace. They are sculpted in the round for the foreparts and
in high relief for the remainder of the body. They are shown with five
legs. Seen from the front they are motionless, but seen from the side they
walk. The inscription between the legs includes the titles of Sargon. Then
it relates the consruction of his town, called Dur-Sharruk�n, i.e. Fort
Sargon. The new presentation in the courtyard of the museum; called the
Cour de Khorsabad, evokes the monumentality of the Assyrian palaces.
"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. For he says, "Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?"' Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks." For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man." Isaiah 10:5-13
Related Pages:
Human-headed winged bull
Free Bible - Winged Bull - Two Sided (Biblical
Archaeology)
Bible History Links - Biblical Archaeology : Assyria
Biblical Archaeology: Assyria
Winged Assyrian Bull
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Archaeological Discoveries
Ancient
Near East - Images and Art
Free Bible - Fallen Empires (Biblical Archaeology)
Bible History Links - Ancient Near East : Art & Images
Free Bible - Ancient Art
Free Bible - Sargon II Relief
Sargon II and a high official
The Destruction of Israel - Sargon II
Four-Winged Deity from Assyria Palace of Sargon II
Four-Winged Deity from Assyria Palace at Khorsabad
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Archaeological Discoveries
Free Bible - Winged Bull -
One Sided
Assyria and Bible Prophecy - Timeline of Events
Tablet of Sargon's 8th campaign
Ancient History Timeline
The Destruction of Israel - Kings of Israel, Judah and Assyria
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Khorsabad
Timeline 800 - 700 BC
The Assyrians
The Captivity
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Calah
Ancient Babylonia - Nimrud
Archaeology of Ancient Assyria - Austen Henry Layard
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