Identifier: historyofbabylon00kinguoft (find matches)
Title: A history of Babylon from the foundation of the monarchy to the Persian conquest
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: King, L. W. (Leonard William), 1869-1919
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Chatto and Windus
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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nd b. ^ Fig. 15, c. ^ The adornment of the gates foundations, as well as its upper structure,with reliefs, may in part be explained by their temporary use in flanking theroadway during construction. But the decoration of sacred buildings wasnot intended merely for the purpose of artistic display. It had a deepersignificance, based on the belief that the use of sacred emblems ensured theprotection of their tutelary deities. And this perhaps offers the best explana-tion of the presence of the ^Veather-gods Bull, and of Marduks Dragon, uponthe foundation-walls of the building. Tlie lion, Ishtars own emblem in hercharacter as the goddess of war, was employed ^ as we shall see (cf. p. 58),upon the two walls leading to her gate. 56 HISTORY OF BABYLOX blue ground. Some of these have been laboriouslypieced together in Berlin, and specimens are nowexhibited in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum and in theImperial Ottoman JMuseuni at Constantinople. Only .EL. J^ r L.. -J. ^<.Kvvv <.■—-^ JLU.
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Fig. 17. enamelled feagment of the ishtab gate still in position. The fragment, which was the highest portion of the gate preserved, is fromthe east side of the second doorway of the outer gate ; cf. Figs. 14 and 15, No. 2.It stands just below the final pavement-level, and only the upper portion isenamelled. one fragment of an enamelled portion of the wall wasfound in place,^ and that was below the final pavement.It shows the legs of a bull above a band of rosetteswith yellow centres. 1 See Fig. 15 ; its position is indicated in the southern doorway (2) of theouter gate-house. This was the first part of the gateway to he discovered, asit stands higher than the rest. - See Fig. 17. THE CITY AND ITS REMAINS 57 The delicate modelling of the figures is to someextent obscured in the foundation specimens, but theimperfections there visible are entirely absent from theenamelled series. An examination of the latter showsthat the bricks were separately moulded, and, beforethe process of enamel

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