Winged Bull - Two Sided - Biblical Archaeology (Bible History Online)

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

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