the rod and ring of divinity and justice. He stands in what has been termed the
‘ascending posture’, with his long skirt hanging open to allow freedom of movement,
and with one foot on a small stylised, box-like mountain, or on a reclining human-
headed bull (Collon 1986 : 138 – 40 , pls XXIV–XXVIII).
The warrior goddess Ishtar often replaces Shamash. Above the waist she is shown
frontally, but her legs are in the ascending posture, with her robe hanging open and
her foot resting on a diminutive lion, only the front of which is depicted (Figure 7. 2 ;
see also Figure 23. 3 , and cf. Figure 7. 8 ). The seal cutter may have been attempting
to represent a famous cult-statue of the frontal goddess with one foot on her lion,
of which only the forepart would have been visible to the approaching worshipper.
The goddess holds a scimitar in her lowered left hand and a double-lion-headed mace
in her raised right hand, sometimes together with a rope leading to her lion.
Occasionally a god, depicted in profile, replaces her, holding the double-lion-headed
mace, a whirling mace (Figure 7. 12 ), or some other weapon (Collon 1986 : 156 – 8 ,
pls XXIX–XXXI).
The storm god Adad is also the focus of three-figure scenes, but many of these
seals are arranged in a non-canonical fashion, with added figures and Adad often
facing right instead of left (Figures 7. 9 and 7. 13 ). He too stands in the ascending
posture, sometimes on his bull, holding his forked lightning, often with another
weapon which he brandishes in the so-called ‘smiting posture’ (Collon 1986 : 165 – 7 ,
pls XXXII–XXXIII). It should be noted that Shamash, Ishtar and Adad are the three
deities who receive animal offerings from the king in ceremonial robes, and these are
the three deities who are associated in texts with divination. It is, therefore, possible
that the animals are destined for haruspicy (liver omens) and the purpose of the seals
is to obtain good omens for the king, the kingdom and the owner of the seal. Priests
can be added to the scene (Figure 7. 12 ): they are often naked or kilted, with heads
— Dominique Collon —Figure 7. 12 Warrior god; priest on dais with cup and bucket; warrior god; warrior god brandishing
sword, whirling mace and treading on fallen enemy. Inscribed ‘Hali-ilu, son of Hunnubum, servant
of Abi-maras’. Haematite. 2. 7 × 1. 6. BM ANE 89011 ( 1843 - 11 - 17 , 2 ), found at Babylon in 1829
by Sir Keith Jackson (Collon 1986 , no. 420 ).