June3] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY. [1890.
(Plate II, figs. 5, 7). In comparing the whole series, it will be
noticedthatKaempfer'sdrawing,whichrepresentsthe flowers open,
resemblesthe sculptures in this respectmorecloselythanmy own
figures,taken at the stage when the flowers are only beginningto
unclose,andthis similarity is increased by the conventional drawing
of the botanist, whichapproachesthatof the ancient sculptor. On
the other hand,the real specimens comecloserto the sculptures in
showingthe cone in its early pointedstate,whereasthe botanical
drawing represents a somewhat later stage, when the point is
beginningto break up.
Thesimilarityof the sculptured cone to the real palm-inflores
cence,takentogetherwith the fact of its being shownas carried to
the date-palm, might be considered to prove thatthe scene at the
sacredtreerepresentsthe artificial fertilization. Thefurtherexami
nation of the monumental evidence, far from invalidating the
argument,confirms it by consistent details. Thebasketor bucket
heldin the left hand correspondswiththe basket carried at present
in the East by the cultivator to hold his supply of pollen-bearing
inflorescenceswhen he climbs the fruit-bearing palmsto fertilize
them; this is the more necessaryfromthe dropping of the flowers
and the shedding of the pollen, muchof which wouldbe lost if the
coneswerecarriedloose. Thussometimesthe bucket carriedin the
hand of the winged figure serves to identify the scene even when
the cone is not shown in the other hand. Thisis the case in Plate
IV, fig. 20, an impression of a cylinder (fromLajard)whichhas the
interestingpeculiaritythatthe p.ilm-tree is drawn realisticallybelow
the winged sun,showing clearlythatthe conventional treesusually-
formingpartof the scene werewellunderstoodto be palms.
Theconventionaloutlinesandcombinationsof the various parts
of the palm-tree, thoughdifficultto follow, especiallywhentheyhave
passedintoornament,often seem to show thatthe artist hasthe
sense of their meaning. Thuson Plate IV, fig. 19, the inflores
cenceson their longbendingstalksmaybe intended as partly seen
through the opening of the split spathe,and theyare often more
conventionally rendered in ornamental borders. Or they may be
shown without the spathe, as on the royal robe from Nimrud, of
whicha portion is here figured (PlateIII,fig. 15). My attention
has lately been calledto Sir George Birdwood, in his dissertation
on "The Knopand Flower Pattern,"having identifiedthe long-
stalked cones which flourish out from the fan-like head of the
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