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Nine hundred sphinx's with rams' heads, representing Amon, were built in Thebes, where his cult was strongest.

Sphinx at Thebes

Nine hundred sphinx's with rams' heads, representing Amon, were built in Thebes, where his cult was…

The Crouching Sphinx is a combination of the human bust with the body of the Lion. The Sphinx is an Egyptian invention that was used as the guardian of temples and tombs.

Crouching Sphinx

The Crouching Sphinx is a combination of the human bust with the body of the Lion. The Sphinx is an…

The Sumerian word lama, which is rendered in Akkadian as lamassu, refers to a beneficient protective female deity. The corresponding male deity was called alad, in Akkadian, šêdu. In art they were depicted as hybrids, as winged bulls or lions with the head of a human male (Centauroid). There are still surviving figures of šêdu in bas-relief and some statues in museums. Notable examples of šêdu/lamassu held by museums include those at the British Museum, Musée du Louvre, National Museum of Iraq, Metropolitan Museum of Art and one extremely large example kept at the Oriental Institute, Chicago. They are generally attributed to the ancient Assyrians.

Winged Bull from Nimrud

The Sumerian word lama, which is rendered in Akkadian as lamassu, refers to a beneficient protective…