Ancient Babylonia - Dragon of Marduk
Dragon of Marduk 604-562 BC
Mesopotamian
Neo-Babylonian Period
Ishtar Gate, Babylon
Molded, Glazed Bricks
The mythical Dragon of Marduk with scaly body, serpent's head, viper's horns,
front feet of a feline, hind feet of a bird, and a scorpion's tail, was sacred
to the god Marduk, principal deity of Babylon. The striding dragon was a
portion of the decoration of one of the gates of the city of Babylon. King
Nebuchadnezzar, whose name appears in the Bible as the despoiler of Jerusalem (Kings II
24:10-16, 25:8-15), ornamented the monumental entrance gate dedicated to Ishtar,
the goddess of love and war, and the processional street leading to it with
scores of pacing glazed brick animals: on the gate were alternating tiers of
Marduk's dragons and bulls of the weather god Adad; along the street were the lions
sacred to Ishtar. All of this brilliant decoration was designed to create a
ceremonial entrance for the king in religious procession on the most important
day of the New Year's Festival.
Close up of the Striding Dgraon of Marduk
Ancient Babylonia
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