Many have made the misappropriation of bas reliefs from the Assyrians as being “Sumerian” using images of large stone carved reliefs from the The Temple of Nimrud, also known as the Northwest Palace, which was built by King Ashurnasirpal II around 883-859 BCE
The bas reliefs in the Northwest Palace at Nimrud depict various figures and scenes central to Assyrian mythology and religion. The reliefs feature the Apkallu, or “Seven Sages,” who are depicted as part human, part fish or bird. They often have a human head and torso, with the lower part of their body resembling a fish’s tail or bird’s feathers.
According to Mesopotamian mythology, the Apkallu were demigods sent by the god Enki to teach humanity various arts, sciences, and crafts. They emerged from the primordial sea, Abzu, to bring knowledge and civilization to humans. In the reliefs, the Apkallu are portrayed alongside kings, symbolizing the transmission of divine wisdom and the king’s role as a conduit between the gods and his people.
In some of the bas reliefs at the Northwest Palace in Nimrud, the Apkallu and Lamassu are depicted flanking a sacred symbol known as the “Tree of Life.” The Tree of Life is a key element in ancient Assyrian art and religion, representing the divine connection between the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. This sacred tree is often depicted with multiple branches and symmetrical designs, symbolizing fertility, growth, and the eternal cycle of life. The presence of the Apkallu and Lamassu beside the Tree of Life emphasizes their roles as protectors and intermediaries between the divine and the mortal realms. The Apkallu, with their part-human, part-fish or bird appearance, are seen performing ritualistic gestures that suggest they are tending to or blessing the tree.
Some figures, including the Apkallu, are depicted wearing distinctive wristbands. The wristbands depicted in the bas reliefs of the Apkallu are floral motifs, specifically rosettes, which represent a stylized flower. These floral designs are significant in Assyrian art and mythology, symbolizing life, fertility, and divine protection.
Others are holding what’s been widely shared as being handbags when they are in fact buckets. The buckets held by the Apkallu in the bas reliefs are called Banduddû in Akkadian, which translates to “bucket” or “purifier”. These buckets used in purification rituals, symbolizing the cleansing and protection. They held what was believed to be sacred water from melted snow. Ancient Sumer was in southern Mesopotamia, but Assyria was to the north, far enough to the north of Assyria were mountainous regions that accumulated snow. Assyrians thought that the snow on the mountains was scared & came from the sky gods/goddesses.
And finally the “pine cones” which have been referred to as styluses, or the pineal gland and all sorts of “woo” they are in fact “pine cones” from Lebanese cedar tree and represent a cone from the male pollinating tree. They were dipped into the sacred bucket to capture water to sprinkle on the tree of life or the Apkallu in a purification ritual.
