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Difference between revisions of "Cherubim"
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==Physical appearance== | ==Physical appearance== | ||
[[File:Cupid - Locking Heart.jpg|300px|thumb|An allegory of love depicting Cupid as a cherub]] | [[File:Cupid - Locking Heart.jpg|300px|thumb|An allegory of love depicting Cupid as a cherub]] | ||
The appearance of the cherubim continue to be a subject of debate. Mythological hybrids are common in the art of the Ancient Near East. One example is the Babylonian lamassu or shedu, a protective spirit with a | The appearance of the cherubim continue to be a subject of debate. Mythological hybrids are common in the art of the Ancient Near East. One example is the Babylonian lamassu or shedu, a protective spirit with a sphinx-like form, possessing the wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the head of a king. This was adopted largely in Phoenicia. The wings, because of their artistic beauty, soon became the most prominent part, and animals of various kinds were adorned with wings; consequently, wings were bestowed also upon man, thus forming the stereotypical image of an [[angel]]. The [[Egyptian decans]] were known to take different forms depending on their duties and their position in the sky. | ||
William F. Albright (1938) argued that "the winged lion with human head" found in Phoenicia and Canaan from the Late Bronze Age is "much more common than any other winged creature, so much so that its identification with the cherub is certain." A possibly related source is the human-bodied Hittite griffin, which, unlike other griffins, appear almost always not as a fierce bird of prey, but seated in calm dignity, like an irresistible guardian of holy things; some have proposed that the word griffin (γρύψ) may be cognate with cherubim. Interestingly, while [[Ezekiel]] initially describes the tetramorph cherubim as having "the face of a man... the face of a lion... the face of an ox... and... the face of an eagle;" in the tenth chapter this formula is repeated as "the face of the cherub... the face of a man... the face of a lion... the face of an eagle;" which (given that "ox" has apparently been substituted with "the cherub") some have taken to imply that cherubim were envisioned to have the head of a bovine. | William F. Albright (1938) argued that "the winged lion with human head" found in Phoenicia and Canaan from the Late Bronze Age is "much more common than any other winged creature, so much so that its identification with the cherub is certain." A possibly related source is the human-bodied Hittite griffin, which, unlike other griffins, appear almost always not as a fierce bird of prey, but seated in calm dignity, like an irresistible guardian of holy things; some have proposed that the word griffin (γρύψ) may be cognate with cherubim. Interestingly, while [[Ezekiel]] initially describes the tetramorph cherubim as having "the face of a man... the face of a lion... the face of an ox... and... the face of an eagle;" in the tenth chapter this formula is repeated as "the face of the cherub... the face of a man... the face of a lion... the face of an eagle;" which (given that "ox" has apparently been substituted with "the cherub") some have taken to imply that cherubim were envisioned to have the head of a bovine. | ||