Babylon
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. Human-headed winged lion (lamassu), 883-859 B.C. Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II, excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Mesopotamia. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Babylonia: 1894-1750 BCE * Neo-Babylonia (Chaldean Dynasty): 612-539 BCE *The first period of Babylonian rule is often used more loosely to refer to the entire culture that developed in the area from the time it was first settled, circa 4000 BCE, thus covering the expa...