Images Dated 22nd November 2012

Seated Ruler, 2000-1700 BC (limestone with shell inclusions)

499758 Seated Ruler, 2000-1700 BC (limestone with shell inclusions)
by Syrian; 66.7x38.2x54.6 wt:468 lbs cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: Four thousand years ago northern Syria was a crossroads of peoples and cultures, meeting through trade and military conflict. This statue of a portly man sitting on a low throne combines Assyrian and Amorite stylistic influences. It was possibly found at Ebla, where some scholars believe the biblical Abraham visited as he traveled from Chaldea to Canaan around 2000 bc. Such a large carved stone image suggests a local ruler or high official. The head was removed, probably in an act of ritual defilement, since decapitation was believed to cancel the object's supernatural presence.); Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund; Syrian, out of copyright

© Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund / Bridgeman Images

A rainbow forms as a squall moves towards Porthmeor Beach in St Ives in Cornwall

A rainbow forms as a squall moves towards Porthmeor Beach in St Ives in Cornwall, November 21, 2012. Five parking spaces are to be auctioned for about 50, 000 pounds ($79, 850) in St Ives, a popular seaside holiday destination. St Ives popularity, and its small narrow streets make parking difficult, which explains why the newly available spots are expected to sell for twice the average annual local wage according to local media. Photograph taken November 21, 2012. REUTERS/Andrew Winning (BRITAIN - Tags: SOCIETY TRAVEL) - LM1E8BM0NMJ01

Fragment of a Floor Mosaic: Adam and Eve, late 400s-early 500s (marble & stone tesserae)

499746 Fragment of a Floor Mosaic: Adam and Eve, late 400s-early 500s (marble & stone tesserae)
by Byzantine School; 142.9x107.3x5.72 (overall) 142.9x107.3x7 (mounted) cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: This mosaic panel representing the Fall of Adam and Eve once formed part of a much larger mosaic decorating the floor of an early Byzantine church in northern Syria. Here, Adam and Eve are portrayed sharing the forbidden fruit while covering themselves with large leaves. At the top of the panel, a Greek inscription reads, "And he ate, and they were made naked, " highlighting the two moments in the biblical narrative of the Fall that are depicted here.
Inscription: at top: Greek inscription taken from Genesis III:7-8 that reads: "And they ate, [and they] were made naked." It is possible that the mosaic belonged to a pavement illustrating the Garden of Eden.); John L. Severance Fund; out of copyright

© John L. Severance Fund / Bridgeman Images