Mariana Giovino
The Assyrian Sacred Tree
A History of Interpretations
1. Edition 2007
306 pages
ISBN 978-3-525-53028-3
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis -
plus S&H
Book
The so-called Assyrian sacred tree is the most discussed motif in the historiography of Assyrian art. It is familiar from the reliefs in the throneroom of AssNimrud, but it has a family of close relatives that appear in a variety of other media. To date, no contemporary text has been found that mentions this »tree«, and, as a result, scholars have not yet arrived at a consensus on its iconography. Nevertheless, great efforts have been made to decipher the symbol, ever since A.H. Layard recovered the Nimrud reliefs in the mid-nineteenth century. This book traces the intricate history of the iconographic debate, from 1849 to the present.
