a reply to:
strangechristian777
1. The Burney Relief / Queen of the Night is Babylonian in origin and depicts the goddess Ishtar (or her sister, Arallu). Neither of whom were angelic
or alien in nature. Ishtar (Sumerian: Inanna) was the Mesopotamian Queen of Heaven, called the Morning Star, who personified the planet Venus. She was
the goddess of fertility, lust, magic, sex, the subconscious, and war.
2. Ashur, the Assyrian state-god (later adopted by the Persian empire). This icon, from the Neo-Assyrian empire, depicts the god Ashur riding atop the
Anzu-bird, surrounded by the sun-disc. Ashur (modeled on the Sumerian Enlil) was the supreme god of the Assyrians. The Anzu-bird was a fearsome
Thunderbird associated with Ninurta, the god of war and prince of Mesopotamia. The sun-disc was the icon of the god of law, justice, and order,
Shamash (Sumerian: Utu). In total, the symbol represents the High God, supreme judge of the world, and King of the Land: Ashur. Again, neither
angelic, nor alien.
3. and 4. Astarte, the Syrian/Phoenician version of the Mesopotamian Inanna-Ishtar. See the Burney Relief, # 1, above for an explanation on this
goddess and her non-alien, non-angelic qualities.
5. The Tree of Life, surmounted by Ashur (see # 2 above), and flanked by beings known as Apkallu. The Apkallu certainly were servants of the gods,
but, not in the angelic sense. Apkallu were more like the priests and ministers of the gods themselves: performing sacred ceremonies, casting magical
spells, and invoking the power of the gods at the petition of nobility and royalty. So, once more, neither alien, nor angelic.
6. The Greco-Roman minor-god Iris, personification of the rainbow. Not an angel, but a fully-fledged deity.
7. Another Apkallu, see # 5 above.
8. Not entirely positive here, but, the iconography resembles Egyptian artwork, where goddesses and gods were often depicted with wings to signify
their connection to the Cosmos (which was believed to exist on the wings of the Falcon-headed Horus). So, once more, not an angel, and not an
alien.
9. This one wasn't loading for me...
10. This is the Egyptian goddess Maat (you can tell, because he crown is the Feather of Truth). Once more, the wings represent her cosmic authority,
and her outstretched hands hold the Scales of Truth, upon which she weighs the heart of every soul to determine its innocence or guilt. Not alien, not
angelic.
11. The Greek goddess Nike, one of Athena's entourage, who signifies triumph and victory. More famously known as the headless, armless, "Winged
Victory" statue. Once again, a goddess, not an angel or an alien.
12. Iris again, see # 6 above.
13. Eris, Greek goddess of chaos and disorder. As with Iris and Nike, a goddess, not an alien or an angel.
14. A Syrian winged-goddess. This one may have legitimately served as the inspiration for a choir of angelic beings known as Seraphim. I don't know
enough about this particular relief, or goddess, to comment more.
15. Metis, a Greek oceanid from the Titanic generation. Titans are pre-Olympian gods and goddess of Greco-Roman mythology. They are certainly not
angels or aliens.
I can keep going, explaining Enki (# 17), the Lamassu (# 18), Maat, again (#25), Ashur, again (#29), and so on... but the point is: none of these are
aliens, and very few of them are angels. Just because it has wings, doesn't mean it is an angel. A little bit more time studying legitmate
archaeology of the Ancient Near East could greatly expand your knowledge of many of these intriguing figures.
~ Wandering Scribe