017 Winged Bull Excavation

Museum Description: Bull for Sennacherib's Palace 5 Approach Nineveh

Room: 9/Case: None/Number: WA 124823

Scripture: Isaiah 51:1

We can just make out some ropes in this carving.  Something is being pulled by slaves from a stone quarry, some of whom would have been Israelites captured at Lachish, but what is it?  Perhaps you can see that it seems to be lying on its side, there are two legs at the lower part, a body in the centre and then the head with a fluted headdress.  Yes, this is one of the colossal winged bull likes those we can see today in The British Museum!  To split the stone, narrow channels were carved and dry wood forced into the gap.  This was then soaked with water.  As the wood swelled, the rock would crack and could then be moved.  The winged bulls caused a sensation in British society when they were first displayed in The British Museum, fuelling the fascination for the new discipline of archaeology, so many more expeditions and digs were started.