Detail of bronze strips from Balawat gates, 9th century BC One man has his hands and feet cut off by the Assyrians, whilst another has his hands and feet cut off and is stripped and impaled on a stake (cf. 2Sam 4:12). The building is covered in human heads and appears to be on fire. The Assyrian kings mention burying people alive or walling them up in the walls of buildings but i think these are probably severed heads. |