These reliefs show Gilgamesh grasping and overpowering a lion, a standard image of strength and divine kingship in Mesopotamian art. It dates to around 900–700 BC and comes from the Neo Assyrian period. The lion symbolizes chaos and wild nature while Gilgamesh represents order heroic power and the ideal ruler. Such figures were carved for palace walls to project royal authority protection and semi divine status rather than to illustrate a single episode from the epic. #gilgamesh #mesopotamia #an