Face of the Demon Humbaba

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 26 February 2018
Face of the Demon Humbaba

This is the face of the demon Humbaba (Huwawa), who was a monster featured and slaughtered in the Epic of Gilgamesh. This example of his features was used in the interpretation of omens. The convolutions of the mask represent the intestines of a sheep examined for divination. There are five lines of cuneiform inscription on the back of this mask (not shown). Old Babylonian Period, 1800-1600 BCE. From Sippar, Southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2018, February 26). Face of the Demon Humbaba. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8103/face-of-the-demon-humbaba/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Face of the Demon Humbaba." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified February 26, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8103/face-of-the-demon-humbaba/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Face of the Demon Humbaba." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 26 Feb 2018. Web. 01 Jul 2022.

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