This monument is so called from the name of the traveller by whom it was
brought over to France in 1800. It was discovered near the Tigris, not far
from the ruins of the ancient city of Ctesiphon. It is an ovoid basalt
stone of seventeen inches in height, by twenty-four in circumference. The
upper part is decorated with symbolical figures spread over nearly
one-third of the monument; one of the sides is divided in two parts. At
the top the moon crescent and the sun are represented; in a somewhat lower
place there are four altars; two on the right support tiaras; the other
two are adorned with two symbolical figures. In the middle a winged goat
kneeling; the lower part of the animal is hidden by the image of another
altar. The second part contains two altars; one of them bears a sort of
arrow-head which for a long time has been taken for the symbol of the
Cuneiform writing, because it resembles the element of these characters,
On the other part there is a triangular symbol, then, between both altars,
two kneeling monsters; only the fore part of their body is visible. On the
left behind the altar there is to be seen a symbolical figure preceding a
downward pointed arrow. On the back side of the monument there is a
scorpion, a bird roosting. On the ground there is a bird, on the head of
which is to be seen an unknown symbol composed of two other monsters, one
bears a bird's head, and the other has a hideous horned face; the rest of
the body is wrapped up in a sort of sheath; opposite to which a dog
kneeling. The top of the stone is bordered with an immense snake; its tail
extends into the very inscriptions, its head touches the head of the dog.
On each side of the monument in its lower part, there are two columns of
cuneiform texts, which contain altogether ninety-five lines.
This monument is now kept since 1801 in the "_Cabinet des Médailles_" at
Paris (No. 702). Since that epoch it has always attracted the attention of
scholars; it was published by M. Millin in 1802, "_Monuments inédits_" t.
I, pl. viii, ix. Münter first attempted to explain the symbolical figures
(_"Religion der Babylonier,"_ p. 102, pl. III). Sir Henry Rawlinson has
also published the inscription again, in "W.A.I.," Vol. I, p. 70. The
sense of this text has been fixed for the first time, in 1856, by M.
Oppert's translation in the "_Bulletin Archéologique de l'Athénéum
Français_" After this translation, Mr. Fox Talbot gave one in 1861, in the
"Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society," Vol. XVIII, p. 54.