The Ishtar Gate was constructed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II circa 575 BCE.

It was the
eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present day Iraq) and was the main entrance into the city. The
Ishtar Gate was part of Nebuchadnezzar's plan to beautify his empire's capital and during the first half of
the 6th century BCE, he also restored the temple of Marduk and built the renowned wonder: the
Hanging Gardens as part of this plan. The magnificence of the Ishtar Gate was so well known that it
made the initial list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. However, it was later replaced by the
Lighthouse of Alexandria, but some authors (Antipater of Sidon and Calliamchus of Cyrene) wrote that
the "Gates of Ishtar" and "Walls of Babylon" should still be considered one of the wonders.

The Ishtar Gate & Deities

The Ishtar Gate is named so, because it was dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, although
Nebuchadnezzar pays homage to other Babylonian deities through various animal representations. The
animals represented on the gate are young bulls (aurochs), lions, and dragons (sirrush). These animals
are symbolic representations of certain deities: lions are often associated with Ishtar, bulls with Adad,
and dragons with Marduk. Respectively, Ishtar was a goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex, Adad was a
weather god, and Marduk was the chief or national god of Babylon.

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THE FRONT OF THE GATE IS ADORNED WITH GLAZED BRICKS WITH ALTERNATING ROWS OF DRAGONS &
BULLS.

Materials & Construction

The front of the gate is adorned with glazed bricks with alternating rows of dragons and bulls. The
beasts are furnished in yellow and brown tiles, while the bricks surrounding them are blue. The blue
enameled tiles are thought to be of lapis lazuli, but there is some debate to this conjecture. The gates
measured more than 38 feet (11.5 m) high with a vast antechamber on the southern side.

Through the gatehouse is the Processional Way, which is a brick-paved corridor over half a mile long
with walls over 50 feet tall (15.2 m) on each side. The walls are adorned with over 120 sculptural lions,
flowers, and enameled yellow tiles. The Processional Way was used for the New Year's celebration,
through which statues of the deities would parade down and the path paved with red and yellow stones
(rows of red stone on the outer layers and a yellow row in-between). Each one of these stones has an
inscription underneath: a small prayer from King Nebuchadnezzar to the chief god Marduk. It was this
processional way that led to the temple of Marduk.
The Chaldeans, famous for their development of astrology and association with sorcery were a tribal
people who lived southeast of Babylon towards UR. Over periods of time various Chaldean sorcerers
became interconnected with Babylon and their own Magickal development.

The methodology and depth of Chaldean astrology is highly innovative and insightful of their time. The
gods are found among the stars, their associations and movements as planets and constellations play a
significant role in their innate power as archetypes in Babylonian theology. The majority of the gods,
goddesses and monsters are represented in the stars and constellations.

ZODIAC SIGNS

Aries – (HUN, LU) – Hired Man

Taurus – (MUL.MUL) – Bull of Heaven

Gemini – (MAS.MAS) – Twins

Cancer – (ALLA) – Crab

Leo – (A) – Lion

Virgo – (ABSIN) – Furrow

Libra – (RIN) – Scales

Scorpio – (GIR.TAB) – Scorpion

Sagittarius – (PA) – Pabilsag

Capricorn – (MAS) – Goat Fish

Aquarius – (GU) – Great One

Pisces – (ZIB.ME) – Tails

PLANETS
Moon – Sin (EN.ZU)

Sun – Shamash (UTU)

Jupiter – Marduk (SAG.ME.GAR)

Venus – Ishtar (MUL.DILBAT/ishtar belit matati)

Mercury – Nebo/Ningishzida/Ninurta (SIHTU)

Saturn – Ninurta (UDU.IDIM.SAG.US/GENNA)

Mars – Nergal (Salbatanu)