Ištar was the original Queen of Heaven. Intimately connected with fertility, sexuality, and war, Ištar's symbols were the lion, the horse, the sphinx, the dove, and a star within a circle emulating the planet Venus. She has been known as the deified evening star, and the morning star. The worship of this goddess was constant, dictating the lives of people and societies over thousands of years. In Mesopotamian iconography, the most common symbol of Ištar is an eight-pointed st

“Hey, René?” “What?” His thoughts were elsewhere. “Have you seen statues of Ištar, René? You know, out and about, at the places where you’ve gone. I remember you told me you saw my statue.” “Oh, yeah. At the tavern in Ninevah.” He grinned. “They were obscene, pornographic almost. But, it was a tavern. Why are you asking?” “Well, do I look fat? In those pictures, those frescos you saw? Do they make me look fat? Do you think I’m fat, René?” — Of Gods and Mortals (Jim Aa

The birds arrived in early December, their presence changed things a lot. Each evening large booming calls of the males punctuated the night

A fractured tooth can lead to a face deforming abscess.

Whoa, Gara! Calm down. Sorry, Marol!” Jen exclaimed, squeezing her legs together to keep her horse from backing. “It’s okay, boy,” she reassured the lean, muscular grey Arab gelding, realizing how wet his neck was when she patted him. Agitated, Gara was not tired. Despite trotting, cantering, and galloping the last twenty miles, he remained in tune with his task, moving his head back and forth, scanning the terrain while traveling forward, turning his ears this way and that,