Lioness of Gobedra
Encyclopedia
The Lioness of Gobedra is a representation of a crouching lion
ess, about 3 meters long, carved in relief on a large rock outcropping. First described by German archeologists in 1913, this carving is located two kilometers west of Axum
, Ethiopia
.
The reason for this isolated stone carving is unknown, but the subject of much speculation. A local story, according to Philip Briggs, is that Archangel Michael was attacked by a lion here, and "he repelled the lion with such force it left an outline in the rock." Not far away is a quarry, where the stelae that adorn Axum is thought to have been carved from, containing and a partially-carved example.
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
ess, about 3 meters long, carved in relief on a large rock outcropping. First described by German archeologists in 1913, this carving is located two kilometers west of Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
The reason for this isolated stone carving is unknown, but the subject of much speculation. A local story, according to Philip Briggs, is that Archangel Michael was attacked by a lion here, and "he repelled the lion with such force it left an outline in the rock." Not far away is a quarry, where the stelae that adorn Axum is thought to have been carved from, containing and a partially-carved example.
External links
- Photograph of the carving a very clear photograph of the Lioness of Gobedra
- Several photographs of the Lioness of Gobedra which is stated on the site as possibly dating to sometime B.C. and many details about the carving