| One
of a host of heavenly beings, described in Ezekiel 1:5-11
and associated with the Seraphim. They were later taken to be angels belonging to the second order of
medieval theology's angelic hierarchy. They are described
as sparkling human-like creatures with four wings. They
had straight feet with cloven hooves and human-like hands
that clund to their side. Two of their wings were
stretched upward and the other two covered their bodies.
They had four faces: the two on the left were that of a
man and of a lion, and the two on the right were that of
an ox and of an eagle. They are often depicted as wearing
blue. The Cherubim
were described as supporting the throne and chariot of
God, and they are also mentioned in Genesis 3:24, where
they were sent by God to the Garden of Eden. There, they
were armed with a flaming sword that "turned every
way" and were mandated to protect the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Cherubim were probably
corruptions of a lesser group of human-headed bull
deities of ancient Babylon, also called cherubim, that
guarded the gates of the royal palace. In classical art,
Cherubim are often depicted with child-like features and
chubby, rosy cheeks.
|
