Discover here the astronomical information incorporated into the design of a splendid Phoenician ivory carving from the eighth or ninth century BCE that represents a winged sphinx or cherub.  You will find in Volume 1, The Cherub star chart,  that this design was composed from precisely positioned circle arcs, and the centers of these circles form a star chart of the northern sky as seen from the carver's time and place. 

In the further Volumes of this series you will see that the arrangement of these circles perfectly matches the time and place of the carving's probable origin, Damascus in the ninth century BCE.  The astronomical and mathematical information embedded in this and similar carvings now opens a window on the knowledge and beliefs of the artists and sages who produced this astromagic art.

The details of their designs also teach us respect for the analytical skills behind their sophisticated geometry .