Footprint symbol in Negev Rock Art

Footprints as symbols of the gates between worlds

The Negev Desert in southern Israel has yielded a remarkable corpus of rock-art engravings depicting “footprints,” motifs that have long puzzled archaeologists and researchers. These images are often interpreted as markers of divine presence. I propose, however, that the footprints function more specifically as symbolic gates or thresholds, through which gods and souls pass between the earthly realm, the underworld, and the heavens.

These footprint engravings exhibit several distinctive features that appear across multiple sites with remarkable consistency. They are invariably carved in pairs, with one footprint measurably larger than its companion—typically showing a size differential of 20-30%. Many of them vave protruding "ears" at the heel area, sometimes rendered as simple lines.

Footprints appear across many regions indicating a widely shared symbolic tradition. A compelling example comes from Swedish rock art discussed by Goldhahn (2008), where engraved footprints, see Fig.1, encircle a fire pit associated with Bronze Age burial rites. I interpret these footprints as symbolic gateways to the underworld—thresholds crossed by the soul at burial, the fire functioning as a ritual hearth that elevates the soul through the gates into the afterlife.

The Heavenly Gate Astronomical Origins

John C. Didier (2009) demonstrates the origins of this concept in ancient Mesopotamian astronomy (Fig. 2, left image). The “Heavenly Gate” appears on numerous Sumerian cylinder seals as a rectangular celestial configuration. This rectangle encloses Thuban in the constellation Draco, which served as the pole star between approximately 4000 and 2000 BCE. Ursa Major, often imagined as a celestial bull, was conceived as supporting this gate. Together, the surrounding constellations formed a symbolic gateway marking the location of the North Star, regarded as the one true constant of the cosmos, or heaven.

The Gates in Sumerian Cylinder Seals

The Akkadian cylinder seal referenced in Fig.2, dating to approximately 3000-2500 BCE, represents one of the most sophisticated examples of ancient astronomical knowledge preserved in glyptic art.

The cylinder seal scene at the center of Fig. 2 depicts two seated deities, likely Anu and Enlil, holding a cord that passes through the celestial gate, symbolizing their control over cosmic order. The cord represents the constellation Draco, which winds serpent-like between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. At the center of the gate, upon Draco’s tail, lies the star Thuban.

The gate’s asymmetrical wings hold deep astronomical meaning: the larger right wing represents the eastern rising of stars, while the smaller left wing reflects their western setting. This size difference mirrors ancient observations that celestial bodies appear brighter when rising. The wings also emphasize the gate’s celestial, sky-bound nature.

The Epic of Gilgamesh, composed around 1800-1500 BCE, provides crucial literary context for understanding these astronomical-mythological connections. The epic's detailed description of Inanna's (Ishtar's) journey through the celestial realm includes specific references to the "Bull of Heaven" and the divine boat that traverses the cosmic ocean separating earth from heaven. In the cylinder seal scene depicted in Fig.2 (the rightmost scene), Inanna appears as a nude figure stepping through the cosmic gate—a visual representation of the goddess's ability to travel freely between divine and mortal realms. Her nakedness symbolizes her divine nature transcending earthly constraints, while her direct transition onto the celestial boat emphasizes the gate's function as a passage between realms.

The "footprint" Gate in Negev Rock Art

Fig.4 illustrates an example of Negev Desert rock art depicting underworld gate engravings. Characteristic features recur across such representations: the paired gates are unequal in size, with one consistently larger than the other; ear-like extensions appear on some examples, reminiscent of the winged motifs of Sumerian cylinder seals; and in certain engravings the ears are simple engraved lines.

In Fig. 4's rightmost engraving, two sets of footprints are visible. The upper set represents the sunrise and sunset gates, with the Sun positioned as a complete circle between them. On the other hand, the lower pair symbolizes the moonrise and moonset gates, with the moon situated between them. The ratio of the sun's rising and setting gates is sustained, while the moon gates are equal in size, since their luminosity does not alter. This engraving provides proof of the footprint's meaning, which signifies celestial gates.

Fig.5 displays engraved rock art gates from the Negev Desert along with their celestial connections. The gates are depicted from left to right as follows: 1) Venus enters the gate (as seen in the Venus Calendar ), 2) the Venus Star hovering above its gates, 3) the camel with the sun enter the gates, and 4) an ibex entering the gate, with half of it inside and half outside.

The Paradise Gate abstraction

Fig. 6. Negev rock art depicting two galloping horses carrying a rectangular structure in tandem. The scene represents the northern sky, with Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Draco (indicated by the upper horse’s tail) arranged around the North Star. The image is not a literal portrayal of animals or constellations, but an artistic interpretation of the circumpolar sky rendered through familiar earthly symbols.

The kneeling posture of the lower horse in the scene is reminiscent of the wheelbarrow shape of the Ursa Major constellation pose. The upper horse symbolizes the Ursa Minor constellation, while its long tail represents the Draco constellation that winds between the two constellations. The rectangular area where Draco’s tail crosses marks the location of the old North Star, Thuban, from the 4th to the 2nd millennium BCE.

Conclusion

Rock art engravings of “footprints” have been found in the Negev Desert in Israel. These footprints are typically carved in pairs and are believed to represent heavenly gates according to Sumerian records.

The remarkable similarities between Sumerian cylinder seals and Negev Desert rock art provide compelling evidence for the Heavenly Gates interpretation. The consistent details, gate sizes, wing proportions, and wavy lines associated with the Draco constellation demonstrate that sophisticated astronomical knowledge transmitted across cultures.

© All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of negevrockart.co.il

Yehuda Rotblum