Footprint – Paradise and underworld Gates in Rock Art

The Negev Desert in southern Israel has yielded a remarkable collection of rock-art engravings depicting “footprints” that have long puzzled archaeologists and researchers. While such motifs are often interpreted as markers of divine presence or spiritual transition, I propose that these footprints function as symbolic gates to the afterlife—thresholds through which souls pass, whether into the underworld or into heaven.

The 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 or more elaborate curved extensions. .

Fig. 1 illustrates the depiction and placement of these gates within the three cosmic realms, showing how ancient peoples conceptualized the movement of souls and deities between different worlds.

Fig.0Heavenly gate rock art from Negev Desert and their location in the 3 realms

Footprints appear across many regions—including the Negev Desert—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.

Fig.1 A footprint in rock art that symbolizes entrance to the underworld, positioned near the remains of a fire pit. Sweden (photo by Peter Skoglund)

The Heavenly Gate Astronomical Origins

John C. Didier (2009) shows that ancient Mesopotamian astronomers developed sophisticated methods for tracking celestial movements and interpreting star patterns with both practical and spiritual meaning. One key formation is the “Heavenly Gate,” a rectangular configuration near the North Celestial Pole. It is defined by four stars: Kochab and Pherkad in Ursa Minor (the upper gateposts), and Dubhe and Merak in Ursa Major (the lower threshold). This rectangle encloses Thuban (Alpha Draconis) in Draco, which served as the pole star between 4000–2000 BCE—the center of the night sky’s rotation. The surrounding constellations formed a symbolic gateway to the divine realm, a passage for gods, souls, and cosmic forces. Ursa Major, often imagined as a celestial bull, was seen as supporting this gate, symbolizing the foundation of paradise itself.

Fig.2    Heavenly Gate illustration      Fig.3 The Heavenly Bull and the Winged Gate. On right, the Goddess Inanna climbs out the gate.

The Gates in Sumerian Cylinder Seals

The Akkadian cylinder seal referenced in Fig. 3, dating to approximately 3000-2500 BCE during the Early Dynastic period, represents one of the most sophisticated examples of ancient astronomical knowledge preserved in glyptic art.

The technical execution of this cylinder seal reveals remarkable attention to astronomical detail. The winged gate carried by the celestial bull directly corresponds to the stellar configuration of Ursa Major, whose seven bright stars form a distinctive quadrilateral shape with an extended "handle" that ancient observers interpreted as either a bull's body with tail.

This cylinder seal scene shows two seated deities—likely Anu and Enlil—holding cords that pass through the celestial gate, symbolizing their control over cosmic order. The cords represent the Draco constellation, which winds like a serpent between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In the center of the gate on Draco's tail sits the star Thuban. Around 3000 BCE, Thuban served as the pole star and marked the celestial axis. Its fixed position made it the most important star, symbolizing stability, cosmic order, and heaven's location.

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. 4, 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 transportation hub for divine beings.

The Underworld Gate

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.

Fig.4;   Underworld Gates Negev Desert Rock art.

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   Rock Art examples of heavenly gates and their association with the realm they represent

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 underworld gate (as seen in the Venus Calendar ), 2) the Venus Star hovering above its gates, 3) the moon exiting its rising gate (the right footprint), and 4) an ibex entering the gate, with half of it inside and half outside.

The Paradise Gate abstraction

Fig.6 depicts two galloping horses that are carrying a rectangular structure in tandem. This unique and visually stunning scene accurately represents all the constellations around the North Star. This particular sky region is of great importance since it marks the location of the Paradise gate and the north star the Thuban. The rock art represents the Northern sky, showcasing the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor constellations that surround the North Star. It isn’t a literal depiction of the horses or the constellations, but rather an artistic interpretation of the constellations surrounding the North Star, depicted through familiar earthly symbols.

Fig.6   The Heavenly Gate is situated around the North Pole the world pivot. The gate is carried by two horses representing the constellations Ursa Major/Minor and Draco. Negev Desert Rock Art (photo Razy Yahel)

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 emarkable 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 sophisticated knowledge transmission across cultures.

Bibliography

Didier, John C The Ancient Eurasian World and the Celestial Pivot.
Goldhahn (2008) In the Wake of a Voyager: feet, boats, and death rituals in the North European Bronze Age

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Yehuda Rotblum