▁gods , ▁and ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁k ings ▁appear ▁upon ▁em blem s ▁known ▁as ▁s erek hs , ▁representing ▁the ▁king ' s ▁palace , ▁and ▁usually ▁to pped ▁with ▁a ▁fal con ▁representing ▁the ▁god ▁Hor us , ▁of ▁whom ▁the ▁king ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁earth ly ▁inc arn ation . ▁ ▁Similar ▁em blem s ▁and ▁devices ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁ancient ▁Mes op ot am ian ▁art ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁period , ▁and ▁the ▁prec urs ors ▁of ▁her ald ic ▁be asts ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁gr iff in ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁found . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Bible , ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Num bers ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁standards ▁and ▁en sign s ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁of ▁Israel , ▁who ▁were ▁commanded ▁to ▁gather ▁beneath ▁these ▁em blem s ▁and ▁declare ▁their ▁pedig rees . ▁ ▁The ▁Greek ▁and ▁Latin ▁writers ▁frequently ▁describe ▁the ▁shield s ▁and ▁symbols ▁of ▁various ▁hero es , ▁and ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁army ▁were ▁sometimes ▁identified ▁by ▁distinct ive ▁mark ings ▁on ▁their ▁shield s . ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁her ald ic ▁writers ▁to ▁c ite ▁examples ▁such ▁as ▁these , ▁and ▁met ap hor ical ▁symbols ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁" L ion ▁of ▁Jud ah " ▁or ▁" E agle ▁of ▁the ▁Ca es ars " ▁as ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁anti qu ity ▁of ▁her ald ry ▁itself ; ▁and ▁to ▁infer ▁there from ▁that ▁the ▁great ▁figures ▁of ▁ancient ▁history ▁bore ▁arms ▁representing