What does this symbol mean ?

[Ben Anat]

Today, I was walking with a friend in the old city in Jerusalem and I saw this symbol, my friend who's more experienced in the occult than I am has told me it has something to do with chaos, can anyone tell me more about it ? (A picture is attached to this message)

[Vir Sapiens]

Well I think he is applying an interpretation to it that the person who carved it did not intend. It does indeed have eight rays, like the Chaos star. Then again so does the compass rose, but you wouldn't look at a compass and assume it had to do with Chaos. What you see there is a rather common piece of architectural embellishment found in many areas of the Mediterranean and Middle East. I've seen almost the exact same floral pattern in Iraq and in North Africa. Of course usually it was accompanied by others. If this one stands alone it could be a marker of some sort or it could be a case of borrowed building material. It wasn't unheard of for people at that time to snatch building materials from old buildings or buildings erected by unpopular rulers, and use them in public works projects or in new buildings.

[Elfwyn]

VERY pretty!

I think that Vir Sapien's explanation is right on.

I must say, that it reminds me of Ishtar, specifically. You know, the eight rayed star? Uh-huh.