Flaming Sword Rock Carving (Antiquities?)

I found this rock carving of a flaming sword.

I see an early reference to it here:
After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of
Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

So far this just sits there, so have my doubts its the flaming sword, but since it's a very early reference to this image I'm wondering what it is I found.

I have a new camera and I haven't found the always flash setting, it either goes to auto and no flash. The photo quality needed a flash, and so I did an automatic improve photo function and it darkened the natural color quite a lot.

 

Has the edge that's on left in the photo been flattened? Can it sit on that edge? Where/how did you acquire it? Or do you literally mean you found it? Could it be sprouting rather than burning?

 

The Bible verse gives no indication the sword was left behind.

 

Yes, it has been flattened and two photos show it standing on an edge. I found it in a thrift shop.

 

I was asking about a long side, but really asking if it can stand up. I have trouble with depth perception in photos. To me it looks like it's lying on its back. I made the mistake of using 'sit' when 'stand' would have made it clearer.

 

First shot its laying on its back. I wanted to give an image of the edge so I took the second shot like that.

 

OK, think I've got it now. So the way it stands is with the sword upright. In the pic, the edge shown looks too rough to me (depth perception) for it to stand on it, but the long edge on the left looks like it might be flat. The underlying question is whether it is meant to show the sword horizontally or vertically. This may or may not have any significance, but with symbolism every little thing can have meaning.

 

Did you see this one? Not much info but says Scandinavian.

https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty...dinavian-design-burning-sword-vector-37847860

 

Thank you. Just saw it. I did get it in Seattle and we have a huge Scandinavian population here.

 

It's a start.

 

Looks similar to the second pic here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runestone

 

Wow, so these have a tradition of being made.

 

I'll let you take it from here. Please keep us, uh, posted.

 

I'm sorry, at the time I didn't understand the question, but now I see that if it could stand on that side, then it would be upright and in proper perspective. It is flattened perfectly smooth on that side like it would be able to, if not for the slight wedge shape of the stone which makes additional weight at top which weighs it backwards. It will not stand on its own on that side.

 

I finally got around to taking new photos and sent them to Sotheby's.

 

Strange the color is completely different. Which are more accurate, your first photos or the new ones?

 

That perfectly straight scoring that runs across the back raises questions about age in my mind.

 

The whole look of the scratched sword gives me pause about age.

 

The new photos are more accurate. I am undecided.

One thing about it is the emblem at the sword tip that looks like a shield emblem. That makes me think it's possibly European and made when that emblem was commonly used.

Sotheby's replied only it was something they could not sell, so I guess they don't really give opinions other than that with a simple inquiry. They recommended someplace called Catawiki.

 

Catawiki is an on line resource, a bit like Worthpoint.