Winged genie is the conventional term for a recurring motif in Assyrian iconography. Winged genies are bearded male figures sporting birds' wings. A frequent motif is that of two winged genies pollinating a date tree (sometimes identified as the Tree of Life), but also as guarding or blessing royal figures.
Winged genies co-existed with numerous other mythological hybrids in the Early Iron Age art of Assyria and Asia Minor. They influenced Archaic Greece during its "orientalizing period", resulting in the hybrid creatures of Greek mythology such as the Chimera, the Griffin or Pegasus and, int the case of the "winged man", Talos. The orientalizing period has its origin in Early Iron Age (9th century BC) Crete, where bearded and winged figures clearly inspired by Assyrian templates are found engraved in bronze bowls and other artefacts.[1]
The "winged man" also makes an appearance among the Chayot of Ezekiel's Merkabah vision, and via Revelation 4:7 becomes the symbol of Matthew the Evangelist. The Seraphim of Isaiah (6:1–3) have six wings each.