The lion has been adopted as a symbol for the Endeavour Global School Coat of Arms. For humanity, the lion has been an icon for thousands of years, appearing in cultures across Asia, Africa and Europe. The lion-headed ivory carving from Vogelherd cave in the Swabian Alb in south-western Germany has been found to be about 32,000 years old. In ancient times, in Egypt, lions were venerated as war deities. The Nemean lion was emblematic in Ancient Greece and Rome. The lion is also the biblical emblem of the tribe of Judah and later the Kingdom of Judah. The lion was also a leading symbol in ancient Mesopotamia from Sumer up to Assyrian and Babylonian times, where it was associated with kingship. The symbol of the lion is closely tied to the Persian people. Achaemenid kings were known to carry the symbol of a lion on their thrones and garments. ‘Singh’ is an ancient Indian Vedic name for a lion, dating back over 2000 years to ancient India. Further south on the Indian subcontinent, the Asiatic lion is also symbolic for the Sinhalese. The lion is a magnificent animal that appears as a symbol of power, courage and nobility on family crests, coat of arms and national flags in many civilizations. Lions are considered so powerful that their images eventually came to protect the thrones of kings as far away as China and England. Lions also guarded the gates of the great cities of the ancient empires of the Babylonians, the Hittites, and the early Greeks. The lion is an emblem of royalty, strength, conquest, valour, pride, wisdom, authority, courage and protection. It is now a part of the school coat of arms to inspire all at Endeavour Global School.