Cherubim

thumb|A tetramorph cherub, in [[Eastern Orthodox iconography]] A cherub (; : cherubim; kərūḇ, pl. kərūḇīm) is one type of supernatural being in the Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles, such as protecting the entrance of the Garden of Eden.

thumb|Renaissance art|Renaissance putti, detail from the [[Camera degli Sposi, by Andrea Mantegna, 1465–1474, fresco, Ducal Palace, Mantua, Italy]] A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism, the putto came to represent a sort of baby angel in religious art, often called a cherub (plural cherubim), though in traditional Christian theology, a cherub is actually one of the most senior types of angel. thumb|Three Putti Next to a cartouche (design)|Cartouche, after

term used in the Hebrew Bible

thumb|Orthodox priest and deacons praying the Cherubic Hymn at the beginning of the Great Entrance

gold lid placed on the Ark of the Covenant

Cherubism is a rare genetic disorder that causes prominence in the lower portion in the face. The name is derived from the temporary chubby-cheeked resemblance to putti, the chubby-faced infants featured in Renaissance paintings, which were often mistakenly described as cherubim.

public discourse by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

Second Book of Chronicles, chapter 3

phoenician votive thrones

reliquary in Limburg an der Lahn, Hesse, Germany

first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible

sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Class of heavenly beings described in the prophet Ezekiel's vision