Maya Limestone Yaxchil獺n Lintel 24. Records a bloodletting ritual that took place on October 28, 709 AD. Shield Jaguar holds a torch while his consort, Lady Xoc, pulls a rope studded with what are now believed to be obsidian shards through her tongue in order to conjure a vision serpent. Itzamnaaj B'alam II was a Maya king who ruled in Yaxchilan from 681 until he died in 742. He is also called Shield Jaguar II by modern writers and commonly referred to simply as Shield Jaguar based on his name glyph before the phonetic name was deciphered. One of Itzamnaaj B'alam's greatest accomplishments was the construction of what is now called Temple 23. At Temple 23, Lady Xoc is shown performing a bloodletting ritual for three different occasions: his accession to the throne, the birth of his son and heir Yaxun B'alam, and the dedication of Temple 23. Lady Xoc is one of the most prominent and probably politically powerful women in the Maya civilization.