Ancient Babylonian Hymn Rediscovered in Iraq After Millennium

A Babylonian hymn, over 2,000 years old, has been rediscovered in Iraq after being lost for a thousand years. The text, a paean celebrating Babylon’s majesty, offers insights into the lives of its inhabitants, including the roles of women as priestesses. Scholars utilized an AI-supported platform to identify 30 manuscripts belonging to the hymn, a process that previously would have taken decades. The complete hymn, comprising 250 lines, was deciphered, with parts previously missing. Numerous copies suggest the text was widely circulated and even copied by school children. Written by a Babylonian praising his city, the hymn describes its buildings and the life-giving waters of the Euphrates, a rare detailed depiction of natural phenomena in Mesopotamian literature. The text also highlights the respect Babylon’s residents held for foreigners. The manuscripts date between the 7th and 1st centuries BCE, originating from the Sippar Library, believed to have been hidden to protect them from floodwaters. Babylon, founded around 2000 BCE, was once the world’s largest city and a significant cultural center.