An artefact from Iraq confirmed the legend of the great king of Babylon

In Iraq, unique clay cylinders have been deciphered, which became the first written evidence that the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II was personally engaged in the restoration of the ziggurat in the ancient city of Kish.

The findings are published in the scientific publication Iraq and presented on the Phys.org platform.

A find after millennia

Two clay cylinders with cuneiform inscriptions were handed over by local residents to Iraq's State Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage back in 2013. They were discovered on the surface of Tell al-Ukhaimir hill, where the ruins of the ziggurat of ancient Kish are located.

Later analysis showed that the inscriptions belonged to Nebuchadnezzar II, ruler of Babylon in 604-562 B.C. Until then, archaeologists only assumed his involvement in the restoration of the ziggurat - only bricks with royal brands found during excavations pointed to this.

The first "fundamental text"

The cylinders turned out to be the so-called fundamental texts, the official inscriptions that were laid in the foundations of religious buildings in the New Babylonian period. It is the first known text directly describing Nebuchadnezzar II's construction work at Kish.

In the inscription, the king calls himself the chosen one of the gods Marduk and Nabu and describes the rebuilding of a ziggurat dedicated to the god of war Zabab and the goddess Ishtar.

A ziggurat destroyed by time

According to the text of the cylinders, the ziggurat was built by the "king of the past" and rebuilt by the "former king", but over time it fell into disrepair again: the walls weakened and the brickwork was destroyed by the rains.

Nebuchadnezzar II describes how by divine command he restored the structure and "made it shine like daylight," decorating the temple for Zababa and Ishtar.

Scholars speculate that the unnamed rulers mentioned could have been Samsu-iluna and Adad-apla-iddina, but Nebuchadnezzar deliberately does not mention them by name - the reasons for this remain unclear.

Almost identical texts

Both cylinders contain almost identical text, emphasising their official and ritual significance. Researchers note that the find significantly expands the understanding of Nebuchadnezzar II's building policy and confirms his active role in the restoration of Mesopotamian cult centres.

According to scientists, these artefacts not only complement archaeological data, but also provide a rare opportunity to "hear the voice" of the king himself, telling about his contribution to the preservation of the religious heritage of ancient Babylon.