Baghdad - SABA:
Scientists have discovered a historic hymn dating back to ancient Babylonian civilization after it had been lost for over 2,100 years.
This religious poem, once chanted in praise of the god Marduk (or Merodach), the protective deity of the city of Babylon, offers a vivid poetic description of life in that legendary city. It speaks of its flowing rivers, jewel-adorned gates, and pure-hearted priests.
Fragments of the hymn were found inscribed on clay tablets in the ruins of the ancient city of Sippar, located about 65 kilometers north of Babylon.
A research team from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich used artificial intelligence techniques to reassemble 30 scattered pieces of these tablets — a process that would have taken decades using traditional methods.
The original hymn is around 250 lines long. So far, researchers have been able to decipher and translate about one-third of the text, written in cuneiform script. This discovery is significant as it provides new and unprecedented insights into the daily and cultural life of ancient Babylon. Professor Enrique Jiménez, the lead researcher, described the text as possessing “exceptional literary quality and a meticulously coherent structure.”
The hymn begins with a grand glorification of Marduk, who is described as the “architect of the universe.” It then shifts to praise Babylon itself, depicting it as a rich paradise overflowing with abundance — likened to the sea in its generosity, to an orchard in its prosperity, and to waves in the flow of its blessings.
The hymn also offers a vivid description of the Euphrates River and the fertile plains surrounding it, where livestock graze.
More importantly, the text reveals the moral and ethical values of Babylonian society, highlighting virtues such as respect for strangers and protection of the weak.
The hymn praises priests who do not humiliate foreigners, who free captives, and who care for orphans.
It also provides rare details about the role of women in Babylonian society, revealing the existence of priestesses who served as midwives helping women in childbirth — a role not previously known from other historical sources.
Evidence suggests that this hymn held a special place in Babylonian culture, as it was studied in Babylonian schools for nearly a thousand years — from around the 15th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. This means that successive generations of Babylonian students continued to copy and study it even after the fall of the Babylonian Empire.
The ruins of Babylon — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — lie about 85 kilometers south of Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, and remain a testament to the glory of a civilization thousands of years old.
Among the most remarkable passages in the hymn is a poetic description of the Euphrates River, the lifeblood of Babylon:
“The Euphrates is her river, creation of the wise god Nudimmud —
It waters the banks, nourishes the plains,
Pours its waters into the lake and the sea,
Its fields bloom with flowers and grass,
Its meadows glitter with spring herbs and barley ears,
Heaps of beer grains lie piled in its midst,
Cattle and sheep rest on the green pastures,
Abundance and wealth — what is rightfully for the people —
Multiply, become available, and flow in plenty.”
Scholars estimate that the hymn was written between 1500–1300 BCE, making it one of the oldest long literary works in Babylonian history. Although it is newer than the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, it was studied and transmitted alongside it for many centuries. Interestingly, researchers believe that this hymn was the work of a single author — unlike the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was compiled over generations.
The author of this literary masterpiece remains unknown, but Professor Enrique Jiménez expressed optimism that their identity may be uncovered in the future.
Scientists have discovered a historic hymn dating back to ancient Babylonian civilization after it had been lost for over 2,100 years.
This religious poem, once chanted in praise of the god Marduk (or Merodach), the protective deity of the city of Babylon, offers a vivid poetic description of life in that legendary city. It speaks of its flowing rivers, jewel-adorned gates, and pure-hearted priests.
Fragments of the hymn were found inscribed on clay tablets in the ruins of the ancient city of Sippar, located about 65 kilometers north of Babylon.
A research team from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich used artificial intelligence techniques to reassemble 30 scattered pieces of these tablets — a process that would have taken decades using traditional methods.
The original hymn is around 250 lines long. So far, researchers have been able to decipher and translate about one-third of the text, written in cuneiform script. This discovery is significant as it provides new and unprecedented insights into the daily and cultural life of ancient Babylon. Professor Enrique Jiménez, the lead researcher, described the text as possessing “exceptional literary quality and a meticulously coherent structure.”
The hymn begins with a grand glorification of Marduk, who is described as the “architect of the universe.” It then shifts to praise Babylon itself, depicting it as a rich paradise overflowing with abundance — likened to the sea in its generosity, to an orchard in its prosperity, and to waves in the flow of its blessings.
The hymn also offers a vivid description of the Euphrates River and the fertile plains surrounding it, where livestock graze.
More importantly, the text reveals the moral and ethical values of Babylonian society, highlighting virtues such as respect for strangers and protection of the weak.
The hymn praises priests who do not humiliate foreigners, who free captives, and who care for orphans.
It also provides rare details about the role of women in Babylonian society, revealing the existence of priestesses who served as midwives helping women in childbirth — a role not previously known from other historical sources.
Evidence suggests that this hymn held a special place in Babylonian culture, as it was studied in Babylonian schools for nearly a thousand years — from around the 15th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. This means that successive generations of Babylonian students continued to copy and study it even after the fall of the Babylonian Empire.
The ruins of Babylon — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — lie about 85 kilometers south of Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, and remain a testament to the glory of a civilization thousands of years old.
Among the most remarkable passages in the hymn is a poetic description of the Euphrates River, the lifeblood of Babylon:
“The Euphrates is her river, creation of the wise god Nudimmud —
It waters the banks, nourishes the plains,
Pours its waters into the lake and the sea,
Its fields bloom with flowers and grass,
Its meadows glitter with spring herbs and barley ears,
Heaps of beer grains lie piled in its midst,
Cattle and sheep rest on the green pastures,
Abundance and wealth — what is rightfully for the people —
Multiply, become available, and flow in plenty.”
Scholars estimate that the hymn was written between 1500–1300 BCE, making it one of the oldest long literary works in Babylonian history. Although it is newer than the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, it was studied and transmitted alongside it for many centuries. Interestingly, researchers believe that this hymn was the work of a single author — unlike the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was compiled over generations.
The author of this literary masterpiece remains unknown, but Professor Enrique Jiménez expressed optimism that their identity may be uncovered in the future.