Babylonian text missing for 1,000 years deciphered with AI
A team of ancient literature experts have deciphered a Mesopotamain text that was missing for over 1,000 years. Etched on clay tablets, the Hymn to Babylon describes the ancient megacity in “all of its majesty,” and gives new insights into the everyday lives of those who resided there. The text is detailed in a study published in the journal Iraq. The cuneiform tablet with the newly discovered hymn. CREDIT: LMU/Anmar A. Fadhil, Department of Archaeology, University of Baghdad, with the permission of the Iraqi Museum and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. An ancient cultural hub Founded in Mesopotamia around 2,000 BCE, Babylon was once the largest city in the world. Babylon’s ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 52 miles outside of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. At its height, the city was a cultural hub that inspired written works that still form part of our global heritage today....