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Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Reconstructed a Babylonian Hymn Lost for Over 1,000 Years
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A Babylonian hymn lost for over a thousand years was rediscovered. Experts pieced together the hymn using an AI model to decipher hundreds of cuneiform tablets in a Baghdad library. The library's tablets were only preserved in fragments, requiring the difficult process of stitching the individual fragments together. Legend has it that Noah tucked away Babylonian cuneiform writings on clay tablets before the great flood over 4,000 years ago. Researchers just discovered a tablet writing in the same style, a hymn written in honor of Babylon that was lost a millennium ago. They were able to decipher it with a little help from AI. In a study published in the journal Iraq, a team of researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the University of Baghdad scoured the Sippar Library's collection of hundreds of fragments of cuneiform tablets to rediscover the hymn to Babylon. 'Using our AI-supported platform, we managed to identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the rediscovered hymn—a process that would formerly have taken decades,' Enrique Jiménez, professor of Ancient Near Eastern Literature at LMU's Institute of Assyriology, said in a translated statement. 'Thanks to these additional texts, the scholars were able to completely decipher the hymn of praise on the clay tablet, parts of which were missing.' Founded in Mesopotamia around 2,000 B.C., Babylon was, at one time, the largest city in the world. The metropolis was a cultural hub, and its intellectuals produced plenty of writing, much of which were done on clay tablets. Jiménez is working on a project to digitize all cuneiform text fragments discovered worldwide and then used AI to decipher which pieces belonged together. Finding so many copies of an original hymn showed that it was a popular text in its time. 'The hymn was copied by children at school,' Jiménez said. 'It's unusual that such a popular text in its day was unknown to us before now. It's a fascinating hymn that describes Babylon in all its majesty and gives insights into the lives of its inhabitants, male and female.' The study authors said that the hymn includes unparalleled descriptions of the healing powers of Marduk (the patron deity of Babylon), the splendor of Babylon, the the Euphrates River in the spring, and the generosity of the Babylonians. 'The author of this highly accomplished piece immortalized his devotion to his city, gods, and people in words that resonated until the final decades of cuneiform culture,' the study authors wrote. The 250-line song is believed to be from the early days of the first millennium. 'It was written by a Babylonian who wanted to praise his city,' Jiménez said. 'The author describes the buildings in the city, but also how the waters of the Euphrates bring the spring and green the fields. This is all the more spectacular as surviving Mesopotamian literature is sparing in its descriptions of natural phenomena.' The song includes details about the life of women in Babylon, including roles as priestesses and the tasks they performed. There are no other known texts describing this information. Jiménez said that the hymns also provide insight into an urban society shown being respectful to foreigners. According to the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the following lines are from the newly discovered hymn describing the river Euphrates, where the historic Babylon was at the time, now at UNESCO World Heritage Site about 52 miles from the current Iraq capital of Baghdad. The translated lines: The Euphrates is her river—established by wise lord Nudimmud— It quenches the lea, saturates the canebrake, Disgorges its waters into lagoon and sea, Its fields burgeon with herbs and flowers, Its meadows, in brilliant bloom, sprout barley, From which, gathered, sheaves are stacked, Herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures, Wealth and splendor—what befit mankind— Are bestowed, multiplied, and regally granted You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
The Irish Sun
02-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
AI deciphers hymn on 4,000-year-old clay tablet to unlock mystery of ancient city of Babylon
AN ANCIENT hymn lost for 4,000 years on a Babylonian tablet has finally been deciphered using artificial intelligence (AI). Advances in technology made the discovery possible in a fraction of the time, according to a new Advertisement 5 Babylonian texts were composed in cuneiform, the oldest form of writing, on clay tablets Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez 5 Researchers believe children would have studied the hymn, which is comprised of 250 lines of text, at school Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez 5 Roughly 100 lines of the hymn's ending are still missing or mutilated, according to the study Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez Without AI, it would have taken decades to decode. The text, inscribed on an ancient tablet, is from Babylon, Mesopotamia - once the largest city in the world in 2000 BCE. Babylonian texts were composed in cuneiform, the oldest form of writing, on clay tablets. But they have only survived in fragments, meaning their messages are hard to decipher. Advertisement After digitising a selection of ancient texts, researchers at the University of Baghdad and Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, uncovered an ancient hymn they believe Babylon residents would have sung. "Using our AI-supported platform, we managed to identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the rediscovered hymn—a process that would formerly have taken decades," said Enrique Jiménez, professor of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures at LMU's Institute of Assyriology. Although parts of these texts were missing, scholars were still able to completely decipher the hymn of praise. "It's a fascinating hymn that describes Babylon in all its majesty and gives insights into the lives of its inhabitants, male and female," added Jiménez. Advertisement Most read in Science Exclusive Researchers believe children would have studied the hymn, which is comprised of 250 lines of text, at school. Numerous copies of the hymn have been found inscribed on clay tablets from the era. "The hymn was copied by children at school. It's unusual that such a popular text in its day was unknown to us before now," said Jiménez. "It was written by a Babylonian who wanted to praise his city. Advertisement "The author describes the buildings in the city, but also how the waters of the Euphrates bring the spring and green the fields. "This is all the more spectacular as surviving Mesopotamian literature is sparing in its descriptions of natural phenomena." Excerpt from the ancient hymn Here are some lines from the newly discovered hymn of praise: "The Euphrates is her river - established by wise lord Nudimmud - "It quenches the lea, saturates the canebrake, "Disgorges its waters into lagoon and sea, "Its fields burgeon with herbs and flowers, "Its meadows, in brilliant bloom, sprout barley, "From which, gathered, sheaves are stacked, "Herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures, "Wealth and splendour - what befit mankind - "Are bestowed, multiplied, and regally granted." The ruins of the ancient city of Babylon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located some 85 km south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Beyond the city and its pastures, the hymn also reveals new details about the lives of women in Babylon. Advertisement Women had roles as priestesses, which were described as being particularly virtuous. They were praised in the hymn for their devotion and discretion. Priestesses were famously celibate, and were among the professions established to to keep the population's birth rate under control. Their "partners", mentioned in the hymn, are understood to be the gods they are devoted to. Advertisement The hymn also offers insights into the melding of different cultures in the early urban society. For example, the inhabitants are described as being respectful to foreigners. Read more on the Irish Sun While researchers have uncovered unprecedented detail about ancient Babylon, there are more secrets to uncover. Roughly 100 lines of the hymn's ending are still missing or mutilated, according to the study, so it is difficult to decipher what they might have contained. Advertisement 5 Beyond the city and its pastures, the hymn also reveals new details about the lives of women in Babylon Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez 5 The ruins of the ancient city of Babylon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located some 85 km south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
AI deciphers hymn on 4,000-year-old clay tablet to unlock mystery of ancient city of Babylon
Beyond the city and its pastures, the hymn also reveals new details about the lives of women in Babylon BIBLICAL BREAKTHROUGH AI deciphers hymn on 4,000-year-old clay tablet to unlock mystery of ancient city of Babylon Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ANCIENT hymn lost for 4,000 years on a Babylonian tablet has finally been deciphered using artificial intelligence (AI). Advances in technology made the discovery possible in a fraction of the time, according to a new study. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Babylonian texts were composed in cuneiform, the oldest form of writing, on clay tablets Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez 5 Researchers believe children would have studied the hymn, which is comprised of 250 lines of text, at school Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez 5 Roughly 100 lines of the hymn's ending are still missing or mutilated, according to the study Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez Without AI, it would have taken decades to decode. The text, inscribed on an ancient tablet, is from Babylon, Mesopotamia - once the largest city in the world in 2000 BCE. Babylonian texts were composed in cuneiform, the oldest form of writing, on clay tablets. But they have only survived in fragments, meaning their messages are hard to decipher. After digitising a selection of ancient texts, researchers at the University of Baghdad and Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, uncovered an ancient hymn they believe Babylon residents would have sung. "Using our AI-supported platform, we managed to identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the rediscovered hymn—a process that would formerly have taken decades," said Enrique Jiménez, professor of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures at LMU's Institute of Assyriology. Although parts of these texts were missing, scholars were still able to completely decipher the hymn of praise. "It's a fascinating hymn that describes Babylon in all its majesty and gives insights into the lives of its inhabitants, male and female," added Jiménez. Researchers believe children would have studied the hymn, which is comprised of 250 lines of text, at school. Numerous copies of the hymn have been found inscribed on clay tablets from the era. "The hymn was copied by children at school. It's unusual that such a popular text in its day was unknown to us before now," said Jiménez. "It was written by a Babylonian who wanted to praise his city. "The author describes the buildings in the city, but also how the waters of the Euphrates bring the spring and green the fields. "This is all the more spectacular as surviving Mesopotamian literature is sparing in its descriptions of natural phenomena." Excerpt from the ancient hymn Here are some lines from the newly discovered hymn of praise: "The Euphrates is her river - established by wise lord Nudimmud - "It quenches the lea, saturates the canebrake, "Disgorges its waters into lagoon and sea, "Its fields burgeon with herbs and flowers, "Its meadows, in brilliant bloom, sprout barley, "From which, gathered, sheaves are stacked, "Herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures, "Wealth and splendour - what befit mankind - "Are bestowed, multiplied, and regally granted." The ruins of the ancient city of Babylon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located some 85 km south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Beyond the city and its pastures, the hymn also reveals new details about the lives of women in Babylon. Women had roles as priestesses, which were described as being particularly virtuous. They were praised in the hymn for their devotion and discretion. Priestesses were famously celibate, and were among the professions established to to keep the population's birth rate under control. Their "partners", mentioned in the hymn, are understood to be the gods they are devoted to. The hymn also offers insights into the melding of different cultures in the early urban society. For example, the inhabitants are described as being respectful to foreigners. While researchers have uncovered unprecedented detail about ancient Babylon, there are more secrets to uncover. Roughly 100 lines of the hymn's ending are still missing or mutilated, according to the study, so it is difficult to decipher what they might have contained. 5 Beyond the city and its pastures, the hymn also reveals new details about the lives of women in Babylon Credit: Anmar A. Fadhil and Enrique Jiménez
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Science
- The Sun
AI deciphers hymn on 4,000-year-old clay tablet to unlock mystery of ancient city of Babylon
AN ANCIENT hymn lost for 4,000 years on a Babylonian tablet has finally been deciphered using artificial intelligence (AI). Advances in technology made the discovery possible in a fraction of the time, according to a new study. 5 5 5 Without AI, it would have taken decades to decode. The text, inscribed on an ancient tablet, is from Babylon, Mesopotamia - once the largest city in the world in 2000 BCE. Babylonian texts were composed in cuneiform, the oldest form of writing, on clay tablets. But they have only survived in fragments, meaning their messages are hard to decipher. After digitising a selection of ancient texts, researchers at the University of Baghdad and Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, uncovered an ancient hymn they believe Babylon residents would have sung. "Using our AI-supported platform, we managed to identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the rediscovered hymn—a process that would formerly have taken decades," said Enrique Jiménez, professor of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures at LMU's Institute of Assyriology. Although parts of these texts were missing, scholars were still able to completely decipher the hymn of praise. "It's a fascinating hymn that describes Babylon in all its majesty and gives insights into the lives of its inhabitants, male and female," added Jiménez. Researchers believe children would have studied the hymn, which is comprised of 250 lines of text, at school. Numerous copies of the hymn have been found inscribed on clay tablets from the era. "The hymn was copied by children at school. It's unusual that such a popular text in its day was unknown to us before now," said Jiménez. "It was written by a Babylonian who wanted to praise his city. "The author describes the buildings in the city, but also how the waters of the Euphrates bring the spring and green the fields. "This is all the more spectacular as surviving Mesopotamian literature is sparing in its descriptions of natural phenomena." Excerpt from the ancient hymn Here are some lines from the newly discovered hymn of praise: "The Euphrates is her river - established by wise lord Nudimmud - "It quenches the lea, saturates the canebrake, "Disgorges its waters into lagoon and sea, "Its fields burgeon with herbs and flowers, "Its meadows, in brilliant bloom, sprout barley, "From which, gathered, sheaves are stacked, "Herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures, "Wealth and splendour - what befit mankind - "Are bestowed, multiplied, and regally granted." The ruins of the ancient city of Babylon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located some 85 km south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Beyond the city and its pastures, the hymn also reveals new details about the lives of women in Babylon. Women had roles as priestesses, which were described as being particularly virtuous. They were praised in the hymn for their devotion and discretion. Priestesses were famously celibate, and were among the professions established to to keep the population's birth rate under control. Their "partners", mentioned in the hymn, are understood to be the gods they are devoted to. The hymn also offers insights into the melding of different cultures in the early urban society. For example, the inhabitants are described as being respectful to foreigners. While researchers have uncovered unprecedented detail about ancient Babylon, there are more secrets to uncover. Roughly 100 lines of the hymn's ending are still missing or mutilated, according to the study, so it is difficult to decipher what they might have contained. 5 5
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Hymn of Babylon is pieced together after 2,100 YEARS: Scientists use AI to reconstruct ancient song
A hymn dedicated to the ancient city of Babylon has been discovered after 2,100 years. Sung to the god Marduk, patron deity of the great city, the poem describes Babylon's flowing rivers, jewelled gates, and 'bathed priests' in stunning detail. Although the song was lost to time after Alexander the Great captured the city, fragments of clay tablets survived in the ruins of Sippar, a city 40 miles to the North. In a process that would have taken 'decades' to complete by hand, researchers used AI to piece together 30 different tablet pieces and recover the lost hymn. Originally 250 lines long, scientists have been able to translate a third of the original cuneiform text. These lines reveal a uniquely rich and detailed description of aspects of Babylonian life that had never been recorded before. Lead researcher Professor Enrique Jiménez, of Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), told MailOnline that the hymn's literary quality is 'exceptional'. 'It's meticulously structured, with each section flowing seamlessly into the next,' he said. The hymn begins with grand praise to the god Marduk, calling him the 'architect of the universe'. The poem's author then turns to the city of Babylon, describing it as a rich paradise of abundance. The hymn writes: 'Like the sea, (Babylon) proffers her yield, like a garden of fruit, she flourishes in her charms, like a wave, her swell brings her bounties rolling in.' There are also descriptions of the river Euphrates, which still runs through modern-day Iraq, and its floodplains upon which 'herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures'. However, as Professor Jiménez points out, the hymn also gives a unique insight into Babylonian morality. Professor Jiménez: 'The hymn reflects ideals the Babylonians valued, such as respect for foreigners and protection of the vulnerable.' The hymn praises priests who do not 'humiliate' foreigners, free prisoners, and offer 'succor and favor' to orphans. Likewise, the poem gives some striking details about the lives of women in Babylon who are rarely mentioned elsewhere. 'For example, it reveals that one group of priestesses acted as midwives—a role unattested in other sources,' says Professor Jiménez. The poem describes these priestesses as 'cloistered women who, with their skill, nourish the womb with life'. What makes this discovery particularly exciting is how important the poem appears to have been to the Babylonians. Babylonians recorded information in a writing system called cuneiform, which involved pressing a sharpened reed into soft clay to make triangular marks. Even after Babylon was conquered in 331 BC, many of these clay tablets have survived until the present day. Excavations at the city of Sippar have yielded hundreds of clay tablets which, according to legends, were placed there by Noah to hide them from the floodwaters. These fragments show that the hymn was being used in Babylonian schools as an educational tool for around 1,000 years. Professor Jiménez believes that the poem was originally written sometime around 1500-1300, making it one of the earliest long poems from Babylon. The oldest surviving version of the text comes from a fragment belonging to a school dating to the seventh century BC. However, the tablets from Sippar show that the poem was still being copied out by children in schools right up to the last days of Babylon in 100 BC - 1,400 years after it was composed. That is the equivalent of children today learning about a poem written around 700 AD, such as the Old English poem Beowulf. The researchers say that this importance would have put the Hymn to Babylon alongside the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known long-form poem in human history. Professor Jiménez says that, although the hymn was written later than the Epic of Gilgamesh, both would have 'circulated side by side for centuries'. Unlike the Epic of Gilgamesh, the researchers believe that the Hymn to Babylon was written by a single author rather than by collecting traditional texts over time. Although this author's name is currently unknown, Professor Jiménez remains hopeful that this may change in the future. He says: 'We have been digitising the British Museum's cuneiform collection over the last few years and discovered previously unknown author names, so we may yet identify the hymn's creator in the future.' Excerpts from The Hymn to Babylon Like the sea, (Babylon) proffers her yield, Like a garden of fruit, she flourishes in her charms, Like a wave, her swell brings her bounties rolling in. Marduk's star, delightful, precious sun, is her auspicious sign, Wherever the sun (is), is her gate, the distant heavens. Imgur-Enlil is her primeval wall - the mountain of the just, Alulu is her king - the father of all generations. The Euphrates is her river – established by wise lord Nudimmud - It quenches the lea, saturates the canebrake, Disgorges its waters into lagoon and sea, Its fields burgeon with herbs and flowers, Its meadows, in brilliant bloom, sprout barley, From which, gathered, sheaves are stacked, Herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures, Wealth and splendor - what befit mankind - Are bestowed, multiplied, and regally granted ... Bathed priests of Ištarān, pure priests of Šamaš, Buḫlû-priests of Šušinak, Nippureans of Enlil - The foreigners among them they do not humiliate. The humble they protect, their weak they support, Under their care, the poor and destitute can thrive. To the orphan they offer succor and favor, The prisoner they set free, the captive they release (even) at the cost of a silver talent, With the absent person they share the inheritance, Piously observing, they return kindness. ... (Their) women who have become masters in their duties: High priestesses who keep (their) vow to their bridegrooms, Cloistered women who, with their skill, nourish the womb with life Holy women who cleanse with pure water. hey keep the prohibitions and adhere to what is sacred, Kneeling in prayer, armed with a supplication, Reverent and vigilant, mindful of good works, They visit the sanctuaries, seeking life. Skilled in benevolence, they act with propriety. They (the women) are the cows of all Babylon, the herds of Ištar, They (the men) are the ones freed by Marduk.
