'Old Testament figure named on 2600-year-old tablet'

[Conan Troutman]

'Old Testament figure named on 2600-year-old tablet'

By Dalya Alberge in London

THE British Museum yesterday hailed a discovery within a clay tablet in its collection as a breakthrough for biblical archeology - proof of the accuracy of the Old Testament.

The cuneiform inscription in a tablet dating from 595BC has been deciphered for the first time - revealing a reference to an official at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, that proves the historical existence of a figure mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.

It is rare evidence in a non-biblical source of a real person, other than kings, featured in the Bible. **

The tablet names a Babylonian officer called Nebo-Sarsekim who, according to Jeremiah 39 was present in 587BC when Nebuchadnezzar "marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it".

The cuneiform inscription records how Nebo-Sarsekim lavished a gift of gold on the Temple of Esangila in the fabled city of Babylon, where, at least in folk tradition, Nebuchadnezzar is credited with building the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

British Museum staff are excited by the discovery.

Irving Finkel, assistant keeper in the Department of the Middle East, said: "A mundane commercial transaction takes its place as a primary witness to one of the turning points in Old Testament history.

"This is a tablet that deserves to be famous."

The discovery was made by Michael Jursa, associate professor at the University of Vienna, on a research trip to the museum.

"It's very exciting and very surprising," he said.

"Finding something like this tablet, where we see a person mentioned in the Bible making an everyday payment to the temple in Babylon and quoting the exact date, is quite extraordinary."

Since 1991, Dr Jursa has been visiting the museum to study a collection of more than 100,000 inscribed tablets - the world's largest holdings.

Cuneiform is the oldest known form of writing. During its 3000-year history, it was used to write about 15 languages, including Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite and Urartian.

There are only a small number of scholars worldwide who can read cuneiform script.

One of them is Dr Jursa, who yesterday said the British Museum tablet was so well preserved that it took him just a couple of minutes to decipher.

This one - which is 5.5cm wide - was acquired by the British Museum in 1920, "but no one realised the connection," Dr Jursa said.

"They didn't really read it."

It was unearthed from the ancient city of Sippar, where there was a huge sun temple, about 2km from Baghdad.

On hearing of the discovery yesterday, Geza Vermes, the eminent emeritus professor of Jewish studies at the University of Oxford, said such a discovery revealed that "the Biblical story is not altogether invented".

"This will be interesting for religious people as much as historians," he said.

The Times, London, in The Australian

**BOLD ADDED

[Conan Troutman]

Can of worms opened....

[Jesus On Peyote]

Way to give Is-real? .... i mean Israel more legitamacy to protect their "god given" land the way i see it

[chilli]

Way to give Is-real? .... i mean Israel more legitamacy to protect their "god given" land the way i see it

How do you figure? Do you think the archaeologists/historians are part of a semitic conspiracy?

[Jesus On Peyote]

not really a conspiracy,maybe some archaeologists play on the side of zionism but im sure its not a big thing.

The "angle" im looking at the situation (on israel) is that they have no real historic proof that jurslusalim was ever governed/ owned by jews,most if not all account of israel being isreali lays in the bibles, which cant really be taken in as fact, unless theirs archeology proof. seems convenient is all lol, prolly just my paranoid mind and the cynic in me.

Dont quote me on the historic refrences on isreal but im pretty sure its close from what iv come to understand, theres very little evidence of Jerusalem being an overly jewish city/state. unless we get history lessons from the bible and take it as fact.

on that other hand... there is proof that my mighty people of greece owned gaza and prolly a majorty of now israel way back b4 the the ravings of bible where around. ( pretty far back ). i think greece should claim isreal to make it even stevens lol.

[chilli]

All history is biased, especially ancient history... if you're not going to accept the Jewish history, which is one of the most well preserved ancient writings we have, I see little reason to accept other people's histories. I have never heard of anyone seriously contesting the ancient Hebrews' ownership of Israel, (of course they stole it from someone else though)... where are you getting this info?

[Μορφέας]

god n jesus are real, the only true gods! god is as real and outworking his miracles as much today as he was back then!

praise be to god!

can of worms tipped and thrown out...

Edited July 12, 2007 by Tepa

[chilli]

god n jesus are real, the only true gods!

Tepa, are you a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness? AFAIK they are the only Christian sects (cults?) that believe Jesus and the Father are separate deities... unless you bare a Gnostic, but that is another kettle of fish.

/replaces can of worms with kettle of fish.

[Μορφέας]

penetecostal anglican!

I dont know much about the specifics about seperate / single entites, but i believe they ARE seperate

[Vertmorpheus]

Nice post trout... I personally don't think divinity has a first name, or that it'd give a spare shit what I really think about it... but I've always thought the lamentation on the cross was a pretty good sign that the Big J wasn't QUITE as close to Dad as he indicated on previous occasions... knew it was comin after three cock crows but still got into the woe is me, why me routine? Interesting.

I wasn't aware that ALL aspects of the old testament were taken as BS. Lets just hope that in a thousand years time when someone digs up the new Ben Elton book and then realises that not only was tony blair a real guy, but hewas on reality tv as well.

don't let words get between you and Them, It, Out there, Whatever.

VM

[Jesus On Peyote]

Its not that i dont accept jewish history, just pointing out some stuff.

my information comes mostly from documentaries and informative factual sites ( as factual as i can tell, i try to cross reference information i deem "worthy" of further investigation.) My information about Greece is i think pretty stable (iv read alot of my mums and uncles books on greek history.

Anyways, i dont mind israel too much, their a nice buffer incase shit goes down in the mid east lol. ( a hypothetical muslim invasion of Europe,with greece on the front line we could use some israeli nukes vs the turks (OTTOMANS) if they try anything fishy (which history dictates they are SHIFTY )

My main itch about israel is its politics and policies these days. which on a non biased view is kind of understandable seeing as everyone around em wants em dead. either way, its all good, my first comment were more of a critics view of the findings rather then a personal opinion.

PS no offense to the turks if anyone here is a turk

[chilli]

@Tepa

penetecostal anglican!

I dont know much about the specifics about seperate / single entites, but i believe they ARE seperate

Bizarre... I was raised as a Pentecostal, and now I go to an Anglican church, but do you mean you are an actual Pentecostal and Anglican? There mustn't be many of those around, surely?

_________________________________

@JoP

...with greece on the front line we could use some israeli nukes vs the turks (OTTOMANS) if they try anything fishy (which history dictates they are SHIFTY )

...PS no offense to the turks if anyone here is a turk

Do you know Turkey is the only Muslim nation that is secular and democratic?

Edited July 12, 2007 by IllegalBrain

[devance]

Well the thing to remember is he did do so and did take the hebrews into captivity.

So the tablet is before the siege and captivity of the hebrews.

After the fact of drinking from the looted golden cups from the temple a uprising occured from Neb's own political nation state. After the coup the nice compliant hebrews were allowed to go back to the land as a slaves of slave masters.[taxes]

As long as the olive trees produce olive oil and the fruits of the land were heavily taxed.

Similar to Roman times.

-------------------------------------------------------

All nations will not bow to the hebrews anymore for a spiritual guidance, but know the wrath of God in a different fashion.

Environmental.

[Jesus On Peyote]

Do you know Turkey is the only Muslim nation that is secular and democratic?

Yea i know about turky, i also know they occupied greece for 400 yes, count em, 400 years b4 we kicked their asses out of our homeland under the banner of "Eleftheria i thanatos" freedom or death.they also kidnapped millions of our young for training in their army, and the only reason they stoped the kidnappings was because their taxation of greeks was running low because of the population decline. All this was done under the ottoman muslim empire. As a greek saying, well never forget what the turks did to us.

As for more recently, they stole half of cypress,less then 40 years ago, and they still refuse to tell the families of the greek cypriots where their missing husbands and children are to this day.meanwhile everyone else was scratching their balls when that happend coz noone helped. democratic indeed.

Anyways, turky, is on the borderline the way i see it. they aint so bad now (to people that havent suffered at their BARBARIC hands.) but say they dont get into the EU,what happens then and into the future? the arab league is where they will head, and control (they do have the best army in the region). after all, they may be secular now, but HISTORY says they wont stay that way. history.

Edit, this post is not ment to be racist for the sensitive, im just talking history.

pps, they should also get rid of the islamic crescent in their flag if they really think they are secular. and honor killings and genital mutilations which are still done there.

Edited July 13, 2007 by Jesus On Peyote

[Vertmorpheus]

Yeah Attaturk did pull of some fairly progressive routines in his time, which have carried forward til the present. Somewhere int here though a whole heaping truckload of Armenians had a really, really rough time of things though. Seems just about every glorious nation is built using the blood and gods of the locals as mortar for their new walls. Just a matter of exposure really, I don't know any greek people so its all news to me (details wise that is) but I could rant for hours about why there are so many lush green spots in the back paddocks of aussie farms

Animals, for all the good n bad it brings us,

VM

[devance]

The Armenians were 2 million slaughtered in as Turkey was neutral in WW2 and so some hidden genicide is hidden.

Christian arabs.

Whats left are the Kurds.

Not sure what the religion is?

Like Spain had been given a green light against the communist.

Which not very people have the option of comparing and commenting about.

Just as a matter of not hoping the whole thing repeat.

So much better to reproduce [breed and breed alot]at a goodly rate so some will survive.

[devance]

So does need the calming power of religion.

I certainly think so.

But I don't think the Jhilad or Holy war of such is from God at all.