East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar
The king's own account of rebuilding Babylon's temples, palaces and walls
Found 1803 — Unearthed in the ruins of Babylon shortly before 1803 by Sir Harford Jones Brydges, British Resident in Baghdad, who presented it to the East India Company's museum in London; transferred to the British Museum in 1938
Where Babylon (Iraq)
Dates from c. 604–562 BCE · Neo-Babylonian · Reign of Nebuchadnezzar; the Babylonian exile
Now at British Museum, London (1938,0520.1 / BM 129397)
Names a biblical person Nebuchadnezzar
How East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar was found
Recovered from the ruins of Babylon in the very early days of Mesopotamian exploration, before cuneiform could be read. The exact findspot and year are not recorded; it reached London by 1803.
What it is
A black basalt slab about 56 by 50 cm carrying ten columns and 619 lines of archaising Babylonian cuneiform. Nebuchadnezzar describes rebuilding Esagila and Etemenanki (the ziggurat), the city walls, the Ishtar Gate, and his palaces, and prays to Marduk for a long reign.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is the fullest statement of Nebuchadnezzar as builder, in his own voice: 'I built the palace, the seat of my royalty'. Daniel 4:30 quotes the king in almost the same terms before his humbling. The inscription also shows the king's devotion to Marduk and Nabu, the gods Isaiah 46:1 mocks as Bel and Nebo who 'stoop and bow down'.
The Hebrew word: bel
בֵּל
בֵּל is pronounced bel and means Bel, title of Marduk, chief god of Babylon (Strong's H1078).
People this discovery connects to
- Nebuchadnezzar — נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר (ne-voo-chad-neh-TSAR) — Nabu protect my heir
Places
- Babylon — בָּבֶל (bah-VEL) — gate of god
Events
Nebuchadnezzar's building of Babylon
East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar in Scripture
2 Kings 24:1 First mention of Nebuchadnezzar in Scripture.
Isaiah 46:1 Bel and Nebo, the gods the inscription praises, are pictured toppling.
Daniel 4:30 Nebuchadnezzar's boast about the Babylon he built for his royal dwelling and glory — the inscription says the same in his own words.
Questions people ask
What is East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar?
A black basalt slab about 56 by 50 cm carrying ten columns and 619 lines of archaising Babylonian cuneiform. Nebuchadnezzar describes rebuilding Esagila and Etemenanki (the ziggurat), the city walls, the Ishtar Gate, and his palaces, and prays to Marduk for a long reign.
When was East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar discovered?
It was found in 1803 by Unearthed in the ruins of Babylon shortly before 1803 by Sir Harford Jones Brydges, British Resident in Baghdad, who presented it to the East India Company's museum in London; transferred to the British Museum in 1938, at Babylon.
Where is East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar today?
British Museum, London (1938,0520.1 / BM 129397).
Which Bible verses does East India House Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar relate to?
2 Kings 24:1, Isaiah 46:1, Daniel 4:30.
Related discoveries
- בָּבֶלIshtar Gate and Processional Way of BabylonNebuchadnezzar's glazed-brick gateway, the Babylon the exiles walked into
- אֲרֻחָהJehoiachin Ration TabletsBabylonian palace records of oil for 'Yaukin, king of the land of Judah' and his sons
- כּוֹרֶשׁCyrus CylinderCyrus the Great's clay proclamation of his capture of Babylon and the return of exiled peoples and their gods
- בֵּלְשַׁאצַּרNabonidus ChronicleBabylonian chronicle recording the night Babylon fell to the army of Cyrus
- בָּבֶלEtemenanki, the Ziggurat of BabylonThe historical tower behind the Tower of Babel tradition
- רַב־סָרִיסNebo-Sarsekim TabletA Babylonian temple receipt naming an officer from Jeremiah 39:3
Sources
- British Museum collection, East India House Inscription (1938,0520.1)
- Langdon, Die neubabylonischen Königsinschriften (1912)
- Wikipedia, 'East India House Inscription'
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