DAY OF DOOM
Ancient code etched on 4,000-year-old Babylonian tablet cracked by experts revealing eerie message & chilling omen
The breakthrough translation has been labelled as the oldest known records of these mysterious omens
CODE etched onto an ancient Babylonian tablet has finally been cracked by experts - and the message contains a chilling omen.
The research team successfully decoded the 4,000-year-old text bizarrely about lunar eclipses.
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Despite the incredible artefacts being discovered more than a century ago, the British Museum's collection of cuneiform tablets have remained untranslated.
But now researchers focusing on four tablets have been able to crack the code in a historic breakthrough.
The tablets with writing date back to around 1200 BC from the ancient city of Sippar in what's now modern-day Iraq.
The newly discovered texts reveal that the Babylonians viewed lunar eclipses as terrifying ominous signs of death and destruction.
A Babylonian wrote on one of the tablets: "An eclipse in the morning watch [means] the end of a dynasty."
Another chillingly warns: "If an eclipse becomes obscured from its centre all at once and clear all at once: a king will die, destruction of Elam."
The writings are believed to have been written by astrologers from the Mesopotamian civilisation.
The tablets with the writings have now been labelled as the oldest known records of lunar eclipse omens.
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In the Journal of Cuneiform Studies where the texts were revealed, a researcher said: "Omens arising from lunar eclipses were of great importance for good statecraft and well-counseled government.
"In later periods there is ample evidence to show that astrological observation was part of an elaborate method of protecting the king and regulating his behaviour in conformity with the wishes of the gods."
Some omens could have previously been based on coincidences between the timing of eclipses and major incidents.
Emeritus professor of Babylonian at the University of London told Live Science: "The origins of some of the omens may have lain in actual experience - observation of portent followed by catastrophe."
It comes as experts managed to decipher an ancient 3,500 year-old stone tablet - and the message on it is something we still do today.
The amazing artefact was discovered after works were carried out in Old Alalah City, Turkey's Hatay's Reyhanli district, following two earthquakes.
The artefact is believed to date all the way back to the 15th century BC.
According to the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy, the stone tablet contains records of, bizarrely, a shopping list.
Written on it is a large list of furniture purchases, including wooden tables, chairs and stools.
The writing originates from the Akkadian cuneiform era.
While the earthquakes took place last year in February 2023, the findings were only just announced on Monday.
John Hopkins, a university faculty member and associate doctor worked with Jacob Lauinger and his doctoral student, Zeynep Türker.
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According to their measurements, the ancient tablet is up to 4.2cm thick and weighs 28g.
It's hoped this incredible find will shed new light on the economic and state structure of the Late Bronze Age, bringing forward its “rich” heritage to future generations.
What is a lunar eclipse?
You might be familiar with the idea of a solar eclipse, but what exactly is a lunar eclipse?
- A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the moon and the sun, and the Earth's shadow obscures the moon, or a portion of it.
- The good thing about all types of lunar eclipse is that, unlike a solar eclipse, they are safe to view with the naked eye.
- This is because lunar eclipses only reflect sunlight - they don't get any brighter than a full Moon, which you've probably safely observed many times before.
- To get the best view you'll need to be on the night side of Earth when one occurs, and you'll need a clear sky that's free of clouds. No specialist equipment is needed.
- Try to minimise the light in your vicinity and, ideally, watch from a spot where your line of sight won't be obstructed by tall buildings or trees.
- A lunar eclipse can last several hours, but the period of totality - when the Moon is completely in Earth's shadow - usually only lasts an hour or so
- Some cultures, like the Babylonians, viewed lunar eclipses as terrifying ominous signs of death and destruction
- A solar eclipse on the other hand occurs when the moon comes directly between the sun and the Earth so it lies in the shadow of the moon.
- An eclipse in general is described as a body coming between us and a light emitter, with the source no longer being visible.
- But it can also occur when a body comes between a light source and the body that the light is illuminating, so we can no longer see the illuminated body.
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