After Being Hidden for 4,000 Years, Ancient Babylonian Tablets Reveal Ominous Predictions

Researchers have deciphered 4,000-year-old Babylonian tablets revealing ominous predictions of the downfall of civilizations. 🌐 #News #History #AncientHistory #Mystery

ST. PAUL, MN – For over a century, four mysterious clay tablets, discovered in present-day Iraq, sat untranslated in the British Museum. Now, after finally being deciphered, we have some answers.

But don’t get too excited: they won’t tell us if Trump or Harris will win in 2024, or what this week’s Powerball numbers are.

Perhaps more importantly, these 4,000-year-old Babylonian artifacts have unveiled alarming predictions, casting a shadow of doom over kings and civilizations alike. The tablets, inscribed with cuneiform script, center on omens based on lunar eclipses, offering a glimpse into the fear-filled minds of ancient astronomers.

Babylonian Omens of Doom

The ancient tablets, now translated through a study published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies, provide insight into how the Babylonians interpreted the night sky.

The people of southern Mesopotamia believed that celestial events, particularly lunar eclipses, were direct warnings from the gods about impending disasters on Earth.

These lunar eclipses were analyzed in great detail, from the timing of the shadow to its movement and duration. The Babylonians thought the nature of the eclipse indicated specific outcomes, many of which foretold the death of rulers and the destruction of entire civilizations.

One ominous prediction warned of a king’s death and the ruin of Elam, a region in modern-day Iran. Another foretold the downfall of Subartu and Akkad, two significant Mesopotamian territories, depending on how the eclipse unfolded.

Predictions Rooted in Sky-Watching

The researchers who translated the tablets suggest that these predictions likely stemmed from early forms of astronomy, with some omens potentially based on real events, such as catastrophes that coincided with particular lunar eclipses.

However, much of the interpretation was likely theoretical, relying on traditions passed down through generations rather than direct observation.

Babylonian astronomers used these omens to advise their kings, and to mitigate the dire predictions, they would perform rituals or even appoint substitute rulers to bear the brunt of the gods’ wrath.

This practice, where a temporary king would be sacrificed in place of the true monarch, highlights the lengths to which the Babylonians would go to avert disaster.

These newly deciphered tablets offer a fascinating glimpse into ancient Babylonian beliefs and their efforts to predict and avert disaster. What do you think of these ominous predictions? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And if you’ve got the winning Powerball numbers, we’d love to hear that too! Hehe.

Editor’s note: Photos used for illustrative purposes only and do not depict the actual subject.

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