Cylinder LB 858
Clay cylinder with cuneiform inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II commemorating the rebuilding of the Ebabbar temple at Sippar. 126 x 53 mm. Neo-Babylonian period (626–539 BC). Discovered in Sippar, Iraq.
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A well-crafted prayer
story by Victor Voermans.Lots of texts have survived from ancient Mesopotamia that were only meant to last as long as the average shopping list. Other texts were made for eternity, like this beautifully crafted cylinder made of clay, inscribed with a king’s prayer to the sun. Whereas a quick letter can tell you about someone’s everyday life, texts such as this one reveal glimpses of the Mesopotamian soul.