According to explorersweb, a 3,000-year-old clay plate, also known as Imago Mundi of the Babylon, is attracting the attention of researchers with the theory that it may contain instructions related to ancient legends.
First discovered by archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam in 1882 in the ancient city of Sippar in the Duong Ha region (now Iraq), this clay piece is currently kept in the British Museum.
Although it is about the size of a hand, Imago Mundi contains many mysteries. Scientists believe that the embossed lettering on both sides along with the symbols used to simulate the world map according to the babyline concept.
On the front of the clay plate is a round map, inside depicting the hemisphere with important sites such as the Euphrates River and the city of Israel. Surrounding this area are two concentrated circles called the "White River". This detail represents the natural boundary that separates the known world from the previously unexplored lands.
Outside the two circles are triangles, believed to symbolize remote mountain ranges or mysterious lands. According to researchers, this image reflects the way babylon people visualize the universe and what is beyond their understanding.
The back of the clay plate is covered with Hammered lines of writing about the mysterious lands outside the "Dang River". The content is interwoven between reality and legend, with stories about giant birds and trees bearing fruit made of precious pearls.
Researchers say this could be a guide for brave explorers who want to get around the circle to explore remote lands.
A particularly eye-catching detail is the description of the journey to a strange land, where travelers have to travel seven miles to see something as thick as a parsiksu bottle. Parsiktu has given Mr. Irving Finkel, the Director of the British Museum, special attention.
This is an extremely rare term that has only appeared on another piece of clay. It depicts a giant boat built by a character similar to Noah in the myth of Babylon. According to this legend, the boat drifted and ran aground on the other side of the remote mountain range outside the "Dang River".
Researcher Finkel said the clay does not directly mention Noah's boat, but the mysterious described sides of it could be instructions on the journey to find the traces of a legendary boat.
This opens up a new perspective on the intersection of ancient cultures, showing that legends like the story of Noah's boat may have existed in various forms in ancient cultures.
This discovery not only helps to shed more light on the beliefs and thinking of the Babylon people but also arouses deep connections between ancient legends, thereby showing the power of the human imagination in explaining the world around them.
