29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Deadly Omens Revealed from 4,000-year-old Babylonian Tablets

Researchers successfully deciphered 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets discovered over a century ago in what is now Iraq.  The tablets, housed at the British Museum, were discovered in Iraq more than a century ago and contain some of the earliest records of omens associated with lunar eclipses.

All of the writing on the four clay tablets that were found in Iraq was readable and in excellent condition. But because they were written in an antiquated Babylonian language, it was very challenging to translate them completely. However, two scholars who specialize in ancient languages and cultures have recently cracked the code completely, providing the first explanation of the cuneiform messages’ actual meaning.

The ancient Babylonians regarded lunar eclipses as prophetic signs of impending disaster, so they were more than just a source of entertainment. Deciphering the clues concealed in the darkness that engulfed the Moon was, thus, a significant field of study that led to the creation of numerous manuscripts detailing the diverse portents associated with an eclipse.

In a paper just published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Andrew George, an emeritus professor of Babylonian at the University of London, and Junko Taniguchi, an independent researcher, introduce the results of their intensive study of these tablets.

In a recent study, the researchers present their translations and discuss how different eclipse features could be used as predictive tools for future events.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



“As products of the middle and late Old Babylonian periods they represent the oldest examples of compendia of lunar-eclipse omens yet discovered and thus provide important new information about celestial divination among the peoples of southern Mesopotamia in the early second millennium BCE,” they wrote. “They are all found to bear witness to a single text, which organizes the omens of lunar eclipse by time of night, movement of shadow, duration, and date.”

The whole tablet. Photo: © The Trustees of the British Museum

The recently deciphered omens, which foretell impending doom and gloom for specific areas, people, or states, provide some fascinating insights into the anxieties and concerns that plagued ancient Mesopotamian cultures.

Royal advisors could foresee terrible misfortunes that fate had in store for a king by keeping an eye on the time and date of a lunar eclipse as well as the path of the Earth’s shadow across the moon. For instance, the tablets reveal that “an eclipse in the morning watch” signaled “the end of a dynasty” in the Mesopotamian city of Akkad.

In Babylonia and other parts of Mesopotamia, it was believed that events in the sky could predict the future. Rulers would seek the advice of astrologers who monitored the night sky and compared their observations with omen texts. If the prediction was dire, such as “the king will die,” additional rituals would be performed, including divination from animal entrails, to determine whether the king was in danger.

Fortunately, however, kings didn’t have to accept their fate lying down, as protective rituals could be employed to counteract unfavorable omens. If the divination results indicated danger, appropriate rituals were believed to nullify the bad omen and counteract the evil forces behind them. Therefore, despite the bad omens, it was believed that the predicted future could be changed.

The texts analyzed by the study authors are believed to have originated in the ancient Babylonian city of Sippar, located in modern-day Iraq.

The study is published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies.

Cover Image: İowa State University

Related Articles

A First in Denmark: Rare 4th Century Roman Helmet and Chainmail Found

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have recently unearthed a massive stockpile of weapons near Hedensted, Denmark, buried 1,500 years ago by an ancient chief....

Remarkable Carved Stone Head Unearthed at Skaill Farm Excavation in Orkney

25 July 2025

25 July 2025

A stunning carved stone head has been unearthed during an ongoing archaeological excavation at Skaill Farm on the island of...

2,400-Year-Old Puppets with Dramatic Expressions Uncovered: May Have Played Key Roles in Rituals atop El Salvador’s Pyramid

5 March 2025

5 March 2025

A recent archaeological find in El Salvador has unveiled a captivating glimpse into the rituals of the region’s Indigenous people,...

Metal signature of Roman 19th Legion identified at Teutoburg battle site that shook Rome in AD9

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

Researchers in Germany have identified the metallurgic signature of the Roman 19th Legion in artifacts recovered from the Battle of...

The Largest Circular Tomb of the Ancient World Is Opening

16 February 2021

16 February 2021

The restoration of Augustus’ colossal tomb, which is expected to be opened in 2014, has been completed. The Augustus mausoleum...

9 Synagogues in Izmir to Reopen as Museum

26 March 2022

26 March 2022

As part of a Jewish heritage project in Izmir, Turkey, nine historic synagogues will be reopened as museums. Built by...

Archaeologists Unearth Prehistoric Fishing Evidence on the Makran Coast of Iran

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

The Makran coast, a historically rich coastal stretch along the Sea of Oman, has once again drawn archaeological attention with...

A very Rare Medieval Pocket Sundial Discovered in Germany

31 July 2023

31 July 2023

A rare Medieval sundial, which is approximately the size of a matchbox was discovered in the old town of Marburg,...

A 4,000-year-old treasure map of France’s

17 October 2023

17 October 2023 1

Overlooked for millennia, a rock fragment adorned with enigmatic inscriptions has emerged as a valuable “treasure map” for archaeologists. After...

Discovery Shedding Light on Ancient Maritime Trade: 1,500-Year-Old Trade Shipwreck Found off Türkiye’s Ayvalık

21 December 2024

21 December 2024

‘Turkish Sunken-Ships Project: Blue Heritage’, a 1500-year-old trade shipwreck was found off the coast of Ayvalık district of Balıkesir. Under...

Unique Rock Tomb Discovered in Southeastern Türkiye’s Şanlıurfa

3 March 2025

3 March 2025

Hasan Şıldak, the governor of the city of Şanlıurfa in south-eastern Türkiye, announced on his social media account that a...

Evidence of Brain Surgery performed 3,000 years ago discovered in the ancient city of Tel Megiddo

27 February 2023

27 February 2023

Researchers have discovered a rare instance of delicate cranial surgery, possibly the earliest of its kind in the Middle East,...

Egypt’s Tanis bronze figurines shed light on ancient commerce

19 July 2021

19 July 2021

A research team told that the newly discovered 3,000-year-old bronze figurines recently unearthed in Tanis, Egypt, can answer questions about...

People may have been cooking curries in South-East Asia for at least 2000 years

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

Archaeologists have found remnants of eight spices on a sandstone slab from an archaeological site in Vietnam, showing the early...

New Study Reveals That the First English Settlers in North America Ate Dogs to Survive

28 May 2024

28 May 2024

The first English settlers to arrive in North America ate indigenous dogs to survive an extreme period of starvation, according...