The inscription of the Ishtar Gate is written in Akkadian cuneiform in white-glazed and blue glazed bricks, and was a dedication by Nebuchadnezzar to explain the gate’s purpose. On the wall of the Ishtar Gate the inscription is 15 meters tall by 10 meters wide and includes 60 lines of writing. The inscription was created around the same time as the gates construction, around 605–562 BCE.
circa 575 BCE
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the pious prince,
appointed by the will of Marduk,
the highest priestly prince, beloved of Nabu, of prudent deliberation, who has learnt
to embrace wisdom, who fathomed Their (Marduk and Nabu) godly being and
pays reverence to their Majesty, the untiring Governor, who always has at heart
the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned
with the well being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble,
the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the first born son of Nabopolassar,
the King of Babylon, am I.
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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