• Re: Babylonian text missing for 1,000 years deciphered with AI

    From HenHanna@NewsGrouper@user4055@newsgrouper.org.invalid to sci.lang,sci.archaeology,rec.puzzles on Mon Jul 7 16:32:56 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles


    Tilde <invalide@invalid.invalid> posted:


    https://www.popsci.com/science/missing-babylon-text-ai/

    A team of ancient literature experts have
    deciphered a Mesopotamain text that was missing
    for over 1,000 years. Etched on clay tablets,
    the Hymn to Babylon describes the ancient
    megacity in rCLall of its majesty,rCY and gives
    new insights into the everyday lives of those
    who resided there. The text is detailed in a
    study published in the journal Iraq.
    ...
    In the Electronic Babylonian Library Platform,
    study co-author and Assyriologist Enrique Jim|-nez
    is digitizing all of the cuneiform text fragments
    that have been discovered around the world. With
    the help of artificial intelligence (AI), he is
    piecing together fragments that belong together.

    rCLUsing our AI-supported platform, we managed to
    identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the
    rediscovered hymn rCo a process that would formerly
    have taken decades,rCY Jim|-nez said in a statement.

    With these additional texts, the team was able to
    completely decipher this ancient hymn of praise.
    In it, they found some new insights into Babylonian
    urban society and believe that the Hymn to Babylon
    was very widespread.

    rCLThe hymn was copied by children at school. ItrCOs
    unusual that such a popular text in its day was
    unknown to us before now,rCY Jim|-nez said. The song
    of triumphrCoor paeanrColikely dates back to the start
    of the first millennium before Christ and is made
    up of 250 lines.
    ...


    https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iraq/article/literary-texts-from-the-sippar-library-v-a-hymn-in-praise-of-babylon-and-the-babylonians/B477D54E6554CA35718880339B3736CD

    LITERARY TEXTS FROM THE SIPPAR LIBRARY V: A
    HYMN IN PRAISE OF BABYLON AND THE BABYLONIANS

    Abstract
    The article presents a previously unknown hymn
    in praise of Marduk, the Esagil, Babylon and
    the Babylonians. It contains unparalleled
    descriptions of the healing powers of Marduk,
    the splendor of Babylon, the spring borne by
    the Euphrates to the cityrCOs fields and the
    generosity of the Babylonians themselves. The
    text survives in 20 manuscripts, from the 7th
    to the 2nd/1st centuries BCE, and it can be
    shown that it was a fixture in the school
    curriculum of the time. The author of this
    highly accomplished piece immortalized his
    devotion to his city, gods, and people in words
    that resonated until the final decades of
    cuneiform culture.


    _________________________


    A team of ancient literature experts have
    deciphered a Mesopotamain text that was missing
    for over 1,000 years. Etched on clay tablets,


    The verb [Etch] seems ok to me.



    I was (much more) puzzled by [text that was missing for over 1,000 years.]


    30 fragments were known, but it was not known that they fit together
    to form one text?

    ----- Is this it?
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  • From David Entwistle@qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz to rec.puzzles on Wed Jul 9 07:59:14 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles

    On Mon, 07 Jul 2025 16:32:56 GMT, HenHanna@NewsGrouper wrote:

    30 fragments were known, but it was not known that they fit together
    to form one text?

    ----- Is this it?

    It seems it is the application of an AI supported platform that
    accelerated the process of identifying existing fragments of text as
    belonging to the same item.

    From:

    <https://www.lmu.de/en/about-lmu/structure/central-university- administration/communications-and-media-relations/press-room/press- release/lmu-professor-enrique-jimenez-discovered-hymn-to-babylon.html>

    "In the Electronic Babylonian Library Platform, Enrique Jim|-nez is
    digitizing all cuneiform text fragments that have been discovered
    worldwide to date and using artificial intelligence to decipher fragments
    that belong together. rCLUsing our AI-supported platform, we managed to identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the rediscovered hymn rCo a process that would formerly have taken decades,rCY says Jim|-nez, Professor
    of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures at LMUrCOs Institute of Assyriology. Thanks to these additional texts, the scholars were able to completely decipher the hymn of praise on the clay tablet, parts of which were
    missing".
    --
    David Entwistle
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2