Hymn to Babylon, missing for a millennium, has been discovered

Media Coverage & Scholarly Source

• Several comments criticize the Phys.org writeup as sensational and sloppy:
  • Objection to mixing Babylonian archaeology with a “Noah hid the texts” legend framed as if part of science reporting.
  • Complaint that the article claims texts on Babylonian priestesses were unknown, while the journal article clearly situates this hymn within an already rich corpus on women and priestesses.
• Others note that the popular piece at least links the peer‑reviewed article, which is necessary to separate facts from hype.
• One scholar points out that even obviously false legends (like Noah hiding tablets) are themselves valuable data for understanding later cultural and religious syncretism.

Dating and “Missing for a Millennium”

• Commenters challenge the headline: extant tablets range from 7th–2nd/1st centuries BCE, so “two millennia” seems closer to the mark.
• Some argue “missing for a millennium” could refer to when it last circulated or was referenced, not when the surviving tablets were made; others think it’s just bad copy‑editing.

Assyriology, Cuneiform, and Untranslated Texts

• Strong enthusiasm for Assyriology, but people note:
  • Dead languages are very hard to enter as amateurs compared with, say, Egyptology.
  • Ethical and practical issues around looted artifacts; a story about spotting a fake cylinder seal underscores the need for expertise.
• Mention that there are vast numbers of untranslated cuneiform tablets and Neo‑Latin texts; calls for better funding and systematic tracking, with some imagining these as ideal material for AI training.

Religion, Polytheism, and the Ancient Near East

• Lively side‑discussion using Mesopotamia as a springboard:
  • Description of city gods functioning like sports teams; travelers expected to honor local deities.
  • Debate over whether polytheism is more “intuitive” or flexible than monotheism, and whether monotheism’s drive to justify a single ultimate deity aided its spread.
  • Long, detailed exchange on Israelite religion: divine council ideas, El vs YHWH vs Baal, henotheism vs true monotheism, biblical naming patterns, and archaeological evidence (e.g., Elephantine papyri).
  • Comparisons with Roman, Greek, Hindu, Chinese, and Catholic traditions (including saints as functional analogs of local deities) and with modern theological notions of God’s transcendence.

Literacy, “Dark Ages,” and Historical Trajectories

• One commenter contrasts Babylonian students copying complex hymns with medieval European literacy being confined to monks, questioning narratives of linear progress.
• Others push back:
  • Babylonian scribal schools served a small elite, not universal schooling.
  • European “regression” is tied to the fall of Rome, plagues, and instability.
  • Debate over whether “Dark Ages” is an overcorrection to older myths or still a useful term, with links to discussions arguing both sides.

Miscellaneous

• References to related media: a popular Assyria episode of Fall of Civilizations and a talk by Irving Finkel on an early flood narrative.
• One commenter wonders whether the hymn’s musical notation survives and expresses a desire to hear it performed; the thread does not clarify if melody was preserved.