Babylonian world map

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The Babylonian world map in the British Museum

The Babylonian world map is a schematic representation of the world from the perspective of the Babylonians at the time of the New Babylonian Empire . It shows a disk of earth surrounded by water through which the Euphrates flows. The unique representation gives clues to the Babylonian worldview .

The world map is carved on a clay tablet that was found in Sippar . It is dated to 700–500 BC. And is now in the British Museum (cat.-no. 92687).

Legend for the Babylonian world map:
BabylonianWorldMap2.jpg
 1. Mountain (šá-du-ú)
2. City (uru)
3. Urartu (ú-ra-áš-tu)
4. Assyria ( kur aš + šur ki )
5. Dēr
6.?
7. Swamp (ap-pa-ru)
8. Elam (šuša)
9. Canal (bit-qu)
10. Bit Jakin
11. City (uru)
12. Habban
13. Babylon (tin.tir ki ), flowed through by the Euphrates
14.-17. Ocean (bitter water) ( id mar-ra-tum)
18. – 22. Mythological objects
23. – 25. not described

The general idea of ​​the land surrounded by the sea persisted into the Greek era (for example in Anaximander of Miletus , Hecataus of Miletus ).

literature

  • Wayne Horowitz: The Babylonian Map of the World. In: Iraq 50, 1988, pp. 147-165.
  • Friedhelm Hartenstein : The Babylonian world map, in: C. Markschies u. a. (Ed.), Atlas of World Views. Berlin 2011. pp. 12-21.

Web links