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Primary sourceDocument604-562 BC

East India House Inscription

Nebuchadnezzar II (scribes writing for him) · 604-562 BC

A stone foundation tablet carrying Nebuchadnezzar II's own words describing his piety and his building works at Babylon.

This inscription records Nebuchadnezzar's own words about his piety and building works, the longest surviving text in his voice.

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A large rectangular pale stone block covered in dense rows of cuneiform wedge-shaped script, arranged in vertical columns, photographed head-on against a grey wall and a light-colored display surface.
East India House Inscription, Nebuchadnezzar II, 604-562 BC. British Museum.

About this source

What it is

This stone foundation tablet, carved rather than written on clay, was probably buried in the foundations of one of Nebuchadnezzar II's building projects in Babylon between 604 and 562 BC. It was found before 1803 in the ruins of Babylon and eventually came to the British Museum, where it has been kept since 1938.

Why it matters

The inscription is written in the first person as Nebuchadnezzar himself, describing his devotion to the gods Marduk and Nabu and his achievements in building and maintaining temples. It is one of the longest surviving texts in the king's own voice, showing how he wanted to be remembered.

Look closer

  • What words does the king use to describe himself, and what do they suggest he wanted people to think of him?
  • Why was this text buried rather than displayed?
  • How might a ruler's own words about himself differ from how others described him?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Nebuchadnezzar II on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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