Primary sourceDocumentc. 592 BC

Jehoiachin's Rations Tablets

Babylonian palace scribes · c. 592 BC

Palace ration lists from Babylon naming the captive King Jehoiachin of Judah and his sons, kept at Nebuchadnezzar's court.

These records from Nebuchadnezzar's own court document the captive Judean king held under his rule.

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A reddish-brown clay tablet, broken and irregular in outline, covered with rows of cuneiform wedge-shaped script. It rests on a clear acrylic display stand in a museum case against a pale wall. — Jehoiachin's Rations Tablets, Babylonian palace scribes, c. 592 BC. Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin.

About this source

What it is

These clay tablets are ration lists written by palace scribes in Babylon, dating from around 592 BC. They record oil rations given to a royal captive identified as Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), king of Judah, and his sons. The tablets are held in the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin.

Why it matters

The tablets provide direct evidence that Jehoiachin, the deposed king of Judah, was held and provided for at Nebuchadnezzar's court, confirming details of the Babylonian captivity described in the Hebrew Bible.

Look closer

Why would a conquering king keep records of rations given to a captive royal?
What does this tell you about how Nebuchadnezzar treated defeated rulers?
What questions does a ration list leave unanswered about Jehoiachin's daily life?

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.