W33

Ziggurat of Ur foundation brick of king Nabonidus

A baked clay foundation brick from the legendary Great Ziggurat of Ur, commemorating its restoration in c. 540 BC by the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus.

The partially damaged full text reads: "Nabonidus the king of Babylon who provides for Ur restored E-Lugal-Galga-Sisa the ziggurat of E-Gis-Nu-Gal and replaced it".

Nabonidus was the last king of Babylon and marked the end of the Neo-Babylonian empire. He is mentioned in Biblical texts because the captive Jews were finally released from Babylon after his defeat at the hands of the famed Persian king Cyrus The Great.

The Ziggurat of Ur is arguably the most famous building of ancient Mesopotamia and it is thought that the many Biblical and other historical references to the Tower of Babel refer to this monumental structure. The ziggurat was first constructed by king Ur-Nammu around the 21st Century BC and finished by king Shulgi.

By the 6th Century BC the building had crumbled and king Nabonidus set out to restore the structure and recorded the difficulties of reconstruction based on the remaining ruins, thus earning him the distinction of being the world's earliest known archaeologist.

Between 1922-1934 Sir Leonard Woolley excavated at the city of Ur and uncovered parts of the ziggurat, it seems likely that the brick originated from these digs.

It is an ironic footnote of history that the ziggurat was partially restored again in the 1980's by Saddam Hussein who went on to share Nabonidus' fate at the hands of foreign conquerors.

Mesopotamia, city of Ur, reign of king Nabonidus (556-539 BC), c. 540 BC

Repaired from two large pieces with a loss to the lower corner as seen in the photographs.

Size: 32 x 31.5 cms, the text panel measures 12 x 9.2 cms

Ex. private collection, Winchester, Hampshire, UK; acquired early 20th Century.

Supplied with an old wooden box which encloses the sides and back of the brick.