Scientists recently uncovered the secrets of a 3,000-year-old clay tablet known as Imago Mundi, the world’s oldest map believed to show the location of Noah’s Ark. A symbol in the shape of has baffled archaeologists for centuries. The tablet was discovered in 1882 in what is now Iraq and is housed in the British Museum, where it is part of its famous collection.
The Imago Mundi depicts a circular map of the world, showing early Babylonian ideas about the creation of the world. This map shows the entire world as it was known at the time, with Mesopotamia thought to be in the bottom center. Mesopotamia is surrounded by a circle representing the “bitter river” that was believed to encircle the whole world, marking the boundaries of the world as it was known at the time.
Reportedly, on the back of the relic there is a guide written explaining what travelers will encounter on their journey, including the road to “Urartu” and specific instructions on how to get there. It is said that there is One passage says, “You must travel seven leagues to reach the fourth league.” Another passage reportedly instructs those on a journey to “pass through seven leagues in order to see something as thick as the vessel of Parsiktu.”
The term “parsictu” also appears on other ancient Babylonian tablets, and refers to the size of ships intended to withstand the legendary deluge. Researchers believe that Urartu, also known as Ararat, is related to an ancient Mesopotamian poem that tells of a family who, like Noah, brought an ark ashore to save their lives after a flood that lasted 150 days. are. When the flood ended, they were safely stationed on one of Urartu’s mountain peaks. This mountain corresponds to the Hebrew word “Ararat,” which refers to the mountain where Noah’s Ark is said to have stopped after the Flood.
Dr. Irving Finkel, a curator at the British Museum and an expert on cuneiform, explained: A fact. He added, “If you go on this trip, you will see the remains of this historic ship.”
On the back of the tablet and above the map are several paragraphs written in cuneiform, describing the creation of the earth and what existed beyond it. Researchers claim that the back side of the artifact acts as a secret key that tells travelers what route to take and what to watch out for along the way. The tablet once featured eight triangles that researchers determined represented mountains, matching the description on the reverse.
The Biblical story of Noah’s Ark largely follows the Babylonian version in which Utnapishtim and his family built an ark at God’s command and filled it with animals. According to Babylonian mythology, the god Ea causes a flood that wipes out all humanity except Utnapishtim and his family. When the floodwaters subsided, they were finally stationed safely on one of Urartu’s peaks.
Dr. Finkel explains that the Babylonian Noah recalled, “‘I have done this, this, and this. I have done it! And I have made these structures as vessels of thick parsictu.'” He explained that in theory anyone who traveled the road to Urartu would do so. , see the wooden ribs of the ship on top of the mountain look “like the ones in the Bible.”
The Biblical account details that Noah’s Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat in Turkey after a flood that lasted 150 days, sinking the earth and all living things not contained within the wooden ship. There is. The alleged location of the Ark in Turkey corresponds to the dimensions listed in the Bible: 300 cubits, 50 cubits, 30 cubits, which is approximately 515 feet long, 86 feet wide, and high. Equivalent to 52 feet.
Controversy continues as to whether Turkey’s structures were created by nature or God, and whether Turkey’s Mount Ararat, mentioned in Babylonian scripture, really exists. It is still widely debated. Young Earth creationist Dr. Andrew Snelling, who holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, has previously said that Mount Ararat could not have been the site of the Ark, saying that Mount Ararat was not formed until the floodwaters receded.
A team of experts led by Istanbul Technical University has been excavating the mountain for years. In 2023, it was revealed that they had discovered clay, marine matter, and seafood. These discoveries indicate that humans were on the scene between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago.
In the newly discovered analysis of Imago Mundi, Dr. Finkel pointed out, “The number 4 says, ‘To the fourth place, you have to travel seven leagues to get there.'” The journey eventually reveals a “giant ship”, a sight historically thought to be the remains of a large ship.
The tablet was then destroyed, but the cuneiform text confirms several other things to scientists as well. One of these is the Babylonian belief in Marduk, the creator god. The Babylonians also believed in other mythical monsters, such as the scorpion-man and the lion-headed bird called the anzu.
Another Babylonian mystery was recently deciphered by experts as the tablet containing the code was finally deciphered. Newly discovered documents reveal that the Babylonians viewed lunar eclipses as terrifying and ominous signs of death and destruction.
Imago Mundi dates back about 3,000 years, while the Biblical Flood is thought to have occurred about 5,000 years ago. The story of the Gilgamesh Flood is known from several clay tablets dating back more than 3,000 years. This stone tablet is engraved with a map thought to represent the entire world as it was known at the time, with Mesopotamia depicted in the bottom center.
Sources: The Scottish Sun, El Heraldo de México, Express.co.uk, New York Post
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq.
