Library of Ashurbanipal: tablet
- Gallery: Room 55
- Culture: Neo-Assyrian
- Date: 7thC BC
- Object type: tablet
- Materials: clay
- Museum number: K.2130
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This is a Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the 7th century BC, part of what was once the "Library of Ashurbanipal." The tablet is broken into four pieces and has missing text areas that appear as holes. Inscribed in cuneiform on both sides, it records historical omens tied to military and civil events.
You’ll notice 38 lines on the front and 26 on the back, most with clear, well-preserved Assyrian characters. The text references rulers like Sargon I and Naram-Sin, mentioning their conquests and rebellions in regions such as Amurru, Elam, and Magan. It also refers to domestic events in Akkad and the city of Kazallu.
This tablet gives us a rare glimpse into how ancient scribes documented history and interpreted omens, linking celestial or unusual signs to major events.
See it in person
Library of Ashurbanipal: tablet is on display in Room 55 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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