Clay Cover of the Tablet of Shamash (II) (Illustration)

Illustration

by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
published on 22 March 2018

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Clay Cover of the Tablet of Shamash (II) — This is a fired clay cover of the sun god (Shamash) tablet. Its purpose was to protect the obverse side (face) of the tablet. It has retained the impression of the carved panel of the tablet.

The Babylonian king Nabu-apla-iddina (reigned 888-855 BCE) made a clay cover and the tablet of Shamsh was buried at the Temple of Shamah at Sippar. The Babylonian king Nabopolassar (reigned 626-605 BCE) rediscovered the tablet, and in order to open it, the clay cover had to be broken. The older broken cover was replaced with this one while the older cover was retained. Both covers were placed in a single coffer and then buried. Neo-Babylonian Period, circa 620-610 BCE. From the Temple of Shamash at Sippar, Southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin

Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

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Uploaded by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin, published on 22 March 2018. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Copyright. You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2018, March 22). Clay Cover of the Tablet of Shamash (II). World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8410/clay-cover-of-the-tablet-of-shamash-ii/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Clay Cover of the Tablet of Shamash (II)." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 22, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8410/clay-cover-of-the-tablet-of-shamash-ii/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Clay Cover of the Tablet of Shamash (II)." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 22 Mar 2018. Web. 21 Feb 2025.