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The Discovery
A significant discovery related to Biblical history was made in the British Museum’s great Arched Room which holds nearly 130,000 Assyrian cuneiform tablets.1 Among the tablets, some of which date back nearly 5000 years, one tablet in particular, measuring only 2.13 inches wide or about the size of a small cigarette pack, was recently translated by Assyriologist and Professor from the University of Vienna, Dr. Michael Jursa. This cuneiform tablet was dated to 595 BC, or the 10th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
When deciphered it named a high ranking official of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar named Nebo-Sarsekim. Nebo-Sarsekim is also named in the Book of Jeremiah 39:1-3. The passage reads:
This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah identifies Nebo-Sarsekim as a chief officer of Nebuchadnezzar who was with the King at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Jeremiah records that several of Nebuchadnezzar’s top officials took seats in the Middle Gate once they broke through the walls of Jerusalem.
The Assyrian tablet identifies Nebo-Sarsekim as the chief eunuch of Nebuchadnezzar, thus confirming Jeremiah’s reference. The full translation of the tablet reads:
(Regarding) 1.5 minas (0.75 kg or 1.65 pounds) of gold, the property of Nabusharrussu-ukin, the chief eunuch, which he sent via Arad-Banitu the eunuch to [the temple] Esangila: Arad-Banitu has delivered [it] to Esangila. In the presence of Belusat, son of Alpaya, the royal bodyguard, [and of] Nadin, son of Marduk-zer-ibni. Month XI, day 18, year 10 [of] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.2
References:
1 Nigel Reynolds, “Tiny Tablet Provides Proof for Old Testament,” Telegraph.co.uk., 13 July
2007,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=OE1Y2OKKNRS3PQFIQMFSFFWAVCBQ
0IV0?xml=/news/2007/07/11/ntablet111.xml.
2 Ibid.
Patrick Zukeran is a research associate with Probe Ministries. He has a BA from Point Loma Nazarene University, a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary. He is also an author, radio talk show host, and a national and international speaker on apologetics, comparative religions, Bible, and theology. Before joining Probe, Pat served for twelve years as an Associate Pastor. Pat currently resides in Plano, Texas.
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