Babylon Clay Tablet Confirms Jeremiah
by Ben M. Shropshire
via Lifeline, 7/15/00
The recent discovery of a cuneiform clay tablet by an Austrian
scholar at the site of ancient Babylon confirms the historical accuracy
of the book of Jeremiah. The recently deciphered tablet, which dates from
595 BC, refers to an official in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, which is also mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah.
The tablet names a Babylonian officer called Nebo-Sarsekim, who,
according to Jeremiah (39:3) was present in 586 BC when "Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it"
(Jeremiah 39:1).
The clay tablet relates that Nebo-Sarsekim bestowed a gift of gold on the Temple of Esangila in the city of Babylon. It does not mention that he was with Nebuchadnezzar when he laid siege to the city of Jerusalem and then destroyed it. The cuneiform inscription, therefore, just confirms that Jeremiah was accurate when he reported there was an official (Jeremiah refers to him as a prince of the king of Babylon) of the Babylonian government whose name was Nebo-Sarsekim. The dating of the tablet from 595 BC, which was just nine years prior to the event reported by Jeremiah, demonstrates the likelihood that the tablet and Jeremiah were both referring to the same person.
This is just another evidence, along with many others, that the
Bible is not just a collection of legends, fables and hand-me-down
stories, but that it is a historically accurate document. Believing that
the Bible was inspired of God, we would expect it to be historically
accurate.
