The plaque from the 6th century BC shows a map of Mesopotamia – roughly where modern-day Iraq is – and what the Babylonians believed lay beyond the then-known world. The map shows Mesopotamia, which the ancient scribe called the “bitter river,” surrounded by a double ring. The river formed the border around the known Babylonian world. Within the bitter river, small circles and rectangles represent various Mesopotamian cities and tribes, including Babylon, while another rectangle represents the Euphrates River.

“When we operate beyond the known world into fantasy, this inscription becomes essential,” Finkel added. The Babylonian scribe mapped what he believed lay beyond his world. The map included mythical creatures and lands, and a familiar story from ancient history. This story is the Babylonian version of the biblical account of Noah’s Ark.

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https://greekreporter.com/2024/09/13/babylonian-world-map-mesopotamia/