O Cilindro de Ciro

Quem quiser ver o Cilindro de Ciro, clique aqui.The Cyrus cylinder; clay cylinder; a Babylonian account of the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus in 539 BC, of his restoration to various temples of statues removed by Nabonidus, the previous king of Babylon, and of his own work at Babylon.

Uma tradução, em inglês, pode ser lida aqui.

Na página do Museu Britânico há algumas traduções. A de Irving Finkel é a seguinte:

[When …] … [… wor]ld quarters […] … a low person was put in charge of his country, but he set [a (…) counter]feit over them. He ma[de] a counterfeit of Esagil [and …] … for Ur and the rest of the cult-cities. Rites inappropriate to them, [impure] fo[od- offerings …] disrespectful […] were daily gabbled, and, intolerably, he brought the daily offerings to a halt; he inter[fered with the rites and] instituted […] within the sanctuaries. In his mind, reverential fear of Marduk, king of the gods, came to an end. He did yet more evil to his city every day; … his [people…], he brought ruin on them all by a yoke without relief. Enlil-of-the-gods became extremely angry at their complaints, and […] their territory. The gods who lived within them left their shrines, angry that he had made them enter into Babylon (Shuanna). Ex[alted Marduk, Enlil-of-the-Go]ds, relented. He changed his mind about all the settlements whose sanctuaries were in ruins and the population of the land of Sumer and Akkad who had become like corpses, and took pity on them. He inspected and checked all the countries, seeking for the upright king of his choice. He took under his hand Cyrus, king of the city of Anshan, and called him by his name, proclaiming him aloud for the kingship over all of everything. He made the land of the Qutu and all the Medean troops prostrate themselves at his feet, while he looked out in justice and righteousness for the black-headed people whom he had put under his care. Marduk, the great lord, who nurtures his people, saw with pleasure his fine deeds and true heart and ordered that he should go to Babylon He had him take the road to Tintir, and, like a friend and companion, he walked at his side. His vast troops whose number, like the water in a river, could not be counted, marched fully-armed at his side. He had him enter without fighting or battle right into Shuanna; he saved his city Babylon from hardship. He handed over to him Nabonidus, the king who did not fear him. All the people of Tintir, of all Sumer and Akkad, nobles and governors, bowed down before him and kissed his feet, rejoicing over his kingship and their faces shone. The lord through whose trust all were rescued from death and who saved them all from distress and hardship, they blessed him sweetly and praised his name.

I am Cyrus, king of the universe, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world, son of Cambyses, the great king,, king of the city of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, the great king, ki[ng of the ci]ty of Anshan, descendant of Teispes, the great king, king of Anshan, the perpetual seed of kingship, whose reign Bel and Nabu love, and with whose kingship, to their joy, they concern themselves.

When I went as harbinger of peace i[nt]o Babylon I founded my sovereign residence within the palace amid celebration and rejoicing. Marduk, the great lord, bestowed on me as my destiny the great magnanimity of one who loves Babylon, and I every day sought him out in awe. My vast troops marched peaceably in Babylon, and the whole of [Sumer] and Akkad had nothing to fear. I sought the welfare of the city of Babylon and all its sanctuaries. As for the population of Babylon […, w]ho as if without div[ine intention] had endured a yoke not decreed for them, I soothed their weariness, I freed them from their bonds(?). Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced at [my good] deeds, and he pronounced a sweet blessing over me, Cyrus, the king who fears him, and over Cambyses, the son [my] issue, [and over] my all my troops, that we might proceed further at his exalted command. All kings who sit on thrones, from every quarter, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, those who inhabit [remote distric]ts (and) the kings of the land of Amurru who live in tents, all of them, brought their weighty tribute into Shuanna, and kissed my feet. From [Shuanna] I sent back to their places to the city of Ashur and Susa, Akkad, the land of Eshnunna, the city of Zamban, the city of Meturnu, Der, as far as the border of the land of Qutu – the sanctuaries across the river Tigris – whose shrines had earlier become dilapidated, the gods who lived therein, and made permanent sanctuaries for them. I collected together all of their people and returned them to their settlements, and the gods of the land of Sumer and Akkad which Nabonidus – to the fury of the lord of the gods – had brought into Shuanna, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, I returned them unharmed to their cells, in the sanctuaries that make them happy. May all the gods that I returned to their sanctuaries, every day before Marduk and Nabu, ask for a long life for me, and mention my good deeds, and say to Marduk, my lord, this: “Cyrus, the king who fears you, and Cambyses his son, may their … […] […….].” The population of Babylon call blessings on my kingship, and I have enabled all the lands to live in peace. Every day I copiously supplied [… ge]ese, two ducks and ten pigeons more than the geese, ducks and pigeons […]. I sought out to strengthen the guard on the wall Imgur-Enlil, the great wall of Babylon, and […] the quay of baked brick on the bank of the moat which an earlier king had bu[ilt but not com]pleted, [I …] its work. [… which did not surround the city] outside, which no earlier king had built, his troops, the levee from his land, in/to Shuanna. […] with bitumen and baked brick I built anew, and completed its work. […] great [doors of cedarwood] with copper cladding. I installed all their doors, threshold slabs and door fittings with copper parts. […] I saw within it an inscription of Ashurbanipal, a king who preceded me, […] … […] … [… for] ever.

Irã, um símbolo do paraíso

Cerca de 300 objetos de diferentes períodos da história persa poderão ser expostos no Brasil proximamente. É o que diz a notícia da CHN – Cultural Heritage News Agency, da qual transcrevo o começo:

Brazil Stands Up Next to Host Exhibition of Persian Relics
The exhibition of “Iran, a Symbol of Paradise” which is currently on display in Mexico City is more likely to head for Brazil after it comes to an end in Mexico.

Brazil and Colombia are the two candidates in Latin America that requested to host of the exhibition of “Iran, a Symbol of Paradise” which is currently being held in Mexico City. However, based on initial agreements it seems that Brazil will precede Colombia in hosting of this exhibition. In an interview with CHN, Mohammad Reza Kargar, director of Iran’s National Museum, who has just returned from Mexico where he had been invited to attend the opening ceremony of the exhibition of “Iran, a Symbol of Paradise”, announced Brazil as the next country which is more likely to host the Persian exhibition and said: “This exhibition is the second prominent appearance of Iran in cultural programs of Central American countries (cont.)

Francis Deblauwe anuncia parada do blog

Notícia publicada por Chuck Jones na lista IraqCrisis anuncia parada, por tempo indeterminado, do blog de Francis Deblauwe Iraq War & Archaeology (A Guerra do Iraque e a Arqueologia). Entretanto, tanto o blog, quanto o antigo site continuam online. Veja:

Having launched it just two months ago, Francis Deblauwe has announced that his Iraq War & Archaeology Blog is going on indefinite hiatus. Both the blog and the older site remain online and are and extraordinary and invaluable record of the destruction of Iraq (Chuck Jones).

Notícia presente também no blog.

The Bible Unearthed de Finkelstein e Silberman vira filme

O conhecido livro The Bible Unearthed de Israel Finkelstein e Neil Asher Silberman, traduzido no Brasil (equivocadamente, em minha opinião!) com o título A Bíblia não tinha razão, virou um documentário. É um filme em quatro partes, de 52 minutos cada uma, escrito por Isy Moregenztern e Thierry Ragobert, dirigido por Thierry Ragobert e distribuído por First Run/Icarus Films, de New York, USA a partir de setembro de 2006. Os temas dos 4 episódios são os seguintes: 1. Os patriarcas; 2. O êxodo; 3. Os reis; 4. O livro.

O filme documenta escavações arqueológicas no Egito, Jordânia e Israel. Arquivos de escavações arqueológicas, mapas, ilustrações bíblicas e computação gráfica foram utilizados, mostrando a arquitetura antiga, tabuinhas cuneiformes e outros artefatos raros.

Além de Finkelstein e Silberman, colaboram neste documentário outros especialistas, gente conhecida na área, de quem sempre falo em minhas aulas de História de Israel, Introdução à Bíblia, Pentateuco e Literatura Deuteronomista (veja as fotos!), como Amnon Ben-Tor, Jacques Briend, Ayelet Gilboa, Amihai Mazar, Donald B. Redford, Ronny Reich, Thomas Römer, John Van Seters, William M. Schniedewind e David Ussishkin.

The Bible Unearthed: The Making of a Religion
Directed by Thierry Ragobert
Written by Isy Moregenztern and Thierry Ragobert
Based on the Bestseller The Bible Unearthed by Israël Finkelstein and Neil Silberman

Obs.: lançado no Brasil – leia mais aqui.

Estudos sobre o antigo Irã

Conheça o site Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS).

Este site é um espaço para o intercâmbio de informações sobre arte, arqueologia, cultura e civilização dos povos iranianos. Artigos sobre o antigo Irã, notícias diárias sobre descobertas arqueológicas, entre outras coisas, são recursos que podem ser encontrados na página. Um museu virtual traz interessantes fotos do mundo iraniano antigo, como a inscrição de Behistun de Dario I.

The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) act as a forum for the exchange of information about the art, archaeology, culture and civilization of Iranian peoples.

Encontrados restos de camelo gigante que viveu na Síria há 100 mil anos

BBC Brasil – 10 de outubro, 2006 – 15h52 GMT

Cientistas encontram fóssil de ‘camelo gigante’ na Síria

Arqueólogos descobriram na Síria os restos fossilizados de uma espécie desconhecida de camelo gigante que viveu há 100 mil anos.

Os ossos do animal foram descobertos por uma equipe de cientistas suíços e sírios perto do vilarejo de El Kowm na parte central do país. O camelo teria o dobro do tamanho de uma espécie atual. Cientistas acreditam que este tipo de camelo gigante poderia ter sido morto por humanos, que viviam no lugar no mesmo período. Na época, há 100 mil anos, a região possuía água abundante. “Não se sabia que o dromedário estava presente no Oriente Médio há mais de 10 mil anos”, disse Jean-Marie Le Tensorer da Universidade de Basel. A corcova do camelo ficava a três metros de altura e a altura total poderia chegar a quatro metros, tão alto quanto uma girafa ou elefante. Ninguém sabia que uma espécie como esta já existiu”, acrescentou. Tensorer, que está trabalhando em escavações no vilarejo de Kowm desde 1999, afirmou que os primeiros ossos grandes foram encontrados há alguns anos mas a confirmação de que eles pertenciam a um camelo foi feita apenas depois da descoberta de várias outras partes do mesmo animal, recentemente. Entre 2005 e 2006 mais de 40 fragmentos de ossos de camelos gigantes foram encontrados pela equipe. Restos humanos do mesmo período do camelo gigante foram descobertos no mesmo local. O osso longo que forma o antebraço e um dente foram levados para a Suíça, onde estão passando por análises antropológicas (cont.)



Giant camel fossil found in Syria
Archaeologists have discovered the 100,000-year-old fossilised remains of a previously unknown giant camel species in Syria (cont.)

Boletim da ASOR anuncia a publicação da Inscrição de Tel Zayit

A inscrição de Tel Zayit será publicada em breve, diz Duane Smith em seu blog Abnormal Interests em 9 de outubro de 2006.

The Tell Zayit Inscription to Be Published Soon

Professor Ron Tappy informs me that the editio princeps of the Tell Zayit Inscription will appear in the next month’s edition of the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR). I thank Professor Tappy for giving me permission to post this exciting news.

Because of the potential importance of this inscription in any discussion of scribal schools in Canaan in the Iron Age, I have decided to postpone my next megapost on “How to Recognize a Scribal School” until after its publication. Until I received the email from Professor Tappy, I had planned to post it this week. In the meantime, I will post my reflections on a few other texts that are of importance in this discussion. By posting these reflections before the next megapost I hope that it will be a little less mega.

Arqueologia no Iraque antes e depois da invasão de 2003

Francis Deblauwe no blog The Iraq War & Archaeology escreve hoje no post Excavations since start of War que após a invasão de 2003 só duas escavações arqueológicas acontecem hoje no Iraque, segundo seu conhecimento.

Porém, na década de 80 do século passado dezenas de escavações podiam ser contabilizadas, feitas por equipes de arqueólogos dos Estados Unidos, França, Alemanha, Reino Unido, Itália, Bélgica, Países Baixos, Japão etc.

Enquanto este número foi caindo drasticamente nos anos 90 – o país ficou sob embargo – o número de saques a sítios arqueológicos foi aumentando até tornar-se um padrão costumeiro após a invasão de 2003, de tal modo que nem chega mais a chamar a atenção do mundo ocidental. Infelizmente.


Pois é: lembrando que nossa civilização tem seu berço nestas terras e que ainda há muito a ser pesquisado sob o solo mesopotâmico…

Arqueólogos franceses descobrem grande edifício comunitário de 8.800 a.C. na Síria

Arqueólogos descobrem edifício de 11 mil anos na Síria

da France Presse, em Damasco

Arqueólogos revelaram nesta terça-feira a descoberta de um edifício de 11 mil anos nas margens do rio Eufrates, no norte da Síria.

“A descoberta notável de um grande edifício circular datado de 8.800 a.C acabou de ser feita perto de Ja’de”, disse o diretor da equipe de arqueólogos franceses que fez a descoberta.

O edifício, muito maior do que casas normais, “tinha um uso coletivo, provavelmente para todos da cidade ou de um grupo”, disse Eric Coqueugniot.

“Parte deste edifício comunitário tem a forma da cabeça de um touro e preserva ornamentações pintadas, as mais antigas conhecidas no Oriente Médio”, disse. “As pinturas geométricas multicoloridas que decoram o edifício seriam expostas no museu de Aleppo, norte da Síria, acrescentou.

“Muitas armas de caça e ferramentas domésticas foram descobertas neste nível. A maior parte destas ferramentas é feita de sílex e muito poucas de pedra vulcânica”, afirmou.

Coqueugniot chefia a equipe do Centro Nacional de Pesquisa Científica (CNRS, na sigla em francês), a maior estrutura científica da França, que levou ao trabalho de escavação no local pelos últimos 15 anos.

Fonte: Folha Online: 03/10/2006