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Chronicle concerning Alexander and Arabia (BCHP 2)
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BCHP 2: The Alexander and Arabia Chronicle. Photo Bert van der Spek.
BCHP 2: The Arabia Chronicle (British Museum).**
 The Babylonian Chronicle concerning Alexander and Arabia ("Alexander and Arabia Chronicle"; BCHP 2) is one of the historiographical texts from ancient Babylonia. It deals with events from the last regnal year of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great. For a very brief introduction to the literary genre of chronicles, go here.

The cuneiform tablet (BM 41080) is in the British Museum. On this website, a new reading is proposed by Bert van der Spek of the Free University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Irving Finkel of the British Museum.* Please notice that this is a preliminary version of what will be the chronicle's very first edition. This web publication is therefore intended to invite suggestions for better readings, comments and interpretations (go here to contact Van der Spek).
 

Description of the tablet

Small fragment. Height: 5.0 cm, width 3.5 cm. Reverse lost.
Babylonian Chronicles
Description
Text and translation
Commentary

Literature
TEXT: OBVERSE
TRANSLATION
1' [... ma-dak]-ta-/šú\ ŠUB-d[i......] 1 [......] he pitched his [cam]p [......]
2' [... ÍD ...] /i\-bir-nim-ma LUGAL T[A?......] 2 [......] they? crossed [the river Tigris] to this side and the king [......]
3' [... ÍD.MAŠ.G]Ú.GAR GABA a-ha-meš [......] 3 [... on the river Ti]gris opposite each other [......]
4' [... lú ERÍN.MEŠ Ha-n]i-e ana KUR A-ra-bi [......] 4 [... Han]ean [troops] to the land of Arabia [......]
5' [......]x KUR NÍG.BA UN KUR MAH [......] 5 [......] ... numerous gifts of the people of the land [......]
6' [... E.K]I u lúERIN LUGAL TA /E\.[KI ......] 6 [... Babyl]on? and the troops of the king from Ba[bylon .....]
7' [... ma-li]k-sa-an-d[ar LUG]AL x[......] 7 [... Ale]xand[er, the ki]ng [......]
8' [...... -d]a ŠUB  lú/DUMU\?.MEŠ [E.KI ......] 8 [...... ] x he pitched?. The citizens [of Babylon .....]
9' [......] x-na ina KÁ.GAL-/i\[.......] 9 [......] ... in the Great Gate ..[ ......]
10'   [......] dEN udAG [......] 10 [......] Bêl and Nabû [......]
to part two (commentary)
 
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