The Nebusarsekim Tablet

Abstract

During the summer of 2007 an internet hype was unleashed by the breaking news that an Old Testament name of some importance, figuring in the Book of Jeremiah Ch. 39, had been positively identified on a cuneiform clay tablet, viz. a bill of receipt from the time of this prophet's floruit. Many a scholar of sorts was quick to claim that by this tiny piece of extra-scriptural evidence the Bible was proven to be historically reliable. Others did not relish this type of enthusiasm, or even dismissed the whole thing as a mere name detached from any historical context. So far, the debate has been missing a sound base, however, in that it had to fully rely on a provisional translation by the tablet's discoverer. In order for discussions to be based on firmer ground a transliteration of the document is offered here, along with a translation and some remarks putting things into context in a provisional way.