Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid

But they've kind of focused on Assyria because around the time of the beginning of this discipline, an incredible royal library was uncovered from Nineveh, which was the royal library of the last great Neo-Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal. And there were about 30,000 tablets that were unearthed from that. So I think that really, you know, that was the kind of game changer for the field.

But they've kind of focused on Assyria because around the time of the beginning of this discipline, an incredible royal library was uncovered from Nineveh, which was the royal library of the last great Neo-Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal. And there were about 30,000 tablets that were unearthed from that. So I think that really, you know, that was the kind of game changer for the field.

And that's why it took its name from it.

And that's why it took its name from it.

Yes. King Ashurbanipal wanted to create this royal library, and he sent scholars to different parts of the empire to copy the most well-known and important texts, including some very old ones, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, and brought them under one roof, so to speak. It gets its name as a royal library because the types of disciplines attested, the types of works attested are just so incredible.

Yes. King Ashurbanipal wanted to create this royal library, and he sent scholars to different parts of the empire to copy the most well-known and important texts, including some very old ones, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, and brought them under one roof, so to speak. It gets its name as a royal library because the types of disciplines attested, the types of works attested are just so incredible.

You have astronomy, medicine, literature, omens. It's just such a vast, such a vast collection.

You have astronomy, medicine, literature, omens. It's just such a vast, such a vast collection.

Play tablets, yeah.

Play tablets, yeah.

In cuneiform. In cuneiform, right. Yeah.

In cuneiform. In cuneiform, right. Yeah.

Yes, yes. So Ashurbanipal is an interesting guy. I mean, he has these reliefs of himself doing things like fighting lions or, you know, throwing spears. And then he has these styluses tucked into his belt as if to make sure everyone knew, not just a warrior. I'm not just protecting my kingdom. I'm also really smart. I know math. I know science. I know how to read.

Yes, yes. So Ashurbanipal is an interesting guy. I mean, he has these reliefs of himself doing things like fighting lions or, you know, throwing spears. And then he has these styluses tucked into his belt as if to make sure everyone knew, not just a warrior. I'm not just protecting my kingdom. I'm also really smart. I know math. I know science. I know how to read.

Yes, yeah. It's quite a stable script. I mean, the styles change and you can sort of tell when something's really old.

Yes, yeah. It's quite a stable script. I mean, the styles change and you can sort of tell when something's really old.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They did bake some tablets that were really important, but for the most part they just let them dry.

They did bake some tablets that were really important, but for the most part they just let them dry.