Scholars have made a major breakthrough in understanding ancient Mesopotamian culture through the translation of 4,000-year-old cuneiform clay tablets that interpreted lunar eclipses as bad omens, Live Science reported Tuesday.

The tablets, discovered over a century ago and now part of the British Museum's collection, detail predictions of death, destruction and disease linked to specific celestial phenomena. according to The study, reported in Live Science, was conducted by Andrew George, professor emeritus at the University of London's Babylonian School, and independent researcher Junko Taniguchi. Published Published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies.

“The King Dies”: 4,000-year-old stone tablet predicting lunar eclipse finally deciphered https://t.co/9gMm2Wwy8L

— Live Science (@LiveScience) August 6, 2024

The tablets are believed to have been discovered in Sippar, a major city in modern-day Iraq during the Babylonian Empire. The discovery is the oldest known example of a lunar eclipse omen discovered so far, the media reported. The tablets show how ancient astrologers used details of the time of night, the movement of shadows and the occurrence of eclipses to predict catastrophic events. (Related article: Research reveals ancient civilizations may have thrived on now-submerged land)

For example, one clay tablet interprets a sudden eclipse of the sun, which darkens and clears, as an omen of the king's death and the fall of Elam, an ancient civilization in what is now Iran, according to LiveScience. Other ominous prophecies included the downfall of regions such as Subartu and Akkad, depending on the characteristics of the eclipse. “An eclipse in the evening means a plague,” one omen read.

According to Live Science, while some of these omens may be based on actual historical observations of events following disasters, most are likely derived from theoretical frameworks that link characteristics of certain eclipses with specific outcomes.