Babylonian Cuneiform Tablet
Object numberMO 1946.29.3
Name
Roll, Tax
Maker
Unknown
Date2350 B.C.
MediumClay
Dimensionsoverall H 2 in x W 1 5/8 in x D 5/8 in (5.1 cm x 4.1 cm x 1.6 cm )
DescriptionA small, double-sided, Babylonian cuneiform tablet. The characters on the clay tablet, which dates to 2350 B.C., record a tax list.
Label TextMovie mogul Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959) was renowned for his epic films set in ancient civilizations. During the early 1920s, DeMille acquired a collection of Babylonian cuneiform tablets. In March 1944, he gave this one to FDR. In an October 16, 1944 letter sent via the President’s secretary, DeMille responds to Roosevelt’s request for background information about the clay tablet. The tablet, which dates to 2350 B.C., was found at Drehem, a suburb of the ancient city of Nippur (in present-day Iraq). The characters on it record a tax list.Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDeposited at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was donated as a bequest of FDR to the Library in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGift Items and Commemorative Artifacts (National Archives Identifier 782690)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.Collections
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