Babylonian hymn readable again thanks to AI

Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) have successfully made readable again an ancient Babylonian hymn which had been unintelligible for 2,000 years. Professor Enrique Jiménez, specializing in Ancient Near Eastern Literatures, spearheaded the effort, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to reconstruct the text. He collaborated with Anmar Fadhil, an Assyriologist from the University of Baghdad.

The text, inscribed in cuneiform script on clay tablets, has survived only in fragments. Professor Jiménez is digitizing all discovered cuneiform text fragments worldwide on LMU's Electronic Babylonian Library platform. AI is employed to identify and connect these fragmented sections, enabling the reconstruction of lost texts. A key objective includes deciphering hundreds of tablets from the renowned Sippar Library.

This research holds significant academic value and also carries profound personal meaning for scholars in Iraq. Jiménez recounted how colleagues from Babylon expressed pride in having their cultural heritage salvaged.

The project is part of a broader initiative to digitally preserve and analyze ancient texts. The application of AI offers novel avenues for studying ancient languages and literature, providing deeper insights into past civilizations.