Babylon's 4,000-Year-Old Lullaby

Dating back to around 2000 BCE, one of the world's oldest known lullabies was discovered on a Babylonian clay tablet, but it's far from soothing. Instead of gentle comfort, the song threatens the crying baby with punishment for disturbing the family god's rest. This eerie bedtime verse reveals that even 4,000 years ago, Babylonian parents mixed divine fear with parental fatigue.

Previous Fact Next Fact