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The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient Persian artifact created in 539 BC. It’s a clay cylinder inscribed with a declaration by King Cyrus the Great following his conquest of Babylon. The inscription details his policies of allowing exiled peoples to return home and restoring temples. This relic offers va...
The Mao Gong Ding is a Western Zhou bronze ritual vessel in Taiwan, notable for its long inscription of nearly 500 Chinese characters.
The Jelling Stones are 10th-century Danish runestones, one raised by Harald Bluetooth and often called Denmark's baptismal record.
The Rök Runestone is a 9th-century Swedish runestone with one of the longest known runic inscriptions, carved in Östergötland.
The Da Yu Ding is a Western Zhou bronze ritual vessel in China's National Museum, notable for its long inscription on King Kang's commands.
The Merneptah Stele is an Egyptian victory inscription from about 1208 BC, notable for the earliest widely accepted reference to Israel.
The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is an Assyrian monument from Nimrud, Iraq, carved around 825 BC with tribute scenes from conquered rulers.
The Ruthwell Cross is an Anglo-Saxon stone cross in Scotland, notable for Latin carvings and Old English runic verse.
The Mesha Stele is a Moabite basalt inscription from Jordan, set up around 840 BC by King Mesha and naming Israel's Omri dynasty.
The Siloam Inscription is a Hebrew tunnel text from Jerusalem, carved around 700 BC to mark the meeting of workers in Hezekiah's water tunnel.
The Bewcastle Cross is an Anglo-Saxon stone cross in Cumbria, England, notable for carved figures, vine scrolls, and runic text.
