# The "Rosetta Stone" for Cuneiform ancient language: Behistun Tri-Lingual Inscription | Irving Finkel Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqBal2fFEPw Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/uqBal2fFEPw Generated: 2025-12-18T17:37:38.351+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The decipherment of cuneiform script, exemplified by the trilingual Behistun Inscription, was a monumental achievement in ancient language study, primarily driven by scholars like Sir Henry Rawlinson and Edward Hincks, who used the simpler Old Persian script as a key to unlock the more complex Elamite and Babylonian cuneiform texts. **Key Points:** - The Behistun Inscription, dating from 520–518 BCE, is trilingual, featuring the same text in Elamite, Babylonian, and Old Persian cuneiform. - Scholars first deciphered the Old Persian script, which served as the crucial key to translating the two more complex cuneiform scripts (Elamite and Babylonian). - Sir Henry Rawlinson, a British officer and diplomat known as the 'Father of Assyriology' (1810–1895), was instrumental in this decipherment, reportedly climbing the cliff face to copy the inscription. - Edward Hincks, an Irish clergyman and scholar, also made significant, though sometimes controversial, contributions to cuneiform decipherment ahead of his French counterparts. - The process of decipherment involved matching known elements between the languages and realizing that cuneiform signs often had multiple values or meanings depending on the context, necessitating careful analysis. - The speaker notes that the foundational grammar texts, like Sir Alan Gardiner's 'Egyptian Grammar' (published 1927), were essential for learning related ancient languages. ![Screenshot at 00:40: The Behistun Inscription is shown as a trilingual monument in Elamite, Babylonian, and Old Persian cuneiform, which provided the key for scholars to translate the complex scripts.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/uqBal2fFEPw/00-00-40.png) **Context:** This segment of the Lex Fridman Podcast features a discussion about the decipherment of cuneiform, an ancient Mesopotamian writing system, focusing heavily on the importance of the Behistun Inscription. This massive rock carving contains the same message recorded in three different cuneiform scripts (Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian), making it the ancient world's equivalent of the Rosetta Stone for cuneiform. The conversation highlights the brilliance and dedication required by 19th-century scholars to unlock these lost languages. ## Detailed Analysis The discussion centers on the decipherment of cuneiform, specifically referencing the Behistun Inscription (c. 520–518 BCE), which is trilingual, containing the same text in Elamite, Babylonian, and Old Persian cuneiform. The breakthrough occurred when scholars successfully deciphered the Old Persian script first, which then provided the necessary framework to translate the two more complex cuneiform systems. Sir Henry Rawlinson, called the 'Father of Assyriology,' is credited with this work, which involved dangerous physical feats to copy the inscriptions carved high on a cliff face at Bisitun. Edward Hincks, an Irish clergyman, is also recognized as a pioneer in this field, having made significant strides in decipherment ahead of French scholars. The speaker emphasizes that cuneiform signs were complex, often having multiple sound or meaning values, which required context-based analysis to resolve ambiguities, such as distinguishing between the sign for 'hot' and the sign for 'river' ('nahr' vs. 'ab'). The difficulty of the task is underscored by the speaker mentioning that his professor, Wilfred Lambert, taught him the basics of cuneiform, and the speaker realized immediately that this would be his life's work. A related point is made about the importance of foundational texts like Sir Alan Gardiner's 'Egyptian Grammar' for learning related ancient languages. ### Cuneiform Decipherment - The Behistun Inscription provided the key because it was trilingual (Elamite, Babylonian, Old Persian) - Scholars first cracked Old Persian, using it to decode the more complex Babylonian and Elamite scripts - The process required recognizing that signs often had multiple values depending on context. ### Key Figures - Sir Henry Rawlinson, the 'Father of Assyriology' (1810–1895), was crucial, undertaking dangerous climbs to copy the inscription - Edward Hincks, an Irish clergyman, made significant, sometimes controversial, contributions ahead of others. ### Learning Process - The speaker's personal journey involved studying under Professor Wilfred Lambert, who taught cuneiform - The complexity of the script, lacking word spacing and having polyvalent signs, made it a multi-year endeavor. ### Related Disciplines - The necessity of foundational texts is highlighted, referencing Sir Alan Gardiner's 'Egyptian Grammar' (1927) as a standard for Egyptology students. ![Screenshot at 00:08: A slide detailing Sumerian prepositions with their cuneiform signs, English translations, and grammatical terms.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/uqBal2fFEPw/00-00-08.png) ![Screenshot at 00:39: A close-up visual of the Behistun Inscription, showing the relief carvings and the text overlay explaining its trilingual nature.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/uqBal2fFEPw/00-00-39.png) ![Screenshot at 03:27: A portrait slide introducing Sir Henry Rawlinson, British Officer, Diplomat, known as the 'Father of Assyriology' \(1810–1895\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/uqBal2fFEPw/00-03-27.png) ![Screenshot at 03:45: A slide showing the cover of 'Egyptian Grammar' by Sir Alan Gardiner, noted as the standard textbook for learning ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/uqBal2fFEPw/00-03-45.png) ![Screenshot at 08:29: A cuneiform code chart is displayed, sourced from Irving Finkel and Jonathan Taylor's book 'Cuneiform'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/uqBal2fFEPw/00-08-29.png)