Our church is studying through the book of Jeremiah -- one of the prophets who warned the people of Judah that the LORD would use the Babyonians to correct them.

This week, a fascinating group of cards arrived from the Yale Babylonian Collection at Yale University Library. These images of artifacts held in their collection are a powerful reminder that the biblical account of ancient Babylon is a true historical account.

Beginning at the upper right and moving clockwise:

Upper right: Ancient stone vessels and beads, examples of material culture from the ancient Near East.
Lower right: A carved relief
Lower left: Ancient cylinder seals, rolled across wet clay to create identifying or authenticating impressions.
Upper left: Cuneiform clay tablets and fragments, examples of the writing system used throughout ancient Mesopotamia.

Artifacts like these testify to the truth of Scripture -- and should encourage our faith. We should also be reminded that sin always has consequences. And we should be grateful for Christ and the Cross -- through we avoid the consquences of a very real hell.

Many thanks to the Yale Babylonian Collection.