Archeological linguists translate text on ancient Babylonian biscuit

Ancient Babylonian Tax and Sex Biscuit

Archeologists at the Smithsonian Museum's Freer Gallery of Art have completed their studies of text written on a 3,700 year old Babylonian biscuit, discovered near the ancient city of Uruk, capitol of Gigamesh in modern-day Iraq.

Although the archeologists have yet to verify if the biscuit, in fact, once belonged the Amorite ruler, Hammurabi, it was confirmed that the actual text, written in Sumerian, was the first ever known use of an ingredients and nutrition facts label.

Highly prized, the Babylonian biscuits of the time were used to settle tax debts and also to purchase sexual favors for tax collectors in the ancient society. For their favors, Babylonian prostitutes earned the nickname "Ladies of the Biscuit."

Although some of the words were not completely translated, the text is as follows: