Babylon’s Mystery Goddess
The Queen of the Night, rendered in clay in ancient Babylon, was evidently an important goddess who enjoyed considerable status – but who is she?
The Queen of the Night is today best known for her leading role in The Magic Flute, but for Babylonian historians the star of the show is an ancient goddess with the same name. Although almost 4,000 years old, she was only given her evocative title in 2003, soon after the British Museum paid £1.5 million to a Japanese art collector for the exceptionally large plaque bearing her image. She had first appeared in London almost 70 years earlier, although little is known about her long journey from southern Iraq. A mystery when she arrived, the Queen of the Night has guarded her secrets closely: despite intense scholarly scrutiny, her identity remains unknown.
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