The Durand Stone is an artifact in Bahrain dating back to the Kassites period (1600 BC — 1155 BC). Named after Captain Edward Law Durand who had first identified it, the stone is a 25–30 cm wide and 70–80 cm long black basalt sculpture possibly in the shape of a prow of a boat or an animal's tongue, with a cuneiform inscription.[
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Contents
The inscription, in Old Babylonian cuneiform script, was translated by Henry Rawlinson to read: "The palace of Rimum, servant of (the god) Inzak, (and) man of (the tribe of) Agarum".[
Inzak, son of Enki, was a principal god of Bahrain, and the Durand Stone provides archaeological evidence for identifying these islands as 'the abode of the blessed' of Dilmun referred to by Sumerian literature.]
History
Originally housed in the "holy of holies" of the Madrasseh-i Daood mosque (now destroyed) in Bilad Al Qadeem,[
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The contents of the inscription helped archaeologists conclude that Bahrain was the location of the Dilmun civilization.
Today
According to the records of Charles Belgrave, the Durand Stone was destroyed during World War II.[ A replica of the Durand Stone lies in the Bahrain National Museum.]
