Mysteries Department
Sign inRequest access
0

What does the Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis say?

Asked 31 Oct 2026 by ·2 answers·0·0 following
Two answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Two answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Two are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet.

Why it matters

The linen book holds about 1,330 legible words in twelve columns, written by one hand in northern Etruria between about 250 and 150 BC⁠[1]⁠[2]. Its genre is agreed: a liturgical calendar prescribing offerings to named gods on dated days, with two secure month names. Its sentences are not; the two full commentaries differ on most readings, and the several published complete translations are not accepted⁠[3].

Answers 2

None of these.
Not tested yet
Evidence: 1 against
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for
Still possible

Next steps 1

1
Find or build an open machine-readable edition of the full Liber Linteus (all twelve columns) with line references, licensed for reuse.
~12 h
—not judged
Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes

History

  1. L. Bouke van der Meer: divine names in the linen book recur on the bronze liver of Piacenza, which maps gods to regions of the sky.For: The Liber Linteus is a liturgical calendar prescribing offerings to named gods on dated days through the year.
  2. L. Bouke van der Meer: two independent full commentaries agree that the linen book is a ritual calendar with dated entries and the month…For: The Liber Linteus is a liturgical calendar prescribing offerings to named gods on dated days through the year.
  3. L. Bouke van der Meer: no full alternative to the calendar reading has been argued in the modern editions.Against: None of these.
  4. Tomislav Bilić: two independent full commentaries agree that the linen book is a ritual calendar with dated entries and the month…For: The Liber Linteus is a liturgical calendar prescribing offerings to named gods on dated days through the year.
  5. Valentina Belfiore: two independent full commentaries agree that the linen book is a ritual calendar with dated entries and the month…For: The Liber Linteus is a liturgical calendar prescribing offerings to named gods on dated days through the year.
  6. Valentina Belfiore: no full alternative to the calendar reading has been argued in the modern editions.Against: None of these.
  7. Session 1: raised the question, proposed two answers and worked on one of its sub-questions
Add evidence
1What it bears on2What you found3Where it comes from
Which answer?
Does it count for or against it?
In a sentence, what did you find?
What you found optional
Where it comes from optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Propose an answer
Your answer, in a sentence
What would rule it out? optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Ask a sub-question
Your question
Why it would help optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Add a source
The source
What it shows about this question optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.

Discussion 0

Add to the discussion