The Babylonian astronomical diaries are a collection of Babylonian cuneiform texts written in Akkadian language that contain systematic records of astronomical observations and political events, predictions based on astronomical observations, weather reports, and commodity prices, kept for about 600 years, from around 652 BCE to 61 BCE.
The commodity prices are included for six items (barley, dates, mustard (cuscuta), cress (cardamom), sesame, and wool) for particular dates.
The death of Alexander the Great and subsequent related events have been the subjects of debates. According to a Babylonian astronomical diary, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon between the evening of 10 June and the evening of 11 June 323 BC, at the age of 32.
Macedonians and local residents wept at the news of the death, while Achaemenid subjects were forced to shave their heads. The mother of Darius III, Sisygambis, having learned of Alexander's death, became depressed and killed herself later. Historians vary in their assessments of primary sources about Alexander's death, which has resulted in different views about its cause and circumstances.