Iraq 67/1 273

SEAL no. 36548 · BM 28825 (1898-11-12, 1) · Literary Letters · Babylon (mod. Kasr, Amran Ibn Ali, Sahn, Ishin Aswad, Merkes); Borsippa (modern Birs Nimrud)

Transliteration

Obv.

1 [umma Aššur-bāni-apli . . .] x [(x) na]p?-⌈ḫar?⌉ bēl(en) x x x Try to identify [. . .]

2 [. . .] x x [x] x ⌈nik-la-a-te?⌉ šu-⌈ḫu⌉-uz šá ^dmardu[k(amar.ut[u) . . .]

3 [(x) x] x x x a te e-⌈gi⌉-ret a-⌈ḫi⌉-[i]z rid-di ra-ʾ-im x [. . .]

4 [x (x) x t]u₄ šarri(lugal) en-qa mu-du-ú le-ʾ-é-um šàr māt(kur) aš-šur^ki a x [. . .]

5 [x (x)] x ⌈ku⌉ mu-šar-ru-ú bēli(^den) rabû(gal-ú) ^dmarduk(amar.utu) ina é-sag-íl x (ba/ma) [. . .]

6 [mud]-diš par-ṣi u uṣurāti(^gišḫur^meš) mu-kin sattuk(s[á].dug₄) ilāni (dingir^meš) muš-par-zi-ḫu ekurrāt(é.kur^meš) [bābili^ki . . .]

7 [kīma i]a-a-ti ku-nu ku-ú-un-nu-šú a-na ṭupšar(^lúdub.sar)-ru-tu₄ il [. . .]

8 [x] x kil?-ʾ-a kul-lat ṭupšarrūtu(^lúdub.sar-tú) gab-bi né-me-qí ^dé-a u ^dasal-l[ú-ḫe . . .]

9 [šumma(be) iz]-bu ālu(uru) ina mēlê(sukud-e) šakin(gar-in) āšipūtu(^lúmaš.maš-tú) kalûtu(^lúgala-tú) na-ru-tú u kul-lat ṭ[upšarrūtu(^lúd[ub.sar-tú) mala bašû? ša]

10 [libbi makk]ūr(níg.g]a) marduk(^damar.utu) bēli(^den) rabû(⌈gal⌉-ú) bēli(en)-iá 12 ummânū(^lúum.me.a^meš) an-nu-tú ^mdsîn(30)-ēṭir(sur) [mār ^m. . . ^m. . . mār ^m. . .]

11[^mx-d]ān(k]al) mār(dumu) ^mga-ḫal-tu-tu ^mšamaš(^dutu)-iddin(mu) mār(dumu) ^mir-⌈a⌉-nu ^mmarduk(^damar.utu)-ēṭir(sur) [mār ^m. . . ^m. . . mār ^m. . .]

12 [^mdx-mud]ammiq(s]ig₅) mār(dumu) ^mētiru(sur-ru) ^m[m]udammiq([s]ig₅)-ili(dingir)-šú mār(dumu) ^mnabû(^dag)-na-a-a ^mṭa-bat-qát-su mār(a) [^m. . . ^m. . . mār ^m. . .]

13 [^ms]în(^d3]0)-iddin(mu) mār(a) ka-nik-bābi(ká) ^mbēl(^den)-ēriš(kam) mār(dumu) ^mbēl(^den)-ēṭiru(sur-ru) 12 ^lúummânū(um.me.a^meš) a[n-nu-tú (. . .) kullat tupšarrūtu]

14 [ša] ⌈i⌉-ḫi-ṭu-ú ib-ru-ú kīma(gim) gu!-ru-⌈un⌉-né-e a-na kar-ši-šú-nu kam-su u ¹[^ú . . .]

15 [id-dal]-pu-⌈ú⌉ la ig-gu-ú ultu(ta) makkūr(níg.ga) marduk(^damar.utu) bēli(^den) rabû(gal-ú) bēli(en)-iá u bītāti(é^meš) gab-b[i . . .]

16 [x] x aḫu(^lúšeš) ^lúta-li-mi-ʾ-iá šá 72(1,12) lēʾi(^gišda) šá musukkanni (^gišmes.má.gan.na) ultu(ta) b[īt(é)? . . .]

17 [šamnu diš]pu(l]àl) ḫimētu(ì.nun.na) ù ḫal-ṣa ana ruqqi(šen) qan(gi)-ṭup-pí-šú-nu ana ṣe-pu-ú ú-še-ṣi ù qê(^gišsìla) ^l[^ú. . .]

18 [ana x^m]^eš-šu-nu ú-še-ṣu ù gi-ṭu a-na kaspi(kù.babbar) a-na bābili(e^ki) ša?(lú) ummânu(^lúum.me.e) i-na-ad-d[in . . .]

19 [x x] x min-de-e ina lìb-bi-šú-nu la i-qab-bu-ú um-⌈ma ni-na⌉-ḫu ni-dal-l[i-ip lā niggu . . .]

20 [x x x] x x x x be? x x x e? x x x x x x ša?(lú) u[mmânu(^lúu[m.me.a). . .]

21 [x x x] x x la? x x x x x x x x x x x x ^mdx x x [. . .]

22 [x x x] x x x x [x x] x x x x x x x x ^mdx [x] x mār(a) ^mi[m?-. . .]

Rev.

23 [. . .] x ú ṣillu(giš.mi) nēpešū(dù^meš) šá enūma(ud)-anu(an)-<enlil(^den.líl.la)>? nēpešū(dù^meš) šá ḫul.ba.è.⌈a⌉ [x x x x]

24 [. . .] x [x x lū] kam-su u ^lúum-man-nu^meš šá-nu-ú-tu₄ liš-⌈ṭu⌉-ru x [x] x [x x x]

25 [. . . šu]l?-li?-ʾ[a? na-áš-pa]-ar-tu₄ kīma(gim) maḫ-ri-im-ma ½(maš) bilat(gú) kaspu(⌈kù.babbar⌉) a-na ^⌈šamaš(^dgiš.nu₁₁)-šùm⌉-u[kīn(gi.na) šàr bābili(e^ki)]

26 [. . .] a ul-te-⌈ṣi⌉ [u? x]+2 bilat(gú.un.àm) kaspu(kù.babbar) i-qa-áš-⌈šu⌉-nu-tu₄ al-la gab-bi 2 šá aḫu(šeš) t[a-li-mi?]

27 [. . .] ṣâtu(ud.ul.dù.a) en [b]e-l[u?] ultu(ta) ⌈é⌉-sag-íl ina muḫḫi(ugu) lēʾi (^gišda) šá musukkanni(^gišmes.má.gan.nu) šá x [x x]

28 [šūbilāni? šul?-l]i?-ʾa na-áš-par-tu₄ 1(aš) [b]ilat([g]ú.un) kaspu(kù.babbar) ⌈ta-dag⌉-gal qīštu(níg.ba) i-maḫ-⌈ḫar e-nin-ni⌉ at-tu-nu ^lú[ummânū]

29 [bābili^ki . . . lā] ti-ig-ga-a i-na m[a?-ḫa]r? šarri(lugal) šu-uḫ-ḫi-ir-aʾ na-áš-par-tu₄ šá aš-šur^ki u bābili(e^ki) pān(igi) amēli(lú) lem-na a x [x x]

30 [. . .] x x x x ig? [ṭ]upšarrūtu([d]ub.sar-tú) gab-bi ultu(ta) u₄-mu pāni(igi^meš) kīma(gim) šá ina bābili(e^ki) ina māt(kur) aš-šur^ki <i>-ba-áš-š[u?!-ú]

31 [. . .]-⌈aʾ⌉ šu-ṭu-ra-ʾ ⌈šu⌉-ul-li-ma-a Spelling here different from ll. 25, 28 na-áš-⌈par⌉-tu₄ a-di ana-ku a-na bābili(e^ki) e[r-ru-bu?]

32 [. . . ú-šá-a]z-zaz ki-din-ku-nu ú-ṭa-bi lìb-ba-ku-nu ú-šá-ap-šaḫ kab-tat-ku-un(-)nu [x x x]

33 [. . . ú-šad]-ba-ab šùm-ku-nu ú-né-es-se-ku-nu-ši tupšikku(^gidusu) a-na la šarrāni(lugal^meš) ma-[aḫ-ru-ti?]

34 [. . .] x x x kīma(gim) iš-tin ù ^mšamaš(giš.nu₁₁)-šùm-ukīn(gi.na) šàr bābili(e^ki) i-šak-ka[n x x-ku-nu]

35 [. . . k]u-nu ù a-ni-⌈ni⌉ ina mi-lik ra-ma-ni-ni nu-šaq-qa-a re-eš-k[u-nu x x x x]

36 [. . .] x ana bābili(e^ki) er-ru-ub šanat(mu) 5.kam! (text: UZU) ^imgi-ṭu an-na-a ana bābili(e)[^ki ki-i ik-tal-da?]

37 [. . .] x ^lúup-pu-de-e-tu₄ 5 lim ^lúṣab-bi mārū(dumu^meš) bābili(e^ki) ana é-[sag-íl . . .]

38 [. . . a]s-su ri-gim rabû(gal-ú) ina qabal(murub₄) bābilayyī(^lúe^ki.meš) šá-kin ul[tu(t[a)? . . .]

39 [(. . .) šaṭru annû ina muḫḫi l]ēʾi(^gi]^šDA) šá qablāti(murub₄^meš) šu-ú-li ana ^dma[rduk(am[ar.utu) . . .]

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40 [ṭuppu šá ^md. . . māri šá ^md. . .] x mār(dumu) ^mde₄-gi₇-ba-t[i-la qāt ^md. . . mārišu?]

41 [. . . kī]ma(gi]m) labīriš[u(libir.b[i) . . .]

Translation

Obv.

1–7 [Thus says Ashurbanipal . . .] of everything, lord of . . . [. . .] . . . educated in arts of skill, whom Marduk [. . .] the twisted . . ., who holds to the true path, lover of [. . .], wise king, expert and learned, king of Assyria, . . . [. . .] who has lavished riches on the great lord Marduk in Esagil, [. . . who has] renewed the rites and ordinances, who has established the regular offerings of the gods, who has provided abundantly for the temples [of Babylon. . . . like] me are firmly bowed to the scribal art [. . .]

8–10 [. . .] Get hold of(?) the entire corpus of scribal learning, the craft of Ea and Asalluḫe, [. . .] [Šumma] izbu, (Šumma) ālu ina mēlê šakin, the exorcistic corpus, the lamentation corpus, the song corpus, and all the scribal [learning, as much as there is, that is in the possession of the great lord Marduk, my lord."

10–18 These twelve scholars – Sîn-ēṭir [descendant of PN, PN₂ descendant of PN,] PN₃ descendant of Gaḫal-Tutu, Šamaš-iddina descendant of Irʾanni, Marduk-ēṭir [descendant of PN, PN₆ descendant of PN, . . .]-mudammiq descendant of Ēṭiru, Mudammiq-ilīšu descendant of Nabûnnaya, Ṭābat-qāssu descendant of [PN, PN₁₀ descendant of PN,] Sîn-iddin descendant of Kānik-bābi, Bēl-ēreš descendant of Bēl-ēṭiru – these twelve scholars have [the entire corpus of scribal learning, which] they have read and collated, stored in their minds (lit., "bellies") like goods piled in a magazine, and the [. . ., they kept] awake (writing it all down); they will not shirk from the property of the great lord Marduk, my lord, and all the houses in [. . .] my dear brother, who [. . .] seventy-two writing-boards of sissoo-wood from the [house (or: temple) . . .] he got out [oil,] syrup, ghee and pressed (oil) to soak the kettle of their styli, and a one-liter vessel of the [. . .] he got out [for] their [. . .] and the chief scholar will exchan[ge] the tablet (credit-note?) for silver in Babylon [. . .]

19–24 [. . .] For sure, will they not say in their hearts as follows, "Let us strain, keep a[wake and not shirk from. . ."? . . .] . . . the chief scholar [. . .] . . . PN [. . .]. . . PN son of PN [. . .] shadow, procedures of Enūma-Anu-<Enlil>, rituals of Ḫulba-Ea [. . . let] them be collected and let the other scholars write (them) out.

24–36 [. . .] complete [the] instruction! As before half a talent of silver for Šamaš-šum-[ukīn, king of Babylon, . . .] I have fetched out. He will give them [x]+2 talents of silver each. Over and above everything (else), there are two (or: 120?) (talents?) that [my dear] brother [. . .] The glossary EN = bēlu from Esagil, on a writing-board of sissoo-wood that [. . . send to me! Compl]ete the instruction! You will own one talent of silver, you(! text: he) will receive a gift! Now, you [scholars of Babylon, . . . do not] shirk, present the instruction before the king! Regarding Aššur and Babylon the face of a wicked man . . . [. . .]. . . all the scribal learning from the old days onwards (which) i[s] in Assyria, such as (exists also) in Babylon, [. . .] write out! Complete the instruction! As soon as I c[ome] to Babylon, [. . . I will] establish your protected status, I will please your hearts and set your minds at ease [. . . I will make all people] speak of your fame, I will remove from you the earth-basket (i.e., the corvée duty), more than kings [of old, . . .] . . . are as one. Indeed, Šamaš-šum-ukīn, king of Babylon, will establish [your . . .] your [. . .] and we, by our own counsel, will take care of [you . . .] will enter Babylon. The fifth year.

36–38 [When] this tablet [came] to Babylon, [. . .] the temple overseers, five thousand men, citizens of Babylon, [went] to E[sagil . . .]. . . a great shout went up among the Babylonians, from [. . .]

39 [This document] was copied [from a] multi-leaf writing-board [and it was presented] to Mar[duk.]

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40–41 [Tablet of PN, son of PN,] descendant of Egi-ba-tila. [Handiwork of PN his son(?). Written according] to its original, [checked and collated . . .]

Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman, Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL), seal.huji.ac.il. No commercial use is allowed. Published under CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives). Reproduced unmodified. Cite as SEAL no. 36548; view on seal.huji.ac.il.