2000 – 1600 BCE
Old Babylonian
Hammurabi, the Epic of Gilgamesh, mathematics.
Sumerian becomes a learned tongue, like Latin in medieval Europe; Akkadian dominates daily life. In Babylon, Hammurabi inscribes his code on a black diorite stele. Scribal schools copy and refine the Epic of Gilgamesh into the form we know. Mathematicians on tablets like Plimpton 322 work out Pythagorean triples a thousand years before Pythagoras.
Primary sources
Tablets from this period
22570 tablets dated to Old Babylonian — showing 24 below; browse all 22570.
MS 1739/1
Obverse: 1 gur of barley, royal (standard measure), for the price of 1 shekel of silver [plus] one quarter-shekel, from Katar, Puzur-Haya received. Witness: Ur-Duku-ga; Witness: Puzur-Haya (II). Month: intercalary Šekinku[5] (harvest month), Year: the throne of Enlil was fashioned. Reverse (second transaction): 1 gur of barley [...] Year: [...] Witness: Puzur-[...] Month: intercalary Še[kinku5], Year: the throne of [Enlil was fashioned].
EconomyWriting & Literature
TLB 05, 10
1 nahbatum-container of royal kakkara(-oil?) Black sheep-skin (of a ram): 9 [units] its price: 5 shekels 8 pairs of sandals with toe-caps — royal kakkara(-quality) — 1 (for) each 2 Ox-hide, u'habbu-processed: 5 shekels Black billy-goat skin: 2/3 [shekel] 3 masabbu-baskets of bread (and) cake their bitumen/pitch: 5 sila (All this) for the offering-storehouse Via: Ur-alla and Iddin-Adad, the cook Overseer: Anah-ili Day n Month: Abu (the 'fires of Ab') Year: Ishbi-Erra, the king, defeated Shimashki and Elam [Tablet-]copy
EconomyWriting & Literature
TLB 05, 11
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — TLB 05, 11. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išbi-Erra y1 — Išbi-Erra became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 44 08
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 44 08. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-iliszu y1 — Šu-iliszu became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 45 10
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 45 10. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-iliszu y1 — Šu-iliszu became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
JCS 28, 237 01
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JCS 28, 237 01. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-iliszu y1 — Šu-iliszu became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
TLB 05, 23
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — TLB 05, 23. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-iliszu y1 — Šu-iliszu became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 48 21
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 48 21. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 48 24
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 48 24. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 49 25
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 49 25. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 49 26
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 49 26. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 49 27
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 49 27. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 50 29
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 50 29. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 48 23
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 48 23. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y2 — Year after: Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
JCS 28, 238 02
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JCS 28, 238 02. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.03, ex. 02
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.03, ex. 02. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 01
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 01. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 02
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 02. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 03
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 03. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 04
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 04. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 05
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 05. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 06
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 06. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 09
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 09. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 10
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 10. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature