Chapter 08 · 539 – 330 BCE
Achaemenid Persian
Persian rule, the long twilight of cuneiform.
~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0051
In plain English
Warehouse paperwork from the Persian Empire: 144 jars' worth of wine — about 1,400 liters — was drawn from the supplier Maturban. Uzikraš transported the shipment, and Miššabadda signed for it on arrival, putting it into storage at the same place. Filed in year 22 of the king's reign, around 500 BCE.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“144 marriš of wine — supplied from Maturban. Uzikraš carried (it off); Miššabadda received (it). At Huddu-(ditto) he set (it) down as stores. 22nd year.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0052
In plain English
Inventory note: 2,006 marriš of wine (roughly 20,000 liters) transferred out of the depot at Maturbana. Uzikraš handled the transport, and the transaction was processed at the same station. Miššabadda took receipt of the shipment at Baduišduiš, with Kuizza and Mannaraziyara involved as the responsible officials. Filed in year 22 of the king's reign — about 500 BCE. Several of the names and one or two words in the middle of the receipt are hard to make out, but the quantity, the commodity, and the year are clear.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2,006 (lit. twenty hundred six) marriš of wine, from (the place) Maturbana(?): Uzikraš held/carried (it); it was handled at the same (place, ditto). Miššabadda(?) received (it); (at) Baduišduiš(?); Kuizza(?) (and/of) Mannaraziyara. Year 22 (lit. of the 22nd year).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0053
In plain English
Receipt: two units of pit (a food commodity) were delivered to the storehouse at Persepolis. The goods came through Šutena, the supplying official. Bakabadda and Nababa, doing the same work as noted in the previous record, took delivery. Filed in year 21 of the king's reign — roughly 501 BCE.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(obverse) 2 (measures of) pit(-fruit), supplied by (kurmin) Šutena, was deposited (kutka) at Persepolis (Baršan). The hut-ditto(-workers?) — Bakabadda (and) Nababa received (it). 21st year.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0054
In plain English
Delivery record: 49 measures of wheat, issued by Mangišna from the depot at Matezzikaš, were picked up by a man named Kurizza, who was handling the grain allocation; he received the wheat and hauled it to Persepolis. He obtained it as an exchange transaction, apparently from the seller, and the deal was entered to their account. Dated year 20. A second entry: 730 measures of flour were shipped to Persepolis; Upirradda handled it and received it, likewise as an exchange. Dated year 17. A final line — something about the apportioning, possibly at a place called Hatumasan — is too obscure to render with confidence.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“49 (BAR of) wheat, supplied by Man-gi-išna(?), from (the place) Matezzikaš: (a man) named Kurizza, apportioning the irše-grain(?), received (it) and carried (it) to Persepolis. He acquired(?) manuš tumara(?) as an exchange (manmakka) (from) the seller(?). That was done for their account(?). 20th year. 730 (BAR of) flour was carried to Persepolis. It was …-ed(?) (by) Upirradda(?), and he received (it) as an exchange (manmakka). 17th year. … apportioning(?) … at Hatumasan(?).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0055
In plain English
This is a wheat receipt. An unknown quantity of wheat — the number at the start is broken off — was taken out of the supply that the official Kinimur was responsible for, and a man named Bakaduišda took delivery of it. The clerk dated the transaction to year 23 of the reigning king, most likely Darius I, which puts it around 499 BCE. One line describes where or from whom the wheat was drawn, but the wording there is too obscure to render with certainty.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Obverse) [n (measures of)] wheat: from the rappišbe(?)-... (rap-pi-iš-be-na-mar-ri), liddu(?), it was withdrawn/carried off (kutka). Bakaduišda received (it) — received (duišdal). Entrusted by (kurmin) Kinimur. Of the 23rd year.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0056
In plain English
Receipt: 60 measures of sesame, drawn from the supply account of Saktiti. The middle line, partly obscure, seems to note that the delivery men handled or carried the consignment. Nappupu took receipt of the sesame. Filed in year 22 of the king — that is, around 500 BCE under Darius I. The everyday paperwork of a royal storehouse: who issued the goods, who received them, and when.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(obverse) 60 (measures of) sesame, supplied by (kurmin) Saktiti; the delivery-men(?) ... — he(?) carried/held it; Nappupu received (it). Year 22.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0400
In plain English
Bagirabba took delivery of a small amount of wine — a few liters, drawn from the supply account managed by Huišdana. He used it up for the abbakannuš connected with the abbamuš, apparently a fixed obligation or ceremonial outlay. The disbursement covers two months on the Persepolis calendar, Karmabataš and Turnabaziš. In effect: a signed-off expense slip from the imperial warehouse, noting who supplied the wine, who received it, what it was spent on, and the accounting period it belongs to.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 (and) 2 qa of wine, supplied by (kurmin) Huišdana: Bagirabba received (it); he expended (it as/for) the abbakannuš of the abbamuš. (For) the months Karmabataš and Turnabaziš.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~430 BCE · OIM L— — PFAP, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 092, 0401
In plain English
Receipt: one marriš and six quarts of wine (about 16 liters in all), drawn from the supplies managed by Hušdanana. Bagirabba took delivery. The wine was then expended for a specific purpose — the terms used are technical and their exact meaning is unclear, perhaps a ceremony or an accounting category. The transaction is dated to the month of Samiyamaš, the eleventh month of the Persian administrative year.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 marriš (and) 6 qa of wine, supplied by (kurmin) Hušdanana. Bagirabba received (it). They used it for the abbakinnuš of the abbamuš(?). (Edge/final line:) [Month:] Samiyamaš.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry