Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A00849 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0849
In plain English
Three reed mats seven cubits long, six mats six cubits long and two mats five cubits long are assigned to Iškur-andul's boat. A second batch, six mats of six cubits and two mats of about five cubits, goes to a large magur cargo boat. The rest of that last line, probably the boat's owner or destination, is broken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 3 reed mats of 7 [cubits]; 2. 6 reed mats of 6 cubits; 3. 2 reed mats of 5 cubits: 4. (for) the boat of Iškur-andul. 5. 6 reed mats of 6 cubits; 6. 2 reed mats of 5(?) [cubits]: Bottom edge(?) 7. (for) the magur-boat [......].”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00850 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0850
In plain English
This is an inventory count. It lists 2 items of a kind called UMBIN×LU (the qualifier before it is unreadable), 4 izi, 12 of something whose name ends in "-ri", and a single zinītum. A number of poplar items follows, but the figure is lost. The next two entries are damaged: one ends in "-am", and the other contains the phrase igi-še ra-a, whose meaning is unclear. The account closes with a total of 95.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 ...... |UMBIN×LU| 4 izi 12 [......]-ri 1 zinītum [...] poplar(s) [......]-am [......] igi-še ra-a(?) (Total:) 95 (written 1 gešʾu + 35, i.e. 60 + 35)”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00863 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0863
In plain English
Five bundles of flax go to the sluice. Ur-su the courier has 2, Lugal-ezem, foreman of the potters, has 3, Azugal has 3, Lugal-e-maše the farmer has 5, and Nita-x has 10. The next entries are damaged: someone has about 2, a man named Gal-… the chief farmer has 3, and another has about 1. Altogether, 37 bundles of flax have been loaded onto the boat. After the total come a few more entries: 10 for Ni-…, something for Amur-… (the rest of his line is lost), and 2 for Ur-kuš.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse(?) 1. 5 (bundles of) flax, 2. for the sluice(?); 3. 2: Ur-su, the courier; 4. 3: Lugal-ezem, overseer of the potters; 5. 3: Azugal; 6. 5: Lugal-e-maše, the farmer; 7. 10: Nita-x; 8. 2(?): [......]; 9. 3: Gal-[......], the chief farmer; 10. 1(?): [......]. Reverse(?) / edges 11. Total: 37 [bundles of] flax 12. are placed in the boat. 13. 10: Ni-x-x; 14. Amur-[......]; 15. 2: Ur-kuš.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00865 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0865
In plain English
Flour expenditure record. Roughly 2 gur, 1 barig, 2 ban and half a sila of barley flour went to the regular offerings. Three ban less two sila of flour went to the orchard festival. One and a half sila of bread, plus a further amount of flour whose figure is lost, went to the NE-NE-gar festival, with Igizi named. Totals: 2 gur, 1 barig and 4 sila of flour for the regular offerings, and 4 ban and 4 sila of flour. All of this was paid out on instruction. Dated to the month of Duku.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [2] gur 1 barig 2 ban 1/2 sila of dabin-flour: regular offerings (sa2-du11); 2. 3 ban less 2 sila of dabin-flour (zi3 dabin): 3. (for) the festival of the orchard (ezem nig2-kiri6). 4. [1] 1/2 sila of bread [......] dabin-flour: 5. (for) the NE-NE-gar (festival); 6. Igizi. Reverse 7. [Total]: 2 gur 1 barig 4 sila of dabin-flour, regular offerings; 8. [total]: 4 ban 4 sila of dabin-flour (zi3 dabin). 9. Expenditure by order (zi-ga inim-ma). 10. [Month of Du]ku.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00874 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0874
In plain English
To the one who watches over the people of the land, beloved of the goddesses Dingirmah and Ašgi, King Šar-kali-šarri, the writer says: [the next lines are broken; something involving a donkey(?) and something that was given is mentioned]. 'I have no irrigated land. Please let me be given some well-watered land!'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. The one who looks upon (?) 2. — say to him! — 3. the people of the land, 4. beloved of Dingirmah, 5. beloved of Ašgi, 6. Šar-kali-šarri: 7. [......] 8. [......] (Reverse) 9. [......] donkey(?) [......] ... [......] gave(?). 10. I have no irrigated land. 11. May he give me some irrigated land!”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00878 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0878
In plain English
Monthly barley rations. A'a the carpenter and Bušati'e the potter, the two men, get 4 ban each. Five women get 3 ban each: Arane-x, Im-…, Zi-…, Na-… and Du-…. Most of the women's names are only partly preserved. In total that is two men at 4 ban and five women at 3 ban, which comes to 4 barig less 1 ban of barley. This was issued in the month of Akiti.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“4 ban: A'a, the carpenter; 4 ban: Bušati'e, the potter; (they are) men. 3 ban: Arane-x; 3 ban: Im-[...]; 3 ban: Zi-[...]; [3 ban]: Na-[...]; [3 ban]: Du-[...]; (they are) wo[men]. Total: 2 men (at) 4 ban (each), 5 women (at) 3 ban (each); its barley ration: 4 barig less 1 ban. Month: Akiti.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00885 + OIM A01062 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0885 + 1062
In plain English
Message from Lugal-geš to Lugal-maškim: My messenger has been killed. Someone murdered him. The line about what is to be done in this matter is partly lost, but the letter ends by asking that it be handed over to the Ki-babbar, a name whose first part is restored.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. What Lugal-geš 2. says, 3. to Lugal-maškim 4. [s]ay: 5. "The man, my messen[g]er: 6. someone killed (him). 7. Its matter [......] let [......] Reverse 8. to the [Ki-babbar] 9. let him transfer (it)."”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00890 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0890
In plain English
Six ropes of the KAxKID type went to a recipient whose name is lost at the top of the tablet. Three went to someone whose name is broken, and six went to [...]-mer. Ilulu, Lugal-im, Lani, Kibad, Ur-GAN2-ISZ and Šu-ilīsu each received three. The tablet gives the total as 30 ropes, and notes that these were handed over to them.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 6 [ropes (of type) KAxKID] — 2. 3 [......] 3. 6 — [...]-mer 4. 3 — Ilulu(?) 5. 3 — Lugal-im 6. 3 — Lani 7. 3 — Kibad 8. 3 — Ur-GAN2-ISZ 9. 3 — Šu-ilīsu 10. Total: 30 ropes (of type) KAxKID 11. he gave (them) to them.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry