Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · NBC 06989 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 092
In plain English
Under Adda's name, the scribe lists work-days: Lugal-lu-KA, three days; Ur-pu, one day; U-u, one day. Dam-maḫ is entered next, though the figure beside him no longer survives. Šeš-kina is credited with one day (the numeral is damaged), Šeš-kura follows without a readable count, and Lugal-nesag has one day. The final two lines are broken — one begins with what looks like "the man of ..." and the last preserves only the name Gal-zu. In modern terms, a foreman's timesheet: names in one column, days worked in the other.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Adda. 2. 3 days: Lugal-lu-KA. 3. 1 day: Ur-pu. 4. 1 day: U-u. 5. Dam-maḫ(!). 6. 1[?] day: Šeš-kina. 7. Šeš-kura[.......] 8. 1 day: Lugal-nesag. 9. The man[?] of ...... 10. ...... Gal-zu.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06902 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 130
In plain English
Monthly barley rations for a crew of fishermen. Each man gets one barig: [someone whose name ends in] -na (the start of the line is damaged), E'e, Ur-šerda, Ur-pisan, Šeš-lu, KA-ku (the blind one), the lamentation priest, and another man also called KA-ku. That makes eight fishermen. Together they draw 1 gur 3 barig of barley a month. Over ten months that comes to 16 gur, and Šuna has received it.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse / Reverse (no side divisions are marked in the source): 1. [1 barig (?) ...]-na; 2. 1 barig: E'e; 3. 1 barig: Ur-šerda; 4. 1 barig: Ur-pisan; 5. 1 barig: Šeš-lu; 6. 1 barig: KA-ku, the blind man; 7. 1 barig: the lamentation priest (gala); 8. 1 barig: KA-ku, the second (i.e. a second man of the same name); 9. Total: 8 fishermen. 10. Their barley ration: 1 gur 3 barig, 11. for 1 month. 12. 16 gur of barley for 10 months. 13. Šuna received (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 · NBC 06907 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 145
In plain English
Inventory of bronze items: three copper basins, three mirrors, two *šà*-pieces, two *šu*-pieces, one *šu-lá*, one *kun-dù*, one small *alal*-vessel and one long pipe. That makes fourteen bronze pieces in all. They are the cupbearer's responsibility and are kept with Baranni.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 copper *zaḫum*-basins, 2. 3 mirrors, 3. 2 *šà*-objects, 4. 2 *šu*-objects, 5. 1 *šu-lá*-object, 6. 1 *kun-dù*-object, 7. 1 small *alal*-vessel (or pipe), 8. 1 *gi-gíd* (long pipe / flute); 9. total: 14 bronze (objects), 10. (in) the charge of the cupbearer, 11. with 12. Baranni 13. they are (kept).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06961 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 176
In plain English
Barley payments. The first entry is damaged: [some] gur and 3 barig went to a person whose name starts x-Nin-, but the rest of the name is lost. Enlila got 3 gur 2 barig. A partly broken entry concerns assorted textiles. Hamati got 2 gur, Ur-su-sipa-lu 1 gur and Šeš-kala 1 ban. Another payment covered the price of 1 gur of alkali plant (soap-plant), and Ennu got 1 sila. The total is 10 gur 1 barig 2 ban 1 sila of barley. This is barley paid out, recorded under Ennu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n gur] 3 barig [...]: 2. x-Nin-[...]; 3. 3 gur 2 barig: Enlila; 4. x (for?) assorted textiles, du(?); 5. 2 gur: Hamati; 6. 1 gur: Ur-su-sipa-lu; 7. 1 ban: Šeš-kala; 8. Purchase price of 1 gur of alkali-plant (naga); 9. 1 sila: Ennu. 10. Total: 10 gur 1 barig 2 ban 1 sila of barley, 11. barley expended; (this is the account) of Ennu.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06953 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 202
In plain English
Total: 10 gur and 2 barig of dates. Here is how it was divided. Lu-dingira received 2 gur and 2 barig. Gununu received 2 gur and 2 barig. Enne the silversmith also received 2 gur and 2 barig.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 10 gur 2 barig of dates (gur-measure); 2. of which (as follows): 3. 2 gur 2 barig: Lu-dingira; 4. 2 gur 2 barig: Gununu; 5. 2 gur 2 barig (gur-measure): Enne, the silversmith.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06937 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 213
In plain English
Here is the list of dates and what they cost in silver. Lugal-kalzi took 3 gur of dates for 3 shekels. Adda took 2 gur for 2 shekels. Lugal-šag, his brother, took 2 barig for half a shekel. Enlila and Nintu took 1 gur for 1 shekel. Lugal-kalzi took another 10 gur for 10 shekels, and this batch is recorded as belonging to the land-registrar. Someone whose name is damaged, the cupbearer, took 2 barig for half a shekel. The final total is broken, and only 'two-thirds' can still be read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 gur of dates: 2. it is (for) 3 shekels of silver — 3. Lugal-kalzi. 4. 2 gur, 2 shekels of silver: Adda. 5. 2 barig, it is (for) half (a shekel): Lugal-šag, his brother. 6. 1 gur, it is (for) 1 shekel: Enlila, 7. Nintu. 8. 10 gur, it is (for) 10 shekels of silver — 9. Lugal-kalzi; 10. it is (that) of the land-registrar. 11. 2 barig, it is (for) half (a shekel): Lu-x-x, 12. the cupbearer [...]. 13. Total: 2/3 [...]-x [...]”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06941 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 217
In plain English
The list begins with 24 fresh fish, marked "du5", and then 7 more "du5" of fresh fish. We don't know what that word means here. Next come two large fresh carp. Then there are four entries for 20 bundles each: a garden plant called sar-lu-a, fine šum-sikil onions, coriander, and long bundles of a plant whose name is partly broken. The list ends there. It has no name, date or purpose.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 24 fresh fish, du5 2. 7 du5, fresh fish 3. 2 large fresh suḫur-fish 4. 20 bundles of sar-lu-a (a garden plant) 5. 20 bundles of šum-sikil onions 6. 20 bundles of šelu (coriander) 7. 2[0] long bundles of SU[...]”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 07005 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 221
In plain English
Outstanding barley: Ur-zigumma owes 15 gur, Ur-Nerah owes 10, Amar-e and Enmetena together owe 10, and Enlila, son of Lugal-niggani, owes 10. That makes 45 gur of barley in all. None of it is back in the granary yet.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse/Reverse (as given, no side markers in source) 1. 15 gur of barley: 2. Ur-zigumma; 3. 10 (gur): Ur-Nerah; 4. 10 (gur): Amar-e 5. and Enmetena; 6. 10 (gur): Enlila, 7. son of Lugal-nigga(?)ni. 8. Total: 45 gur of barley, 9. barley that is 'in the street' (i.e., outstanding).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry