Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · NBC 06943 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 223
In plain English
Barley account: Gešša the overseer, 14 large gur of barley. Allu, 11 gur. Gešša the lamentation priest, 7 gur, 2 barig and 2 ban. The note does not say whether this grain was handed out, delivered or owed.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (?) 1. 14 gur of barley, (by the) great gur (gur sag-gal2), 2. Gešša, the overseer; 3. 11 gur of barley, 4. Allu(!); 5. 7 gur 2 barig 2 ban of barley, 6. Gešša, the lamentation priest (gala).”
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 06909 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 225
In plain English
Workforce tally: 60 labourers under the son of Amar-[x]; [60] erin-da men; 150 soldiers; 60 Subarians; 5 men of the builders' group; 10 KA-ku men; and 10 nigar men. Grand total: 355 men, which the scribe writes as 'six sixties less five'.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (no reverse or edges given in the transliteration): 1. 60 workmen, 2. [......] son of Amar-[x]; 3. [60]: erin-da (men); 4. 150 soldiers (aga-us); 5. 60 Subarians; 6. 5 a-bil of the builders; 7. 10 KA-ku (men); 8. 10 nigar (men). 9. Total: 360 minus 5 (= 355) workmen.”
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 07002 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 228
In plain English
For the first year: 10 gur of barley. For the second year: 5 gur of barley, then 2 gur 2 barig, and another 2 gur 2 barig. The name of the person who handed it over is broken away, but the last line says he gave the barley to him.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse(?) 1. 10 gur of barley: 2. year 1. 3. 5 gur of barley, 4. 2 gur 2 barig of barley, 5. 2 gur 2 barig, year — 6. (this is) the 2nd year. 7. x-[...] 8. he/she ga[ve] (it) to him.”
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 06959 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 232
In plain English
The first line is damaged: an amount of something is lost there, and it was probably issued to Ur-mu. Next, 4 gur, 4 barig and 5 sila (roughly 1,445 sila) are set aside as regular offerings for the high priestess of the goddess Ninšubur. Finally, Ur-su, the shepherd in charge of the fattened sheep, gets 5 gur minus 3 ban, about 1,470 sila, perhaps as feed for his animals. The text does not name the commodity, though it is most likely barley.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (the source gives no side labels; lines numbered here in order) 1. [n] x [......] 2. Ur-mu. 3. 4 gur 4 barig 5 sila: regular offerings, 4. (for) the nin-dingir priestess of Ninšubur. 5. 5 gur less 3 ban: Ur-su, shepherd of the grain-fed sheep. (The transliteration ends here)”
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 06955 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 233
In plain English
Issued from stores: Dada gets 8 gur, 2 barig and 4 ban of barley groats plus 1 gur 2 barig of coarse flour, all measured by the large 'great gur'. Bara-anni gets 1 barig of groats and Napalu gets 1 barig of coarse flour, both measured by the standard barig. These amounts are booked as outgoing. The last line names Nin-dingir-zu…, probably the official responsible, but the end of the name is damaged.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse / continuous text (no line numbers or side markers are given in the source): 1. 8 gur 2 barig 4 ban of groats, (measured by the) great gur (gur sag-mah), 2. 1 gur 2 barig of dabin-flour, (measured by the) great gur (gur sag-mah): 3. Dada. 4. 1 barig of groats, (measured by the) standard (barig): 5. Bara-anni. 6. 1 barig of dabin-flour, (measured by the) standard (barig): 7. Napalu. 8. Expenditure; 9. Nin-dingir-zu-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 06938 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 249
In plain English
Barley payroll, measured with the standard gur. Anita the felt-maker gets 2 gur. The two leatherworkers, Ilum-dan and Ilum-sukkal, get 2 gur and 1 gur. Ur-li the boatman gets 2 gur. Šara-isa, who looks after the draught donkeys, Ur-Iškur the cupbearer and Ili-balik each get 2 barig. Dingir-igi-du the smith gets 1 gur. The total paid out in barley rations is 9 gur 2 barig. Mesag is responsible for the account.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse / Reverse (the sides are not marked in the transliteration; lines numbered here in sequence) 1. 2 gur of barley, (by the) standard gur (sag-si-sa2): 2. Anita, the felt-maker. 3. 2 gur: Ilum-dan (DINGIR-kal-ga), 4. 1 gur: Ilum-sukkal (DINGIR-sukkal), 5. (these are) leatherworkers. 6. 2 gur: Ur-li, the boatman. 7. 2 barig: Šara-isa, herder of the draught donkeys. 8. 2 barig: Ur-Iškur, the cupbearer. 9. 2 barig: Ili-balik. 10. 1 gur: DINGIR-igi-du, the smith. 11. Total: 9 gur 2 barig of barley rations, (by the) standard gur. 12. Responsibility of Mesag.”
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 06905 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 260
In plain English
The list begins with a vine-wood bed with carved feet. Its first line ends in an unclear note that may mention its long reed(s), and the bed is linked to the high priestess of the goddess Ninšubur. Next come a bed of azalum-wood with carved feet and another vine-wood bed with carved feet, listed under the name Sallazitum. The fifth entry is damaged: it is another bed, and almond-wood may be mentioned. Two boxwood beds follow. One has feet of ḫaluppu-wood (probably oak), and the other has feet of a material written NE-DU, which we cannot identify. The last entry is a vine-wood bed with feet that are probably almond-wood.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 bed of vine(?)-wood, (with) feet, for(?) its long reed(s)?; 2. the ereš-dingir priestess of Ninšubur. 3. 1 bed of azalum-wood, (with) feet; 4. 1 bed of vine(?)-wood, (with) feet, Sallazitum; 5. [1] b[ed] of ...... almond(?)-wood; 6. [1] bed of boxwood, (with) feet of ḫaluppu-wood; 7. 1 bed of boxwood, (with) feet of NE-DU; 8. [1 bed] of vine(?)-wood, (with) feet of almond(?)-wood.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Erm 14387 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 1, 203-208
In plain English
From Naṣrum to ŠEŠ.ŠEŠ-abi: Seed barley, 6 gur of it, is to go to Puzur-ḫarim. Puzur-ḫarim will bring half a mina of silver to him. He should give him barley to the value of that price.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(1) Thus (says) Naṣrum (2) to ŠEŠ.ŠEŠ-abi: (3–4) Barley for seed — (5) KI(?) 6 gur of barley — (6) to Puzur-ḫarim (7) let him give. (8) And 1/2 mina of silver (9) Puzur-ḫarim (10) will bring to him. (11) Its price (in) barley (12) let him give him.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry