Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · Erm 14377 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 02
In plain English
Ešmelum, a soldier in the king's service, has signed for his rations on arriving from Susa. He received beer (the number of jars is lost; each jar was brewed from one barig of barley), 30 ordinary loaves baked at 30 to the ban of flour, and 3 fine loaves baked at 20 to the ban. The date line is partly broken and gives an elapsed period of some years and 3 months.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse(?) (sides are not marked in the source) 1. [n (jars) of beer, (made from) 1 barig of barley (each), gur₈]-gur₈ vessels; 2. 30 u-breads, 30 baked per 1 ban; 3. 3 first-quality breads, 20 baked per 1 ban; 4. Ešmelum, 5. soldier (literally 'man of the weapon') of the king, 6. when he came from Susa, 7. received (them). 8. [n] year(s), 3 months.”
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 14389 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 03
In plain English
Several jars of beer (the number is lost), about thirty loaves of bread and three loaves of 'head' bread went to a man named PA-x-a-ḫu. One jar of beer, ten loaves of bread and three loaves of 'head' bread went to I₃-…, the man from somewhere whose name is too damaged to read. The next line names Lugal-…-maḫ, but part of his name is broken. The note is dated to the 8th day, probably in year 5.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (and continuation; no side markers are given in the source) 1. [n] gur₈(-vessels) of beer, 2. 30(?) loaves of bread, 3 sag-ninda (loaves); 3. PA-x-a-ḫu. 4. 1 gur₈(-vessel) of beer, 5. 10 loaves of bread, 3 sag-ninda (loaves); 6. I₃-x-x-x, 7. man of x-x. 8. Lugal-[x]-maḫ(?) [(....)] 9. Year 5(?), day 8.”
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 07559 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 05
In plain English
One person: Amar-su, son of Muni. His foreman is Nigar, son of E-sza, and his captain is Ur-dumu. He is to be handed over so that the clay tablets are done properly, and he writes, or has been put on the rolls. The note ends with the figure 7 years and 3 months, possibly his age or a length of service.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Amar-su, son of Muni; foreman: Nigar, son of E-sza; captain: Ur-dumu. To be given (to learn) to make the clay (tablet) correct, he writes / he has been enrolled(?). 7 years, 3 months.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Erm 07974 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 06
In plain English
Six jars of beer, each holding 5 ban, have been provided as an extra first-fruits (nesag) offering. Altogether this comes to 1 gur and 1 barig of barley for the beer, measured by the standard gur. Dated year 7, month 2, day 9.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse(?) 1. 6 (jars of) beer, (each) jar (of) 5 ban, 2. additional nesag offering. 3. Total: 1 gur 1 barig of barley (for) beer, in the gur sag-gal (standard gur). 4. Year 7, month 2, day 10 minus 1 (= day 9).”
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 14379 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 07
In plain English
The tablet is a plain list. It names seven men: Ur-sipa, Ur-meš, Nanše-bidu, Igi-susu, Lu-tunanam, Ašni-ursag and Ningirsu-lumu. Then come four job titles: a fuller, a governor, a senior official known as the "big brother," and a brewer. The tablet says nothing about why these names and titles were put together.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Ur-sipa 2. Ur-meš (written Ur-me-ŠE3) 3. Nanše-bidu (Nanše-bi-du11) 4. Igi-susu (Igi-su4-su4) 5. Lu-tunanam (Lu2-tu-na-nam) 6. Ašni-ursag (Aš10-ni-ur-sag) 7. Ningirsu-lumu (Nin-gir2-su-lu2-mu) 8. fuller 9. governor (ensi) 10. šešgal ("big brother"), a temple or administrative rank 11. brewer”
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 14383 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 10
In plain English
Takumatum delivered the following: a silver piece weighing one mina, one fine bar-dul robe and one fine nig-lam garment, a grain-fed ox, eight grain-fed sheep, and a goat. The delivery also included ten tibira-um (what these were is unclear), twenty jars of a pressed or strained product called gir, and forty jars of good-quality dida beer.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 silver dur₂-object; 2. its weight: 1 mina. 3. 1 bar-dul₅ garment of good quality; 4. 1 nig₂-lam₂ garment of good quality; 5. 1 grain-fed ox; 6. 8 grain-fed sheep; 7. 1 goat (maš₂); 8. 10 tibira-um; 9. 20 jars of pressed (sur-ra) gir₁₆; 10. 40 (jars of) good-quality dida beer: 11. Takumatum 12. delivered (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 · Erm 14384 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 11
In plain English
Receipt: Dada, son of Namzi, received 3 gur of fine flour from Dingir-sa₆, measured by the proper standard gur. He will hand it over when the accounts are settled. Noted: 4 years and 8 months.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse / continuous text (8 lines): 1. 3 gur of fine flour, in the sag-gal₂ gur, correct (measure), 2. from Dingir-sa₆, 3. Dada, 4. son of Namzi, 5. received. 6. At the place of the accounting 7. he will deliver (it) to him. 8. 4 years, 8 months.”
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 14385 — State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
BuB 2, 12
In plain English
Barley allocations: E-ni gets 3 gur; Lugal-ša 2 gur and 2 barig; Me-ur 2 gur; Nin-šu 2 barig; Ama-SAL.HUB₂ 2 barig; Ama-AB 2 barig; and Ama-SAL.HUB₂ another 1 gur. The amount for a person whose name begins with Nin- is lost. Then Bara-anne receives 2 barig and Nin-šeš probably 1 gur. A-HE₂ and E-ku receive 2 barig each, and A-NI-NI 1 gur. The account closes with a total of 11 gur of barley, measured by the standard gur-sag-gal measure.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 gur of barley: 2. E-ni; 3. 2 gur 2 barig: Lugal-ša; 4. 2 gur: Me-ur; 5. 2 barig: Nin-šu; 6. 2 barig: Ama-SAL.HUB₂; 7. 2 barig: Ama-AB; 8. 1 gur: Ama-SAL.HUB₂; 9. Nin-[......]; 10. 2 barig: Bara-anne; 11. 1(?) gur: Nin-šeš; 12. 2 barig: A-HE₂; 13. 2 barig: E-ku; 14. 1 gur: A-NI-NI. 15. Total: 11 gur of barley, (by the) gur sag-gal.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry