Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A07815 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 291
In plain English
Ṭāb-aḫī has received a loan of 14 shekels of silver and 16 gur of barley, to be repaid with interest. In addition, the account books record rations issued to Tamtalik and the children: 2 gur, 3 barig and 2 ban of barley, 5 minas of wool, and a quantity of oil whose amount is broken away on the tablet.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 14 shekels of silver, 2. 16 gur of barley — 3. as an interest-bearing loan 4. Ṭāb-aḫī (Du-aḫī) 5. received. 6. 2 gur 3 barig 2 ban of barley, 7. 5 minas of wool, 8. [x] sila of oil 9. [as] barley rations (for) 10. Tamtalik 11. and the children.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07818 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 293
In plain English
This is a fodder-grain ledger for one month, the month of Ḫalūt. Six men — Abba, Kurub-ilī, Si-ḫursag, Dadi, Dada, and Eštar-nuʾid — each drew 4 barig of barley (roughly 240 liters apiece). Zawi drew a much larger share, 4 gur and 1 barig, and Utu-e₂ took 2 barig. Altogether that comes to 10 gur less 3 barig of barley, all of it issued as feed for the oxen. The numbers add up exactly: 47 barig disbursed against a stated total of 47.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 barig (of barley) — Abba; 2. 4 barig — Kurub-ilī; 3. 4 barig — Si-ḫursag; 4. 4 barig — Dadi; 5. 4 barig — Dada; 6. 4 barig — Eštar-nuʾid; 7. 4 gur 1 barig of barley — 8. Zawi; 9. [2 barig] — Utu-e₂. 10. Total: 10 gur less 3 barig of barley — 11. barley for the oxen. 12. Month: Ḫalūt.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07820 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 295
In plain English
This is a grain payroll for one month, the month of Za'atum. Dadi, Si-ḫursag, Dada, Kurub-ilī, Abba, and Eštar-nu'id each received 4 barig of barley (roughly 240 liters apiece); Utu-e received half that, 2 barig; and Zawi received a much larger allotment of 4 gur and 1 barig. The clerk totals the account at 10 gur less 3 barig of barley — and the arithmetic checks out exactly on a 5-barig gur.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 barig of barley — Dadi; 2. 4 barig — Si-ḫursag; 3. 4 barig — Dada; 4. 4 barig — Kurub-ilī; 5. 4 barig — Abba; 6. 4 barig — Eštar-nu'id; 7. 2 barig — Utu-e; 8. 4 gur 1 barig of barley — 9. Zawi. 10. Total: 10 gur less 3 barig of barley. 11. One month: (the month) Za'atum.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07822 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 296
In plain English
This is a headcount: ten men, each counted once — Uzazum, Zabukanum, Kinum-bala, Pirhashum, U-KA-KA, Shu-Mama, Zunanum, Kirbanum, Ilum-kimat, and Megir-ili ('Favorite of the Gods'). The final entry is damaged; only the end of one more name, '...-zu,' survives. In today's terms it is a sign-in sheet or payroll roster from an office in Eshnunna — names checked off, one per line, for work, rations, or some duty the tablet itself does not spell out.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Uzāzum 1 Zabukānum 1 Kīnum-bala 1 Pirḫašum 1 U-KA-KA 1 Šu-Mama 1 Zunānum 1 Kirbānum 1 Ilum-kīmat 1 Megir-ilī-ilī ("Favorite-of-the-gods") [...]-zu [broken name]”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07823 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 297
In plain English
This is a sowing-season distribution list. Abi-bi received 8 gur of seed barley (roughly 2,400 liters), Ilī-dān got about 3.5 gur, and Ilšu-dan, Ilu-dānu, and Itutu each took 2 gur. Two larger allocations went to Iškiki and Galzu, 10 gur apiece. The clerk added it all up — 37 gur, 2 barig, and 3 ban of seed barley in total, which checks out exactly against the individual entries — and marked the barley account closed.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 8 gur of barley, seed grain — 2. Abi-bi; 3. 3 gur 2 barig 3 ban — Ilī-dān; 4. 2 gur — Ilšu-dan; 5. 2 gur — Ilu-dānu; 6. 2 gur — Itutu; 7. 10 gur of barley — Iškiki; 8. 10 gur of barley — Galzu. 9. [Total: 3]7 gur 2 barig 3 ban of barley, seed grain. 10. Barley (account) concluded.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07837 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 301
In plain English
A wool ledger with three entries and a sum. Šu-Mama is down for 8 talents less 3 minas of wool (that is, 7 talents 57 minas); Ida-il for 8 talents 40 minas; and Puzurrum for 8 talents less 13 minas (7 talents 47 minas). Bottom line: 24 talents and 24 minas of wool altogether — on the order of 730 kilograms. The subtractive notation ('8 talents minus 3 minas') is the scribe's standard shorthand, and the three entries add up exactly to the stated total.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 8 talents less 3 minas of wool — 2. Šu-Mama; 3. 8 talents 40 minas of wool — 4. Ida-il; 5. 8 talents less 13(?) minas — 6. Puzurrum. 7. Total: 24 talents 24 minas of wool.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07839 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 302
In plain English
This is a ledger. Amur-ilum is down for 5 shekels of silver, and Aḫūssunu for another 5 shekels. One entry records 4 shekels plus a chariot handed over. Then come larger amounts: 10 minas of silver and 2 gur of barley against the name Kabruru, and 2 minas of lower-grade silver against Zabi. The list closes with livestock and provisions: 8 pigs under Ilī-aḫi, 2 sheep under Uze'um, and 1 ban (about 10 liters) of beer-bread under Zibīnu. In short: who got (or owes) what, in silver, grain, animals, and goods.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 5 shekels of sil<ver> — 2. Amur-ilum; 3. 5 shekels of silver — 4. Aḫūssunu; 5. 4 shekels (of silver and) 1 chariot given; 6. 10 minas of silver, 7. 2 gur of barley — 8. Kabruru; 9. 2 minas of 'small' (low-grade?) silver — 10. Zabi; 11. 8 pigs — Ilī-a[ḫ]i; 12. 2 sheep — Uze'um; 13. 1 ban of beer-bread — 14. Zibīnu.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A07841 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
MAD 1, 303
In plain English
Payment record: 2 shekels and 2 'small' minas of refined silver, plus 5 gur, 1 barig, 1 ban, and 4 sila of barley measured by the standard saggal-gur — that was the allotment per man. The people paid were Tašqītum the lamentation-singer, Dabali, Ešra, Šu-Išḫara, Iliš-takal, Enbu-ilum, Aḫusunu, and Tata. These eight are listed as the ones who received the silver.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 shekels (and) 2 'small' minas of pure silver, 2. 5 gur, 1 barig, 1 ban, 4 sila of barley (in the) saggal-gur (standard measure), 3. — that (being the share) of one man (each) — 4. Tašqītum, 5. the lamentation-singer, 6. Dabali, 7. Ešra, 8. Šu-Išḫara, 9. Iliš-takal, 10. Enbu-ilum, 11. Aḫusunu, 12. Tata: 13. (these are) the receivers of the silver.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry