Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A00650 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0650
In plain English
Lu-Enlila and the merchant Ur-Enlila went to court against each other over 10 shekels of silver. Lugal-gesh, governor of Adab, ruled in Ur-Enlila's favour, and a prayer or solemn declaration was spoken. One shekel of silver is then mentioned, but the rest of that line and the next are too damaged to read. Šu-i (the name is partly broken) acted as the commissioner for the case.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Lu-Enlila [and] 2. Ur-Enlila, the mer[chant], 3. litigated with one another 4. on account of 10 shekels of sil[ver]. 5. Lugal-gesh, 6. governor of Adab, 7. set right the case of Ur-Enlila; 8. he (had him) pronounce a prayer(?). 9. 1 shekel of sil[ver ......] 10. [...] ašgi [......] 11. Šu-[i?] 12. (was) the commissioner.”
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 A00660 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0660
In plain English
The opening lines are badly broken, and the left side of every line is lost, so most of the amounts are missing. The surviving text lists payments or allocations. Something goes to the courtyard, and others go to Šeš-šeš, to the chief lamentation priest (probably one unit), to the chief boatman, to Sag-ad-gal, to the envoy of E-duga and to another envoy. Then the list becomes readable: one gur goes to E-pa'e and Ur-Ašgi, who are gardeners. One goes to Ur-GAN-IŠ and Lugal-KA, and a final one goes to Subira.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning of each line broken) 1. [...] courtyard, ŠU(?) [...] 2. [...] Šeš-šeš 3. [1(?)] chief lamentation priest, [...] 4. [...] chief boatman 5. [...] Sag-ad-gal 6. [...] envoy of E-duga 7. [...] envoy, [...] 8. 1 <gur>: E-pa'e 9. and Ur-Ašgi, 10. they are gardeners; 11. 1: Ur-GAN-IŠ 12. and Lugal-KA; 13. 1: Subira.”
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 A00663 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0663
In plain English
Ten workmen are listed, and the rest of the first line is lost. For one month, starting from Adab, their pay was 2 gur of barley on the Agade standard, 5 sila of oil, and 10 shekels of silver in wages. The totals follow: half a mina of silver plus some shekels (the exact figure is broken), 7 gur of barley on the Agade standard, and 2 ban of oil. A balance is still outstanding, connected with something called GISSU. The last line begins with what may be 'house' and then breaks off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 10 workmen [......] 2. their barley: 2 gur (by the) Agade (measure) [...] 3. their oil: 5 sila 4. their hire: 10 shekels of silver 5. it is (for) 1 month 6. from Adab. Reverse 7. Total: 1/2 [mina, n shekels of silver] 8. Total: 7 gur of barley (by the) Agade (measure) 9. Total: 2 ban of oil 10. Outstanding: GISSU 11. house? [......]”
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 A00666 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0666
In plain English
Received: one straight 'ni-na' item weighing 48 shekels, a second weighing a third of a mina plus 16 shekels (36 shekels), and a third item of a different kind weighing half a mina. That makes 2 minas less 6 shekels of 'ni-na' in all. The merchant Dugani delivered them.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 KU si-sa2 ni-na, 2. its weight: 50 minus 2 shekels (= 48 shekels); 3. 1 KU si-sa2 ni-na, 4. its weight: 1/3 (mina) [16 shekels]; 5. 1 SAG×U ni-na, 6. its weight: 1/2 mina. Reverse 7. Total: 2 minas minus 6 shekels of ni-na. 8. Dugani, 9. the merchant: 10. delivery.”
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 A00669 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0669
In plain English
Ur-Iškur is charged with just under 2 gur of barley (2 gur minus 7 sila) and a little over 1 gur of emmer (1 gur, 2 ban, 5 sila). Mesag is charged with 10 gur of barley. The next entry is broken, but it covers 4 gur of barley and 3-odd gur of emmer, all counted together at one time. The governor's brewery receives 50 gur and 3 barig, though part of that line is lost, and the governor's kitchen receives 9 gur. The grand total line closes the account: an amount ending in 2 gur, 2 barig and 2 sila of barley, with the opening figure broken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 gur less 7 sila of barley, 2. 1 gur 2 ban 5 sila of emmer: 3. Ur-Iškur. 4. 10 gur of barley: 5. Mesag. 6. [......] 7. [......] x [......] 8. 4 gur ... [of] barley, 9. 3 [......] gur of emmer. 10. He counted (it) at one (time). 11. 50 gur 3 barig [......] gur: 12. the brewery of the governor. 13. 9 gur [......]: the kitchen of the governor. 14. [Total: x +] 2 gur 2 barig 2 sila of barley.”
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 A00676 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0676
In plain English
Roster: Lu-dingira, a servant of the king; Barra-dingir, brother of Mesag; Lugal-entarsu; Iqbi-gi, brother of Beli-laba; and a fifth man whose name ends in '-šarrum' (the first part is broken). That makes five workmen in all, and they are, it seems, scribes.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 (man): Lu-dingira, 2. servant of the king; 3. 1 (man): Barra-dingir, 4. brother of Mesag; 5. 1 (man): Lugal-entarsu; 6. 1 (man): Iqbi-gi, 7. brother of Beli-laba; 8. [1 (man): ...]-šarrum. Reverse 9. Total: 5 workmen; 10. they are [scr]ibes(?).”
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 A00684 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0684
In plain English
Commissioner Enabzu was responsible for 1,525 gur, 1 barig and 3 ban of barley. Commissioner Inima was responsible for 1,011 gur from the fields called Zatil and GAN2-IŠ. A further entry, partly broken, records more than 227 gur. In the summary, the grand total of barley comes to 431 gur, about 1 barig, 3 ban and 5 sila. The silver collected as rent on the fields totals 1 mina and just over 4 shekels. There are 43 sheep in all, and a figure of 22½ is given for the sheep valued in silver and in barley. The closing lines are broken. They mention something set aside or stationed, but too little survives to read them properly.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1,525 gur, 1 barig, 3 ban of barley (written 2×600 + 5×60 + 2×10 + 5 gur, 1 barig 3 ban): 2. Enabzu (was) the commissioner. 3. 1,020 less 9 (= 1,011) gur of barley (written 1×600 + 7×60 minus 9 gur): 4. field Zatil, 5. field GAN2-IŠ; 6. Inima (was) the commissioner. 7. [...] 227 gur, 1 barig of barley (written [...] 3×60 + 4×10 + 7 gur, 1 barig). 8. [Grand total]: 431 gur, 1? barig, 3 ban, 5 sila of barley (written 7×60 + 1×10 + 1 gur ...). 9. Grand total: 1 mina 4 shekels, 1/4 (shekel) and 2 1/2 grains of silver, the rent (or interest) of the field. 10. Grand total: 43 sheep; sheep for silver, sheep for barley: 22 1/2. 11. pa-LAGAB-pa-LAGAB-ba; 12. [...] stationed (or set aside); 13. [...] it is.”
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 A00692 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0692
In plain English
The tablet lists stretches of dike with the people responsible for each. One section is 20 rods. The next entry is broken. Several sections of about 51 rods follow: one under a man whose name begins Lu-, one under Ur-sa, and one of 50 rods under someone whose name ends in -gissu. A last section of about 50 rods goes to someone whose name ends in -tur. In all, this comes to 615 rods of dike on the field of the Great Pig-house. Enannatum is named next, and the commissioner in charge is Lugal-šaza-..., whose name is cut off at the end.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Lines numbered consecutively for reference; the edition does not mark obverse/reverse.) 1. 20? [nindan ......] 2. nu-[......] 3. 51? [nindan ......] 4. 51 [nindan]: Lu-[......] 5. 51 [nindan]: Ur-sa 6. 50 [......]-gissu 7. 50? [nindan]: [......]-tur 8. Total: 615 rods (nindan) of dike, 9. field of the Great Pig-house. 10. Enannatum; 11. [its] commissioner: 12. Lugal-šaza-[......].”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry