Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A00733 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0733
In plain English
Barley allocations, measured by the official Akkade standard. Namtur gets 3 gur less 1 barig. Ur-me gets 3 gur less 1 barig. Ur-lam gets 2 gur and 4 barig. Altogether that comes to 8 gur and 2 barig of barley, a little over 2,500 liters at the Sargonic rate of about 300 liters per gur.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 3 gur minus 1 barig of barley, (by the) Akkade (gur measure): 2. Namtur. 3. 3 gur minus 1 barig of barley: 4. Ur-[me]. 5. 2 gur 4 barig of barley: 6. Ur-lam. 7. Total: 8 gur 2 barig 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 A00745 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0745
In plain English
Delivery note: Lugal-igi-tab brought in 9 gur of barley minus one smaller measure, and Lugal-geš brought in 8 gur minus three smaller measures. This barley was threshed by the plowmen at Bad-Ur-ab. On the scribe's instructions it was brought in and stored in the house of Ame. This was the second delivery.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 9 gur of barley less 1 (aš@c-unit): 2. Lugal-igi-tab; 3. 8 gur of barley less 3 (aš@c-units): 4. Lugal-geš. Reverse 5. [Barley] threshed by the plowmen, 6. from Bad-Ur-ab, 7. on the instruction of the scribe, 8. was brought in; 9. into the house of Ame 10. it was loaded (stored). 11. Second time.”
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 A00751 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0751
In plain English
Received: 5 gur of barley plus 3 ban, of which 1 ban covers the boatman's ferry charge. This is from Kusa the fisherman. A further 7 gur, 2 barig, 4 ban and 5 sila of barley, with 1 ban and 5 sila set aside for the boatman's fee, comes from Zamu. The total entered is 1 barig and 4 ban of barley. I7-Nin-mudu, an attendant (nueš) of the god Enlil, signed for it. This is the seventh delivery.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [5 gur of barley], 3 ban, 2. 1 ban: the ferry fee for the boatman; 3. Kusa, the fisherman. 4. 7 gur 2 barig of barley, 4 ban 5 sila, 5. 1 ban 5 sila: the ferry fee for the boat[man]; 6. Zamu. Reverse 7. Total: 1 barig 4 ban of barley. 8. I7-Nin-mudu, 9. nueš of Enlil, 10. received (it). 11. [Deli]very no. 7.”
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 A00752 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0752
In plain English
Shortfall account: the Emaḫ temple is 7 minas of bread short. The E-GAN₂-ISZ owes 15 minas, the god Ašgi's establishment about 6, Iškur's 8 2/3, and Inanna's 3. In all, the deficit comes to 40 minas less a third, and the tablet closes by calling the whole sum a shortfall.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. Deficit: 7 minas of bread (ninda) 2. Emaḫ (temple); 3. 15 (minas): E-GAN₂-ISZ; 4. [6] (minas): Ašgi; 5. 8 2/3 (minas): Iškur; 6. 3 (minas): Inanna. Reverse 7. Total: 40 minas less 1/3 (mina) of bread (ninda); 8. it is a deficit.”
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 A00753 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0753
In plain English
Here are the allotments, measured in ban units. Lugal-abba-iri (the name is not fully certain) gets 2 ban. Lu-ašgi, Ur-nigar and Šu-ila each get 1 ban. The next entry is too damaged to read, and the one after it goes to someone probably named Lugal-ka. A note then marks these as 'select'. The administrator of the temple of Iškur gets 1 ban and 6 sila, and Malaḫ-me gets 1 ban. The final entry, for Ur-pirig, has lost its amount.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 ban: Lugal-abba-iri(?); 2. 1 ban: Lu-ašgi; 3. 1 ban: Ur-nigar; 4. 1 ban: Šu-ila [......]; 5. [......] [......]; 6. 1 ban: [Lugal]-ka(?). 7. Select (ones / choice quality). 8. 1 ban 6 sila: the temple administrator (sanga) of Iškur; 9. 1 ban: Malaḫ-me; 10. [......]: Ur-pirig.”
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 A00759 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0759
In plain English
The account books 38 gur and 3 barig of barley, minus 2 sila and 10 shekels, for the regular offerings. A further entry, whose opening is lost, lists 2 gur and 1 barig of emmer wheat. The next line is too damaged to read beyond a single sign. The tablet is dated to the month of the Akiti festival.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 38 gur, 3 barig less 2 sila (and) 10 shekels of [barley], regular offerings (sa2-du11); 2. [...] 2 gur 1 barig of emmer; 3. [...] a(?) Reverse 4. Month: Akiti.”
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 A00760 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0760
In plain English
Provisions delivered. The administrator of the temple of Ašgi gets a portion of bread, two measures of fish, and two measures of beer; one item in each of the first three entries is lost. The chief cupbearer gets a portion of bread, three measures of bran, four split fish, some bundles of vegetables (the number is unreadable), and two measures of beer.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1? (portion of) bread, [...] 2. 2 (measures of) fish, [...] 3. 2 (measures of) [...] beer: 4. (for) the temple administrator of Ašgi. 5. 1? (portion of) bread, 3 (measures of) bran, 6. 4? split fish, 7. x bundle(s) of vegetables, 8. 2 (measures of) beer: 9. (for) the chief cupbearer. 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 A00772 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0772
In plain English
Allocation list: the first man, whose name is mostly lost, gets 2 units, as do Lugal-itida, Ur-niluda (name partly restored), and Akkadi. Lugal-igi gets 11. A summary line follows, with its number partly broken off, ending in '2' and referring to fields. The account is under the name of Ur-Ištaran.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 (units): x x-tar-x 2. 2 (units): Lugal-iti[da] 3. 2 (units): Ur-[niluda?] 4. 2 (units): Akkadi 5. 11 (units): Lugal-igi 6. [...] 2, field(s) 7. Ur-Ištaran.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry