Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · FLP 0039 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 038
In plain English
Aḫu-ilum is down for 43 gur of barley by the large sag-gal₂ measure, and for another 7 gur, 2 barig and 3 ban₂. Bēlī-galzu is down for a surplus of 10 gur by the large measure, plus another 2 gur and 4 barig as surplus. Išma-ilum has a surplus of 17 gur and 2 ban₂. Bēlī-GI has a surplus of 12 gur. The account names no total, date or purpose.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 43 gur of barley, [by the] sag-gal₂ (gur measure); 2. 7 gur, 2 barig, 3 ban₂ of barley: 3. Aḫu-DINGIR (Aḫu-ilum). 4. 10 gur of barley, by the sag-gal₂ (gur measure), surplus; 5. 2 gur, 4 barig of barley, surplus: 6. Bēlī-galzu. 7. 17 gur, 2 ban₂ of barley, surplus: 8. Išma-DINGIR (Išma-ilum). 9. 12 gur of barley, surplus: 10. Bēlī-GI.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0043 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 042
In plain English
This is a headcount of people. First come three children of a man or woman named Ušur-amamu (the name is not fully certain). Then seven individuals are listed one at a time: Amani, Nin-urni, Ur-zigumma (partly damaged), [Ur]-nig (the start is broken), someone whose name ends in -il (the beginning is unreadable), Nin-barra, and Geme-pisan. Nothing more survives in the transcription we have, so we do not know the purpose of the list or its total.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 (persons): children of Ušur(?)-amamu 2. 1 (person): Amani 3. 1 (person): Nin-urni 4. 1 (person): Ur(?)-zigumma(?) 5. 1 (person): [Ur?]-nig 6. 1 (person): ...-il 7. 1 (person): Nin-barra 8. 1 (person): Geme-pisan”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0048 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 047
In plain English
138 loaves of bread were baked at a rate of 20 loaves per ban of flour, which used up 69 sila of flour. The entry is booked under Ur-Bagara. Three jars of beer and one gur₄-gur₄ vessel also went out, for the city. All of it is recorded as expended.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (no section labels in the source; the six lines are rendered in order) 1. 138 (lit. 140 minus 2) loaves of bread, baked at 20 (per ban), 2. their flour: 1 barig 1 ban minus 1 sila (= 69 sila); 3. Ur-Bagara. 4. 3 jars of beer, 1 gur₄-gur₄ vessel; 5. (for/in) the city. 6. Expended.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0049 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 048
In plain English
Regular provisions: two barig of coarse barley flour, two ban and three sila of zi-gu flour, and four ban of top-quality flour for baking bread. An amount of za-tum flour and an amount of barley for making soup follow, but the figures for both are lost. The list ends with a third of a sila of zi-kum flour. All of it is booked as standard allotments.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 barig of dabin-flour, 2. 2 ban 3 sila of zi-gu flour, 3. 4 ban of first-quality flour for bread, 4. [...] of za-tum flour, 5. [...] barley for soup, 6. 1/3 (sila) of zi-kum flour: 7. regular provisions (sa-du).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0050 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 049
In plain English
Niṣrum's account has two entries: 3 gur of barley for a two-year period and 28 gur of barley for a single year. Ilum-tabba's account has 2 gur of barley for two years and 26 gur of barley for one year. The tablet gives each man's barley year by year and adds no other comment.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 gur of barley, 2. (for) 2 years; 3. 30 less 2 (= 28) gur of barley, 4. (for) 1 year: 5. Niṣrum. 6. 2 gur of barley, 7. (for) 2 years; 8. 26 gur of barley, 9. (for) 1 year: 10. Ilum-tabba.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0055 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 054
In plain English
This is a regular allotment of flour: 15 sila (about 15 liters) of coarse barley flour, 4 sila of a finer flour and two-thirds of a sila of the best-quality flour. It is dated to the month of Gu-ra-bi-mumu, after two days of the month had passed.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 15 sila of dabin-flour, 2. 4 sila of zi-gu flour, 3. 2/3 (sila) of fine flour (zi3 sig15): 4. regular allotment (sa2-du11). 5. Month: Gu-ra-bi-mumu ("the ox [...] sprouts/grows"), 6. 2 days having passed (u4 2 mu-gal2).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0056 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 055
In plain English
Akadu, who works for Šu-namugi, has received 7⅔ shekels of silver (eight shekels less a third). The witnesses to the payment are Ur-Abzu and Amar-ezem. The tablet closes with the name of Ur-li, the smith, most likely the person who handed over the silver or in whose records this receipt belongs.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 8 shekels of silver minus one-third (of a shekel), 2. Akadu, 3. the man of Šu-namugi, 4. received. 5. Ur-Abzu, 6. Amar-ezem: 7. these are its witnesses. 8. Ur-li, the smith.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0059 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 058
In plain English
Sheep taken out of the flock: Urni received two rams, Ur-gu one, and Urni another; three sheep died; one more went to E-šu (the name is uncertain). Those are the withdrawals. Still outstanding are 3 ewes, 13 rams, 14 nanny-goats, 11 billy-goats and 7 lambs, the goats and lambs being from the regular delivery. This is Lugal-andul's account.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse/Reverse (no section markers supplied) 1. 2 rams: 2. Urni. 3. 1 (ram): Ur-gu. 4. 1 (ram): Urni. 5. 3 sheep, dead. 6. 1 (sheep): E-šu(?). 7. Sheep withdrawn (from the account). 8. 3 ewes, 9. 13 rams, 10. 14 nanny-goats, 11. 11 billy-goats, regular (delivery), 12. 7 lambs, regular (delivery): 13. deficit (outstanding). 14. It is (the account) of Lugal-andul.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry