Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · FLP 0084 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 083
In plain English
This tablet records barley owed by several people. The first person, whose name is mostly broken, has 20 gur. A partly named person has 6 gur, Ilal-[...] has 6 gur, Dingir-kugal has 4 gur and Išmagi has 2 gur. The total comes to 38 gur of barley. The next word is damaged but probably describes the grain as a loan. The final line names the person responsible for the account, but the name is broken off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse(?) 1. 20 (gur) barley: x-[...] 2. [...]-ru-[...]; 3. 6 gur barley: DIN-A-x-[...]; 4. 6 gur barley: Ilal-[...]; 5. 4 gur barley: Dingir-kugal; 6. 2 gur barley: Išmagi. 7. Total: 38 gur barley, 8. hubu[...] (loan?), 9. of Warad-[...] / of the servant [...].”
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 0086 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 085
In plain English
Fifteen gur of barley was the purchase price involving Ur-gu, the maltster. Ur-PA, son of Lugal-karra-utuku, got ten gur. Sila-ta (if that is his name), son of Zamu-sag-NI-NI, got ten gur and two barig. The wife of Lugal-uma, perhaps a woman named Irani, got four gur less one barig. The last line explains the entries: the barley was spent on feeding pigs. The number of pigs at the start of that line can no longer be read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 15 gur of barley: 2. purchase price (paid to?) Ur-gu, the maltster. 3. 10 (gur): Ur-PA, son of Lugal-karra-utuku. 4. 10 (gur) 2 barig: Sila-ta(?), 5. son of Zamu-sag-NI-NI. 6. 4 (gur) minus 1 barig: the wife 7. of Lugal-uma, 8. Irani(?). 9. [...] (They are) fattened(?) pigs, (barley) fed (to them).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 0089 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 088
In plain English
A list of silver amounts by person: Šu-ilda, 1 shekel; Ur-Inanna, 2 shekels; Bar-ene, 1 shekel; Ur-šagake, 1 shekel; Lugal-nig-bara-du the silversmith, two-thirds of a shekel; Dada, 1 shekel; Ba-anda, one-sixth of a shekel; Mani, 1 shekel. Altogether it comes to just under 8 shekels. The list does not say whether the silver was handed out or collected.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 shekel of silver: Šu-ilda; 2 (shekels): Ur-Inanna; 1 (shekel): Bar-ene; 1 (shekel): Ur-šagake; 2/3 (shekel) ma(?): Lugal-nig-bara-du, the silversmith; 1 (shekel): Dada; 1/6 (shekel): Ba-anda; 1 (shekel): Mani.”
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 0090 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 089
In plain English
One plow team: four oxen and their plow, worked by U-da, who leads the plow team, and U-u, who handles the oxen. This team should be added to the main register of plow teams. The note is dated three days into the month of the Malt-Eating Festival.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 oxen, 2. 1 its plow; 3. 1 (man): U-da, 4. head of the plow (team); 5. 1 (man): U-u, 6. (driver) of the oxen. 7–8. To be added to the tablet of the plow (teams). 9. Month: 'Festival of eating malt' (ezem-munu-gu), 10. (when) 3(?) days had passed.”
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 0101 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 100
In plain English
This is a bill of sale for two work animals, a donkey-type equid and a male equid about three years old. The price was 13 shekels of silver, together with an entry of '2 small minas' whose meaning is unclear. Nin-ura received the money as the purchase price, in a transaction that also names Gala-sipa, and Ezi weighed it out. One further line mentions barley and silver but is partly broken. Alulu and Papa, the wife of Tirku, were the witnesses. A note at the end records that at that time one shekel of silver bought 30 liters of barley.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse/Reverse (no side division marked in source): 1. 1 equid (dusu), 2. 1 male equid (dusu), 3 (years old?); 3. their silver: 13 shekels, 2 small minas. 4. Gala-sipa (or: the gala, the shepherd) — 5. Nin-ura 6. received (it) as their purchase price. 7. Ezi 8. weighed (it) out. 9. [...] barley, shekel(s) of silver. 10. 1: Alulu, 11. 1: Papa, wife of Tirku: 12. they are its witnesses. 13. At that time, barley: (for) 1 shekel of silver, 3 ban (= 30 sila) 14. was measured out.”
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 0104 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 103
In plain English
Barley account: 2 gur and 2 barig of barley, counted as barley paid for (or valued in) silver. 2 barig went for KUM.KU and came from the king's son. Next come the recipients, each named with an amount. Dugani's wife, Nin-nigzu, Lugal-nigzu, GANG-abzu, Ur-Enlila, Lugala (his entry is partly broken) and Amar-ezem received 2 barig each. Ur-PA, son of Ur-sisi, received 1 barig. The last line gives a full gur to someone whose name is partly damaged, probably ARAD-e, son of a man whose name ends in -e.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (?) 1. 2 gur 2 barig of barley: it is (barley) of/for silver. 2. 2 barig: for KUM.KU, 3. from the king's son (or: the prince). 4. 2 barig: the wife of Dugani. 5. 2 barig: Nin-nigzu. 6. 2 barig: Lugal-nigzu. 7. 2 barig: GANG-abzu. 8. 2 barig: Ur-Enlila. 9. [2 barig]: Lugala. 10. 2 barig: Amar-ezem. 11. 1 barig: Ur-PA, 12. son of Ur-sisi. 13. 1 gur: ARAD?-e, son of x-e.”
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 0108 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 107
In plain English
E-nam, a chair-bearer, swore an oath in the king's name before his fellow chair-bearer Ur-zu: neither of them will bring the dispute over Bēlī-dan's slave-woman back up again. The oath was made in front of five witnesses: Ur-ab the physician; Dada the cupbearer, who is also an overseer; E-uri the fuller; Lu-dingira, son of Lugal-da; and Šešše, son of Ursag. The last two both herd donkeys for Lugal-KA.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. E-nam, the chair-bearer, 2. with Ur-zu, the chair-bearer, 3. concerning the slave-woman of Bēlī-dan, 4. that they will not reverse (the matter), 5. swore by the king's name. 6. 1 (person): Ur-ab, the physician; 7. 1: Dada, the cupbearer, overseer; 8. 1: E-uri, 9. the fuller; 10. 1: Lu-dingira, 11. son of Lugal-da, shepherd of the donkeys of Lugal-KA; 12. 1: Šešše, 13. son of Ursag, shepherd of the donkeys of Lugal-KA: 14. they are the witnesses.”
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 0110 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MVN 03, 109
In plain English
Two breeding nanny goats, two young kids, four liters of clarified butter and four measures of goat hair are entered under Ur-Utu, the shepherd, who has agreed to them or holds them in his charge. The account covers a period of six years and three months.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse/Reverse (no section division given in the source): 1. 2 mother goats (nanny goats), 2. 2 kids, 3. 4 sila of ghee, 4. 4 (units) of goat hair: 5. Ur-Utu, the shepherd, 6. i3-da-šex (has agreed / is in charge of them with him). 7. (Period:) 6 years, 3 months.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry