Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A00773 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0773
In plain English
Receipt for barley. Šulgi gets 5 gur. A son of Beli-gu gets 8 gur. Ug-IL₂ gets 5 gur and 1 barig. Ur-e gets 7 gur, 1 barig and 1 ban. The sons of Beli-gu acknowledge that they have received this grain.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 5 gur of barley: 2. Šulgi; 3. 8 gur of barley: 4. the son of Beli-gu; 5. 5 (gur) 1 barig: Ug-IL₂; 6. 7 (gur) 1 barig 1 ban: Ur-e; Reverse 7. the son(s) of Beli-gu 8. received (it).”
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 A00776 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0776
In plain English
17 gur and 2 barig of barley, measured by the standard sag-gal gur, are booked under Ur-sag, from the surveyor's field. Next, 10 gur, 1 barig and 3 ban of barley come from the sukkal's field, which is held on lease. A last entry records 20 gur of barley. Whatever followed it, a field name or a total, is too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 17 gur 2 barig of barley, by the sag-gal₂ [gur] measure: 2. Ur-sag; 3. field of the surveyor (lit. 'man of the measuring rope'). 4. 10 gur 1 barig 3 ban of barley: 5. field of the sukkal, leased (apin-la₂). 6. 20 [gur] 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 A00793 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0793
In plain English
Received: 10 gur, 1 barig and 2 ban of barley, paid as hire for a boatman. The entry names Ur-dingir-tur, then a household slave-woman whose name is broken, and gives the place as the Nin-mudu canal (the end of the name is restored). Enlila, the nu-eš priest, took delivery of the grain.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 10 gur 1 barig 2. 2 ban of barley: hire (for) the boatman. 3. Ur-dingir-tur; 4. [...] the household slave-woman [...]; 5. (at) the Nin[-mudu] canal. Reverse 6. Enlila, the nu-eš priest, 7. received (it).”
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 A00799 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0799
In plain English
The tablet lists small allotments, each one sila short of a round figure. The first entry is 3 ban less 1 sila, followed by a damaged word, possibly 'sag', and then the name Lu-dingira. Lu-dingira also gets a second entry of about 3 ban. Someone named Nanna-…-zu, whose name is partly broken, receives 1 ban less 1 sila, and Ur-ME receives 2 ban less 1 sila. The last line is again a damaged word, perhaps 'sag', that cannot be read further. The goods themselves are never named in the surviving text.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 3 ban minus 1 sila: sag(?) [x] 2. Lu-dingira; 3. 3(?) ban: Lu-dingira; 4. 1 ban minus 1 sila: Nanna-[...]-zu; 5. 2 ban minus 1 sila: Ur-ME; 6. sag(?) [x]”
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 A00800 + OIM A01011 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0800 + 1011
In plain English
This is an account of groats, measured in standard official gur, in connection with Ga'eš. Ur-Ninsun, Lugal-keš, Ur-Ištaran and Di-Utu each receive 1 gur and 2 barig. Their entries are complete or nearly so. Šuna, Lugal-hili, Lu-Lilla, Edinbiše, Sipa-anne, Šeš-saga and probably E-tum come next, but their amounts are broken away. The last lines are damaged: one is unreadable, and the final one begins 'from…' before the rest is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [1 gur ...] of groats (nig2-ar3-ra), (measured by the) standard gur; 2. Ga'eš. 3. 1 gur 2 barig: Ur-Ninsun; 4. 1 gur 2 barig: Lugal-keš; 5. 1 gur [2 barig]: Ur-Ištaran; 6. [1 gur] 2 barig: Di-Utu; 7. [......]: Šuna; 8. [......]: Lugal-hili; 9. [......]: Lu-Lilla; 10. [......]: Edinbiše; 11. [......]: Sipa-anne; 12. [......]: Šeš-saga; 13. [......]: E-tum(?); 14. [......] ...; 15. from [......]”
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 A00806 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0806
In plain English
Four gur and three ban of barley, measured by the official Akkade standard, were handed out as rations to the king's servants and to the servants of another household, whose name is damaged. A further quantity of barley in gur follows, but the figure is lost. The next entry mentions a king and Ur, but most of it is lost. It continues with 2 barig of something whose amount is broken, and a damaged personal name ending in -dada. The grain was issued through Bizaza.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 gur [3 ban] of barley, (by the) gur of Akkade: 2. barley rations of the servants of the king 3. and the servants of the house of [...]-x. 4. [...] barley, gur; 5. king(?) ... Ur[...] [...] 6. 2 barig [n ...] 7. x-dada. 8. Issued (by/to) Bizaza.”
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 A00815 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0815
In plain English
Contract for one slave woman, An-tum, valued at 15 shekels of silver. Al-kalla handled the sale for 10 shekels of silver. An oath was sworn in the king's name, and the wooden pestle was passed across to complete the transfer. Gissu acted as the official commissioner. A further shekel of silver, together with bronze, was weighed out to him. Witnesses: Ur-nigar the merchant, Nin-maše, and Nin-nam.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 female slave — 15 shekels of silver; 2. An-tum. 3. For 10 shekels of silver, 4. Al-kalla — 5. by the name of the king 6. the wood (pestle) was passed over to him. 7. Gissu (was) its commissioner. 8. 1 shekel of silver (and) bronze 9. was weighed out to him. Reverse 10. 1 Ur-nigar, 11. the merchant; 12. 1 Nin-maše; 13. 1 Nin-nam: 14. they are its 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 · OIM A00821 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Adab 0821
In plain English
Thirty large gur of barley were loaded onto the boat. Meme received 20 gur, Aya 20 gur, and Enšu 2 gur and 2 barig. Five gur went to the rations of the female workers, and Lu-Unu received 2 barig. A further entry, which is hard to interpret, concerns Kugsig or the goldsmith. In total, 78 large gur of barley were paid out from the treasury's granary.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 30 gur-maḫ of barley: 2. it has been loaded into the boat. 3. 20 (gur): Meme; 4. 20 (gur): Aya; 5. 2 (gur) 2 barig: Enšu; 6. 5 (gur): barley rations of the female workers (slave women); 7. 2 barig: Lu-Unu; 8. KU ... Kugsig (the gold(smith)?). Reverse 9. Total: 1 šu-ši 20 minus 2 (= 78) gur-maḫ of barley, 10. barley expended from the treasury storehouse (granary).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry