Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A00992 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 152
In plain English
Bazuzu was issued 5 liters of beer, and Imiqum another 5 liters. That makes 10 liters of beer in all, which cost 6 2/3 liters of barley to brew. The amount has been booked as an expenditure charged to the household of the sukkal (the official called Gesi). Recorded as an outlay in the month of Ab-e.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 5 sila of beer 2. — Bazuzu; 3. 5 sila — Imiqum. 4. Total: 10 sila of beer; 5. its barley (equivalent): 6 2/3 sila. 6. Expenditure (booked) 7. (from) the house of the sukkal, Gesi (E-sukkal-gesi). 8. Month: ab-e; expenditure.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A01003 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 153
In plain English
This is a wool and clothing account. It opens with a quality of wool, then lists two garments of a type now lost, whose weight is also lost, earmarked for the high priestess of the storm-god Iškur. Next comes a single bar-dul garment weighing four minas (roughly two kilograms). After a damaged line, the record closes with two bur garments weighing half a mina and five shekels together. The gaps in the tablet mean a few garment types and weights cannot be recovered.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. wool, lum-lum (quality) 2. 2 garments [...] 3. their weight: [...] 4. (for) the nin-dingir priestess [of Iškur] 5. 1 bar-[dul] garment 6. its weight: 4 mi[nas] 7. [...] ... [...] 8. 2 bur garments [...] 9. their weight: ½ mina 5 [shekels]”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00756 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 156
In plain English
This is a bronze ledger. Lugal-nig has 7 minas of bronze; Ur-nigar has 2 minas; Ur-mes, son of Ur-dingira, has 3 minas less 12 shekels. All together that comes to 12 minas less 12 shekels of bronze — about six kilograms. The bronze has been returned and the account is settled.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 7 minas of bronze — 2. Lugal-nig; 3. 2 minas of bronze — 4. Ur-nigar; 5. 3 minas less 1[2 shekels] — 6. Ur-mes, 7. son of Ur-dingir[ra]. 8. Total: 12 minas less 12 shekels of bronze, 9. returned to hand (i.e., received back / accounted for).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00912 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 160
In plain English
The surviving entries read: a textile of the šita-ulla(?) type; one našparum garment, valued at ten shekels of silver; one 'dur' item of the bala type; one bronze 'dur'. The next two lines are too broken to read. Then a quantity of forty of something now lost. The tablet closes by calling these things a gift associated with a person whose name begins Zarpu-, together with a man named Mezi, and with the city of Adab.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (?) 1. [...] šita(?)-ulla 2. 1 našparum-garment — 3. its silver (value): 10 shekels; 4. 1 dur₂ (of) bala; 5. 1 bronze dur₂; 6. [...] ...(?) [...] 7. [...] ... [...] 8. 40 ... 9. gift (of) Zarpu-[...]; 10. Mezi; 11. Adab.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A01005 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 163
In plain English
A plot measuring 15 by 70 rods: that works out to 1 eše and 4½ iku of field (about 3.8 hectares). Then another parcel of 2 iku less 20 sar, belonging to Agargal, the courier. This is rented land, in the hands of Ur-sag. Barley: 4 gur and 4 ban, counted as the barley from the field inspection, charged to Ur-sag.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 15 (nindan) — the width, averaged(?); 2. 70 (nindan) — the length, averaged(?); 3. its area: 1 eše 4½(!) iku of field. 4. 2 iku of field less 20 sar — 5. (of) Agargal, the sukkal (courier/envoy): 6. rented field (apin-la₂), 7. Ur-sag. 8. 4 gur 4 ban of barley, 9. barley of the measuring/check (kab₂-du₁₁-ga): 10. Ur-sag.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00984 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 164
In plain English
One barig and three ban of grain for the small arable tract, assigned to Ur-Emah. Four iku of field at Igi-bar; two iku as a work allotment, also at Igi-bar; one iku of field belonging to the Emah temple. One barig of grain for the strip beside the ruined part, assigned to Ur-gu. The foreman in charge is E-bur.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 barig 3 ban (of seed grain): the small arable tract — 2. Ur-Emah. 3. 4 iku of field, Igi-bar; 4. 2 iku, work-assignment, Igi-bar; 5. 1 iku of field, (of) the Emah. 6. 1 barig, beside its ruined (part) — 7. Ur-gu. 8. Foreman: E-bur.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00891 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 166
In plain English
Nammaḫni received 3 minas (about 1.5 kg) of black wool and 3 minas of white wool, of low grade. Then a further batch: so many minas of wool still owed from sheep fleeces, so many minas held by Enannatum, and so many minas of wool for the New Year, two-thirds of something — the figures are broken away. All of this came from Enannatum, and Kiag received it. The witnesses to the deal were Enlil the fuller and Nammaḫni, his wife.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 minas of black wool, 2. 3 minas of white (wool), 3. low-grade (sig-ga), 4. Nammaḫni 5. received. 6. [n mi]nas of wool, deficit, (from) sheep fleeces; 7. [n mi]nas from Enannatum; 8. [n] minas of wool for the New Year, 2/3 ...; 9. from Enannatum 10. Kiag received. 11. Enlil, the fuller, 12. Nammaḫni, (his) wife — 13. they are the witnesses.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00805 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 167
In plain English
One sheep came from the wife of Lugal-DU the shepherd; one sheep from Lu-dingira, who herds donkeys; one lamb from Uda, another donkey herder; one sheep from the wife of Iri-namzu; one sheep from Ur-dingir-tur the builder; one lamb from Lugal-itida; a sheep from the porters; a sheep from Subira, the man of a place now lost; and a lamb from the cupbearer. The total line is damaged but counts the sheep and lambs together — animals delivered by the citizens of the town. Lugal-e took them in charge.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 sheep — 2. (from) the wife of Lugal-DU, the shepherd; 3. [1] sheep — Lu-dingira, the donkey herder; 4. 1 lamb — Uda, the donkey herder; 5. 1 sheep — the wife of Iri-namzu; 6. 1 sheep — Ur-dingir-tur, the builder; 7. [1] lamb — Lugal-itida; 8. [1 sheep?] — the porter(s) [...]; 9. [1 sheep?] — Subira, the man of [...]; 10. [1 lamb? ...] — the cupbearer. 11. [Total: 4(?)] 2 sheep (and) 3 lambs 12. [...] (of) the sons of the city (citizens); 13. Lugal-e 14. took (them) in charge.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry