Chapter 05 · 2000 – 1600 BCE
Old Babylonian
Hammurabi, the Epic of Gilgamesh, mathematics.
~1974 BCE · OIM A30000 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 49 27
In plain English
Five rams, entered as part of the standing offering allotment for Enlil and Ninlil at Nippur, delivered to the temple's meat house. The transaction is certified under the seal of the šatam-officials. Dated the ninth of the month Ab-è, in the year King Iddin-Dagan had the great emblem made for the goddess Nin-Isina.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“5 rams, regular offering(s) (for) Enlil and Ninlil, within Nippur; deliv[ery] for the é-uzu ("meat house"); sealed tablet of the šatam-officials. The 9th day (lit. "day ten minus one"), month: Ab-è (month X), year: Iddin-Dagan the king fashioned the great emblem for Nin-Isina.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1974 BCE · OIM A30001 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 50 29
In plain English
Six rams were disbursed on the 26th, and three more on the 28th, as the regular daily offerings for the gods Enlil and Ninlil in Nippur. The animals were transferred from the E-gissu building and delivered to the meat house for slaughter. The transaction was sealed by the temple administrators. Dated to the tenth month of the year King Iddin-Dagan made a great emblem for the goddess Ninisina — in effect, the temple's routine paperwork for keeping the divine meals supplied.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“6 rams — the 26th day; 3 rams — the 28th day: regular offerings (sattukku) of Enlil and Ninlil, in Nippur; from the E-gissu ("House of the Shade") delivery to the <house> of meat (slaughterhouse). Sealed by the šatammu-officials. Month: Ab-e (10th month, Nippur calendar). Year: Iddin-Dagan, the king, fashioned a great emblem for Ninisina.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1973 BCE · UM 55-21-101 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
JANES 18, 48 23
In plain English
Receipt: five sila (about five liters) of flour, charged as the king's provision, delivered to the temple of Enlil. Received by Enum-Suen. Dated to the harvest month, in the year after King Iddin-Dagan had a throne made for the Dubla-maḫ shrine. Signed: Enum-Suen, scribe — the recipient himself kept the record.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“5 sila of ... flour, provision of the king (šuku lugal), delivery (mu-kux) — the house(?) of Enlil. Enum-Suen received (it). Month: Še-sag-ku ("harvest," month XII). Year after (the year) Iddin-Dagan the king fashioned the throne of the Dubla-maḫ ... [...] for him/her. Enum-Suen, the scribe.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1950 BCE · OIM A29996 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 41 02
In plain English
Thirty-one loaves of bread, logged as goods for transport, connected with a man named Anamu; the entry notes they are on deposit with someone whose name is now broken away. A gap follows. The date: the month of Sowing, in the year the wall named 'Ištar loves Išbi-Erra' was built. The final lines identify the official involved — a man whose name is partly lost (...-ane), the perfumer attached to the temple of Enlil.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“31 loaves of bread, goods for transport (níg-ki-lah), (for/of) Anamu; available with [...]; [...] (break) Month: "Sowing" (Šu-numuna). Year: "The wall (named) 'Eštar-tāram-Išbi-Erra' ('Ištar-loves-Išbi-Erra') was built." [...]-ane, the perfumer (oil-presser) of Enlil.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1950 BCE · OIM A30006 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 42 04
In plain English
The top of the tablet is damaged, but it listed quantities of oil and other goods, including three head of cattle or similar items. The order reads: hand these over to Lu-damu. It is dated to the month of Gusisu (roughly April–May), in the year King Išbi-Erra installed the high priestess of the god Lugal-Erra. The official who sealed it identifies himself on his seal: 'Išbi-Erra, mighty king, king of his land — Abuni, the steward, son of Nūr-ilī, is your servant.' The first two lines are too broken to read fully.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[...] oil [...] ... 3 [...] cow(s)(?) (For) Lu-damu: give (it) to him! (šum-mu-na-ab-[...]) Month: Gusisu (Month II). Year: the nin-dingir priestess of (the god) Lugal-Erra was installed. Seal inscription: Išbi-Erra, mighty king, king of his land — Abuni, the steward, son of Nūr-ilī, (is) your servant.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1950 BCE · OIM A30004 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 44 06
In plain English
Receipt: 30 liters of fine-flour bread and 60 liters of oil-enriched bread, issued for the offerings of the NE-NE-gar festival. The delivery was handled by Ša-mu, the cupbearer, and the transaction was sealed by Abuni. Dated to the month of NE-NE-gar, in the year King Išbi-Erra installed the high priestess of the god Lugal-Erra. Abuni's seal reads: 'Išbi-Erra, mighty king, king of his land — Abuni, the steward, son of Nur-ili, is your servant.'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 ban of bread (made of) fine <flour>, 1 barig of oil-bread, (for) the offering of the NE-NE-gar festival; conveyor (giri): Ša-mu(?), the cupbearer; seal of Abuni. Month: NE-NE-gar, Year: "The nin-dingir priestess of (the god) Lugal-Erra was installed." (Seal inscription:) Išbi-Erra, mighty king, king of his land — Abuni, the steward, son of Nur-ili, (is) your servant.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1950 BCE · OIM A30009 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 46 13
In plain English
The ledger opens with a total of 90 gur of bread on hand. Out of that stock, the clerk lists the outgoing amounts: 4 gur of flour-bread; then 2 barig, 5 ban, and 4 sila of bread charged against daily wages; another 7 sila of bread for a purpose now lost; a broken entry mentioning a house; 3 ban and 8 sila of bread for the couriers; and further payments to a man named Gud-ili and something recorded as hire or wages. The next lines are too damaged to read fully, but they end with a delivery notation, one more broken entry, and the date: the month of Gusisu, the second month of the year at Nippur.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“90 gur of bread. Therefrom: 4 gur of bread (of) flour, 2 barig 5 ban 4 sila of bread [...], from the wages of the day(s) ... [...]; ... 7 sila of bread [...], ... poured out(?) ... house of [...]; 3 ban 8 sila of bread ... (for) the messenger(s); [...] Gud-ili(?); [...] hire/wages(?); [...]-ra; [...] bread ...; delivery. 1 [...] ...(?) Month: Gusisu (2nd month of the Nippur calendar).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1950 BCE · OIM A30008 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
JANES 18, 46 15
In plain English
This is a damaged supply account. It opens with a large count — 365 of something, plus 4 more, now broken off — then lists one loaf of oil-bread, an allotment reckoned per garment, about 30 liters of apples, a counted quantity of bread, roughly 6 gur and 9 sila of bread, a barig and a sila of oil-bread, and 6 sila of flour apiece. The goods are booked under two men, Sag-Nanna and Ennum-Suen. The last lines, including the year-date that would tell us exactly when this was written, are broken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(obverse) 365 (6 sixties 5), 4 [...] 1 oil-bread [...] [...] per garment (tug2-ta), [... two illegible signs] 3 ban (c. 30 liters) of apples(?), ... bread, counted(?), 6 (gur) 9 sila of bread, 1 barig 1 sila (c. 61 liters) of oil-bread, 6 sila of flour each(?), (for/of) Sag-Nanna, (and) Ennum-Suen(?). ... [three illegible signs] [...] Year: [...] (year-name broken)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry