Chapter 04 · 2112 – 2004 BCE
Ur III · Neo-Sumerian
A bureaucratic golden age, the Code of Ur-Nammu.
~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-02-012 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0916
In plain English
Two sheep hides and two goat hides were handed over by Iškur-illat and received by Iškur-saga. The transaction is dated to the month of the Šu-Suen festival, in the year 'the great magur-boat was built.' The tablet's seal identifies Šu-Kabta, a physician and son of Naram-ili, as the authority behind the document, with his scribe Šarrum-bani standing as his servant and sealer.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 sheep hides, 2 goat hides, from Iškur-illat — Iškur-saga received. Month: 'Festival of Šu-Suen.' Year: 'The great magur-boat was built.' (Seal:) Šu-Kabta, physician, son of Naram-ili; Šarrum-bani, scribe, is his servant.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-04-024 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0926
In plain English
This tablet is a receipt: a leatherworker named Anna-hili (also written Anna-ah-ili, son of Saba) took delivery of 4 sheep hides, 1 lambskin, and 6 shekels' weight of sheep sinew from a supplier named Iškur-illat. The transaction is dated to the month of the Festival of An, in the year the great ceremonial barge was built (a Šu-Suen regnal year). It's a routine bookkeeping entry tracking raw materials moving into a leather workshop at the Garšana estate.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“4 sheep hides, 1 lamb skin, 6 shekels of sheep sinew (sa) — from Iškur-illat, Anna-hili, the leatherworker, [received] (šu ba-ti). Month: "Festival of An" (iti ezem-Ana), year: "The great barge was built" (mu ma-gur-mah ba-dim). Anna-ah-ili, the leatherworker, son of Saba.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-04-031 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0927
In plain English
A record of raw materials issued to a tannery: 10 sheep hides, 8 hides from young cattle, 2 donkey hides, 15 hides from donkey foals, an unspecified number of hides from another young animal (the line is broken), and some ox horns. Iškur-illat handed these over, and the leatherworker Anah-ili took receipt of them, dated to the month of the Festival of An in the year the great ceremonial barge was built. A closing note identifies the recipient again as Anah-ili the leatherworker, son of Saba.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“10 sheep hides, 8 hides of oxen calves, 2 donkey hides, 15 hides of donkey foals, [n hides of] young [......] (broken), [n] ox horns — from Iškur-illat, Anah-ili received. Month: "Festival of An," year: "The great magur-boat was fashioned." Anah-ili, the leatherworker, son of Saba.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 49-04-024 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0928
In plain English
Twenty sheep hides were issued from Iškur-illat's stock and received by Anah-ili. The transaction is dated to the month of the festival of An, in the year when the great magur-boat was caulked. A note at the bottom identifies the recipient again: Anah-ili the leatherworker, son of Saba.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“20 sheep hides, from Iškur-illat, Anah-ili received. Month: "festival of An" (ezem-Ana), year: "the great magur-boat was caulked." Anah-ili, the leatherworker, son of Saba.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-04-017 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0938
In plain English
A receipt records that one unit of 'ummu3' was issued as travel wages to a man named Anah-ili, in the month called Ubigu, during the year the temple of the god Šara was built — a year-name from the reign of King Šu-Suen. The document was authenticated with the seal of Iškur-illat, son of Abiya, a scribe in the service of Me-Ištaran, described as the king's beloved sister.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1(?) ummu3 (units) — labor-wages of the delivery — for Anah-ili. Month: 'u5-bi2-gu7' (Ubigu). Year: 'The temple of Šara was built' (Šu-Suen year name). [Seal legend:] Šu-Suen, mighty king, king of Ur, king of the four quarters: Me-Ištaran, his beloved sister. Iškur-illat, son of Abiya, is your servant, the scribe.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-02-017 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0965
In plain English
The beginning of the tablet is broken. What survives records that 3 units of a leather item (name partly lost) and 3 units of another item called du10-gan-tibala were taken out of storage, charged against the account of a man named Ana-ah-ili. The month and year names that would date the transaction are broken away. The tablet is sealed, and the seal identifies its owner as Šu-Kabta, here titled 'physician,' son of Naram-ili, with the scribe Iškur-illat, son of Abi'a, declaring himself Šu-Kabta's servant.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[...] [...] 3 (units of) leather/hide [x]-ka-[...] 3 (units of) du10-gan-[ti]-bala [...] from Ana-ah-ili were withdrawn (disbursed). Month: [...] Year: [...] (Seal legend:) Šu-Kabta, physician, son of Naram-ili. Iškur-illat, scribe, son of Abi'a, is your servant.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-02-005 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 0971
In plain English
One sheep, fed on grass and not grain, was issued as a funerary offering for Warad-Nanna and Alatum. The animal came from the account of Ili-ašranni, and its withdrawal was logged in the month of the Šulgi festival, in the year when the land of Zabšali was destroyed. The tablet ends with a seal impression: it belonged to the scribe Iškur-illat, son of Abi'a, who identifies himself as the servant of Šu-Kabta, son of Naram-ili — here called 'physician,' though he is elsewhere known as a general at the Garšana estate.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 grass-fed sheep, for the funerary offering (ki-a-nag) of Warad-Nanna and Alatum, from Ili-ašranni, was disbursed. Month: "Festival of Šulgi." Year: "the land of Zabšali was destroyed." (Seal legend:) Šu-Kabta, physician, son of Naram-ili; Iškur-illat, scribe, son of Abi'a, is your servant.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2050 BCE · CUNES 48-04-008 — Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
CUSAS 03, 1010
In plain English
This tablet records that one sheep was taken from the flock of Ili-bilani to cover the standing offering for the goddess Inanna of Zabala, and a second sheep was taken from him for the standing offering to the god Šara of Umma. Both animals were formally checked out of inventory in the month of the Great Festival, in the year King Šu-Sin destroyed the land of Zabšali. The tablet is sealed with the seal of Šu-Kabta, son of Naram-ili — identified here as a physician — and countersealed by the scribe Iškur-illat, son of Abiya, who declares himself Šu-Kabta's servant.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 sheep — [regular offering] of Inanna of Zabala. 1 sheep — regular offering of Šara of Umma. From Ili-bilani, booked out (disbursed). Month: "Great Festival" (ezem-maḫ). Year: "the land of Zabšali was destroyed." [Seal:] Šu-Kabta, physician(?), son of Naram-ili. Iškur-illat, scribe, son of Abiya, is your servant.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry