All tablets.

Erišum I 01

(1) [...] ... Erišum (I), overseer of (the god) Aššur, [son of Ilu-šūma], overseer of (the god) Aššur; Ilu-šūma (was) the son of Šalim-aḫum, [overseer of (the god) Aššur]; (and) Šalim-aḫum (was) the son of Puzur-Aššur (I), [overseer of (the god) Aššur]. (4) Erišum (I), vice-regent of Aššur: I [built] the holy [Step] Gate, (and) the chapel [for] my lord. I built a [high] throne (and) adorned the front of it with a precious stone (ḫušāru). I installed (its) doors. (8b) With (the god) Aššur, my lord, standing by me, I reserved land for (the god) Aššur, my lord, from the Sheep Gate to the…

Erišum I 02

(1) Eriš[um (I)], vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of the god Aššur. (7) He built the temple (and) all of the temple area for the god Aššur, his lord, for his life, and the life of his city. (15) When I started the work, (when) my city was under my command, I made silver, gold, copper, tin, barley, and wool, as well as the payment of bran and straw, exempt from taxes. (26) I mixed ghee and honey into (the mortar of) every wall and (then) laid one layer of bricks. With the god Aššur, my lord, standing by me, I cleared houses from the Sheep Gate to the People’s Gate.…

Erišum I 04

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of the god Aššur. (7) For the god Aššur, his lord, for his life, and the life of his city, he built the entire temple area of the temple of the god Aššur and the holy Step Gate, (as well as) the chapel of (the god) Aššur.

Erišum I 05

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (7) For his life and the life of his city, he built all of the temple area for (the god) Aššur, his lord. He installed (its) doors.

Erišum I 07

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of the god Aššur. (7) For (the god) Aššur, his lord, for his life, and the life of his city, he built the temple area of (the god) Aššur.

Erišum I 08

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (7) It was Erišum (I), vice-regent of the god Aššur, who built [(...)] for [his] life.

Erišum I 09

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of the god A[ššur], son of Ilu-[šūma], vice-regent of the god Aššur. (7) For his life, he built all of the temple area for the god Aššur, his lord.

Erišum I 1001

(1') (No translation warranted.)

Erišum I 11

(i 1') (No translation possible) (ii 1') I cleared houses [from] the Sheep [Gate] to the People’s Gate. I fashioned two beer vats for the god Aššur, my lord. [I placed two] bronze duck figures, [each (weighing)] one talent, [at their] ba[se(s)]. (iii 1') (No translation possible) (iii 1'') (No translation possible)

Erišum I 12

(1) [Eri]šu[m (I), vice]-regent [of the god] Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, built a temple for (the god) Aššur, his lord. (7) (No translation possible)

Erišum I 13

(1) Eriš[um (I)], vice-regent of the god Aššur, built the temple of the god Aššur. Moreover, he fashioned the two beer vats.

Erišum I 14

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur; Ilu-šūma (was) the son of Šalim-aḫum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur; (and) Šalim-aḫum (was) the son of Puzur-Aššur (I), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (14) Erišum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur: With the god Adad standing by me and for the god Adad, my lord, for my life, and the life of my city, I built the temple and its temple area. Moreover, I installed (its) doors. (27) (As for) the one who would remove th(is) tablet, may the gods Aššur, Adad, [and] Bēl, my god, destroy his [seed].

Erišum I 15

(1) Erišum (I), vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of the god Aššur. (7) For his life and the life of his city, he built the temple of the god Adad, (in) its entirety. Moreover, he installed (its) doors.

Erišum I 16

(1') [For] the god Adad: Erišum (I) made (this).

Erišum I 17

(1) Eri[šum (I)], vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of [Ilu-š]ūma, vice-regent of the god A[ššur].

Ikunum 1

(1) Ikūnum, vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Erišum (I), vice-regent of the god Aššur. (7) Erišum (I) built the temple of the god Adad and made [his] work firm. Ikū[num], his son, finished and ... the temple of the god [Adad]. Moreover, ... (19) (No translation possible)

Ikunum 2

(1) Ikūnum, vice-regent of the god Aššur, dedicated (this) stone chest to the god Aššur, his lord, the god who is his helper, and Aššur-imittī, his son, took it in(to Aššur’s temple) for his life.

Ikunum 3

(1) [Ikūnum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of] E[rišum (I), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur]. Er[išum (was) the son of Ilu-šūma], vice-regent of [(the god) Aššur], [Ilu-šūma (was) the son of Š]alim-a[ḫum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur], (and) Šalim-a[ḫum (was) the son of Puzur-Aššu]r, vice-regent [of (the god) Aššur]. (8) [Ikūnum, vice]-regent of (the god) Ašš[ur, for his life] and the life [of his city] (11) (No translation possible)

Ikunum 4

(1) Ikūnum, vice-regent of [the god Aššur],

Ikunum 5add (formerly Šamši-Adad I 03)

(1′) vice-regent of [(the god) Aššur; (and) Il]u-[šūma] (was) the son of Ša[lim-aḫum, vice-re]gent [of (the god) Aššur]. (5′) Ikūnum, vice[-regent of (the god) Aššur, buil]t the temple of the [goddess Ereškigal, for his life and the life of his city]. Moreover, he depo[sited (his) clay c]one (therein). (11′) (May) a f[uture ruler], when th(at) tem[ple ...] has become dilapida[ted, re]turn my clay co[ne t]o its place.

Ilu-šumma 1

(1) Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, beloved of the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, [son of Ša]lim-aḫum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, built a temple for the goddess Ištar, his lady, (and) for his life. (14) He established the freedom (andurāru) of the Akkadians.

Ilu-šumma 2

(1) Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, beloved of the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, son of Šalim-aḫum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. Šalim-aḫum, vice-regent of Aššur, (was) the son of Puzur-Aššur (I) (and) vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (16) Ilu-šūma, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, built a temple for the goddess Ištar, his lady, (and) for his life, and he constructed a façade (and) new wall. (27) I subdivided house-plots for my city. The god Aššur opened up for me two springs on Mount Ebiḫ (Abiḫ) and (then) I made bricks for th(at) wall using (the water of) those two springs.…

Puzur-Sin 1001

(1) When Puzur-Sîn, vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Aššur-bēl-šamê, destroyed the evil of Asīnum, offspring of Šamšī-[Adad (I)], who was ... of the city Aššur, and instituted proper rule for the city Aššur, (at that time), [I (Puzur-Sîn) removed] ... a foreign plague, (who was) not of the flesh of [the city] Aššur. (15) The god Aššur justly ... [with] his pure hands and I, by the command of (the god) Aššur himself, my lord, destroyed that improper thing that he had worked on, (specially) the wall and palace of Šamšī-Adad (I), his grandfather, (who was) a foreign plague (and) not of the…

Šalim-aḫum 1

(1) Šalim-aḫum, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Puzur-Aššur (I), vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (7) The god Aššur requested a temple from him and he built a temple of ... (to last) forever. Moreover, he bu[ilt] the palace of ... (-) Dagan, its shrine, its temple area, ...,(its) house of beer vats, and its storage area for <his> life and the life of his ci[ty], (erasure), for the god Aššur.

Šamši-Adad I 01

(1) Šamšī-Adad (I), king of the world, builder of the temple of the god Aššur, pacifier of the land between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River, by the command of the god Aššur, who loves him, (and the one) whom the gods Anu and Enlil called by name for greatness among the kings who came before (him). (18) (As for) the temple of the god Enlil, which Erišum (I), the son of Ilu-šūma, had built, it had become dilapidated and I abandoned it. Then, I built the temple of the god Enlil, my lord, the fearful dais, the large chapel, the seat of the god Enlil, my lord, (all of) which were…

Šamši-Adad I 03 (= Ikunum 5add)

(1) Šamšī-[Adad (I)], appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Aššur. (4) (As for) the temple of the goddess Ereškigal, which Ikūnum, the son of Erišum (I), had built, it had become dilapidated and Šamšī-A[dad (I)], son of

Šamši-Adad I 04

(1) Šamšī-Adad (I), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Aššur. (4) When the god Itūr-Mēr, my lord, fully entrusted to [me] the ru[le] and control [over] the land Mari and the bank(s) of the Eu[phrates] River, I prayed to hi[m a]nd (then) [I offered up (to him), [(for the splendor of his divinity,)] a throne of light-colored medlar-wood ... [...] that had been perfected with everything pertaining to the goldsmith’s art (lit. “by gold and skilled craftsmen”).

Šamši-Adad I 05

(1) [Šamšī-Adad (I), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Aššur]. (4) Wh[en] the god Itūr-Mē[r] heard my pray[e]rs and petitions and fully entrusted to me the land Mari, the bank(s) of the Euphr[ates] River, and its domains, I prayed to him and (then) I offered up (to him), for the splendor of his divinity, a great ebony throne that had been methodically made with everything pertaining to the goldsmith’s art (lit. “by gold and skilled craftsmen”).

Šamši-Adad I 06

(1) For the goddess Ištar-šarrum, the controller of all of heaven and netherworld, the one who favorably receives his prayers (and) goes at his right hand: (6) Šamšī-Adad (I), strong king, king of Agade, conqueror of all of his enemies, dedicated a bronze kettledrum with good sound (and) befitting his being a warrior.

Šamši-Adad I 07

(1) [Šam]šī-[Adad (I)], strong king, appointee of the god [Enlil], vice-regent of the god Aššur, beloved of the god Dagān, pacifier of the land between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River, ruler of [Mar]i, king of Ekallātum, (and) governor of Šubat-Enlil. (12) [I ...] twin (vases) for the god Dagān and the banquet of [...] the god Aššur fo[r [...]. (r 1) (No translation possible)

Šamši-Adad I 08

(1) Šamšī-Adad (I), king of the world, appointee of the god Enlil, worshipper of the god Dagān, vice-regent of the god Aššur, builder of Ekisiga — “His Silent Temple,” the temple of the god Dagān in Terqa.

Šamši-Adad I 09

(1) Šamšī-Adad (I), vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Ilā-kabkabī, builder of the temple of the god Aššur.

Šamši-Adad I 10

(1) Šamšī-Ad[ad (I)], beloved of the god Aššur, vice-regent of the god Aššur, [son of] Ilā-kabkabī.

Šamši-Adad I 1001

(i' 1) ... [By] command of [the god] Enlil and [...] my attack [in Arra]pḫa [...] seventh day [...] and [I] sacrificed, ...] and (ii' 1) I entered his fortress. I kissed the feet of the god Adad, my lord, and reorganized that land. I installed my governors everywhere and, (at) the Festival of Heat, I sacrificed to the gods Šamaš and Adad, in Arrapḫa itself. (ii' 12) (In) Addaru (XII), on the twentieth day, I crossed the (Lower) Zab (Zaiba) and made a razzia in the land Qabra. I struck down the harvest of that land and, in the month Magrānum, I captured the fortified cities of the land Arbela…

Šamši-Adad I 12

(1) Šamšī-[Adad (I)], king of [the world].

Šamši-Adad I 2001

(1) The name of this lion is “The Sealer of the Enemy of Šamšī-Adad (I) by the Command of the Goddess Ištar.”

Šamši-Adad I 2002

(1) The name of [this] lion is “The Drinker of the Blood of the Enemies of Ša[mšī-Adad (I)] by [the Command of] the Goddess [Ištar].” (8) (Belonging to) Eme[urur], (which means) “the temple of gathering together divine powers.”

Sargon I 2001

(1) When the divine Sargon (was) vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, Ḫadītum, the wife of Bēlam-nāda, dedicated (this) to the Assyrian Ištar, her lady. She put (the symbol of the) pudendum into (the Ištar temple) for the life of her husband, her (own) life, and the life of her children.

~1822 BCE·Old BabylonianOur engine

SAOC 44, 67

1 shekel of silver — as interest, 1/6 shekel and 6 grains (per shekel) will be added. From Suen, Anne-babdu received it. In the month of Bricks (Simanu) it is to be repaid. Before Suen-rabi; before Ur-dukuga. Month: NE-NE-gar (Abu). Year: Rim-Sin the king built the temple of Enki in Ur.

Law

Religion & Myth·Writing & Literature

CDLI Literary 000343, ex. 056

(obverse, fragmentary) 1. [...] ... [...] 2. [When they] offer [(the river with its water)] to you, do not accept it! 3. [When they] offer [(the field with its grain)] to you, do not accept it! 4. "[Give us the corpse] hanging from the peg," say to her! 5. [One of you sprinkle the plant of] life, one [the water of life], over [her] ... 6. [...] ... [...] (remainder broken)

CDLI Literary 000365, ex. 048

Young man, free-born son, ... [in] the mountain, what [...]? Utu, let me speak a word to you — give [your] ear to my word! Let me greet you — may you pay heed to it! In my city a man dies, and the heart is stricken; a man perishes, and [my] heart [is heavy]. I craned my neck over the city wall: corpses floating on the water ... [made the river] overflow [...]. And I too ... [...] — shall it be so for me? [Thus] it shall be. The tallest man ... [cannot stretch to heaven ...] (remainder broken)

CDLI Literary 000365, ex. 053

(Beginning broken) 1. "[... if today you are going to] enter [the mountains ...], 2. [...] youthful Utu should [know about it from us]. 3. [...] the decisions concerning [the mountains are Utu's business]; 4. the decisions concerning [the mountains] of felled cedar are youthful Utu's — Utu should know about it from us." 5. [Then] Gilgamesh took hold of a white kid; 6. he clasped [a brown] kid, a sacrificial offering, [to his breast]; 7. [in his hand] he held the holy staff before his nose, 8. as he spoke to [Utu of heaven]: 9. "[Utu, I am going to] enter [the mountains] — [be my] helper! 10. […

CDLI Literary 000365, ex. 058

1. [...] he set [...] toward [...] 2. [By the life of] my own mother, divine [Nin]sun(?), and my [father], holy Lugal[banda]! 3. May I [become again(?)] as if slumbering in wonder(?) on the lap of my own mother Ninsun. 4. For a [second] time he indeed said it to him: 5. By the life of my own mother Ninsun and my [father(?)], holy Lugalbanda! 6. Whether he be a [hu]man, whether he be known(?), whether he be a god [...], 7. my steps that I have set toward the mountains I shall not set back toward the city! 8. The faithful slave, who would soothe(?), who makes life seem sweet, 9. answered his mas…

CDLI Literary 000561, ex. 004

obverse (fragment, three lines preserved): [A cl]od that has been bathed in water — dust has come into my eyes. A dog, when it gnaws a corpse, its chest heaves up. The great dragon (ušumgal), having smitten heads (i.e. having slain) [...] (remainder broken)

Daily Life·Writing & Literature

CDLI Literary 000578, ex. 002

Say to my [brothers]: this is what Ilaba-tah-lugalĝa says: The journey we are going on is long, and the true king, our king, [has pressed on(?)] ... journey [has been added] to journey. We will not be able to ask after our mother. May the day not set upon our neighborhood ... deceitfully(?). 1 sila of salt, 1 [sila of gazi-spice], 1 šagadu-garment — have a courier bring (them) back to me! Our journey is long. It is urgent!

Writing & Literature·Daily Life

CDLI Literary 000584, ex. 003

Say to Lugal-ibila: this is what Inim-Inanna says: Do not neglect the Sumerian language! (lit. "do not let your neck fall away from Sumerian") For the second time I am sending someone to you concerning the correct (use of the) language. The youngster who sits before you — do not let him go out of the tablet-house (school)! And furthermore, let no one deceive you with lies. Should he say to you, "Let me go to his (i.e. my) father," until I and you have exchanged word about the agreed sign, [I will keep] sending a man to you. [...] (remainder broken)

DWJ 2, 019-021

(obverse) To Sîn-magir speak: thus (says) Lugal-gubbani: May Enlil keep you in good health! May the scattered be gathered! The one who(?) had ceased(?) (work) for 2½ ... [broken] ... [illegible] ... (seal legend / closing lines) Lāqīpum(?), gudu-priest of Enlil, the king's contract-agent(?), son of Ninurta-nīšu, servant of Abī-ēšuḫ.

Daily Life·Economy