CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 (P346102)

Literary tablet excavated in Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in British Museum, London, UK

Museum Collection(s)

British Museum, London, UK

Museum Number

BM —

Period

Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience

Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Literary (ETCSL 1.03.02 Inanna and Ebih ('Decad no. 08') (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

Text

tablet
obverse
1. ku3 {d}inanna-ka#!? a-la-ni#-gin7 bi2-in-du3
 en: Holy Inanna acted(?) as her pleasure
2. hur-sag {d}ebih{ki}-ke4 im-ma-DU gu3 mu-un-na-de2#-a
 en: She went/stood among the mountain range of Ebih and spoke to him
3. hur-sag il2-la-zu-sze3 sukud-da-zu-sze3!
 en: Mountain range, on account of your raising, on account of your being high
4. sa6-ga-zu-sze3 sig7-ga-zu-sze3#!
 en: On account of your being beautiful, on account of your being verdant
5. {tug2?}ba#? ku3-ga mur10-ra-zu-sze3#!
 en: On account of your wearing the holy ba garment
6. an-ne2! szu si sa2-zu-sze3#!
 en: On account of your setting a hand straight away into heaven(?)
7. giri17 ki?-zux(SU) nu-ub-te!-a-zu-sze3
 en: On account of your not bringing your nose close to the ground(!?)
8. sum4#? sahar-ra nu-mu-un-ra-ab-ur3#-ra-zu#-sze3!
 en: On account of your not dragging your beard in the dust(!?)
9. mu-ug5-ge-esz sza3 si?-ga mu-un#?-si#?-ga
 en: They(!?) killed (you?), and (one of them?) stripped(?) (you?) naked(!?)
10. am-si-gin7 si-za mi-ni-ib2#-dab5-be2
 en: Like an elephant, one seized your tusks
11. am gal#-gin7 a2 gur4-gur4-ra!-a-gin7 ki mu-un-na-szi-ib2-us2
 en: Like a great wild bull, like(!?) a thick horned one, ... touched the ground ...
12. [...] a2# mah#-zu-sze3 ba-e-szub hul gig mu-ri-ib2-us2
 en: Like a bull? I cast down ... towards your massive horns, ... founded hatred for you(!?)
13. [...]-ra#? ba-ni-in-si
 en: ... filled your eyes with weeping(?)
14. [...] x ba-ni-in-gar
 en: ... placed lamentation in your heart
reverse
1. [...] |KI.SUM| im-ma-ni-x-[...]
 en: In is outskirts the bird of despair founded a nest
2. [...]-ku-kur silim zi#-de3-[...]
 en: A 2nd time she made a wish/rejoiced at the furious aura, she boasted faithfully
3. a#-a#-gu10# {d#}mu#-ul#!?-lil2#!? sza3 kur-kur-ra#-ke4 ni2 gal#?-[...]
 en: My father Enlil has imposed my great aura in the lands
4. a2 zi-da-gu10 {gesz#!?}tukul# mi-ni-in-[...]
 en: He placed a weapon at my right arm
5. a2 gab2-bu-gu10 DUB#?-e#? RI-RI-[...]
 en: (At?) my left arm I(?) ... on(?) a seal/tablet?
6. mir# gesz GAN2-guszur zu2#!? gal#-gal#-la#? kur#? [...]-x-si#-[...]
 en: (My) rage, a harrow with large teeth, tears apart the mountain
7. e2#-gal# mu-un#-du3# nig2# [...] x [...]
 en: ... built a palace and did surpassing things
8. {gesz#!?}gu#-za# mi#-ni#-in#-gub# [...] mi#?-ni#-in#-[...]
 en: ... set up a throne there, I(?) will make its foundations firm(?)
9. kur#-gar#-ra# giri2# ba#-ta#?-x x-x-an#-szum2
 en: ... gave the knife and the dagger to the kurgara performer
10. USZ#-x-[...] x x mu-ra-an#-szum2#
 en: ... gave the šem and lilis drums to the lamentation priest
11. pi#-li#-pi#-li# x szu# bala# [...]-ni#?-in#-ak#
 en: ... “exchanged the head” of the pilpili functionary
12. kur-ra#? u3#?-ma#-gu10 sag# ba-an#-szum2#
 en: My triumph went against the mountain
13. {d#}ebih#{ki} u3#-ma-gu10 sag# ba#-an#-szum2#
 en: My triumph went against Ebih
14. [...] x-gin7#? [...] x [...]
 en: Like an overflowing flood, it brought/poured high water/irrigated the u land(?)
15. a zi#-ga#-gin7# x-bi# ba#-an#-sur
 en: Like a rising flood, it twisted (i.e. cleaned) the “immense cloth”(?)
16. kur-re# u3#-ma#-gu10 im-ma-an#-gub#?
 en: My triumph stood in the mountain
17. {d}ebih{ki} u3#-ma#-gu10#? im-ma-an-gub#?
 en: My triumph stood (in) Ebih

Text content

Genre(s) Literary (ETCSL 1.03.02 Inanna and Ebih ('Decad no. 08') (witness))
Language(s) Sumerian

Chronology

Period Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Accounting Period

Composites

This artifact is a witness to the following composite(s):

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P346102

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number U —
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) British Museum, London, UK
Museum Number BM —
Accession Number

References

  • history: UET 6, 0017

    [Gadd1963UET6] Gadd, Cyril John, and Aaron Shaffer. 1963, 1966, 2005. Ur Excavations Texts Vol. VI.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:08 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:02:00 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2006-11-02 at 00:00:00 CDLI, CDLI Artifact metadata Foxvog, Daniel A.; Guerra, Dylan; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Wolfe, Jared N. CDLI, CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000339, Ex. 023 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346102.
CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry (No. P346102). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346102 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346102 (Accessed: October 20, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-20]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346102},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346102},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346102
LB  - CDLI:P346102
M1  - 2026/10/20/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346102
ER  - 

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000339, Ex. 023 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346102.
CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry (No. P346102). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346102 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346102 (Accessed: October 20, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-20]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346102},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346102},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346102
LB  - CDLI:P346102
M1  - 2026/10/20/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000339, ex. 023 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346102
ER  - 
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