CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 (P346243)

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 5.04.05 Dialogue between Two Women B (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

Text

tablet
obverse
1. [...]-ra# [...]
 en: One who humiliates, insulting woman
2. [...] gu7#?-gu7 [...]
 en: Slanderer, “head striker”
3. [...]-du11# inim# lul-la# [...]
 en: Speaker of hostility, conversing in lies
4. [...] ze2#?-eg3#-ze2#?-eg3# e2 lu2-ka [...]
 en: Continually “giving” houses(?), (but) not dwelling in the house of a man
5. u3# [za]-e# sza3 munus-e-ne [...]
 en: And you (really) are among women?
  double ruling
6. a si#? a# lu3#-lu3 zi3#? [...] x [...]
 en: Filling water and roiling water//roiling clear water(?), milling flour
7. in-x-us2#? in-tur-tur in-ar3-ar3#-[...]
 en: She leaned(?), she diminished, she milled
8. i-ni#-in-du8 i-ni-i-ni-in#-[...]
 en: She baked there, she burned there
9. eg3-szu#-du11-ga-ni [a]-ra2#-sze3# nu-mu#?-[...]
 en: She does not set that which she has created “on (its) way”
10. ma-[ni]-ib2-gi4-gi4-in#
 en: You will reply to me
  double ruling
11. lu2#!?-ki#-e-ne-eg3-ga2 na-ag2#-lu2#-tu15#-ka#?
 en: Witness of idiocy
12. gab2#?-us2#? KA na-ag2-lu2-lu7#
 en: An “I want to follow” of the word/speech of humanity
13. lu2# [na]-ag2#-gi4-me-esz3-ka lu2 e-ne-eg3 pad#-pad#-du#
 en: The one of “collegiality,” the one who “breaks words to pieces"(?)
14. di#-da#-ni# nu-me-a tug2 an-na-ab-x
 en: Her case(?) is non-existent, and yet(?) a garment has been worn
15. lu2#? [...] pu-uh2#?-ru#?-[...]
 en: Litigant who has approached(?) the assembly, the assembly(?) ...
16. al#-suh3#-suh3 al-ur4-ur4-ru al-kinx(UR4)-kinx(UR4)-[...]
 en: She is confused, she is shaking, she is seeking (aimlessly)
17. [lu2] di# tuku x-a-na u3-ba-e-gub e-ne#-[...]
 en: Litigant, after you stand in ... and ... a word
18. [a]-ru#-ub-ba hul# gig e-ne-eg3-am3#-[...]
 en: Pitfall, hater, you utter words
19. [x]-dur2 szu ba-an-ti am3-ma-sar-sar-[...]
 en: They “accept” the ... and chase her away(?)
20. u3# za#-e# na-ag2#-munus-e-[...-me]-en
 en: And you are (really) “of womanhood"?
  double ruling
21. [ki]-sze-er nu-tuku na-ag2-munus-e# la-ba-ab-du7#?
 en: She has had no limit, (her) womanhood is unsuitable
22. siki#? [nu]-mu#?-[...]-x {gesz?}[...] nu#-mu#-da#?-[...]
 en: She cannot comb her wool, she cannot spin thread with the spindle
23. kin2-e szu# [nu]-mu-un-da-sa2 ku4!?-ku4#-[...]
 en: She cannot keep up(?) with work, entering and going out (from the house?) are diminished(?)
24. e-sir2-ra u3-ba-e-gub in al#!?-[...]
 en: When you stand in the street, (another) abuses
reverse
1. KA!?-tar u3-x-bala# giri3!?-bi-da!? ba-x-[...]
 en: When you attempt to converse with praise/quote a proverb(?), it falls at(?) the feet (i.e., fails?)
2. pu-uh2#-ru-um#-[...]-x mu-[...]-x-[...]
 en: When you(?) ... towards/on behalf of the assembly, they take it seriously(?)
3. u3#-um-gur tesz2# [...] x-me-en#? [...] zu2# al-[...]
 en: But after you turn away, you are shameless ..., ... is laughing
4. in#-na [...]-x-dub2#-[...]
 en: This is an insult that you make?
  double ruling
5. e2# kasz gal2-la# {gi}[...]
 en: In a house where there is beer, she is its trough
6. e2 tu7# gal2#-la {gesz}|SAL.X|# [...]
 en: In the house where there is soup, she is its emerah jug
7. e2# ninda# gal2#-la muhaldim gal-bi#-im#
 en: In the house where there is food, she is the chief cook
  left edge
8. e2 szu#-bi al-duru5-duru5#-x [...] al#?-tar-tar-[...]
 en: The house whose “hand is wet,” she asks after
9. lu2#-bi# na-ag2-usar [...]-x-du3#-[...]
 en: She acts neighborly towards its master
10. e2!?-bi-sze3 si sa2-bi ku4#?-ku4#?-[...]
 en: Entering into that house straightaway
11. e2 sa# a-ab-la2-e [...]-ab-su3-e
 en: She sweeps the house, she adorns/sprinkles it
12. a2# [al]-ag2#-e [...]-sag3#-ge#
 en: She is issuing orders and shouting(?)
13. gi4-in# [...] x x [...]-a#-ke4
 en: Servile laborer of the steward, bride, the daughter of the house
14. ur2#-bi# [...]-dub2#-bu#
 en: She smites(?) their legs/lap(?)
15. eg3 szu# [...] x [...]-gal2# im-mi-x-x-[...]
 en: She says to them “Do not take anything, (everything) that is here is mine”
16. u3 za-e# [...] x x
 en: And you ...
  double ruling
17. ir-da e2#-[...]-ni-[...]
 en: Her house is a pigsty, her inner room is a kiln
18. {gesz}ig gi#-[...]
 en: The door of her house is a reed screen
19. {na4}kin2# [...]
 en: A millstone is her husband, the pounding stone is her son
20. dam i-ri#-[da ...]
 en: Spouse of a slave, consumer of “that which is dragged”
21. ga gu7#-[...]
 en: One who suckled among female slaves, offspring of male slaves
22. e2#? gi4#?-[...]
 en: (Your) house was built by a female slave and cared for by a male slave
23. [...]
 en: And you are (really) “of women"?
  double ruling
24'. [...]-e11#?-da# [...]
 en: Lunatic, ecstatic, conversing in an ecstatic state
25'. [...]
 en: (User of) hostile speech, “eye turner,” evil person
26'. [...]-dub2#-dub2# [...]
 en: (Saying) “I want to insult,” the words haven fallen out of the mouth
27'. [...]-x-du11# [...]
 en: "I want to talk,” “I want to kill"(?) ... pig of the marshes, dog, one who is “cut off"(?)
  n lines broken
left
1. [...] e#-sir2-ra ni10-ni10 I-NE lu2-x-lu#?
 en: Standing in the street, prowling the street, <sitting?> at the threshold(!?) of men(?)

Text content

Genre(s) Literary (ETCSL 5.04.05 Dialogue between Two Women B (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/P346243

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

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Ancient Records of Middle Eastern Polities (ARMEP) P346243

References

  • history: UET 6, 0158

    [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
2019-11-29 at 10:36:53 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:09 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. 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 000771, Ex. 033 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346243.
CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry (No. P346243). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346243 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346243 (Accessed: October 20, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-20]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346243},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346243},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346243
LB  - CDLI:P346243
M1  - 2026/10/20/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346243
ER  - 

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000771, Ex. 033 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346243.
CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry (No. P346243). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346243 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346243 (Accessed: October 20, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-20]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346243},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346243},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346243
LB  - CDLI:P346243
M1  - 2026/10/20/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000771, ex. 033 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346243
ER  - 
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