BBS 036b (P472681)

Official or display tablet excavated in Sippar-Yahrurum (mod. Tell Abu Habbah), dated to the Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC) period and now kept in British Museum, London, UK

Museum Collection(s)

British Museum, London, UK

Museum Number

BM 091002 (was BM 12137A, BM 121376)

Period

Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Provenience

Sippar-Yahrurum (mod. Tell Abu Habbah)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Official or display (witness)

Language(s)

Akkadian

Measurements

130.0 mm × 170.0 mm

Witness

Text

object mold
surface a
  (mirrored, impression of relief of BBS 036a)
1. _nimgir_ {d}utu
 en: Herald of Šamaš,
2. _musz igi-min_
 en: two-faced serpent.
surface b
1. {d}utu _en gal_-u2 a-szib e2-babbar#-ra _en_ zimbir{ki}
 en: Šamaš, the great lord, the one who dwells in Ebabbar, lord of Sippar.
2. _{tug2}nig2-mu4_ {d}utu _en gal_-u2 zimbir{ki}
 en: Garments (for) Šamaš, the great lord, lord of Sippar:
3. _{iti}bara2 u4 7(disz)-kam_ 2(disz) {gada}szal-hu 4(disz) {tug2}s,ib-ti
 en: for the 7th day of Nisannu: 2 linen šalḫu-garments, 4 ṣibtu-garments
4. ki-tin-nu _4(u) ma-na ki-la2_-szu2-nu 1(disz)-en {gada}hu-la-nu
 en: made of kitinnû-linen, their weight 40 minas, 1 linen ḫullānu-wrap,
5. 1(disz)-en me-ze-hu _gada 7(disz) {tug2}nig2-eb2-la2_
 en: one linen mēzeḫu-scarf, 7 ḫuṣannu-sashes
6. _1(disz) ma-na 1(u) gin2 ki-la2_ 1(disz)-en _{tug2}ib-la2_ iz-hi
 en: weighing 1 mina and 10 shekels, one tied nēbeḫu-sash,
7. 1(disz)-en _{tug2}murub4-eb2-la2_ ta-bar-ra 1(disz)-en _tug2-u4-a 2(u) ma-na ki-la2_
 en: one red-wool girdle, one garment weighing 20 minas,
8. 1(disz)-en _tug-u4-a_ zi-qu 1(disz)-en me-ze-hu _gada_
 en: one garment with crenellated hem, one linen mēzeḫu-scarf,
9. 1(disz)-en ku-lu-lu _za-<gin3>-kur-ra_ <1(disz)-en> ku-lu-lu sza2
 en: one blue-purple (wool) kulūlu-turban, (one) kulūlu-turban that
10. _ku3-sig17_ iz-hi ina _ugu_-szu2 1(disz)-en _tug2-u4-a za-<gin3>-kur-ra_
 en: has gold fastened on it, one blue-purple (wool) garment
11. iz-hi _ku3-sig17 ka2 tug2-u4-a {iti}gu4 u4 1(u)-kam2_ ki-ma _{iti}bara2 ki-min_
 en: fastened (with) gold. Itemization of the wardrobe for the 10th day of Ayyaru: the same as that for (the 7th day of) Nisannu.
12. _{iti}kin u4 3(disz)-kam2#_ 2(disz) {gada}szal-hu 3(disz) {tug2}s,ib-ti
 en: (for) the 3rd day of Ulūlu: 2 linen šalḫu-garments, three ṣibtu-garments,
13. 1(disz)-en {gada}hu-la-nu 1(disz)-en me-ze-hu _gada_
 en: one linen ḫullānu-wrap, 1 linen mēzeḫu-scarf,
14. _6(disz) {tug2}nig2-eb2-la2_ 1(disz)-en _{tug2}murub4-eb2-la2_ 1(disz)-en _tug2-u4-a_
 en: 6 ḫuṣannu-sashes, one girdle, one garment,
15. 1(disz)-en mut-ta-tu4 sza2 ta-bar-ri
 en: one muttatu-headband(?) of red (and)
16. _za-<gin3>-kur-ra_ bu-s,u t,i-mi-tu4 _{iti}du6 u4 7(disz)-kam2 ki-min_
 en: blue-purple wool (twined with) byssos threads. (Wardrobe for) the 7th day of Tašrītu: the same (as that for the 3rd day of Ulūlu).
17. _{iti}apin u4 1(u) 5(disz)-kam2_ ki-ma _{iti}bara2 _{iti}sze u4 1(u) 5(disz)-kam2_
 en: (Wardrobe for) the 15th day of Araḫsamnu: the same as that for (the 7th day of) Nisannu. (Wardrobe for) the 15th of Addaru:
18. ki-ma _{iti}kin gaba-ri_ a-su-u2-mi-it sza2 {d}utu _en_ sip#-par#{ki#}
 en: the same as that for (the 3rd day of) Ulūlu. Impression of the bas-relief of Šamaš, lord of Sippar,
19. sza2 {disz}{d}na3-ibila-mu _lugal_ babilax(|DIN.TIR|){ki}
 en: (commissioned) by Nabû-apla-iddina, king of Babylon.

Text content

Genre(s) Official or display (witness)
Language(s) Akkadian

Chronology

Period Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)
Accounting Period

Composites

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

Composite Composite Number Score
Dummy composite "needed" (P546835) needed View the score

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P472681

Physical information

mold of BBS 036a

Artifact type Tablet
mold of BBS 036a
Dimensions 130.0 mm × 170.0 mm
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Sippar-Yahrurum (mod. Tell Abu Habbah)
Written In
Archive Ebabbar
Excavation Number
Findspot
Shamash Temple
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) British Museum, London, UK
Museum Number BM 091002 (was BM 12137A, BM 121376)
Accession Number 1881-04-28, 0033

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
British Museum Collection (BM) W_1881-0428-33

References

  • primary: BBS, 036b

    [King1912BBS] King, Leonard W. 1912. Babylonian Boundary Stones and Memorial Tablets in the British Museum. British Museum, London.

  • history: JCS 56 (pp. 23-103), 023-103

    [Woods2004JCS56] Woods, Christopher. 2004. “The Sun-God Tablet of Nabû-Apla-Iddina Revisited.” Journal of Cuneiform Studies 56 (1): 23–103. https://doi.org/10.2307/3515920.

  • history: OBO 260, no. 175

    [Zawadzki2013OBO260] Zawadzki, Stefan. 2013. Garments of the Gods: Vol. 2 Texts. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 260. Fribourg : Academic Press ; Göttingen : Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

  • citation: PIHANS 80

    [Bongenaar1997PIHANS80] Bongenaar, A.C.V.M. 1997. The Neo-Babylonian Ebabbar Temple at Sippar : Its Administration and Its Prosopography. Uitgaven van Het Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Instituut Te İstanbul 80. İstanbul : Nederlands Historisch-Archeologisch Instituut te İstanbul.

  • citation: OBO 218, p. 6, 25-27, 81, 93, 97, 121-122, 126, 128, 132, 138, 140-152, 154, 155, 186, 192, 194, n. 441, 458, 483

    [Zawadzki2006OBO218] Zawadzki, Stefan. 2006. Garments of the Gods: Vol. 1 Studies on the Textile Industry and the Pantheon of Sippar According to the Texts from the Ebabbar Archive. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 218. Academic Press Fribourg Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2026-03-12 at 15:40:09 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2026-03-11 at 10:02:56 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2026-03-08 at 08:53:02 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Artifact metadata Pagé-Perron, Émilie; Rattenborg, Rune Pagé-Perron, Émilie Approved View
2026-01-28 at 10:52:49 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2026-01-25 at 16:12:22 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2025-09-08 at 13:15:03 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2024-08-01 at 13:27:02 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2024-05-25 at 15:47:06 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2019-06-04 at 08:56:37 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2019-06-03 at 11:51:53 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2014-12-26 at 00:00:00 CDLI, CDLI Artifact metadata Firth, Richard; Woods, Christopher CDLI, CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“BBS 036b Artifact Entry.” (2014) 2026. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). March 12, 2026. https://cdli.earth/P472681.
BBS 036b artifact entry (No. P472681). (2026, March 12). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P472681 (Original work published 2014)
BBS 036b artifact entry (2026) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P472681 (Accessed: October 15, 2026).
@misc{2026BBS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-15]},
	year = {2026},
	month = {mar 12},
	title = {BBS 036b artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P472681},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P472681},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2026/3/12/
PY  - 2026
ID  - P472681
LB  - CDLI:P472681
M1  - 2026/10/15/
TI  - BBS 036b artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P472681
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“BBS 036b Artifact Entry.” (2014) 2026. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). March 12, 2026. https://cdli.earth/P472681.
BBS 036b artifact entry (No. P472681). (2026, March 12). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P472681 (Original work published 2014)
BBS 036b artifact entry (2026) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P472681 (Accessed: October 15, 2026).
@misc{2026BBS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-15]},
	year = {2026},
	month = {mar 12},
	title = {BBS 036b artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P472681},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P472681},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2026/3/12/
PY  - 2026
ID  - P472681
LB  - CDLI:P472681
M1  - 2026/10/15/
TI  - BBS 036b artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P472681
ER  -
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