BE 17/1, 039 (P260033)

Letter tablet excavated in Nippur (mod. Nuffar), dated to the Middle Babylonian (ca. 1400-1100 BC) period and now kept in Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Image © [see publications]

Transliteration

tablet
obverse
1. _ARAD_-ka {disz}u-bar-ru3 a-na di-na-an be-[li2]-ia# <lul-lik>
 en: Your servant Ubāru: <I shall go> as my lord's substitute!
2. um-ma-a a-na be-li2-ia-a-ma
 en: The following (say) to my lord:
3. a-na _a-sza3_ u3 _lu2-{gesz}apin_ sza be-li2-ia
 en: Regarding the fields and the errēšu farmers of my lord:
4. szu-ul-mu i-na pu-ut _a-sza3-mesz_ [...]
 en: everything is in best order. On the head side/small side of the fields ...
5. sza _tukul_-kul-ti-_e2_-kur{ki} sza be-[li2-ia]
 en: of Tukultī-Ekur, which my lord
6. isz-pu-ra ik-te-di-ir [...]
 en: had written to me (to do), he has established a border ...
7. u3 _erin2-hi-a_ sza _ensi2-mesz_ u? szu#-[ta]-pe?#-e
 en: and the ṣābu workers of the iššakku farmers and the šutāpu workmen have neglected their work
8. isz-tu4 _i7 tukul_-kul-ti-_e2_-kur{ki}
 en: from the Tukultī-Ekur canal
9. a-di u2-ga-re-e sza ta-mi-ir-ti
 en: up to the ugāru land (intended for farming) in the irrigated territories (belonging to the city)
10. ha-am-ri sza i-na mi-li ma-ha-ri-i
 en: of the Ḫamru irrigation districts, which the water in the previous seasonal flooding
11. mu-u2 is,-ba-tu-ma ip-ti-nu-ma
 en: had seized, then became firm there, and
12. iz-zi-zu ih-ta-tu-ni u3 har-bu
 en: then stood there. Furthermore the ḫarbu fields
13. sza {disz}bu-ur-ru-ti sza i-na
 en: of Burrutu, which are in
14. ta-mi-ir-ti ha-am-ri
 en: the irrigated territories (of to the city) of Ḫamru,
15. za-ku dul{ul}-la ul i-pu-usz
 en: are exempted from levies. He does not need to fulfil the dullu work duty.
16. mu-u2 ma-ha-ru-u2-tu4 at#-tu#-szu
 en: His own previous water
17. u3 _erin2-hi-a_ sza be-li2-ia dul#?-[la ...]
 en: and the ṣābu workers of my lord the d[ullu work duty? …]
reverse
1. _u4#-2(u)?#-kam?#_ [...]-tu#-ma#
 en: (of ?) the 20th day (?) ... they are ...
2. a#-na# um#-mi# u2-bi?#-ri#? sza# be#-[li2? ...]
 en: .Regarding my mother (?) she became hungry (?). That which (?) [my lord ?] ...
3. [...]-i#-ib# DU#
 en: ...
4. [...] sza _bad3_-{d}en-lil2-_mesz{ki}_
 en: ... of Dūr-Enlilē
5. [sza] mi#-ik#-ri# mi#-ik#-ru#-ma#?
 en: [Regarding] the irrigation; the irrigation
6. [...] li-isz-pu-ra-am#-ma
 en: ... he may send to me and
7. _dumu# {disz}su#_-{d#}x [... {disz}]e#-t,i5#-ra
 en: the son (?) of Erība(?)- ..., Et,iru
8. te-du#? i#-[...] le-mi-ta
 en: you know (?) (and) he ... disobedient (f)
9. li-sza#-x [...]
 en: (s)he shall ...
10. um-ma-a a-na [be]-li i-ma#-as,#? [...]
 en: The following to my lord: It is (too) less ...
11. _dumu-mesz_ [...] i-[...]
 en: the sons ... they/he ...
12. [...]
 en:
13. [...]
 en:
14. [...]
 en:
15. [...]
 en:
16. [...]
 en:
17. [...]
 en:
18. [...] lu-pa-ad
 en: I shall put in fetters
top
11. [...] _e2_
 en: ... house
12. sza be-li2 isz-pu-ra a-na be-li2-[ia]
 en: ... that, which my lord had written to me (to do), I have to my lord
13. usz-te-bi-la
 en: let it be brought (i.e. to my lord).