PBS 01/2, 027 (P261018)

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

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Museum Collection(s)

Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Museum Number

CBS 04749

Period

Middle Babylonian (ca. 1400-1100 BC)

Provenience

Nippur (mod. Nuffar)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Letter (Letter, from Taribu to his lord; (Obv)8x(Rev)9x(UE)3x(LE)2 lines)

Language(s)

-

Measurements

-

tablet
obverse
1. _ARAD_-ka {disz}ta-ri-bu
 en: Your servant Tarību:
2. a-na di-na-an be-li2-ia lul-lik
 en: I shall go as my lord’s substitute!
3. um-ma-a a-na be-li2-ia-a-ma
 en: (Say) the following to my lord:
4. asz-szum-ma _{d}utu_ u3 _{d}marduk_ sza be-li2 isz-pu-ra
 en: Regarding Šamaš and Marduk, about whom my lord had sent (a letter) to me:
5. um-ma-a _pad_-ma ul ba-ni _kasz-sag_-ma
 en: (saying) the following: “The bread is not good, and the first quality beer
6. ul t,a-a-ab u3 kib-su-um-ma ul ba-ni
 en: is not good tasting, also the rites are not correct.
7. a-na-ku-ma mi-na-a s,a-ab-ta-ku#
 en: What had I, personally, been doing at all?”
8. a-na-ku be-li2-ia u2-ba-qar2-ru [...]
 en: [In] the town of my lord, in which I am living, for … […]
9. sza be-li2-ia ur-ra u3 mu-u2-sza
 en: of my lord, day and night,
10. da-mi-ia i-na ar2-ni-ia na-sza-a-ku
 en: I am carrying my blood as my crime/punishment (arnu).
11. ki-i-ki-i _pad_ la ba-na-a u3 _kasz-sag_ la t,a-ba
 en: How could I let not-good bread and not-good tasting first quality beer
12. a-na _e2-dingir-mesz_ sza be-li2-ia u2-sze-er-ri-ib
 en: enter into the houses of the gods of my lord?
13. asz-szu14 rik-si sza be-li2 isz-pu-ra
 en: Regarding the riksu-preparation (for the offering), about which my lord had sent (a letter) to me:
14. rik-su ba-ni a-na a-mar be-li2-ia sza-ri-iq
 en: The riksu-preparation (for the offering) is good. It is ready for the inspection of my lord.
15. u3 _gu4_ sza ha-za-an-ni i-na qa-ti
 en: And they let the oxen of the ḫazannu eat (= feed them) out of <my?> hand.
16. u2-sza-ak-ka-lu4 asz-szu14 _muszen-hi-a_
 en: Regarding the birds,
17. sza be-li2 isz-pu-ra
 en: about which my lord had sent (a letter) to me:
18. 1(u) _uz-tur{muszen}_ sza i-na _sze-bar_ szum-mu-ru
 en: I have let 10 ducks, which they had let be fattened with barley,
19. a-na be-li2-ia usz-te-bi#-la
 en: be brought to my lord.
20. 5(disz) _uz-tur{muszen}_ 4(disz) _kur-gi{muszen}_
 en: Five ducks, four geese,
21. sza be-li2 _zi3-da_ u3 ar-sa-a-ni szu-ku-la
 en: which my lord had sent (a letter) to me to let them eat flour and groats.
22. isz-pu-ra _ta u4 8(disz)-kam 9(disz) muszen-hi-a_
 en: Since the eighth day,
23. ki-i ap-ru-su ik-ka-lu4
 en: after I had separated (these) nine birds, they are eating (flour and groats).
24. 9(disz) _uz-tur{muszen}_ a-na _sze-bar?#_ par#?-su
 en: Nine(+) ducks, separated for barley
25. 9(disz) _uz-tur{muszen}_ 1(u) 1(disz) _kur-gi{muszen}_ u2-[x]
 en: nine(+) ducks and 11 geese ... [...]
reverse
1. _en 3(disz) uz-tur{muszen}_ bu-ur-ru#-[mu-ti]
 en: including 3 speckled ducks (mottled ducks),
2. ar-ki-ti _pap 3(u) 8(disz) muszen-hi#-[a_]
 en: later (?): a total of 38 birds.
3. a-na _{disz}arad-u4-esz3-esz3 arad_-ka 3(disz) i#-me#-ri#-ia
 en: After I had sent three donkeys to Arad-eššēši, your servant,
4. ki-i asz-pu-ru 6(disz) _ma gab-lal2_ [...]
 en: (I found that) six minas of wax [...]
5. i-na _{na4}dub_-szu2 ka-ni-ik ki-i u2-sze-bi#-la
 en: he had sealed on his sealed document. After he had let them be brought,
6. a-na be-li2-ia usz-te-bi-la
 en: I have let them be brought to my lord.
7. 1(disz) {tug2}a-ri-bu u3 2(disz) _{tug2}gu2-e3_
 en: One aribû garment and two naḫlaptu garments
8. a-na be-li2-ia usz-te-bi-la
 en: I have let be brought to my lord.
9. asz-szu14 _{lu2}ad-kup4 {lu2}dug-qa-bur_ u3 _{lu2}ma2-lah4_
 en: Regarding the basket maker, the potter, and the sailor
10. sza be-li2 isz-pu-ra na-ak-ka-ma#-tu
 en: about whom my lord had sent (a letter) to me: the storehouses
11. ma-la-a u3 s,a-ab-tu-ma [u3] asz-szu
 en: are full, and they have seized/collected (them/it). […] Regarding
12. _{disz}{d}3(u)_-mu-szab-szi _gar_-nu sza {iri}su#-[u2]-hi
 en: Sîn-mušabši, the governor of ⸢Sūḫu⸣ (?):
13. gi-isz-ra sza _gesz-mes-ma2-gan{an}-na_
 en: after I/he had let a log out of musukkannu-tree
14. i-na _{iri}bad3-{d}3(u)_-mu-bal-lit, ki-i usz-bal-ki-ta
 en: let cross from Dūr-Sîn-muballiṭ,
15. a#-na# _{iri}ARAD-gaszan{ki}_ ki ir-da-a
 en: after I/he had followed me/travelled to Arad-bēlti,
16. [...] {disz}{d}3(u)-uz-[...] ki-i iq-bu-u2
 en: […] Sîn-us-[…] after he/they had said
17. [...] e#-ru#-ub#? [...]
 en: […] I had entered […]
18. u3# I#-ru#-[ub/bu ...]
 en: And he/they entered […]
19. i-ta-ta-mar# [...]
 en: he inspected […]
20. _du3-ga_ i-na _ni#?-tuk#?[{ki}_ ...]
 en: good. In/from ⸢Dilmun (?)⸣ […]
21. u3 _{lu2#}ma2#-lah5#_ [...]
 en: and the sailor […]
22. ki-i u2-za#-bal#? u3# 2(disz) _u8_ ki#-i#-da#/it#/du#-ta
 en: when I/he is going to carry […], and as soon as I will have let the two ewes (?), which ..., eat (= feed),
23. usz-ta-ki-il u3 t,up-pu sza be-li2-ia
 en: and after the tablet of my lord
24. ki-i ik-szu-da a-na ha-za-an-ni ki-i
 en: had arrived, after I had said the following to the ḫazannu:
25. [aq]-bu-u2 um-ma-a _erin2-hi-a_ i-din-ma _muszen-mesz_ lisz-szu-u2
 en: “Give ṣābu work troops and they shall carry the birds (?)!”
26. ul id-di-na _lu2 x-mesz_ up-tal2-<li>-qu
 en: He has not given (them) to me. The … have slaughtered (them).
27. _dumu# {disz}{d}3(u)-sag-kal_-ni#? it-ti _muszen-mesz_
 en: In order to send the son of Sîn-ašarēd-ni together with the birds,
28. a-na sza-pa-ri-szu2 {disz}sud-u4-szu2 _arad_-ka
 en: Rīš-aṣûšu (?), your servant,
29. up-ta-al-li-iq-szu
 en: has slaughtered it (them).
left
1. u3 a-na sza a-qab-bu-u2-ma x# x# ul# i-req-qu2#-u2#?
 en: And because of that, which I am saying, and … they are not going to become lost.
2. a-na a-la-ki i-na ta-ka-s,i _muszen-hi-a_ e-te#-en-da
 en: For the going onto the slaughtering block (?) I have placed the birds there.

Consult previous versions and their differences
Consult sign list of Middle Babylonian (ca. 1400-1100 BC)
Consult word list of Middle Babylonian (ca. 1400-1100 BC)

  • Artifact type: Tablet
  • Material: Clay
  • Measurements (mm):
  • Weight:
  • Artifact Preservation: fragment
  • Condition Description: upper part
  • Join Information:
  • Seal no.:
  • Seal information:
  • Artifact comments:

  • Genre(s): Letter (Letter, from Taribu to his lord; (Obv)8x(Rev)9x(UE)3x(LE)2 lines)
  • Language(s):

  • primary: PBS 1/2, 027

    [Lutz1919PBS1/2] Lutz, Henry F. 1919. Selected Sumerian and Babylonian Texts. Publications of the Babylonian Section 1/2. University of Pennsylvania.

  • Composite No.:
  • Museum No.: CBS 04749
  • Accession No.:

  • Provenience: Nippur (mod. Nuffar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No:
  • Findspot Square:
  • Findspot Comments:

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2024-08-30 at 08:49:45 Firth, Richard Artifact, Other Entity Firth, Richard Firth, Richard approved View
2023-01-19 at 10:20:17 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Artifact Földi, Zsombor J.; Jiménez, Enrique; Pagé-Perron, Émilie Electronic Babylonian Library Pagé-Perron, Émilie approved View
2023-01-15 at 15:40:42 Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô Atf Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô Dahl, Jacob L. approved View
2023-01-09 at 19:28:58 Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô Atf Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô Dahl, Jacob L. approved View
2017-12-19 at 02:29:43 Dahl, Jacob L. Atf Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô CDLI approved View
2017-12-09 at 08:32:45 Dahl, Jacob L. Atf Dahl, Jacob L. CDLI approved View
2017-11-08 at 22:57:32 Dahl, Jacob L. Atf Dahl, Jacob L. CDLI approved View
2005-04-25 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact Englund, Robert K.; Fitzgerald, Madeleine; Foxvog, Daniel A.; Frayne, Douglas R.; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô Penn Museum CDLI approved View

Consult this artifact as presented on the website of collections and projects:

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“PBS 01/2, 027 Artifact Entry.” (2005) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). August 30, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P261018.
PBS 01/2, 027 artifact entry (No. P261018). (2024, August 30). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P261018 (Original work published 2005)
PBS 01/2, 027 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P261018 (Accessed: May 8, 2025).
@misc{2024PBS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2025-05-08]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {aug 30},
	title = {PBS 01/2, 027 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P261018},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P261018},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/8/30/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P261018
LB  - CDLI:P261018
M1  - 2025/5/8/
TI  - PBS 01/2, 027 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P261018
ER  -
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