PBS 08/2, 138 (P262077)

Legal tablet & envelope excavated in Nippur (mod. Nuffar), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Museum Collection(s)

Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Museum Number

CBS 07023 & CBS 07194 (case)

Period

Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience

Nippur (mod. Nuffar)

Artifact Type

Tablet & envelope

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Legal (Contract; Sale of an official's right to an income; Redemption of pristly office; seal impressions; (Obv)10x(Rev)13x(UE)3 lines)

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Has seal impression(s)

Text

tablet
obverse
1. nam-lu2-nig2-dab5-ba e2 {d}nusku
 en: The office of presenting offerings in Nusku's temple
2. mu-a iti 2(disz)-kam
 en: for two months every year,
3. ku3-ta sa10-a ki i3-li2-e-ri-ba-am
 en: which with money from Ili-eribam (and)
4. {disz}ri-im-esz18-dar dumu-me mu-na-wi-ru
 en: Rim-ištar sons of Munawiru,
5. u3 na-wi-ir-tum ama-ne-ne
 en: and Nawirtum their mother,
6. {disz}lu2-e2-szu-me-sza4 dumu {d}utu-{d}en-lil2-la2
 en: Lu-ešumeša son of Šamaš-enlila
7. in-sa10-a
 en: had bought,
8. ki lu2-e2-szu-me-sza4-ta
 en: from Lu-ešumeša
9. {disz}{d}nusku-ni-szu dumu dingir-szu-ib-bi-szu-ke4
 en: Nusku-nišu son of Ilšu-ibbišu
10. in-szi-in-sa10
 en: has bought;
reverse
1. sa10-am3 til-la-bi-sze3
 en: its full price (of)
2. 4(disz) 1/2(disz) gin2 ku3-babbar
 en: four and a half shekels of silver
3. in-na-an-la2-ma#
 en: has paid.
4. garza2# e2 ad-da-ni in-du8
 en: The temple office of the estate of his father (he) has redeemed.
5. u4-kur2-sze3 {disz}lu2-e2-szu-me-sza4-ke4
 en: In the future, that Lu-ešumeša
6. u3 ibila-a-ni a-na-me-a-bi
 en: and his heirs, to all (concerning)
7. nam-lu2-nig2-dab5-ba e2 {d}nusku mu-a iti 2(disz)-kam-ma-sze3
 en: the office of the Nusku's temple for two months every year
8. inim nu-um-ga2-ga2-a
 en: wouldn't bring a claim,
9. mu lugal-bi in-pa3
 en: he has sworn by the name of the king.
10. igi li-pi2-it-esz18-dar nu-esz3 {d}en-lil2-la2
 en: Before Lipit-ištar, priest of Enlil;
11. igi i3-li2-a-e-ni-isz dumu ap-lum
 en: before Ili-ayyēniš, son of Aplum;
12. igi a-wi-li-ia bur-gul
 en: before Awīlīya, stone-cutter;
13. igi {d}nin-urta-ga-mil dub-sar
 en: before Ninurta-gamil, the scribe.
14. iti ab-e3 u4 1(u) 8(disz)-kam
 en: The month of Ṭebētum, the day 18 (of)
15. mu sa-am-su-i-lu-na lugal a2-ag2-ga2 {d}en-lil2-la2-ka
 en: the year (in which) Samsu-iluna the king, by the command of Enlil (crushed the kings Iadiḫabu and Mutiḫuršana).
envelope
obverse
1. nam-lu2-nig2-dab5-ba e2 {d#}[nusku]
 en: The office of presenting offerings in Nusku's temple
2. mu-a iti 2(disz)-[kam]
 en: for two months every year,
3. ku3-ta sa10-a ki i3-li2-e-ri#-[ba-am (ri-im-esz18-dar)]
 en: which with money from Ili-eribam (and) Rim-ištar
4. dumu-me mu-na-wi-ru#
 en: sons of Munawiru,
5. u3 na-wi-ir-tum ama-ne#-[ne]
 en: and Nawirtum their mother,
6. {disz}lu2-e2-[szu]-me-sza4 dumu {d#}utu#-[{d}en-lil2-la2]
 en: Lu-ešumeša son of Šamaš-enlila
7. in-sa10-[a]
 en: had bought,
8. ki lu2-e2-szu-me-sza4-ta#
 en: from Lu-ešumeša
9. {disz}{d}nusku-ni-szu dumu dingir-szu-ib#-[bi-szu-ke4]
 en: Nusku-nišu son of Ilšu-ibbišu
10. in-szi-in-sa10
 en: has bought;
11. sa10-am3 til-la-bi-sze3#
 en: its full price (of)
12. 4(disz) 1/2(disz) gin2 ku3-babbar#
 en: four and a half shekels of silver
13. in-na-an-la2-ma#
 en: has paid.
14. garza2# e2 ad-da-ni
 en: The temple office of the estate of his father
15. in-[du8]
 en: (he) has redeemed.
reverse
1. u4-kur2-sze3 lu2-e2-szu-me-sza4-[ke4]
 en: In the future, that Lu-ešumeša
2. u3 ibila-a-ni a-na-[me-a-bi]
 en: and his heirs, to all (concerning)
3. nam-lu2-nig2-dab5-ba e2 {d}nusku#
 en: the office of the Nusku's temple
4. inim nu-um-ga2-ga2-[a]
 en: wouldn't bring a claim,
5. mu lugal-la-bi in-pa3#
 en: he has sworn by the name of the king.
  blank space
6. igi li-pi2-it-[esz18]-dar# nu-esz3 {d}en#-[lil2-la2]
 en: Before Lipit-ištar, priest of Enlil;
7. igi i3-li2-a-e-ni-isz# dumu ap-[lum]
 en: before Ili-ayyēniš, son of Aplum;
8. igi a-wi-li-ia bur-gul#
 en: before Awīlīya, stone-cutter;
9. igi {d}nin-urta-ga-mil dub-sar#
 en: before Ninurta-gamil, the scribe.
  blank space
10. iti# ab-e3 u4 1(u) 8(disz)-kam
 en: The month of Ṭebētum, the day 18 (of)
11. mu sa-am-[su-i-lu-na lugal] a2-ag2-[ga2 {d}en-lil2-la2-ka]
 en: the year (in which) Samsu-iluna the king, by the command of Enlil (crushed the kings Iadiḫabu and Mutiḫuršana).
seal 1
1. lu2-e2-szu-me-sza4
 en: Lu-ešumeša
2. dumu {d}utu-{d}en-lil2-la2
 en: son of Šamaš-enlila

Text content

Genre(s) Legal (Contract; Sale of an official's right to an income; Redemption of pristly office; seal impressions; (Obv)10x(Rev)13x(UE)3 lines)
Language(s) Sumerian

Chronology

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

Seals

This artifact is impressed by the following seal(s):

Seal Seal Number Provenience Period Date
dummy composite seal for unidentified seals (P533185) S999999 - -

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P262077

Physical information

(case= CBS 07194)

Artifact type Tablet & envelope
(case= CBS 07194)
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Nippur (mod. Nuffar)
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Museum Number CBS 07023 & CBS 07194 (case)
Accession Number

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Penn Museum (Penn) 588450 + 588451
Electronic Babylonian Library (eBL) CBS.7023

References

  • primary: PBS 8/2, 138

    [Chiera1922PBS8/2] Chiera, Edward. 1922. Old Babylonian Contracts. Publications of the Babylonian Section 8/2. Philadelphia: University Museum.

  • history: AJSL 34 (pp. 123-128), 127-128

    [Langdon1918ASJL34] Langdon, Stephen H. 1918. “The Toledo Collection of Cuneiform Tablets.” American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 34 (2): 123–28.

  • history: OB Contracts, E1 no. 30

    [Stone1976OBContracts] Stone, Elizabeth C. 1976. “Old Babylonian Contracts from Nippur.” Oriental Institute of Chicago Microfiche Archives. University of Chicago.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2024-09-21 at 09:44:01 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2023-01-19 at 10:20:17 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Artifact metadata Földi, Zsombor J.; Jiménez, Enrique; Pagé-Perron, Émilie Electronic Babylonian Library Pagé-Perron, Émilie Approved View
2020-11-17 at 00:14:18 Lafont, Bertrand Transliteration Guidi, Carlo CDLI Approved View
2018-07-11 at 07:11:29 Woestenburg, Els Transliteration Woestenburg, Els CDLI Approved View
2005-04-25 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact metadata Englund, Robert K.; Fitzgerald, Madeleine; Foxvog, Daniel A.; Frayne, Douglas R.; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô Penn Museum CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“PBS 08/2, 138 Artifact Entry.” (2005) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). September 21, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P262077.
PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry (No. P262077). (2024, September 21). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P262077 (Original work published 2005)
PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P262077 (Accessed: May 19, 2026).
@misc{2024PBS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-19]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {sep 21},
	title = {PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P262077},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P262077},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/9/21/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P262077
LB  - CDLI:P262077
M1  - 2026/5/19/
TI  - PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P262077
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“PBS 08/2, 138 Artifact Entry.” (2005) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). September 21, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P262077.
PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry (No. P262077). (2024, September 21). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P262077 (Original work published 2005)
PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P262077 (Accessed: May 19, 2026).
@misc{2024PBS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-19]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {sep 21},
	title = {PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P262077},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P262077},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/9/21/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P262077
LB  - CDLI:P262077
M1  - 2026/5/19/
TI  - PBS 08/2, 138 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P262077
ER  -
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