MAD 5, 008 (P285640)

Incantation tablet excavated in Kish (mod. Tell Uhaimir), dated to the Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC) period and now kept in Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

Museum Collection(s)

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

Museum Number

Ashm 1930-0143 + Ashm 1930-0175h

Period

Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC)

Provenience

Kish (mod. Tell Uhaimir)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Ritual and liturgical > Incantation (love incantation)

Language(s)

Akkadian

Measurements

-

Text

tablet
obverse
1. {d}en-ki ir-e-ma-am
 en: Enki, the love-charm,
2. e3-ra-[...]-am
 en: he loves.
3. ir-e-mu-um _dumu_ {d}inanna
 en: The love-charm, child of Ishtar,
4. in za-gi-[sa u-sza]-ab#
 en: sits on [her] lap.
5. in ru-uh2-ti# [ga-na]-ak-tim
 en: Through the sap of the incense-tree,
6. u2-da-ra wa-ar#-da#-ta2
 en: turns. You, beautiful maidens,
7. da-mi3-iq-ta2 tu-uh2-da-na-ma
 en: are blooming.
8. ki-ri2-szum tu-ur4-da
 en: To the garden come down!
9. tu-ur4-da-ma a-na {gesz}kiri6
 en: Come down to the garden!
10. ru-uh2-ti ga-na-ak-tim
 en: The sap of the incense-tree
11. ti-ib-da-ad-ga
 en: you are drinking(?).
12. a-hu-uzx(ESZ5) ba-ki sza ru-ga-tim
 en: I have seized your drooling mouth.
13. a-hu-uzx(ESZ5) bu-ra-ma-ti
 en: I have seized your colourful
14. e-ni-ki
 en: eyes.
15. a-hu-uzx(ESZ5) ur4-ki
 en: I have seized your vulva
16. sza szi-na-tim
 en: of urine.
17. a-asz2-hi-it ki-ri2-isz
 en: I leapt to the garden
18. {d}suen
 en: of Sîn.
19. ab-dug _{gesz}asal2_
 en: I cut the poplar tree
reverse
1. u-me-isz-sa
 en: for her day.
2. du-ri-ni i-da-az-ga-ri-ni
 en: Encircle me between the boxwood trees,
3. ki _sipa_ i3-du-ru za-nam
 en: like the shepherd encircles the flock!
4. _ud5_ ga-lu-ma-sa _u8 sila3_-za
 en: (like) the goat (encircle) its kid, the ewe its lamb,
5. a-da-num2 mu-ra-asz2
 en: the mare its foal!
6. si-ir-gu-a i-da-su
 en: His arms are adorned.
7. _i3_ u3 ti-bu-ut-tum
 en: Oil and harp:
8. sa-ap-da-su
 en: his lips.
9. a-za-am _i3_ in qa2-ti-su
 en: A cup of oil in his hands;
10. a-za-am i-ri-nim in bu-ti-su
 en: a cup of cedar fragrance in his shoulders;
11. ir-e-mu u2-da-bi-bu-si-ma
 en: The love-charms have persuaded her,
12. u3 isz-ku-nu-si a-na mu-hu-tim
 en: and have driven her to ecstasy.
13. a-hu-uzx(ESZ5) ba-ki sza da-di3
 en: I seized your mouth of sexual attraction.
14. {d}inanna u3 {d}isz-ha-ra
 en: By (the name) of Ishtar and Išḫara
15. u3-dam-me-ki
 en: I conjure you.
16. a-ti za-wa-ar-su
 en: So long as his neck
17. u3 za-wa-ar-ki
 en: and your neck
18. la e-dam-da
 en: are not entwined,
19. la da-ba-sza-hi-ni
 en: you shall not find peace!

Text content

Genre(s) Ritual and liturgical > Incantation (love incantation)
Language(s) Akkadian

Chronology

Period Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC)
Accounting Period

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P285640

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Kish (mod. Tell Uhaimir)
Tell Ingharra
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
Museum Number Ashm 1930-0143 + Ashm 1930-0175h
Accession Number

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Akkadian Love Literature (AkkLove) P285640
Ancient Records of Middle Eastern Polities (ARMEP) P285640

References

  • primary: MAD 5, 8

    [Gelb1970MAD5] Gelb, Ignace J. 1970. Sargonic Texts in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Materials for the Assyrian Dictionary, No. 5. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press.

  • history: RA 95, 97-113

    [Groneberg2001RA95] Groneberg, Brigitte R. M. 2001. “Die Liebesbeschwörung Mad V 8 Und Ihr Literarischer Kontext.” Revue d’Assyriologie et d’Archéologie Orientale 95 (2): 97–113.

  • history: J. and A. Westenholz, OrNS 46 (1977) 198-219 (copy, edition) [1977]

    [sec55673] N.d.

  • citation: Sargonic Akkadian, p. 14-15

    [Hasselbach2005] Hasselbach, R. 2005. “Sargonic Akkadian.”

  • citation: J. Krecher and W. von Soden, ZA 62, p. 272-273

    [sec55675] N.d.

  • citation: JNES 31, 381-382

    [Westenholz1972JNES31] Westenholz, Aage. 1972. “Reviewed Work(s): Materials for the Assyrian Dictionary, No. 4: Sargonic Texts in the Louvre Museum and Materials for the Assyrian Dictionary, No. 5: Sargonic Texts in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford by I. J. Gelb.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 31 (4): 380–82. https://doi.org/10.1086/372208.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2023-06-15 at 20:22:28 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2023-05-31 at 20:37:46 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Novotny, Jamie; Rattenborg, Rune Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2015-02-10 at 14:53:56 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2013-02-08 at 06:29:17 Wagensonner, Klaus Transliteration Wagensonner, Klaus CDLI Approved View
2012-11-16 at 12:05:31 Brumfield, Sara Transliteration Brumfield, Sara CDLI Approved View
2006-10-12 at 12:38:47 CDLI Transliteration CDLI CDLI Approved View
2005-12-20 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact metadata CDLI CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“MAD 5, 008 Artifact Entry.” (2005) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P285640.
MAD 5, 008 artifact entry (No. P285640). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P285640 (Original work published 2005)
MAD 5, 008 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P285640 (Accessed: May 17, 2026).
@misc{2023MAD,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-17]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {MAD 5, 008 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P285640},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P285640},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P285640
LB  - CDLI:P285640
M1  - 2026/5/17/
TI  - MAD 5, 008 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P285640
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“MAD 5, 008 Artifact Entry.” (2005) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P285640.
MAD 5, 008 artifact entry (No. P285640). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P285640 (Original work published 2005)
MAD 5, 008 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P285640 (Accessed: May 17, 2026).
@misc{2023MAD,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-17]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {MAD 5, 008 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P285640},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P285640},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P285640
LB  - CDLI:P285640
M1  - 2026/5/17/
TI  - MAD 5, 008 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P285640
ER  -
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