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CDLI Literary 000343, ex. 033 (P346094)

Literary tablet excavated in Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in British Museum, London, UK

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Chemical Data

Seal Chemistry

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Metadata history Transliteration history

Museum Collection(s)

British Museum, London, UK

Museum Number

BM —

Period

Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience

Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Literary (ETCSL 1.04.01 Inanna's Descent (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. abul# 5(disz)-kam-ma ku4-ku4-da-ni-ta#
 en: As Inanna was entering the5th gate
2. tu-di-tum lu2 ga2-nu ga2-nu lu2 ba-da-an-zi
 en: The man removed the toggle pin/pectoral (that says) “Come, man, come!”
3. a-na-am3 e-ne
 en: What? How?
4. si-a {d}inanna me! kur-ra-ke4 szu al-du7-du7#
 en: Be satisfied, Inanna! This is the rite of the netherworld that is being completed
5. [{d}]inanna# garza kur-ra-ke4 inim-zu na-be2-e
 en: Inanna! This is the procedure of the netherworld, you should not speak aloud (to anyone to interrupt it)
6. [abul] 6(disz)#-kam-ma ku4-ku4-da-ni-ta
 en: As Inanna was entering the 6th gate
7. [...] sag-ki-na lu2 ba-da-an-zi
 en: The man removed the allure(?) from upon her forehead
8. [a-na]-am3# e-ne
 en: What? How?
9. [si-a {d}]inanna# me kur-ra#-ke4 szu al-du7-du7#
 en: Be satisfied, Inanna! This is the rite of the netherworld that is being completed
10. {d#}inanna# garza# kur-ra-ke4 inim-zu na-be2-e
 en: Inanna! This is the procedure of the netherworld, you should not speak aloud (to interrupt it)
11. abul 7(disz)-kam-ma ku4-ku4-da-ni-ta
 en: As Inanna was entering the 7th gate
12. tug2 palax(|NAM.EN.NA|) tug2 nam-eresz-a lu2 ba-da-an-zi#
 en: The man removed the pala garment, the garment of queenship
13. a-na-am3 e-ne
 en: What? How?
14. si-a {d}inanna me kur-ra-ke4 szu al-du7-du7
 en: Be satisfied, Inanna! This is the rite of the netherworld that is being completed
15. {d}inanna garza kur-ra-ke4 inim-zu na-be2-e
 en: Inanna! This is the procedure of the netherworld, you should not speak aloud (to interrupt it)
16. gir-gir-ma-ni ugu za3-ga?-sze3#
 en: When she bent over, upon the shoulder(?) ...
17. ze2-ze2-la#?-ni lu2 ma-an-de6
 en: When she split apart(?), the man brought ... away
18. nin9-x-[...]-za#-ta im-ma-an-zi-ga
 en: He sister raised her up from her throne
19. [...] nin9?-a-ni dur2 bi2-in-gar#
 en: She sat upon the throne of her sister
reverse
1. [...] imin#-bi di mu-un-da-ku5-ru-ne
 en: The seven judges of the Anuna were judging her
2. x [...]-in#-e3-a inim gig-ga in-e#?
 en: The one who brought out .../appeared in ... was speaking a bitter word(?)
3. gu3 mu-un-na-de2-e gu3 nam-tag-ga-ka
 en: They(?) shouted at her, it was a(n accusatory) cry of wrongdoing
4. nig2-lil2? dal-la2#-gin7 dal-la2 lu2#? [...]-ta#? ba-ni-in#-[...]
 en: The man(?) ... her from ... as something ... hung(!?) like ...
5. iti imin-kam zal-la-ta#?
 en: After seven months had passed
6.a. sukkal-a-ni {d}nin-szubur-ra
 en: Her vizier Ninšubur
6.b. inim ga-sza-an-na-ke4 gesztux(|GISZ.TUG2|)# [...]-szi-in-[...]
 en: paid attention to the word of the lady
7. er2 du11-du11-dam ba-gar-ra-x
 en: She made “the lament of ruin heaps” for her(?)
8. szem3#!? gu3-en-na ma#?-x-x
 en: She played(?) the šem drum of the assembly/throne room for her
9. e2# dingir-re-e#-ne# x-x-nigin#?
 en: She circled(?) the temples of the gods for her
10. igi mu-un-hur#? giri17#? mu#-un#-hur#
 en: She scratched her face, she scratched her nose
11. ki lu2-da nu-u6?-di# hasz2#? gal#? mu#?-un#?-hur#?
 en: The place unseen (when) with a man, she scratched her (inner) thigh
  blank space

Consult previous versions and their differences
Consult sign list of Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Consult word list of Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

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

  • Genre(s): Literary (ETCSL 1.04.01 Inanna's Descent (witness))
  • Language(s): Sumerian

  • history: UET 6, 0009

    [Gadd1963] Gadd, Cyril J., and Aaron Shaffer. 1963, 1966.

  • Composite No.:
  • Museum No.: BM —
  • Accession No.:

  • Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No: U 16873
  • Findspot Square:
  • Findspot Comments:

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2023-06-28 at 23:15:35 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact Hafford, William B.; Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune approved View
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune approved View
2019-06-09 at 20:56:56 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:59 Englund, Robert K. Atf Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI approved View
2014-10-19 at 09:43:17 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2014-08-27 at 15:48:10 Heinle, Michael Atf Heinle, Michael CDLI approved View
2006-11-02 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact Foxvog, Daniel A.; Guerra, Dylan; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Wolfe, Jared N. CDLI approved View

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

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

Composite Score
CDLI Literary 000343 (Inanna's Descent) composite (P468903) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000343, Ex. 033 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 28, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346094.
CDLI Literary 000343, ex. 033 artifact entry (No. P346094). (2023, June 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346094 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000343, ex. 033 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346094 (Accessed: April 21, 2025).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2025-04-21]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 28},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000343, ex. 033 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346094},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346094},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/28/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346094
LB  - CDLI:P346094
M1  - 2025/4/21/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000343, ex. 033 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346094
ER  -
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