CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 (P346155)

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

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 4.19.02 Ningeshzida B (witness) Balbale-Song of Ningizzida)

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

Text

tablet
obverse
1. en me-te# ku3#-ga ni2 husz gal gur3-ru
 en: Lord, holy ornament, bearing a furious and great aura
2. lugal-gu10 en {d}nin-gesz-zi-da ni2 husz gal gur3-ru
 en: My king, lord Ningešzida, bearing a furious and great aura
3.a. ur-sag# sur2?-du3-a dingir-re-e-ne lugal-gu10
 en: Hero, falcon of the gods, my king,
3.b. giri17-zal igi gun3 ti mar-ru10 szu du7
 en: face sparkling (with) joy, equipped with arrows and a quiver
4. nemur banda3{+da} sag gesz ra-ra musz-husz szex(|KAxSZE|) gi4-gi4
 en: Wild leopard who kills, screaming mušhuš creature
5. DU-DU-ma? bi-du3 uszumgal ambar-ra guru5 bur2-ra ulu3{+lu} lu2-ra te-a
 en: ..., ušumgal creature rushing forth/gnashing its teeth(?) in the marshes, southern storm drawing near to man
6. nun sag mah kur sza3-ga# lug-ga edin# lu sag dub2-dub2-bu#?
 en: First, great ruler living in the mountain midst, smashing heads of sheep(?) in the plain
7. lugal-gu10 KA-zu MASZ-MASZ-MASZ en {d}nin-gesz-zi-da ki-zu x-[...]
 en: My king, your mouth/tooth ..., lord Ningišzida, your place(?) ...
8. {d}nin-gesz-zi-da KA-zu MASZ-MASZ-MASZ en {d}nin-gesz-zi-da ki-zu# [...]
 en: Ningešzida, your mouth/tooth ..., lord Ningešzida, your place(?) ...
9. gada-la2-mu2 a-gin7 gar-ra-zu sza3-zu a-ba mu-un-zu
 en: My(?) linen clad priest, when you put ... thusly, who has known your thoughts?
10. {d}nin-gesz-zi-da a-gin7 gar-ra-zu sza3-zu a-ba mu-[un-zu]
 en: Ningešzida, when you put ... thusly, who has known your intention?
11. inim ku3-zu mu-un-zu-ra mu-un-zu nu-mu-un-zu-ra [...]
 en: For the one who has known your holy word, he has known it (to his benefit?), for the one who has not known he has not known it(?)
12. nu-mu-un-zu-ra nu-mu-un-zu-ra MI-GIM mu-un-na#-[...]
 en: For the one who has not known, for the one who has not known, ...
13. {d}nin-gesz-zi-da nu-mu-un-zu-ra MI-GIM mu-un#-[na-...]
 en: Ningešzida, for the one who has not known, ...
14. inim mah-zu ki-sze3 DU-a-ba musz-husz na-nam x [...]
 en: When you exalted word comes towards the earth/netherworld, it is indeed a mušhuš creature ...
15.a. i7#?-da a-ge6-a-gin7#!? du7-du7
 en: Thrashing in the river like(?) a flood,
15.b. a-sza3-ga ma?-ru#? [...]
 en: ... in the field like(?) a stormwind(?)
16. [...]-x#-lum a-u5 me ku5-ku5-ru IM [...]
 en: Magilum(?), separating the ... high flood, u
17. [...] x# sza3 ni2-ta-na KA mu-un-[...]
 en: ... his own heart/midst ...
18. [...] x ki? ra x me#-a# za3# gar# e#? [...]
 en: ...
reverse
  beginning broken
  blank space

Text content

Genre(s) Literary (ETCSL 4.19.02 Ningeshzida B (witness) Balbale-Song of Ningizzida)
Language(s) Sumerian

Chronology

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

Composites

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

Composite Composite Number Score
CDLI Literary 000700 (Ningeshzida B) composite (P478918) Q000700 View the score

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P346155

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number U 16834
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) British Museum, London, UK
Museum Number BM —
Accession Number

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature transliterations (ETCSL transliterations) 4.19.2
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature translations (ETCSL translations) 4.19.2
Ancient Records of Middle Eastern Polities (ARMEP) P346155
Ur Online Project (UrOnline) 17724

References

  • history: UET 6, 0070

    [Gadd1963UET6] Gadd, Cyril J., and Aaron Shaffer. 1963, 1966, 2005. Ur Excavations Texts Vol. VI.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2023-06-28 at 23:15:35 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Hafford, William B.; Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2019-06-11 at 21:20:47 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:09 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI Approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:02:01 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI Approved View
2011-10-07 at 08:45:22 Wagensonner, Klaus Transliteration Wagensonner, Klaus CDLI Approved View
2006-11-02 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact metadata Foxvog, Daniel A.; Guerra, Dylan; Peterson, Jeremiah; Veldhuis, Niek; Wolfe, Jared N. CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000700, Ex. 001 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 28, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346155.
CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry (No. P346155). (2023, June 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346155 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346155 (Accessed: May 18, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-18]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 28},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346155},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346155},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/28/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346155
LB  - CDLI:P346155
M1  - 2026/5/18/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346155
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000700, Ex. 001 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 28, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346155.
CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry (No. P346155). (2023, June 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346155 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346155 (Accessed: May 18, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-18]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 28},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346155},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346155},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/28/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346155
LB  - CDLI:P346155
M1  - 2026/5/18/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000700, ex. 001 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346155
ER  -
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