CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 (P346239)

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 5.04.02 Enkihegal and Enkitalu (witness) (CHECK))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

Text

tablet
obverse
1. a-da-lam ni2# nu-te-ga2-asz
 en: Now, fearless one
2. ur5-gin7 nam-ma-ni-ib-gi4-gi4-in
 en: Do not answer thusly
3. u4 x NIG2#? tusz-u3-na-gu10 a-na-gin7-nam inim i3-bala-e
 en: My time dwelling/sitting ... how will I converse?
4. szesz gal-gu10 en3 tar-ra-na-ma nam-sun7-na mu zu-bi
 en: When(?) my “big brother” makes an inquiry (and says?), (it is?) a reputation(?) of arrogance
5. si-ba lu2-tu15 en-na-bi-sze3-am3 nu-sun7-ne-en
 en: Be silent, idiot, how long until you are not haughty?
6. nig2-sig8 4(disz)-gin7 erin2 tesz2-a nu-ub-si-ge
 en: Like a comb with only 4 teeth(!?) you(?) do not bring the workforce(?) together
7. gi4-me-a-asz-zu is-hab2-ba-am3 za-e ku3-zu-me-en
 en: Your colleagues (say) “he is a rogue, but you are wise”
8. inim sikil-du3-a-bi ba-ra-an-du11#
 en: He should not have spoken insulting words to you
9. inim-bi u3-mu-e-gub igi-gu10-sze3! gar-ra
 en: After you submit the matter, set it before me
10. lu2 sikil-du3-a-bi ab-szid-e!-a
 en: The one reckoned as the insulter(?)
11. nam-tag-ga-ni ib-il2
 en: So that his guilt is imposed (upon him)
12. a-na-gin7-nam ki-umun2-ma lu2 i-ni-in-gar-re-ze2-en
 en: How could you put a man (like) that in the place of learning?
13. al-zil2-zil2-le du14# ba-e-ak-ze2-en
 en: It is good that you (pl.) quarrel
reverse
1. 2(disz)-am3 inim 5(disz)-am3 u3-na-du11 zi gi4-ba-an-ze2-en
 en: It has been 2 (times), it has been 5 words(?) I(?) said to (them) “calm down!”
2. a-na-sze-am3 u4-da u4!-szu2-usz-bi-sze3! du14-da ba-ni-ib-ri-ze2-en
 en: Why do you, today(?) and daily (before that?), cast down/pick up(?) quarreling?
3. a-da-al tud2-de3-da a-na szu ba-ni-ti
 en: Now, what (corporeal punishment) is to be smitten should (you) accept?
4. u4-da-ta ki#-umun2-ma lu2 du14# na-an-ak-e
 en: From today onward, no one quarrels in the place of learning
5. igi-ne-ne bi2-zu# gesz in-ne-hur
 en: Their eyes have been taught the design I drew for them
6. lu2 ki-umun2-ma du14 al-ak-e-a
 en: Anyone who has quarreled in the place of learning
7. tukumbi sa2 im-ma-ni-ib-du11
 en: If it has occurred regularly here
8. nam-tag ki-umun2-ma al-gal2-la-a# ga2-e <ga>-ni-ib-zu-zu
 en: The sin that is in the place of learning, I will learn of it
9. du14 ki-umun2-ma-ka gi4-me-a-asz-e-ne
 en: The quarrel of the place of learning that the colleagues
10. igi ugula-sze3 ba-an-gar-ra
 en: Submitted before the overseer
11. ugula#? nam-tag in-hur# di-bi bi2-in-dab5-ba
 en: The overseer “incised” the sin and seized its decision
12. {d}en-ki lugal ki-umun2#-ma za3-mi2
 en: Enki, king of the place of wisdom, praise!
  blank space

Text content

Genre(s) Literary (ETCSL 5.04.02 Enkihegal and Enkitalu (witness) (CHECK))
Language(s) Sumerian

Chronology

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

Composites

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

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P346239

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number U 16894c
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

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

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Ancient Records of Middle Eastern Polities (ARMEP) P346239

References

  • history: UET 6, 0154

    [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
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. 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 000768, Ex. 015 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346239.
CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry (No. P346239). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346239 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346239 (Accessed: May 18, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-18]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346239},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346239},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346239
LB  - CDLI:P346239
M1  - 2026/5/18/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346239
ER  - 

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000768, Ex. 015 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346239.
CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry (No. P346239). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346239 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346239 (Accessed: May 18, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-05-18]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346239},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346239},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346239
LB  - CDLI:P346239
M1  - 2026/5/18/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000768, ex. 015 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346239
ER  - 
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