CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 (P346256)

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 5.06.01 Instructions of Shuruppak (witness) Instructions of Shuruppak)

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. ur5 tuku na-an-bad-e lu2-bi sza-ba-ri#-[...]
 en: Do not remove a debt-bearer, that man will be(?) estranged to you
2. sun7-na-da GAN2 na-an-da-ga2-ga2-an#
 en: Do not put down a field adjacent to an arrogant/shy(?) (person)
3. gi4#-in#-sze3 du-de3 szi-me-szi-ib2-szub#-[...]
 en: He will leave it to you to go to(?) that female worker
4. uru17 tusz lu2#-ka na-ab-ta-bala-[...]-de3#-en
 en: You are not to rebel from the resident city of that man
5. igi# du#-un# igi du-un szi-me-szi-ib2-x-x <<en>>
 en: (Even if?) “Lead, lead!” they(!) will say to you
6. gi#-sig#-ga {gesz}kiri6-ka da-ga nam-bi-duh#-e
 en: Do not release the bond(?) at the reed fence of an orchard
7. su#-ga#-ab# su-ga-ab szi-me-szi-ib2-be2-ne <<en>>
 en: “Replace it, replace it!” they(!) will say
8. ur# nam#-mu#-gu7#?-e# du14? mu-ur3-ur3-re
 en: One should not feed a dog/stranger, one should not drag around(?) a quarrel(?)
9. dumu#-gu10# nam#?-silig#? nam-mu-ak-en lu2 ki us2-en?
 en: Do not use force, put(!?) a man on the ground
10. dumu# x-x gesz3 a2# zi# na-an-ne-en x-e bi2-zu-zu
 en: Do not rape the child of a man, it will be learned of(?) in the assembly(?)
11. [...]-an#-usz2-en# bad3#-sila3 na-an-gul#-x-x
 en: Do not kill a strong man, do not destroy the outer wall(?)
12. [...]-en iri x na-an-gur-ru <<re>>
 en: Do not kill a young man, do not return him ... the city(?)
13. lu2#? [...]-ke4 igi# {gesz}balak-gin7 szi-szir5-szir5
 en: The slanderer, like a spindle, spins his eyes/gaze
14. igi na#?-[...]-bu#-de3#?-en sza3-ge bi2-kur2-kur2
 en: Do not to stand at the front, you(?) may have changed your mind(?)
15. lu2#-lul#-la#-gin7#? x-x-ka# ka nam#-tar-tar-re
 en: Do not (overly) praise/boast like a liar in a tavern(?)
16. ki#!? x-nita-ka um-ma-te# szu# na#-an-gu4-gu4-de3#-en#
 en: After you have approached the “place of manhood(?),” do not make your hand shake
17. ur-sag#? dili na#-nam dili-ni lu2# szar2-ra#-am3#?
 en: He is indeed a hero, he alone is (the equivalent) of many men
18. {d#}utu# dili# na#-nam# dili-ni# lu2 szar2#-ra#-am3#!?
 en: He is indeed Utu, he alone is (the equivalent) of many men
19. [...]-sag#?-[...] x gub#?-bu-da zi-zux(SU) [he2]-en#-da#-an-gal2
 en: In order to stand with the hero, he must have your life with him
20. {d}[utu-... gub]-bu#-da zi-zux(SU) he2#-en#-da-an-gal2
 en: In order to stand with Utu, he must have your life with him
21. [... dumu]-ni#-ra#? na-sze3 mu-ri-ni-in-de5
 en: (The resident of?) Šuruppak instructed his son
22. [...] dumu#-ni-ra [...]-un#?-de5-[...]
 en: He was instructing his son Ziusudra
reverse
1. dumu-gu10 na ge-de5 na# de5#-gu10 he2#-dab5#
 en: My son, I shall instruct, may (you) grasp my instruction
2. zi-u4-su13-ra2-ra inim ga#-ra#-ab-du11 gizzal# he2-em-szi#-[...]
 en: Ziusudra, I want to speak a word to you, may (you) pay attention to it
3. na de5-ga-ga2 [...] nam#-bi2-bar#-[...]
 en: Do not forget my instruction
4. inim# du11-ga-ga2# [...]-ta#-bala-[...]
 en: Do not transgress my spoken word
5. ka kasz nag#-a [...]
 en: The mouth that drinks beer(?)
6. lu2-tur-gu10# x x [...]-x
 en: My child, you are corrupting (another) man(?)
7. ka kasz#! nag-a# [...]-x
 en: You multiply things with (your) mouth that drinks beer
8. {d#}nin#-ka#-si# sza3#-[...]-x
 en: Ninkasi ... his heart/stomach ...
9-10. [...] x-ur3-ur3#?-[...]-in? ... [...]-x-ur3-ur3-re
 en: ... drags ...
11. [...] x a# mu-un#-ni#-il2#-il2
 en: ... raised ...
12. [...] x im#-sar-re
 en: ... chases ...
13. [...] x im#-ta-ab-gur4-gur4-re
 en: ...
14. [...]-za-ke4 nu-e-szi-su-su
 en: "Your own man"(?) should not(!) repay(?) ... because of you(?)
15. x-x [...] gi u2 na-nam sza3-bi inim#?-sig-ga-am3#
 en: The reed bed is indeed (consisting of) reeds and plants/reeds of one cubit length(?), its midst is slander
16. e2#-gal# i7-da mah-e sza3-bi gu4 du7-du7-dam#
 en: The palace, the great river, its midst is a bull that is to gore
17. nig2# ku4-ku4 nig2#? sa2 nu-di-dam
 en: That which enters is not to be regular
18. nig2# e3!-e nu-siligx(AK)?-ge-de3
 en: That which leaves is to be unceasing(!)
19. nig2 lu2-ka ga-ra-ab-szum2-bi! ku-nu-a
 en: That of a man(?) (which makes him say?) “I want to give ... to you"(?) is close (i.e., easy?)
20. szum2-mu-da-bi an bad-ra2-am3
 en: (But) the (actual) giving to be done is distant (like) the heavens (i.e., hard?)
21. ga#-ra#-ab#-szum2-bi lu2-ra ga-<ni>-in-us2
 en: (You say) I shall follow the (one who says) I shall give ... to you
22. nu#-ra#-ab-szum2-mu nig2 igi-bi-sze3 ti-la-am3
 en: But he will not give it to you(?), (saying) “that which is before it(?) is used up”
23. [nig2]-u2-rum nig2 a2! si!-ga-a-da
 en: Property is something to be ...
24. lu2#-tur-gu10 nig2 nu-um-da-sa2
 en: My child, nothing compares with it
bottom
1. ($ blank space $) 4(u@v) 6(disz)
 en: (Total:) 46 (entries).

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 5.06.01 Instructions of Shuruppak (witness) Instructions of Shuruppak)
  • Language(s): Sumerian

  • history: Alster, Shuruppak, 026

    [Alster1974Shuruppak] Alster, Bendt. 1974. The Instructions of Šurruppak : A Sumerian Proverb Collection. Vol. 2. Mesopotamia. Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag.

  • history: UET 6, 0171

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

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

  • Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No: U 16879i
  • Findspot Square:
  • Findspot Comments:

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
2019-06-12 at 09:42:14 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2019-06-12 at 09:41:04 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:08 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2018-02-11 at 09:30:42 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2015-11-26 at 17:00:57 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2011-10-10 at 07:44:24 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

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 000782 (Instructions of Shuruppak) composite (P478969) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -

Cite this Artifacts

“CDLI Literary 000782, Ex. 010 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346256.
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry (No. P346256). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346256 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346256 (Accessed: March 31, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-03-31]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346256},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346256},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346256
LB  - CDLI:P346256
M1  - 2026/3/31/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346256
ER  -

Cite this Artifacts

“CDLI Literary 000782, Ex. 010 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346256.
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry (No. P346256). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346256 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346256 (Accessed: March 31, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-03-31]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346256},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346256},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346256
LB  - CDLI:P346256
M1  - 2026/3/31/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 010 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346256
ER  -
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