CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 (P346685)

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 5.06.01 Instructions of Shuruppak (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

Text

tablet
obverse
column 1
  beginning broken
1'. inim du11-ga [...] na-ab-te-bala#-[...]-x
 en: Do not transgress (my) spoken word
2'. na de5 ad-da# kal#?-la-am3#
 en: The advice of a father is precious
3'. gu2-zu he2-em-szi-gal2
 en: You should orient your neck towards it (i.e., respect it)
4'. dur3 gu3 di# na-ab-sa10-sa10-an
 en: Do not buy a braying donkey
5'. erin2!?-ba sza-ra-si-il-le#
 en: It will split apart the workforce(!?)
6'. GAN2!? kaskal# na-bi-ga2-ga2-an nam-silig gum-am3
 en: Do not put down a field (on) a road, there will be crushing/growling(?) force
7'. a-sza3 ka-giri3-ka na-bi-uru4-en za3-e bulugx(BAL) gu7#?-a#
 en: Do not sow/cultivate a field in a path, the boundary stake(s)(!?) will be consumed at the border(!?)
8'. GAN2!?-zu-am3 pu2 na-ni-[...] ug3-e szi-ri-ib!-hul#
 en: Do not construct a well/cistern in(!) your field, the people will(?) destroy it for you
9'. e2# sila#-dagal#-la#!? na#-[...]
 en: Do not attach a house(?) to the broad street/town square, there is “binding” (there)
  rest broken
column 2
  beginning broken
1'. ul#-[...]
 en: The thief is indeed a pirig monster, (but) after he is caught, he is indeed a slave
2'. dumu-gu10# [...] na-an#-[...]
 en: My son, one should not rob
3'. ni2#-zu# du5# [...] na-ga-bar#-[...]
 en: Do not “hew” yourself(?)
4'. gesz nimgir#-[...] ni2#? [...]
 en: Do not sexually penetrate(?) the bridegroom, do not ... yourself
  rest broken
reverse
  beginning broken
column 1'
  beginning broken
1'. [...] ki NIG2 nag x [...]
 en: ...
2'. LUM-LUM he2-ni#-[...]
 en: ...
3'. e gu2? du3 la2-e#? [...] in szu x x [...]
 en: ...
4'. nig2#-UD-NE# nig2-UD#?-[...] mu#?-na#?-ab-[...]
 en: ...
5'. u4 2(disz@t) x [...] x x [...] x
 en: 2/20(?) days ...
6'. ur x x geme2#?-gin7 x [...] IM DU# sza3#? x-e sza3#?-gal ba#?-ni-in-lal
 en: ... like a female worker ..., ... diminished(?) sustenance
7'. tur5-ra du10-ga#? x x x
 en: The sick one made better (i.e., healed?) ...
8'. nam-gig#? x AN x [...]
 en: ...
9'. du14 nam-mu2#?-[...] SAL? IM x [...]
 en: Do not quarrel ...
10'. x x [...]
 en: ...
  rest broken
column 2'
  beginning broken
1'. ab#-ba# [...] zi#-[...]
 en: An elder is a god, his word is true
2'. na de5# ab-ba-[...]-x-TUG2-x he2-em-szi#-gal2
 en: You should pay attention to the instruction of an elder
3'. e2# iri# bar#-ra iri sza3-ga szi-du3#-du3-e
 en: The house(s) of the suburbs continually builds the inner city
4'. dumu-gu10 GAN2? tur3-sze3# gal2-am3#
 en: My son, the field(?) is situated towards the cattle pen/the bottom(?)
5'. al-<duru5> szukur2-am3# al-duru5-x
 en: (If) wet, it is a ration, if dry(!?) <it is a ration>
6'. nig2# x-x-x nig2-me-gar-ra
 en: Something lost(?) is (stunned) silence(?)
7'. GIN2#? dilmun#?-na sa10-sze3 si!?-ga#
 en: The shekel/copper axe(?) of Dilmun is put for sale(?)
8'. ki nu#?-zu#? husz#?-am3 UR nu#-zu# UR-am3
 en: An unknown place is furious(?), an unknown dog/a lack of shame(?) is evil(!?)
9'. [...] nu-zu! gaba kur-ra-ka
 en: On an unknown road (on) the edge/base(?) of the mountain
10'. [...] kur-ra lu2 gu7-gu7-me-esz
 en: The gods of the mountains are man eaters
11'. [...]-gin7#? nu-du3 [...]-du3#
 en: They do not build houses like man, they do not build cities like man
  rest broken

Text content

Genre(s) Literary (ETCSL 5.06.01 Instructions of Shuruppak (witness))
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 000782 (Instructions of Shuruppak) composite (P478969) Q000782 View the score

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P346685

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number U 07827y
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) 5.6.1
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature translations (ETCSL translations) 5.6.1
Ancient Records of Middle Eastern Polities (ARMEP) P346685

References

  • history: UET 6, 0648

    [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
2019-06-12 at 09:44:55 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
2018-02-10 at 12:01:54 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2015-11-26 at 17:16:52 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2015-11-26 at 17:00:58 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2011-12-14 at 05:39:59 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 000782, Ex. 063 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346685.
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry (No. P346685). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346685 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346685 (Accessed: June 13, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-06-13]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346685},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346685},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346685
LB  - CDLI:P346685
M1  - 2026/6/13/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346685
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“CDLI Literary 000782, Ex. 063 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P346685.
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry (No. P346685). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P346685 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P346685 (Accessed: June 13, 2026).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-06-13]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P346685},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P346685},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346685
LB  - CDLI:P346685
M1  - 2026/6/13/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000782, ex. 063 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P346685
ER  -
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