CDLI Literary 000369, ex. 010 (P346132)

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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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 1.08.02.03 Enmerkar and Lord of Aratta (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Has fragments Witness

tablet
obverse
1. lugal-zu du11-ga#-ni nu-gu10 tah-a-ni nu-[gu10]
 en: The utterance of your king is nothing to me(? lit. my non-existence), his reiteration is nothing to me(?)
2. lugal-gu10# [...]-tu#-da-ni nam#-en-na tum2-[...]
 en: When my king was born, he was suitable for lordship
3. en unu{ki#}-ga musz-sag-kal ki-en-gi#-ra ti-la# [...]-ma5#
 en: The lord of Unug, a sagkal snake living in Sumer, crushing heads like flour
4. dara3-masz kur-bad3-da a2-nun-gal2
 en: A mountain goat whose strength is in the mountain peak
5. szilam-za3# masz# kur# naga ku3-ga-kam# sikix(UMBIN)# suh-suh
 en: The šilamza bovine, the mountain(?) goat purified with soap and plucked of its wool(?)
6. ab2 zi#-[...] kur sza3-ge tu-da
 en: Given birth to by the true cow in the mountain midst
7. en-me-er-kar2# [... {d}]utu-ke4 mu-e-szi-in-gi4-nam#
 en: Enmerkar, the son of Utu, has sent me to you
8. iri{ki}-na ir7-sag{muszen#}-gin7# gesz-bi-da na-na#-ra#-ab-dal#?-e#
 en: In his city, I(!) shall make (the people) fly from the trees like pigeons
9. muszen-gin7 gud3 us2#-sa-bi-a nam-bi2#-ib2-hu-luh?-e
 en: I(!) shall terrify (the people) in their founded nests like birds
10. ganba-bi gal2#-la-gin7#? na-an-si-ge4#?-en#
 en: According to the current market rate I will tear away/silence(?) (the people)
11. iri{ki} gul#-gul-la-gin7 sahar# na#-x-x-[...]
 en: I will make (the people) hold dust as if (they inhabited) a destroyed city
12. aratta{ki} a2#-dam {d}en-ki-ke4 nam# ba#-an-ku5
 en: Aratta, the settlement that Enki has cursed
13. ki bi2-in-gul-la-gin7 ki nam-ga-bi2-ib2-gul-en
 en: I too shall destroy the place like the one who has destroyed places
14. egir-bi {d}inanna ba-szi-in-zi
 en: Inanna has raised ... behind them
15. gu3# im-mi-ra-asz-szeg10 im-mi#-in-gi4
 en: She has shouted and screamed
16. kusz7 bi2-in-su-a-gin7 szusz3# nam#-ga-bi2-ib2-su-su
 en: (I) too shall devastate like the one who has devastated
17. ku3-si2 u3-tu-da-ba (|SU.LU.SZE3|%|SU.LU.SZE3|)-szir u3-ba#-ni#-in-ak
 en: After (an inhabitant) has packed leather bags with gold ore
18. ku3-me-a sahar-ba za3 ba-ni-in-us2#
 en: (After) (an inhabitant) has placed kugmea metal in its ore(?) beside it
19. ku3 sag-PA-sze3 u3-mu-un-dim2-dim2#
 en: After (an inhabitant) fashions the metal into pouches(?)
20. ansze kur-kur-ra-ke4 bar um-mi-la2-[...]
 en: After one fastens sacks(?) upon donkeys of the mountains(?)
21. ge26-e-sze3-am3 {d}en-lil2 banda3{+da} kur-kur-ra-ke4#
 en: On my behalf, the junior Enlil of the lands
22. en {d}nu-dim2-mud-e sza3 ku3-ge ba-an-pa3#-[...]
 en: The lord that Nudimmud has chosen in (his) pure heart
23. kur me sikil-la-sze3 ha-ma-du3-[...]
 en: (They) will therefore build ... for me in the manner of(?) the mountain of the pure me
24. {gesz}taszkarin-gin7 hi-li ha-ma-ab#-[...]
 en: Make it alluring like the box tree for me
25. {d}utu agrun-ta e3-a-gin7 si-musz3 ha-ma-gun3#-[...]
 en: Make (its) rays sparkle for me like Utu coming out of his agrun chamber
26. za3-du8-za3-du8-bi urin ha-ma-mul#-[...]
 en: And make its thresholds sparkle (like) a standard for me
27. agrun#-agrun-ba szir3 ku3 nam-szub du12-a#-[...]
 en: When(?) the holy songs and incantations are sung in its agrun chambers
28. [...] {d#}nu-dim2-mud-ke4 ga2-ra du11-mu#-[...]
 en: Say the spell of Nudimmud for me
29. [...]-ab#-be2#-na-bi u3-mu#-[...]
 en: After you have spoken what you are saying to me(?)
30. [...] x-da-x
 en: To the scion who grows(?) a lapis beard
  rest broken
reverse
  beginning broken
1'. inim#-bi esz3 e2#-an#?-[...]
 en: I shall speak the words to him in the shrine of Eanna
2'. ge6-par4 {gesz}mes gibil-gin7 gurun# [...]
 en: In the gipar complex, bearing fruit like a new mes tree
3'. lugal-gu10 en kul-aba4{ki}-ra szu ga-mu#-na#-[...]
 en: I shall repeat it for my king, the lord of Kulaba
4'. ur5-gin7 hu-mu-un-na-ab-e-a-[ka]
 en: Thus in (i.e. contemporaneously?) that of what he (the messenger) should be saying to him (the lord of Aratta said)(?)
5'. kin2-gi4-a lugal-zu-ur2 en kul-aba4{ki}-[...]
 en: Messenger, to your king, the lord of Kulaba
6'. u3-na-a-du11 u3-ne-de3-tah#
 en: When you speak to him, when you repeat
7'. ga2-e#-me-en en szu sikil tum2-ma-ar#
 en: It is I, the lord who is suitable for the pure hands(!?)
8'. {gesz}rab3 mah an-na nin an-ki-ke4
 en: And therefore the neck stock of heaven, the queen of the universe
9'. in-nin9 me szar2-ra ku3 {d}inanna-ke4
 en: The lady of the many cosmic powers, holy Inanna
10'. aratta{ki} kur me sikil-la-sze3 hu-mu-un-de6-me-en
 en: It is I(?) who she brought to Aratta, the mountain of the pure me
11'. kur-ra {gesz}ig gal-gin7 igi-zu bi2-in-tab-me-en
 en: It is I(?) who she has made block your face(?) from(?) the mountain like a great door
12'. aratta{ki}-e unu{ki}-sze3 gu2 a-gin7 i3-ga2-ga2
 en: How could Aratta submit to Unug?
13'. aratta{ki} unu{ki}-sze3 gu2 ga2-ga2 nu-gal2
 en: Aratta's submission to Unug does not exist
14'. e-ne-ra du11-mu-na-ab
 en: Speak (that) to him
15'. ur5-gin7 hu-mu-un-na-ab-e-a-ka
 en: Thus in (i.e. contemporaneously?) that of what he (the lord of Aratta) should be saying to him (the messenger said)(?)
16'. kin2-gi4-a en aratta{ki}-ke4 mu-na-ni-ib-gi4-gi4
 en: The messenger was replying to(!) the lord of Aratta
17'. nin gal {d}inanna me husz-a u5-a
 en: The great lady Inanna, riding on/superimposed by the furious me
18'. hur-sag kur szuba3-ka dur2 gar-ra
 en: Seated in the mountain range of the mountain of šuba stones
19'. bara2 kur szuba3-ka sze-er-ka-an du11-ga
 en: Having adorned the dais of the mountain of šuba stones
20'. en lugal-gu10-u8! szubur-ra-na-sze3
 en: My lord and king, in the manner of her servant(?)
21'. nin e2-an-na-ka mu-na-ni-in-ku4-re
 en: The lady has made him enter into the Eanna temple(?)
22'. en aratta{ki} gu2 ki bi2-in-gar# [...] kul#-aba4{ki}-sze3
 en: (Saying) “The lord of Aratta has bowed his neck (to) the ground on behalf of Kulaba"(?)
23'. ur5#-gin7 hu-mu-un-na-ab#-e#-a-ka#
 en: Thus in (i.e. contemporaneously?) that of what he (the messenger) should be saying to him (the lord of Aratta said)(?)
24'. en unu{ki#}-ga musz-sag-kal ki-en-gi#-ra ti sag zi3-gin7 ma5-ma5
 en: The lord of Unug, a sagkal snake living in Sumer, crushing heads like flour
25'. dara3-masz kur-bad3-da a2-nun-gal2
 en: A mountain goat whose strength is in the mountain peak
26'. szilam-za3 masz kur naga ku3-ga-kam# sikix(UMBIN) suh-suh-e#
 en: The šilamza bovine, the mountain(?) goat purified with soap and plucked of its hair(?)
  double ruling
27'. 1(gesz2)
 en: (Total) 60 (lines)
28'. im#-gid2#-da# 4(disz)-kam-ma
 en: It is the 4th “long-tablet” (in the composition:)
29'. iri[{ki}] gu4 husz ni2 gal gur3-ru
 en: “The city, a furious bull bearing a great aura.”

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:
  • This artifact is composed of fragments.
  • Condition Description:
  • Join Information:
  • Seal no.:
  • Seal information:
  • Artifact comments:

  • Genre(s): Literary (ETCSL 1.08.02.03 Enmerkar and Lord of Aratta (witness))
  • Language(s): Sumerian

  • history: UET 6, 0047 + 0497

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

  • history: Cohen ELA p. 62,

    [sec87634] N.d.

  • history: Mittermayer OBO 239, pls.28-29,

    [sec87635] N.d.

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

  • Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No: U 16897
  • 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
2019-06-11 at 10:07:11 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:09 Englund, Robert K. Atf Peterson, Jeremiah CDLI approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. 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 000369 (Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta) composite (P469674) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes:

P346132 leadP346132 lead

Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000369, Ex. 010 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 28, 2023. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346132.
CDLI Literary 000369, ex. 010 artifact entry (No. P346132). (2023, June 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346132 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000369, ex. 010 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346132 (Accessed: April 19, 2024).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2024-04-19]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 28},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000369, ex. 010 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346132},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346132},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/28/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346132
LB  - CDLI:P346132
M1  - 2024/4/19/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000369, ex. 010 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346132
ER  -
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