ARM 01, 018 (P254219)
Letter, Old Babylonian, Mari · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | ARM 01, 018 |
|---|---|
| ID | P254219 |
| Museum no. | NMSD — |
| Collection | National Museum of Syria, Damascus, Syria |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Letter |
| Find spot | Mari (mod. Tell Hariri) |
| Coordinates | 34.5504, 40.8887 |
English translation
By Washburn, Jody E. · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| obverse 1 | To Yasmaḫ-Addu, |
| obverse 2 | speak; |
| obverse 3 | thus, Šamši-Addu, your father: |
| obverse 4 | As to Yašub-El who in Tuttul died, |
| obverse 5 | as his replacement, Abduma-Dagan |
| obverse 6 | in Tuttul to place |
| obverse 7 | you wrote to me. |
| obverse 8 | His dispatch, what is it? Your tablet is unclear; |
| obverse 9 | there finally |
| obverse 10 | did you install him? |
| obverse 11 | or another overseer will you install? |
| obverse 12 | And Abduma-Dagan there to install |
| obverse 13 | will they lead? He is trustworthy |
| obverse 14 | and ..., and I have been watching him: |
| obverse 15 | no sin or shortfall has he, |
| obverse 16 | he is attentive and trustworthy; |
| obverse 17 | so now in Tuttul install! |
| obverse 18 | And say to him |
| obverse 19 | thusly: “Why in the nests |
| obverse 20 | of not being made, and in a heavy (rocky) field |
| obverse 21 | in Zibnātum do you live? |
| obverse 22 | In Tuttul |
| obverse 23 | where a nest you will nest-build |
| obverse 24 | and a household you will make, dwell! |
| obverse 25 | Arable land is plentiful; |
| reverse 1 | that land like the land of Šubartu |
| reverse 2 | is, arable land is plentiful; |
| reverse 3 | there dwell! Make a household of men, |
| reverse 4 | and a nest nest-build! |
| reverse 5 | city and land for its lord make safe!” |
| reverse 6 | These things say to him! |
| reverse 7 | set him at ease, in Tuttul |
| reverse 8 | install him! |
| reverse 9 | at his side a reliable majordomo, |
| reverse 10 | a reliable surveyor |
| reverse 11 | install! And in Zibnātum |
| reverse 12 | as replacement for Abduma-Dagan, |
| reverse 13 | from the sons of that land |
| reverse 14 | either a man from the sons of the palace who at your head |
| reverse 15 | server, or 1 reliable ušmûm |
| reverse 16 | in Zibnātum as his replacement |
| reverse 17 | install. |
| reverse 18 | Another thing: about the coming of La’um |
| reverse 19 | from today, the 20th day, |
| reverse 20 | he has been held back. Why until now |
| reverse 21 | have you held him back? Now quickly |
| reverse 22 | that man dispatch here. |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| obverse | ||
| 1 | a-na ia-as2-ma-ah-{d}iszkur# | |
| 2 | [qi2]-bi2-ma | |
| 3 | [um-ma] {d}utu-szi-{d}iszkur a-bu-ka-a-ma | |
| 4 | [asz-szum ia-szu]-ub#-dingir [i-na] tu#-[ut]-tu#-ul#{ki} i-mu-tu | |
| 5 | [a-na] pu-ha-ti#-[szu ab-du-ma]-{d}da-gan | |
| 6 | [i]-na# tu-ut-tu-ul{ki} [a-na sza-ka-ni-im] | |
| 7 | ta-asz-pu-ra-[am] | |
| 8 | t,a3-ra-as-su2 ki-i t,up-pa-ka pa-nam u2-ul# szu-ur-szu | |
| 9 | asz-ra-nu-um-ma-a a-na ga-am-ri-im-ma | |
| 10 | ta-asz2-ta-ka-an-szu# | |
| 11 | u2 _ugula_ sza-ne2-em-ma ta-sza-ak-ka-an | |
| 12 | u3 ab-du-ma-{d}da-gan-ma asz-ra-nu-um a-na sza-ka-nim | |
| 13 | i-re-ed-du ta-ki-il | |
| 14 | u3 i#-na# a-hi _e2_ szi-ri is,-li-il u3 a-na-at,-t,a3-al-szu-ma | |
| 15 | [mi-im-ma] qu3-ul-lu-ul-tam u3 hi-t,i3-tam u2-ul ir-szi | |
| 16 | [na-hi-id] u3 ta-ki-il | |
| 17 | [i-na-an]-na# a-na# tu-ut-tu-ul{ki} szu-ku-un | |
| 18 | [u3] ki-a-am du-bu-ub-szu | |
| 19 | um-ma-mi am-mi-nim i-na qi2-in-ni | |
| 20 | sza la in-ne-ep-pi2-szu u3 _a-sza3_ ka-bi-tim | |
| 21 | i-na zi-ib-na-tim{ki} wa-asz-ba-at | |
| 22 | i-na tu-ut-tu-ul-ma{ki} | |
| 23 | a-szar qi2-in-nam ta-qa-an-na-nu | |
| 24 | u3 _e2_ te-ep-pe2-szu szi-ib | |
| 25 | _a-sza3_ me-re-mēresztum-tum ma-a-ad | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | ma-tum szi-i ki-ma ma-a-at szu-ba-ar#-tim# | |
| 2 | i-ba-asz-szi _a-sza3_ me-re-esz3-tum ma-ad | |
| 3 | asz-ra-nu-um szi-ib-ma _e2 lu2-mesz_ e-pu-usz2 | |
| 4 | u3 qi2-in-nam qu2-nu-un | |
| 5 | a-lam{ki} u3 ma-a-tam a-na-be-li2-szu szu-ul-lim | |
| 6 | an-ne2-e-tim du-bu-ub-szum | |
| 7 | ni-ih-szu-ma i-na tu-ut-tu-ul{ki} | |
| 8 | szu-ku-un-szu | |
| 9 | i-na i-di-szu a-bu _e2_ ta#-ak#-lam | |
| 10 | sza si2-ik-ka-tim ta-ak-lam | |
| 11 | szu-ku-un u3 i-na zi-ib-na-tim{ki} | |
| 12 | a-na pu-ha-at ab-du-ma-{d}da-gan | |
| 13 | i-na _dumu-mesz_ ma-a-tim-ma sza-a-ti | |
| 14 | u2-lu-ma# _lu2_ i-na _dumu e2-gal_ sza i-na re-szi-ka | |
| 15 | iz#-[za]-zu u2-lu#-ma 1(disz) _lu2_ u2-usz2-me-e-em ta-ak-lam | |
| 16 | a-na# zi#-ib-na-tim{ki} a-na pu-ha-ti-szu | |
| 17 | szu-ku-un | |
| 18 | [sza-ni]-tam asz-szum a-la-ak la-i-im | |
| 19 | [isz-tu] u4-mi-im _u4 2(u)-kam_ | |
| 20 | [ik-ka-li] am#-mi-nim a-di i-na-an-na | |
| 21 | [ta-ak-la-szu i-na]-an-na ar-hi-isz | |
| 22 | [_lu2_ szu-a-tu t,u2-ur]-dam# | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.