BE 17/1, 003 (P266568)
Letter, Middle Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1400 BCE–1100 BCE
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| Designation | BE 17/1, 003 |
|---|---|
| ID | P266568 |
| Museum no. | CBS 11426 |
| Collection | Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Middle Babylonian · c. 1400 BCE–1100 BCE |
| Genre | Letter |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
English translation
By Zimmermann, Lynn-Salammbô · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| obverse 1 | Speak to my lord: |
| obverse 2 | The following (says) Amīl-Marduk, [your servant] |
| obverse 3 | I shall go as my lord's substitute! (Speak) the following to my lord: |
| obverse 4 | After the water had run out of the nāru canal ..., |
| obverse 5 | [the water of] the peak flood was late ... of#? three (?) ... |
| obverse 6 | As soon as (?) they (pl. of water) are going to have returned, I am going to open the namgāru canal Namkar-Simat-Enlil and the namgāru canal Namkar-Enlil. |
| obverse 7 | 30 (gur) seeds (cropland 300 iku = 243 ha), which it/they filled, after (the water in) the nāru canal had returned, |
| obverse 8 | [they have placed (there). In ... of the nāru canal of Etel-pû ... |
| obverse 9 | ... of the nāru canal of Ḫašmar-galdu ... has not yet been placed (in there) until now and |
| obverse 10 | [it/he repeatedly keeps d]eserting (it). He did not open the atappu/palgu-ditch of ...ra. |
| obverse 11 | .... Regarding that, which my lord has written about [to me]: “The following: Open the weirs!” |
| obverse 12 | Until now water has not been placed in (the upstream side of) the weirs. |
| obverse 13 | Regarding Irra-gāmil: the large tamirtu land is filled. |
| obverse 14 | (And) [regarding] the 20 (gur) seeds (cropland 200 iku = 162 ha) at the bank of the river in front of the nāru canal of Nanna-gugal: |
| obverse 15 | as soon as he is going to have opened the water, they are going to run. Regarding the natbaktu-reservoir: |
| obverse 16 | after I had had opened the water out of the namgāru canal of Banâ-ša-Marduk, (it became clear that) they (pl. of water) were too little. |
| obverse 17 | As soon as it is going to have filled the fields of Irra-gāmil, I am going to close the natbaktu-reservoir, |
| obverse 18 | and I am going to open water from the nāru canal Namkar-Enlil |
| obverse 19 | for the natbaktu-reservoir. Now that I have opened (the natbaktu reservoir) |
| obverse 20 | water out of the natbaktu-reservoir of (for) Irra-gāmil shall go out. |
| obverse 21 | Regarding (that of the) the kalû-dikes of the natbaktu-reservoir: the reed of 5 ḫarbu fields |
| obverse 22 | of the iššakku farmers of Marduk-nāṣir is thrown (down). I have written to my lord when my lord was residing (in his residence, i.e. here?), |
| obverse 23 | and now I have written to my lord again. |
| obverse 24 | After the reed was thrown down and after they had driven the cows of the erreszu and iššakku here, |
| obverse 25 | (after that) they left. My lord shall kindly |
| obverse 26 | arrive here. And ... regarding Marduk-nāṣir, |
| obverse 27 | when in the kalû-dikes and when in the digging work, |
| obverse 28 | [what]ever my lord throws down for him, he shall do! |
| obverse 29 | [Regarding what] my [l]ord wrote to me: "The following: [O]pen the water to Dūr-Enlilē!" |
| reverse 1 | Now that I have opened the water into the natbaktu-reservoirs, |
| reverse 2 | the water is not flowing into the town of Irra-gāmil. |
| reverse 3 | If I am going to open water into the natbaku-reservoir, |
| reverse 4 | how shall it flow into Dūr-Enlilē, when the kalû-dike is not done? |
| reverse 5 | After my lord had inspected the tamirtu land of Dūr-Enlilē, |
| reverse 6 | he said [to me: “The following:] the reed bundles are strong! |
| reverse 7 | No one shall ...!" To my lord |
| reverse 8 | thus I said: "The following: the fields for ... ḫarbu ploughs |
| reverse 9 | of Dūr-Enlilē ...." (And) my lord said: |
| reverse 10 | "The following: they i[n the town of] Irra-gāmil ... |
| reverse 11 | and Dūr-Nusku [... they are s]eeding (with a seeder plough). Now ... |
| reverse 12 | of the province of Dūr-Enlilē ..." |
| reverse 13 | the kalû-dike of the tamirtu land ... |
| reverse 14 | when he neglected them ... |
| reverse 15 | They shall take away ... and the field ... |
| reverse 16 | It is not too small! In# ... of my lord ... (he) produced |
| reverse 17 | ... "head" of ... |
| reverse 19 | ... The following: to Ibni-Amurru |
| reverse 20 | ... my lord will send to me |
| reverse 21 | ... I will wait for the year |
| reverse 22 | ... which is seized |
| reverse 23 | ... this dullu work duty |
| reverse 24 | ... harvest time the ṣābu work troops |
| reverse 25 | ... they stood |
| reverse 26 | ... the natbaktu-reservoir? |
| reverse 27 | ... for 40 (gur) seeds |
| reverse 28 | ... since they were seized |
| reverse 29 | at the first time ... they will irrigate |
| reverse 30 | above him and ... |
| reverse 31 | ... according to that which my lord is going to send to me ... |
| bottom 1 | ... and haṣartu wool of ... |
| bottom 2 | ... when my lord that of Ningir[su(-)]... |
| bottom 3 | ... his/him ... 12 (units) of tall grass ... |
| bottom 4 | ... my lord to (?) ... |
| left 1 | ... is healthy. He/it is available. I am going to give |
| left 2 | ... somebody shall give it to me ... |
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 be]-li2#-ia# [qi2-bi2-ma] | |
| 2 | [um-ma] {disz}_lu2-{d}marduk_# [_ARAD2_-ka] | |
| 3 | [a-na] di#-na-an be-li2-ia [lul-lik um-ma-a a-na be-li2-ia-ma] | |
| 4 | [mu?]-u2# _i7_ ki-i il-li-ku# [...] | |
| 5 | [mu?-u2?] mi-il kisz-sza-ti uh-hu-[ur ...] sza#? 3(disz)? x [...] | |
| 6 | [(ki) it?]-ta#-ah-su nam-kar-si-mat-{d}[en]-lil2# u3 nam-kar-_nibru[{ki}_] | |
| 7 | [e-pe]-et#-te _3(u) gur numun_ sza im-lu#-u2# ki#-i _i7_ ih-hi-su# | |
| 8 | [x x x x?] il-ta#-ka-an x-x-x [... i-na] _i7#_ e-tel-pi# [...] | |
| 9 | [...]-i _i7_ hasz-mar-gal-[du ... me-e?] a-di-na ul isz-sza-ka-nu-ma | |
| 10 | [i?]-te#?-ni-lu u3 _pa5_-{d}[x]-ra ul ip-te | |
| 11 | [...]-ni-ti sza be-li2 isz-[pu?-ra?] um-ma-a hi-sza-ti | |
| 12 | [pe?]-ti mu-u2 a-di-na i-na [hi]-sza#-a-ti | |
| 13 | [ul] isz-sza-ka-nu sza {d}er3#-ra#-ga-[mil] ta#-mi-ir-tu ra#?-bi-tu ma-la-at | |
| 14 | [sza] 2(u) gur _numun ki-sza-di i#-[na] pa-an _i7# {d}#nanna#-gu2-gal_ | |
| 15 | me-e ip-te-te-e-ma il#-la#-ku sza na-at-[ba]-ak-ti | |
| 16 | me-e ul-tu nam-kar _{disz}du3#_-sza-_{d}marduk_ ki-i ip-tu-u2 mi-s,u2 | |
| 17 | _a-sza3_ {d}er3-ra-ga-mil i#-ma-la-a?-ma# na-at-ba-ak-ta | |
| 18 | e-se-ke-er-ma me-e [sza?] _i7_ [nam]-gar-{d}en-lil2{ki} | |
| 19 | a-na na-at-ba-ak-ti e#-[pe]-et#-te# i-na-an-na e-pe-et-te-ma | |
| 20 | mu-u2 ul-tu na-at-ba-ak#-ti# sza {d}er3-ra-ga-mil li-s,u2-ni | |
| 21 | sza [ka]-le#-e sza na-at-ba#-ak#-ti qa2-nu-u2 sza 5(disz) har-bu | |
| 22 | sza _ensi2-mesz_ sza _{disz}{dingir}marduk#-uri3#_ na-di i-na a-sza-ab be-li2-ia | |
| 23 | a-na be-li2-ia al-tap-ra [u3] i#-na-an-na a-na be-li2-ia al-tap-ra | |
| 24 | ki-i qa2-nu-u2 na-du-u2 _gu4#-mesz#_ sza# er-re-szi u3 _ensi2-mesz_ | |
| 25 | ki-i u2-qa2-ri-bu i-te-lu#? i#-na# t,u2-bi be-li2 | |
| 26 | li-ik-szu-da-am-ma [...] a#-na# _{disz}{dingir}marduk-uri3_ | |
| 27 | szum-ma i-na ka-le-e# [u3?] szum-ma i-na# hi-ru-ti | |
| 28 | [mi-im]-ma# be-li2 i-na-da-asz-szu li-[pu]-usz | |
| 29 | [sza be]-li2 isz-pu#-ra um#-ma#-a me#?-e a-na _bad3-{d}en-[lil2-hi-a{ki}_ pe]-te | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | i-na-an-na _a_{me-e} a-na na-at-ba-ak-ti e-pe-te-ma#? | |
| 2 | mu-u2 a-na _uru_ {d}er3-ra-ga-mil ul ir-ru-bu#-ma#? | |
| 3 | me-e a-na na-at-ba-ak-ti e-pe-te-ma | |
| 4 | a-na _bad3_-{d}en-lil2-_hi-a{ki}_ ki-i ir-ru-bu u3 ka-lu-u2 ul e-pu-usz | |
| 5 | ta-mi-ir-ta sza _bad3#_-{d#}en#-lil2#-_hi-a_ be-li2 ki i-mu-ru | |
| 6 | a-ka-an-na iq-ta-[ba um-ma]-a szu-ru da-an | |
| 7 | ma-am-ma la [...] a-na be-li2-ia# | |
| 8 | a-ka-an-na aq#-[ta-ba um-ma]-a _a-sza3-mesz_ a-na [...] har-bi | |
| 9 | sza _bad3_-{d}en-lil2-_hi-a[{ki}_ ... be?]-li2 a-ka-an-na iq-[ta-ba]-a | |
| 10 | um-ma-a u3 szu-nu i#?-[na? _uru_ {d}]er3-ra-ga-mil [...] | |
| 11 | u3 _bad3-{d}nusku{ki}_ [... ir]-ri#?-szu [i?]-na#-an#-na# [...]-szi | |
| 12 | sza pi-hat _bad3-{d}en#-[lil2 _hi-a_ ...] | |
| 13 | ka-la-a sza ta-mi#-[ir-ti ...] te#? [...]-szi | |
| 14 | ki-i id-du-ni-szu-nu#-[ti? ...] szu#? [...] | |
| 15 | li-sze-lu-u2 [...]-ma _a-sza3_ [...] | |
| 16 | la i-ma-as, i-na# [...] sza be-li2 [... i]-pu-usz | |
| 17 | [...] _sag_ sza [...] | |
| 18 | [...] mi#-ni-[...] | |
| 19 | [...]{ki} um-ma-a a#-na {disz}ib-ni-_{d}kur#_ | |
| 20 | [... be]-li2 i-sza-pa-ra-am# | |
| 21 | [...] a#-da-ga#-lu i-na sza-at-ti | |
| 22 | [...]-na-a sza s,a-ab-tu | |
| 23 | [...] du-ul-la an-na-a | |
| 24 | [...] e-bu-ri _erin2-mesz_ | |
| 25 | [...]-le-e iz-zi-zu | |
| 26 | [...] na-at-ba-ak-tu#? | |
| 27 | [...]-szar#? a#-na#? 4(u) _numun_ | |
| 28 | [...]-te#?-ma [...]-i-di ul-tu s,a-ab-tu | |
| 29 | [it]-ti-il-tu [...] i-mi-ki-ru | |
| 30 | [e]-le-nu-usz-szu u3# [...] | |
| 31 | [...] ki-i sza be-li2 i-sza-pa-[ra ...] | |
| bottom | ||
| 1 | [...] u3 ha-s,a-ar-ti sza [...] | |
| 2 | [... be]-li2 ki-i sza {d}nin-gir2#-[su ...] | |
| 3 | [...]-szu 1(u) 2(asz) _u2#-gid2#-da [...] | |
| 4 | [...] be-li2 a-na#? [...] | |
| left | ||
| 1 | [...]-ti sza-lim i-ba-asz-szi a-na-ku a-nam-din-ma | |
| 2 | [... ma?]-am-ma li-qa2-am#?-[ma? ...] | |
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.