CDLI Literary 000778, ex. 014 (P346111)

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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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 5.05.04 Song of Hoe ('Decad no. 03') (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. addax(|BAD.LU2|)# {gesz}al-e ki-ta tum-ma-am3
 en: The hoe is the one that exhumes the corpse(?) from the ground
2. sul# idim an-na szesz banda3{+da} {d}nergal-ka
 en: The youth, the important one(?) of heaven/An, he is the younger brother of Nergal
3. ur#-sag {d}gilgames3-e {gesz}al-e sa-par4-am3
 en: Hero Gilgamesh, (for him?) the hoe is a sabar net
4. dumu {d}nin-sumun2-ka {gesz}gisal-e dub-sag-am3
 en: He who is the son of Ninsumun, (for him?) the oar is first(?)
5. {gesz}al-lub i7-da kingal-am3
 en: The allub tool is the kingal official on/in the river
6. ka2#? agrun-na-ka {gesz}al-e sukkal-am3
 en: At the door(?) of the agrun chamber/building, the hoe is the vizier
7. hul#-gal2 u4-nu2-a dumu {gesz}al-me-esz
 en: Evildoers are children of the hoe during the waning moon(?)
8. [...] du11-ga-ta an-ta u3-tu-de3-AN
 en: By means of/in(?) the regular day(?) they(!?) are being born apart from heaven(?)
9. [... al]-ti#-ri2-gu7{muszen} dingir-ra
 en: ...
  cf. Veldhuis CM 22, 218; Michalowski, Fs Owen 198
10. [... {gesz}al]-lub#?-am3 gesz-gi ur-ra-am3#
 en: Towards the earth it is the allub tool, (in) the reedbed it is a dog
11. [...] uszumgal#-am3#
 en: In the thicket it is an ušumgal creature
12. [...]-al-am3
 en: At the site of battle it is ... ax
13. [...] {gesz#?}al-lu5-hab2-ba
 en: At the site of the fortification, it is an alluhab net(!?)
14. [...] {gesz}ma-al-tum-ma
 en: At the place of the table, it is a bowl
15. [...] {gesz}ma-a-a-al-tum{ki?}
 en: At the site of a chariot, it is a mayaltum wagon(!?)
16. [...] {gesz#}ar-ga-bi2-lu5
 en: In the donkey stable, it is an argibil structure
17. [...]-bi du10-ga-am3 hur-sag-ga2 mu-un-gal2?
 en: It is the hoe, its good name is present in(?) the mountain range
18. [...] {gesz}al-la-nu-um-ma
 en: The tree of the mountain range is the oak tree
19. [...] {gesz#}ar-ga-nu-um-ma
 en: The aromatic of the mountain range is (of the) arganum tree
20. [...] {na4#}sal!-hub2# [...]
 en: The stone of the mountain range is algameš stone
reverse
1. [...]-lum#-ma {gesz}al# lam-lam-ma
 en: The hoe makes ... fructify, the hoe make ... flourish
2. [...]-ga#-am3 {gesz}al sa-par4-am3
 en: The hoe makes barley good(?), the hoe is (used with?) the sabar net
3. [...] u3#-szub-ba al sag gal2-la-am3#
 en: The hoe is (used with?) the brick-mold, the hoe set the head (in it)(?)
4. [...] a2# nam#-gurusz-a-ka
 en: The hoe is the strength of youth
5. [...] nig2# uru17{ki} du3-du3-de3
 en: The hoe and the earth-carrying basket are those that are to build the city
6. [...]-du3#-e e2 zi al#-[ga2]-ga2
 en: The true temple is being built, the true temple is being established/maintained
7. [...] szu# dagal-la#-e-de3-en
 en: You are to broaden the fertile field(?)
8. [...]-bi#-ir bala-e
 en: The field that is revolting against its master
9. [...]-ir gu2 nu#-gar-ra-am3#
 en: The field that does not submit to its master
10. [...]-bi#-ir gu2 mu-un-na-ab-ga2#-ga2#
 en: The hoe makes it submit to its master
11. [...]-hul-ba sag-ba dub2-dub2-ba
 en: The smiter of the “evil rushes”
12. [...]-re#? pa#-ba mu-un-zi-re
 en: It tears it out at its roots, it breaks(?) at its branches
13. [... {u2}]hirim#? hu#!?-ri2#?-in#?-na#? szu-sze3 al#-ga2#-ga2#
 en: The hoe was setting the hirim grass at the hand
14. [...] nam# tar-ra a-a# [{d}]en#-lil2-kam#!?
 en: The hoe, the wood(en implement) decreed a destiny by father Enlil
15. {gesz}al-e <za3>-mi2 du11-ga {d}nisaba za3#-mi2
 en: Hoe, praise! Nisaba, praise!
  double ruling
  blank space

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 5.05.04 Song of Hoe ('Decad no. 03') (witness))
  • Language(s): Sumerian


  • history: UET 6, 0026b

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

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

  • Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar)
  • Elevation:
  • Stratigraphic Level:
  • Excavation No: U 07804 + U 07804.c
  • Findspot Square:
  • Findspot Comments:

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2023-06-15 at 20:34:30 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact Rattenborg, Rune Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune approved View
2019-06-12 at 09:16:44 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 21:02:00 Englund, Robert K. Atf Peterson, Jeremiah 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

This artifact is a witness to the following composite(s):

Composite Score
CDLI Literary 000778 (Song of Hoe) composite (P478966) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000778, Ex. 014 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346111.
CDLI Literary 000778, ex. 014 artifact entry (No. P346111). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346111 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000778, ex. 014 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346111 (Accessed: March 28, 2024).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2024-03-28]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000778, ex. 014 artifact entry},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346111},
}

TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346111
LB  - CDLI:P346111
M1  - 2024/3/28/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000778, ex. 014 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346111
ER  - 
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