CDLI Literary 000364, ex. 047 (P346140)

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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Metadata history Transliteration history

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 1.08.01.04 Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Netherworld (witness))

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

-

Witness

tablet
obverse
1. u4 ri-a u4 su3-u4 ri-a
 en: Those distant days, those distant remote days
2. ge6 ri-a ge6 bad-ra2 ri-a
 en: Those distant nights, those distant remote nights
3. mu ri-a mu su3-u4 ri-a
 en: Those distant years, those distant remote years
4. u4 nig2-ul-e pa e3-a-ba
 en: At that time, when a primeval entity was made manifest
5. u4 ul nig2-ul-e mi2 zi du11-ga-a-ba
 en: At that ancient time, when a primeval entity was cared for
6. esz3 kalam-ma-ka ninda szu2-a-ba
 en: When bread was “tasted?” (lit. “covered") in the shrine(s) of the land
7. {im}szu-rin-na kalam-ma-ka nig2-tab ak-a-ba
 en: When the firebox was prepared(?) in the oven(s) of the land
8. an ki-ta ba-ta-bad-ra2-a-ba
 en: When heaven had been separated from earth
9. ki an-ta ba-ta-su3-ra2-a-ba#
 en: When earth had been separated from heaven
10. 1(u) mu nam-lu2-lu7 ba#-an#-gar-ra-a#-ba#
 en: When ... established the name of humanity on ...
  with line tally 10
11. u4 an-ne2 an# [...]-a#-ba#
 en: When An had brought away the sky
12. {d}en-lil2-le ki ba-an#?-[...]
 en: When Enlil had brought away the earth
13. {d#}eresz-ki-gal-la kur-ra sag# rig7#?-[...]
 en: When ... gifted that of the netherworld on behalf of Ereškigal/When that of the netherworld was gifted on behalf of Ereškigal
14. [ba]-u5#-a#-ba# [ba-u5]-a-ba#
 en: When he rode, when he rode
15. a-a kur#-[sze3 ba-u5]-a-ba
 en: When the father rode towards the netherworld
16. {d}en-<ki>-ke4 kur-[sze3] ba-u5#-a-ba
 en: When Enki rode towards the netherworld
17. lugal-ra tur#-tur# ba-da-an-ri
 en: For the king, ... cast down the small (stones)
18. {d}en-ki-ra gal#-gal# ba-da-an-ri
 en: For Enki, ... cast down the large (stones)
19. tur-tur-bi na4-szu-a-kam
 en: The little ones were hammer-stones/hand-sized stones(?)
20. 1(u) gal-gal-bi na4 gi gu4-u4-da-kam
 en: The large ones were stones that made the reeds shake
  with line tally 10
21. ur2 ma2 tur-ra {d}en-ki-ka#?-kam
 en: It was the keel of the little boat of Enki
22. nig2-bunx(SZEG10)-na du7 am3-mi-szu2#?-szu2#?
 en: The bobbing turtle, was overwhelmed
23. lugal#-ra a ma2 sag!-ga2#-[ke4]
 en: For the king, the water of the prow
24. [ur]-bar-ra-gin7 tesz2 mu-un-na#-gu7#-[...]
 en: Was attacking in a pack like wolves
25. [lugal]-ra# a ma2 egir#-ra-ke4
 en: For Enki the water of the stern
26. [...] sag# gesz im#-x-[...]
 en: Was slaughtering like a lion
27. [...]-am3# {gesz}ha#-lu-ub4 disz [...]
 en: At that time, there was a single tree, a halub tree
28. [...]-x ku3-ga du3-[...]
 en: The one that was planted on the bank of the Euphrates(!?)
29. [...]-x a na8-na8-da-x
 en: The one that was to drink water (from) the Euphrates(?)
30. [1(u) ...]-ba mu-ni-in-bur12 pa-pa x [...] mu#?-[...]
 en: The power of the southern wind tore it out at its roots, it ripped it out its branches(?)
  with line tally 10
reverse
1. [...] a im-ma-ab-[...]
 en: The Euphrates struck it with (flood)water
2. [...]-ta# ni2 te-te-[...]
 en: The woman, who was fearing(?) the command of An, was coming (by)
3. [...]-ta# ni2 te-te-[...]
 en: Fearing(?) the command of Enlil, was coming by
4. [...] unu{ki}-sze3 ba-ni-in-ku4#-[...]
 en: She grasped the tree in her hand and brought it to Uruk
5. [... {d}]inanna-sze3 im-ma-ni-in-ku4-ku4#-[...]
 en: She was bringing it towards the flowering orchard of Inanna
6-7. [...] gesz# szu-na# li-bi2-in-du giri3#-ni-ta am3 <<li>>-bi2#-in-du
 en: The woman did not plant the tree as it was in(?) her hand, it was by means of her foot that she planted it
8-9. munus#-e# gesz szu-na a# li-bi2-in-du11 giri3-ni#-ta-am3 <a> bi2-in-du11
 en: The woman did not water the tree as it was in(?) her hand, it was by means of her foot that she watered it
10. 1(u) me-na-am3 {gesz}gu-za gi-rin-ba i3-tusz-de3-en bi2-in-du11
 en: She said “When am I to sit on its flowering throne?”
  with line tally 10
11. me#-na#-am3 gesz-na2 gi-rin-ba i3-nu2-de3-en bi2-in-du11
 en: She said “When am I to I lie down on its flowering bed?”
12. gesz ba-gur4 kusz-bi nu-mu-un-da-dar
 en: The wood thickened, but its bark could not be split
13. ur2-bi-a musz tu6 nu-zu-a-e gud3 im-ma-ni-ib2#-us2
 en: At its base a snake that was immune to incantations made a nest
14. pa-bi-a muszen {d}anzu2{muszen}-de3 amar im-ma-ni-ib2#?-gar
 en: In its branches the Anzu bird placed (its) chick
15. szab-bi ki-sikil-lil2-la2-ke4 e2 im-ma-ni#-[...]
 en: The demon maiden of the empty wind made a house in its middle
16. ki-sikil# [zu2] bir9#-bir9 sza3 hul2-[...]
 en: The laughing, rejoicing young woman
17. ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 er2 e-ne ba-x-[...]
 en: Holy Inanna, how she was weeping
18. u4 zal#-le-de3#? an-ur2# zalag#-[...]
 en: The day was about to break, the horizon was about to light up
19. buru5 u4 zal-le szeg10 gi4-gi4#-de3#?
 en: The little birds at daybreak were about to shriek
20. 1(u) {d}utu agrun-ta e3-a#-ni#
 en: When Utu came out from his chamber
  with line tally 10
21. nin9-a-ni ur-sag {d}utu-ur2
 en: His sister, to the hero Utu
22. ku3 {d}inanna-ke4 gu3 mu-un-na-de2-e
 en: Holy Inanna was speaking
23. szesz-gu10 u4 ri-a na-ag2 ba-tar-ra-ba
 en: My brother, long ago, when fate was decreed
24. u4 he2-ma-al-la ka-na-ag2 ba-e-zal-la-ri
 en: When days of abundance elapsed in the land
25. u4 an-ne2 an ba-an-i-ir-re-a-ba
 en: When An had brought away the sky
26. {d}mu-ul-lil2-le ki ba-an-i-ir-re-a-ba
 en: When Enlil had brought away the earth
27. {d}ga-sza-an-ki-gal-la-sze3 kur-ra sag rig7-bi-sze3 im-ma#-ab-rig7-ga-a-ba
 en: When ... gifted that of the netherworld on behalf of Ereškigal/When that of the netherworld was gifted on behalf of Ereškigal
28. [ba]-u5#-a-ba ba-u5-a-ba
 en: When he rode, when he rode
29. [... kur]-sze3#? ba-u5-a-ba
 en: When the father rode towards the netherworld
30. [1(u) {d}]am#-an-ki kur-sze3 ba-u5-a-ba
 en: When Enki rode towards the netherworld
  with line tally 10
31. u3#-mu-un-ra tur-tur ba-da-an-ri
 en: For the lord, ... cast down the small (stones)
32. dam-an-ki-ra gal-gal ba-da-an-ri
 en: For Enki, ... cast down the large (stones)
33. tur-tur-bi na4-szu-x-kam
 en: The little ones were hammer-stones/hand-sized stones(?)
left
1. iti {d}NE#-NE-gar u4 2(u) 6(disz)-kam#
 en: Month of NENEgar, 26th day

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 1.08.01.04 Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Netherworld (witness))
  • Language(s): Sumerian

  • history: UET 6, 0055

    [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 RRx44 = U 09634 ?
  • 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
2019-06-11 at 16:36:05 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-06-11 at 09:24:32 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-06-01 at 14:34:08 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2019-05-29 at 21:01:58 Englund, Robert K. Atf Englund, Robert K. CDLI approved View
2011-10-07 at 08:45:10 Wagensonner, Klaus Atf Wagensonner, Klaus 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 000364 (Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld) composite (P469670) View the score

General Notes: -
CDLI Notes: -
Cite this Artifact
“CDLI Literary 000364, Ex. 047 Artifact Entry.” (2006) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). June 15, 2023. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346140.
CDLI Literary 000364, ex. 047 artifact entry (No. P346140). (2023, June 15). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346140 (Original work published 2006)
CDLI Literary 000364, ex. 047 artifact entry (2023) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346140 (Accessed: April 18, 2024).
@misc{2023CDLI,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2024-04-18]},
	year = {2023},
	month = {jun 15},
	title = {CDLI {Literary} 000364, ex. 047 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346140},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346140},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2023/6/15/
PY  - 2023
ID  - P346140
LB  - CDLI:P346140
M1  - 2024/4/18/
TI  - CDLI Literary 000364, ex. 047 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.ucla.edu/P346140
ER  -
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