CIAS Original Documents


Collecting Readable Cuneiform Writing on Stones

Ramses Peace
 Inscriptions
Babylon
El Amarna's Mesopotamians
Ziggurrats 		The El Amarna Tablets
Professor Heinsohn's World
Shalmaneser
Maps
Black Obelisk

Transposed from BAR, Nov/Dec 2003, p. 36, 37. 		Black Obelisk Cuneiform writing transposed
Cuneiform writing on adzes from Ugarit
Adzes from Ugarit now in the Louvre Museum, Paris. The one labeled a) reads `rb khnum' (chief priest) - 4 of this type were found, b) reads 'hrsn rb khnum' (Kharusenni, chief priest). [H.L. Ginsberg, `Ugaritic Studies and the Bible' in BA, Vol. VIII May, 1943, p. 41-(47)-60; From C.F.A. Schaeffer, `Ugaritica', Vol. I, Pl. XXIV]

British Museum # 22,500-22,504 (1908), p. 219, Sennacherib's baked clay cylinder Hezekiah of Judah - Jerusalem his royal city
"Hezekiah of Judah - Jerusalem his royal city"

British Museum Fragment K. 2109 (Pl. III), also frgmt. 81-7-6, 102 obverse (Pl. IV); frgmt. 83-1-18, 2348 (Pl. VI); Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology - PSBA, Jan. 1909, Theophilus G. Pinches, `The Goddess Ishtar in Assyro-Babylonian Literature', p. 20-37, 57-69.
A cuneiform tablet from Ugarit using an alphabetic script. The tablet records a lawsuit by members of s social banqueting club against the club's owner and treasurer, one by the name of Shamumanu. He threatens to throw the club members out of his house and to consign them to a stall like animals. The lawsuit is witnessed by two people, Ihirashpu son of Udrun and Abdinu son of Sigilda. [See BAR, Vol. 28, Sep/Oct 2002, p. 28.]
 A Babylonian cuneiform lesson book tablet inscribed by a pupil in a scribal learning center reads: "Graduate of the Scribal Academy, where did you go in olden days? I went to school. What did you do in school? I read my tablet, and copied my tablet. They prepared for me my prepared lines. Let me tell you what my teacher told me. Even a fool could easily follow his instructions. Tablets of Sumerian and Akkadian, tablets of the scribal art. I am a scribe and know how to inscribe a stela." The colophon credits the goddess of writing, Nisaba, and notes that "Suen-Uselli received it in the 22nd day of month 11." [See BAR, Vol. 28, Sep/Oct 2002, p. 29.]
The tablet of the code of law of Ur-Nammu from the reign of King Shulgi conventionally dated to 2095-2047 BC, can be seen in BAR, Vol. 28, Sep/Oct 2002, p. 30. Schoen's copy of the clay cylinder shown originally held all 57 laws of the code which covered: family law, inheritance law, labor law including rights of slaves, and agricultural and commercial tariffs. Instead of vengeance this law code prescribes monetary compensation for wrongs. As an example we read: "If a man knocks out the eye of another man, he shall weigh out one-half a mina of silver." Even though this law code is dated very early that is only so on the educated guesses of scholars and it could just as well be of a later period. Insinuating that the Mosaic law code is cruder prescribing `an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth' we must consider the historical background. Israel just came out of Egypt where they had been as slaves for over a century and therefore probably were a sort of rough and red necked group of people with little money at first. The law code met the needs of a people at the time given, not to be interpreted that it should never be adapted to new circumstances.
A damaged Babylonian tablet recording a version of their idea of the flood story in which Ziusudra (the counterpart of Noah) is described as a priest of the god Enki. [See BAR, Vol. 28, Sep/Oct 2002, p. 32.]
 Another tablet shown lists the cities and dynasties from before the flood. A total of eight kings ruling for a total of 222,600 years, an account obviously representing a greatly exaggerated and unreliable `tall tale'. [Ibid.]
A cuneiform tablet found inside the Egyptian governor's residence in Aphek is written in Akkadian cuneiforms and contains a request by `Takuhlinu', an official in Ugarit, for a shipment of wheat from Haya, Aphek's Egyptian ruler. Also found in the residence were a bronze dagger and an Egyptian style amulet of a woman. These objects were often used as grave goods but this time they were found inside a residence. [See Moshe Kochavi, `Return to Aphek' in BAR, Vol. 28, Sep/Oct 2002, p. 57. Shown is a good color photo of the square tower of the Turkish period, a sketch map of the governors residence in relation to the tower, the walls, and the mentioned finds.]
 The cuneiform text begins with: "To Haya, the great man."
A Babylonian Chronicle tablet can be seen in BAR, Vol. XVI, Sep/Oct 1990, p. 62. The text is given as, "In the month of Kislev of his 7th year the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) mustered his army to march to Hatti-land (Syro-Palestine) and besieged the city of Judah (Jerusalem) and on the second day of Addar (15/16 March 597 BC) captured the city and seized its king (Jehoiachin). He appointed there a king of his own choice (Zedekiah/Mattaniah) and took vast tribute, bringing it back to Babylon."
To Nuna of Hallab, the Daughter of Sin, my Lady, I Arad-Sin, king of Larsa [offer this] for my life and the life of Kudur-mapuk my father and progenitor. Gi-unu-ki, the House of Sag......, the dwelling-place of might grew old, and was not serviceable. I removed it from its place(?).
These things I say: I have rebuilt the glorious city of Gi-unu-ki the lofty in the land of Li-du-dim .... I have set it up before the temple of Silim-Kalama-sag as a sight for the land .... In the first year ....
May she be favourable to my coming in and going out?
[PSBA, Feb 3, 1891, p. 159.]
Examples of Cuneiform Date-Formulae
Mu dšu-í-lí-šu lugal-àm
Mu dšu-í-lí-šu lugal-e
Mu dšu-í-lí-šu lugal-e gu-za-mah an ù dinanna mu-ne-dim
 "the year Shu-ilishu the king fashioned the ..."
"the year Shu-ilishu the king fashioned the ..."
"the year Shu-ilishu the king fashioned the exalted throne for An and Inanna" [700]
Examples of Seal Stamped Tablets
Babylonian seal of Zidanta from Hattusa
Tablets may have resided in specially established tablet houses, but it is possible that some might have been moved to secondary locations during the rebuilding and reorganization of Hattusa. The discovery of land grants, like the two pictured above, may illustrate the possibility. The cuneiform seal in the center of the clay tablet to the left identifies it as belonging to Zidanta. 		Babylonian seal of Arnuwanda I./Nabonidus(?) from Hattusa
The seal to the right above was also found at Hattusa and belongs to Arnuwanda I. a possible alter ego of Nabonidus, predecessor of King Nebuchadnezzar. Due to the similarity of the seal itself, Zidanta and Arnuwanda may have lived in close proximity in time or more likely were contemporaries. [900] Hittite chronology is very much dependent on Egyptian placement of kings. If one is in error, so is the other.
An inscription tauted of the time of Gudea Gudea period(?) writing from around Tello. Not translated. Excavations of Ningirsu
Assyrian Nuzi tablet
A cuneiform tablet approximately contemporary with the earliest of the Amarna tablets and comparable in type, found at Nuzi in Assyria. Photo Oriental Institute; reprinted from `Biblical Archaeology, Vol. III, No. 1, February 1940, Fig. 5.
A List of Cuneiform Sources

[001] The collection of Mr. H. Rassam at Abu-Habba, numbered 83, 1-18 (1330, 1331, 1332, 1335). For the Plates see PSBA, Nov. 1888/89, several pages.

[002] Two inscriptions of Nabonidus: 81, 7-1, 9 column I, II; 85, 4-30, 2 column I, II, III.; Ibid.

[003] On two duplicates of the Babylonian Chronicle, K2100, obverse & reverse; Ibid.

[004] Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar, Cylinder 85, 4-30, column I, II, III.; Ibid.

[005] Inscriptions of Nebuchadnezzar, BM Cylinder A.H. 82-7-14, 1042; Cylinders 68-7-9, I; Cylinders 676, 12042, and 8-81/1-30; presenting some cuneiform texts, transcriptions and translations.

[006] Cuneiform List of Officials; 81-2-4, 187, obv. & rev.; Rm 2, 97; K 1369, obv. & rev.;

[007] Inscriptions of Nebuchadnezzar, Cylinder 85, 4-30, I; Also `Inscriptions of Nebuchadnezzar II', `The India House Inscription' in PSBA, Dec 1887, p. 87-129.; and Ibid. theme, `II. The Phillips Cylinder' (PSBA), Feb 1888, p. 215-230.

[008] Prof. A.H. Sayce, `The Cuneiform Tablets from Tel El-Amarna now Preserved in the Boulaq Museum', Ibid., p. 326-413;

[100] a) Archaic Accadian Inscription on the Bronze Figure dedicated to Ishtar by Arad-Sin (Eri-kau?); b) The Transcription into Assyrian Characters of the Period of Sardanapalus.

[150] The Fragments of an Inscription giving part of the Chronology from which the Canon of Berosus was copied can be found in PSBA, Dec. 7, 1880, p. 20-22, 37-49. Even though this is dated information the translated cuneiform (shown) include names such as: Sumuabi, Sumulaan, Zabuu, Apil-Sin, Sinmuballit, Hammurabi (several different cuneiform forms of this name exist, depending which people from which language, period and location wrote the name).

[200] Theophilus G. Pinches, `The Legend of Merodach' in PSBA, Vol. XXX (No. CCXXIII & IV), p. 53-62, 77-85. The article features the cuneiforms of the source, the transliteration and translation.

[250] The Babylonian architectural Cylinders are being discussed in PSBA, Vol.V, Nov 1882 - Jun 1883, p. 6-13. Assyrian Grammar, p. 21-31; strong verbs, dual, plural, verbs weak of the first - third radikal; a stone inscription in Hebrew from Nablus; inscriptions from Palmyra. A damaged and somewhat hard to read Capadocian cuneiform inscription from Kaisariyeh, p. 41-46. The tablet is taken to read: "Before Tar..tisi the king of the land of Guzana ....... the city of Kab .............. he has captured (?)" `Tar' has been understood to be the name of a deity, `Guzana' as the name of a land (district) in Kappadokia, where the inscription was found. `Captured', the cunei `erime', is taken to be a third person singular verb. The `me'/`ma' part is the suffix of this person in two Kappadokian cuneiform contract tablets and in five other tablets, and also in some `Hittite' inscriptions of which the author states them to be the `White Syrians' of Kappadokia. "If further proof of this fact were needed, it has been afforded by the photographs taken by Dr. Gwyther at Jerablus and Merash. The style of art, the dress, and the attitude of the figures at Carchemish are those of the figures of Boghazkoi and Eyuk. The Hittites came from the north, as their boots declare, and conquered a portion of the Semites in northern Syria; it is not surprising therefore, that the ideograph they employed to denote `a country' resembles the mountain-peaks of central Kappadokia." p. 43. In our revised opinion, the northern `Hittites' did not have to conquer in the area of Carchemish, they were all the same ruling class Kassite/Chaldean/Babylonians of the era of Nabonidus and Nebuchadnezzar, a people from before and after the reign of these rulers.

[300] S. Langdon, `Contracts from Larsa' in PSBA, Mar 1912, p. 109-113.

[400] S. Langdon, `A Tablet from Umma; in the Ashmolean Museum' giving a complete list of the names of the months in use there in the period of the dynasty of Ur.; in PSBA, Jan. 15, 1913, p. 47-52. Also featured are the rock inscriptions on the Jûdî Dâgh containing cuneiform names of various deities, translations of Sennacherib period inscriptions, some relating to his 5th campaign.

[500] `The Fourth Tablet of the Creation Series' in PSBA, Vol. X, Dec 1887, p. 86, featuring all six (6) plates. The `Assyrian Letters III' and `IV' are found in PSBA, Jan 1888, p. 155-178, Pl. I-XII.; Apr 1888, p. 305-315, Pl. I-IX.

[600] T. G. Pinches, `A Babylonian Tablet' in Ibid.(500), Jun 1888, p. 526-529. EAW. Budge, `Cuneiform Dispatches from Tushratta... (EA Letters of Thushratta)', Jun 1888, p. 540-572.

[700] F.R. Steele, The Date Formulae of Shu-Ilishu of Isin in BASOR, Apr. 1951, p. 45-49.

[800] For the cuneiform rendition of `al Yahuda' in a letter from Babylon during the Jewish captivity there can be seen in Andre Lemair, The Universal God in BAR, Nov. 2005, p. 57-59. An image of the tablet and the cuneiforms of the line containing the word meaning `New Jerusalem', a place where the exiles lived, are shown.

[900] See BA, Jun/Sep 1989, p. 133.
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