VAT 18678

Nergal-nāṣir/Nanāya-ibni (NN) concludes an (agricultural) land lease contract, which is phrased as a dialogue. He asks Sîn-iddin, Royal Resident (qīpu) (SI), and the officials (bēl piqnēti) of Eanna for arable land (qaqqaru), which is under the management(?) of Ibni-Ištar/Nabû-šumu-ibni (II) and Nabû-šumu-ibni/Šūzubu (NŠI), (chiefs of ten, rab ešerti), a field(?) ... of II and NŠI and arable land in the irrigation district of (tp)Šiliḫtu, and for plow(s) and plowmen (ikkaru), which are in the irrigation districts (tamirtu) of (tp)Naḫbūtu and(?) (tp)Angillu, and which he wants to share with Nergal-ina-tēšî-ēṭir and Nabû-aḫḫē-šullim. The contract should start in m.VIII (Nbk. 35), and last for 5 years. From m.I (Nbk. 36) onwards, he promises annual payments of 4000;0 barley in the measure of the Lady of Uruk [...] and 1 male parru-lamb for the Lady of Uruk. SI and the officials approve of this. They repeat some of the information given, and change and add contractual clauses. NN shall pay 10 instead of 1 lamb, and besides the barley, he shall also give 100;0(?) cuscuta (kasia), [...] and sesame. This is apart from his previous debt notes (uʼiltu).

The contract was written in the presence (ina ušuzzi) of SI, and Nabû-kibsi-šarri-uṣur, Royal Resident (qīpu) of Ebabbar.    

11 witnesses.

Scribe: Nabû-bān-aḫi/Ibnāya//Ekur-zakir.

For Nabû-kibsi-šarri-uṣur, Royal Resident (qīpu) of Ebabbar, cf. PTS 2085, VAT 08469.

Long term lease contract for arable land belonging to the temple on a fixed-rent basis.

This is a 5 year lease contract, phrased as a dialogue (qabû šemû) between the temple authorities and a herdsman. The tablet is badly preserved, leaving many gaps in its interpretation.

A asks (qabû) B, the royal resident (qīpu) of Eanna, and the commissioners (bēl piqnēti) of Eanna to give him (nadānu, wr. bīnamma) a certain plot of land (details lost) that had previously been under the responsibility of C1 and C2, two known decurions (see Janković 2013 (PhD diss.), 152: rab ešerti). The three (A, C1, and C2) were already working together and shared (zâzu) ploughs and farmers/ploughmen (ikkaru) in the area of Nahbutu, [...] Angillu (fragmentary).

In return, A will deliver each year 4000 [+x] of barley in total (gamirtu), using the measure (mašīhu) of the Lady-of-Uruk, as well as 1 lamb (parru) to Eanna. The contract is for 5 years starting in Nisan (I), 36 Nbk (i.e. in another 4 months time).

B (and his colleagues) agree (šemû, lit. listen) to this deal, but add that A should pay part of (ina libbi) the lease (not in barley but) in sesame, cuscuta and (perhaps) cress. They also point out that A should pay 10 lambs. It is unclear whether the 1 lamb in A’s words and the 10 lambs in B’s reply should be attributed to scribal error or is it the result of negotiation. 

This is apart (elat) from the earlier debt notes (uˀiltu) that are charged against (ina muhhi) A.

The tablet is drafted in the presence (ina ušuzzu) of B, the royal resident of Eanna, and D, whose title is broken, but can possibly be identified as the chief priest (šangû) of Larsa + names of 11 witnesses (fragmentary) and the scribe.

A= Nergal-nāṣir/Nanāya-ibni; B= Sîn-iddin, royal resident (qīpu) of Eanna; C1= Ibni-Ištar, a known decurion; C2= Nabû-šumu-ibni, a known decurion; D= Nabû-kibsu-šarru-uṣur, broken title, but possibly the chief priest (šangû) of Larsa.