Interrogation of two female temple-serfs regarding another female temple-serf who fatally wounded a dog.

fA1 and fA2, female temple-serfs (širkātu) of the Lady-of-Uruk from the flour grinders’ house (bīt qēmāti), who are under the authority (ina qātē) of fB, testified (qabû) before the commissioners (qīpānu) and the mār banês.

They state that on the 22nd of Ayyār (II) 1 Camb, fC, a female temple-serf of the Lady-of-Uruk, struck (mahāṣu D, tumahhaṣ wr. tu(or tam)-mah-ha-aṣ[…] ) a dog with a clod of earth. They asked her why, and fC answered, “I will die (mātu, Prek. wr. lu-mu-tu) because (itti) of it”. The dog died of (ina) his wound (mihṣu).

Names of 9 witnesses and the scribe

The witness list is relatively long and includes the top temple officials as well as an alphabetic scribe who may have been connected to the palace. The importance of the case is not entirely clear. Ragen (2006, 546ff.) suggests that the dog might have been rabid and thus it was a matter of public health.

fA1= fItti-Nanāya-GU.ZU, a female temple-serf (širkātu) from the flour grinders’ house (bīt qēmāti); A2= fAmatu, a female temple-serf from the flour grinders’ house (bīt qēmāti); fB= fBurāšu; fC= fMizatu