YBC 03798

(f)Itti-Nanāya-gūzu, (f)Lillikānu, and (f)Amatāya, oblates of the Lady of Uruk working in the flour grinders’ shop (bīt qēmēti) under the management of (ša qātē) (f)Burāšu, report (f)Miṣātu ((f)M), another oblate of the Lady of Uruk. On Cam. 01.II.22, (f)M threw a clay lump (kirbānu) at a dog and killed it. When inquired by her colleagues about the reason behind her behavior, (f)M asked if she should die because of it (ittišu).

Written in the presence of officials (qīpānu) and freemen (mār banî), including Rēmūt-Bēl/Bunnānu, Chief of Fodder (<rab> kissati), Nabû-mukīn-apli/Nādinu//Dābibī, High Priest (šatammu) of Eanna, Nabû-aḫu-iddin, Royal Overseer (ša rēš šarri bēl piqitti) of Eanna, and Šalam-ilī/Abī-Iltar, royal Aramaic scribe (sēpiru ša šarri), and 5 other witnesses.

Scribe: Gimillu/Innin-zēru-iddin.

Paraphrase 1

Testimony of Itti-Nanāya-gūzu, Lillikanu, and Amātā, all female oblates (širkatu) working in the bīt qēmēti under Burāšu. They testify before Rēmūt-Bēl/Bunānu rab kissati (<rab> kissati), Nabû-mukīn-apli, bishop (šatammu) of Eanna, and Nabû-aḫu-iddin, royal representative (ša rēš šarri) and commissioner (bēl piqitti) of Eanna, Šalam-ili/Abu-iltar, royal scribe (sēpiru ša šarri), Lâbâši-Marduk/Arad-Bēl//Egibi, Bēl-supê-muḫur/Itti-Šamaš-balāṭu//Bēl-aplu-uṣur, Nabû-uballiṭ/Ina-Esagil-zēri//Amēl-Ea, Rēmūt-Bēl/Ina-Esagil-zēri//Isinnaya, and Mušēzib-Bēl/Balāssu//Amēl-Ea of the Eanna assembly (kiništu) that their colleague Mīṣatu had killed a dog the day by hitting it with a stone and expressing the wish to die with it (ittišu lumūt). Gimillu/Innin-zēru-iddin is the scribe.

Paraphrase 2

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