Interrogation of a temple serf regarding the case against a herdsman of the Eanna temple.

The tablet concerns the testimony of a temple-serf (širku) regarding the case of A, a herdsman (nāqidu) of the Lady-of-Uruk. First, the tablet lays out the background of the case. The temple accuses A of three wrongdoings:

·        A consumed (akālu), by himself, a sheep from the fold, which is the property (makkūru) of the Lady-of-Uruk at his disposal (ina pāni), and escaped.

·        A carried away the Divine Staff (huṭāru)* without the consent of B1, the temple administrator (šatammu), B2, the courtier (ša rēš šarri) and royal supervisor (rēš šarri bēl piqitti), and the scribes of Eanna.

·        A took away grazing sheep and goats from the countryside, from the mār banês, and did not deliver then back to the property of Eanna.

C placed A in fetters and gave him to D, the messenger of B1, but A was able to escape from his hands.

Later, E, a temple-serf of Ištar of Uruk and an ox feeder (mušākil alpi) of the royal oxen (ša šarri), who had released the bulls of the king and escaped** caught A and placed him in fetters, but then took 10 shekel of silver from him and set him free again.

E is questioned in the assembly (puhru) and admits that he detained A and placed him in fetters, and then released him after taking the silver.

Names of 5 witnesses (the last one is presumably the scribe of the tablet, though this is not stated).

* For the huṭāru, and comments on the present text, see Beaulieu 2003, 351ff.

** The importance of these two acts in the present context is unclear. 

A= Anu-šarru-uṣur/Innin-šumu-iddin, herdsman (nāqidu) of the Lady-of-Uruk; B1= Nabû-mukīn-apli/Nādin/Dābibī, temple administrator (šatammu) of Eanna; B2= Nabû-ahu-iddin, royal supervisor (rēš šarri bēl piqitti) of Eanna; C= Marduk-mukīn-apli/Adad-sir-hanana; D= Nabû-rēˀûšunu, the messenger (mār šipri) of B1; E= Innin-zēru-ibni/Ina-tēšê-ēṭir, temple-serf of Ištar of Uruk and ox feeders (mušākil alpi) of the royal oxen (ša šarri)