A temple-serf turns to court to declare his (father’s) debt paid in full.

A, the baker (nuhatimmu) and a temple-serf (širku) of Ištar of Uruk, approached the judges of Neriglissar stating that for 10 years, B, his father, placed him as a pawn (maškānu) at the disposal (ina pāni) of fC, the sāgittu-priestess, in lieu of a debt of 42 shekels of silver. A served (palāhu) fC until she died, and since then he has been serving fD, who is also a sāgittu-priestess, and apparently inherited fC. It seems that instead of actually serving the priestess in her household, A paid a slave’s quitrent (mandattu) to fC (and later to fD), thus repaying his father’s debt. A is paying fD the quitrent until this day, and he is now asking the judges to deliver a judgement for his case with fD (i.e. to decree that the debt is paid off).

The judges hear A’s words and summon fD to stand before them and argue the case, so they could adjudicate the matter.

fD admits that A performed labour for her for 6 years, in addition to the 4 years that he worked for fC.

The judges calculate that the original debt of 42 shekels plus interest amounts to 84 shekels. Then they calculate that A paid fD 72 shekels during the last 6 years as quitrent. They add to it another 20 shekels that A paid extra in Neriglissar's 2nd regnal year, and the quitrent he paid to fC during the first 4 years of the debt (amount broken). Comparing the original debt and its interest to the amount paid by A over 10 years, the judges decide that the debt is now paid. A no longer owes service to fD and, as a temple-serf, he returns to serve the Eanna temple. A is given a sealed copy of the judgment tablet so it cannot be changed in the future.

Names of 8 witnesses and a scribe.

 A= Ina-ṣilli-abulli/Ahušunu (= B), baker (nuhatimmu) and a temple-serf (širku) of Ištar of Uruk; B= Ahušunu, father of A; fC= fAhatāya, sāgittu-priestess; fD= fBanât-Esagil, sāgittu-priestess.