Administrative dispute regarding digging works at the canal.

The context of this text seems to be an administrative dispute between A, a (well-known and corrupt) rent farmer (ša muhhi sūti) and B1, B2, and B3 (all probably chief of ploughs, rab epinni). The dispute takes place in the presence (ina pāni) of 7 freemen (mār banê); C1–7.*

A’s argument seems to be phrased as a rhetorical question: ‘should I dig (ana herûti herû) your digging work (dullu) on (ina muhhi) the Nāru-ša-šatammi?’**

In reply, B1, B2, and B3 swear (tamû), by Bēl, Nabû, and the king, that they are done (dulla gamāru) cultivating the fields (zēru ša nīru bašû, lit. arable land on which there is the yoke) and they are now performing their digging tasks (qaqqar? nasāhu) (in contrast to what is implied by A’s words). Their final statement regarding their work in the Nāru-ša-šatammi is fragmentary and unclear.

 * These freemen are not listed at the end of the text as customary for witnesses. The text starts by presenting these 7 men, and simply note at the end that these freemen are the witnesses (mār banê šūnuma mukinnē).

** This kind of phrasing would be very atypical in a legal context. For a short discussion of the problems and alternatives see Janković 2013 (PhD diss.), 104f.

 A= Gimillu/Innin-šumu-ibni, rent farmer (ša muhhi sūti) of the Lady-of-Uruk; B1= Nāˀid-Ištar/Arad-Innin; B2= Dannu-ahhēšu-ibni/Ibnāya; B3= Agria/[Nabû-dalā?]; C1= Eanna-līpi-uṣur/Im-[x]//Kidin-Marduk, freeman (mār banê); C2= Innin-zēru-iqīša/[PN], freeman (mār banê); C3= Kidin/Talīm, freeman (mār banê); C4= Ea-ahhē-iqīša/Ea-ahhē-iddin, freeman (mār banê); C5= Arad-Innin/Zēria, freeman (mār banê); C6= Nergal-ahu-iddin/Nabû-erība, freeman (mār banê); C7= Ša-pî-kalbi/Nabû-ahu-iddin, freeman (mār banê).