YBC 04011

Innin-šumu-uṣur/Ša-pîšu (IŠU), oblate of Ištar of Uruk, concludes a lease contract for date cultivation (nukaribbūtu), which is phrased as a dialogue. He asks Nabû-mukīn-apli/Nādinu//Dābibī (NMA), High Priest (šatammu) of Eanna and Nabû-aḫu-iddin (NAI), Royal Overseer (ša rēš šarri bēl piqitti) of Eanna for arable land (zēru) measuring 5;0 planted with young date palms and crops (pī šulpi) within the arable land that is property of Ištar of Uruk, located by the (tp)Ḫarru-ša-Nabû-ušallim, and promises to do field work and to raise the small palm trees. NMA and NAI approve of this. They repeat the given information about the land, and add contractual clauses. The contract will first run for 5 years, and IŠU is obliged to raise the young palm trees, to remove shrubbery (abattu), to give the estimated yield of 12 date palms to Eanna, while he is entitled to keep the yield of the young date palm trees that he raises within this time. Afterwards, he is obliged to pay dates to Eanna according to the impost (imittu) on the yield, and a tenth of the yield from the crops.

4 witnesses.

Scribe: Arad-Marduk/Marduk-šumu-iddin//Bēl-aplu-uṣur.

Restoration of the year based on the incumbency of NMA.

Long term lease for tending the date palms and clearing a stubble field belonging to the temple. Dialogue document.

A, temple-serf (širku) of Ištar of Uruk, asks (qabû) B1, the temple administrator (šatammu), and B2, royal representative (ša rēš šarri) and commissioner (bēl piqitti) of Eanna to give him (nadānu, bīnamma) an area (zēru) of 5 kor planted partly with young date-palm trees (gišimmaru ṣeḫru)* and partly with cereals (pî šulpu).The land belongs to (makkūru) Ištar-of-Uruk and borders (ša muhhi) the Ḫarru-ša-Nabû-ušallim canal. B1 and B2 agree (šemû, lit. listen) and give the land to A for the purpose of orchard-tending (nukaribbūtu). A will do the work (dullu epēšu) there (ina libbi): he will grow (rabû D) the young date palms, clear the shrubbery (abattu nakāsu) (from) the area for cereal cultivation (pî šulpu).

A receives the land for 5 years. The 12 (mature) yield bearing (issi biltu) date-palms** in the plot will be assessed (emēdu, N) by (ultu) Eanna and A will deliver the estimated imposts (or: the yield, passage is broken) to the temple. As for the young date-palms, A gets (ebūru akālu) everything that grows (elû) on them during the first 5 years. After 5 years, he owes full estimated harvest dues (imittu). 

Additionally, regarding the yields (ebūru) from (ina) the fields under grain cultivation (pî šulpu), he will deliver to the temple up to (adi) a [10th share] of the harvest.

Names of 4 witnesses and Arad-Marduk/Marduk-šumu-iddin//Bēl-aplu-uṣur, the scribe.

* Young palm are those under 6 years. ** Yield bearing palms are those over 6 years

A= Innin-šumu-uṣur/Ša-pîšu, temple-serf (širku) of Ištar of Uruk; B1= Nabû-mukīn-apli/Nādin/Dābibī, temple administrator (šatammu) of Eanna; B2= Nabû-ahu-iddin, royal representative and commissioner (ša rēš šarri bēl piqitti) of Eanna.