HMA 9-02538

About 16^(?) men (list not fully preserved), chiefs of hundred (rab meati), chiefs of ten (rab ešerti), oblates of the Lady of Uruk, elders (šībūtu) and youngsters, ask Ninurta-šarru-uṣur, Royal Resident (qīpu) of Eanna, Marduk-bēlšunu/Marduk-šāpik-zēri, High Priest (šatammu) of Eanna, Nabû-aḫḫē-bulliṭ/Ša-Nabû-šū, scribe of Eanna, to appoint (paqādu) Nabû-bān-aḫi/Aḫu-lūmur (NBA) to the position of chief oblate (rab širki). They explain that the oblates of the Lady of Uruk are fed up (lit.: full to the brim, ana ṣirê malû), (because) there is no chief oblate, and that they want to perform the work (dullu) for the king under NBAʼs (management). The Royal Resident, the High Priest, the temple scribe, the oblates of the Lady of Uruk, elders and youngsters, agree to this after deliberation (malāku). They appoint NBA as chief of oblates, and Nanāya-uṣalli/Ṭāb-Uruk (NU) for the levy (dikûtu).

The work of the oblates and substitutes (ḫalpu) will be supported by annual payments and other means of support, including: 5 minas of silver (as the replacement) for escaped (ḫalāqu), idle (rīqu) or (otherwise) not-working (baṭlu) (oblates), 6 minas of silver for the yield^? (ebūru, or: as the advance, (maḫru) for 180 (oblates), 4 minas of silver for planks (ḫuṣābu) for 22 boats, which (carry) 30.000 (kors of) bitumen (kupru) for the annual work assignement (iškāru) and for caulking (peḫû), 1300;0 barley for allowances (kurummatu) for the 180 workers in the countryside, who (perform) the work (dullu) of the 16 “third men” (tašlīšu) of the Royal Resident, 1 smith, 2 master builders (arad ekalli), 4 boat builders (naggār eleppi) of NBA, and additionally 2 workers, 4 guards of the warehouses (bīt makkūri), including one in (tp)[…], 5 workers who will fulfill orders (našpartu alāku) of NBA, 10 [...] for reed bundles (? or: reed-cutting, ḫiṣṣu), 1300;0 barley (as) allowances for the city of ... (˹na bar˺) for oblates carrying (zabālu) ropes (ašlu), and for each man 5 minas of wool, 3 [...], 0;0.2 salt, 0;0.2 cress, annually 20 male kids, [...], 4;2.3 dates, 3 nēsepu-containers (with/and?) 0;0.0.2 oil for [...] of the 28^th day of m.IX, and for the subsitutes 2 male kids, 2 sheep, [...] NU [...], and 4;0 barley for their monthly allowances. NBA shall not deduct (ekēmu) anything on account of fugitive and idle oblates. NU guarantees for the levy [...] of Eanna.

7 witnesses.

Scribe: Šamaš-udammiq/Iqīšāya//Rēʼû*.

For collations of this text see Beaulieu apud Ragen 2007: 616-622.

Appointment of officials and establishing the temple’s contribution for a royal building project.

The tablet records the appointment of an overseer of temple-serfs (rab širki), A1, and a summoner (dēkû), A2, for a royal building project (known to be the north palace of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon), and establishes the materials, funds, and manpower that the Eanna temple undertakes for this project.

The text opens with the names of B1–16, the centurions (rab meˀati) and decurions (rab ešerti), all are temple-serfs of the Lady-of-Uruk (širku), old and young, who are approaching three temple’s high officials: the royal resident (qīpu) C1, the temple administrator (šatammu) C2, and the scribe of Eanna C3.

The temple-serfs (B1–16) say that there is no overseer of temple-serfs for overseeing their work (in Babylon) and the temple-serfs have had enough (ṣēru malû). They demand that the temple appoint A1 as overseer for the royal project (dullu ša šarri) over them.

The royal resident, temple administrator, temple scribe, and the temple-serfs of Eanna, deliberate together and appoint A1 as overseer of temple-serfs, and A2 as a summoner (dēkû).

They further establish the following with respect to the work:

5 mina of silver to replace the interruption (baṭlu), escapes (halqu), or idelness (rīqu); 6 mina of silver for harvest time(?) (ebūru) for 180 workers; 4 mina of silver for firewood (huṣābu); 22 boats per year and/for 30000 bitumen, a year’s supply, including the bitumen for waterproofing the boats; 1300 kor of barley as “wages of the steppe” (kurummatu ša ṣēri, partly uncl.) for 180 workers and 16 guards (tašlīšu) of the royal resident;  A1 will provide (no verb, or broken) 1 smith (nappāhu), 2 master-builders (arad ekalli), and 4 carpenters (nagāru) of boats; in addition(?) to 2 workers, 3 guards for the storehouse (bīt makkūri) in [GN], and 5 men who will act as proxy for (ina našparti) A1. Annually 10 […] for transportation losses (hizzatu), 1300 kor of barley as “city wages” (kurummatu ša āli)*, for the … ropes. For each man: 5 mina wool, 3;2.0.0 kor of cress.

The rest is a bit fragmentary, mentioned are 20 young kids (enzu ṣehru), dates, nēsepu- containers, oil for […] of the 28th of Kislīm (IX), replacements (halpu), sheep […], A2 […], monthly, 4 kor of barley, their salaries (kurummatu).

A1 [guarantees for]? the boats and the performance of the work for 10+ days. He will not make deductions (ekēmu) for escaped and idle temple-serfs. A2 guarantees (pūtu našû) for the levy of the [workers] of Eanna.

Names of 7 witnesses and the scribe.

* “City wages” (kurummat ša āli) refers to the 1 day off for every 10 days of work that workers received as a “city break”.

A1= Nabû-bān-ahi/Ahu-lūmur, overseer of temple-serfs (rab širki); A2= Nanāya-uṣalli/Ṭāb-Uruk, summoner (dēkû); B1= Nabû-ahu-iddin/Nanāya-iddin; B2= Nergal-nāṣir/[…]; B3= […]/Amīl-Nanāya; B4= Silim-Bēl/Rēhētu; B5= Iddin-[…]/Amīl-Nanāya; B6= Ibni-Ištar/iqīša; B7= Nanāya-ēreš/[…]; B8= Ina-ṣilli-Nanāya/Ša-Nabû-šū; B9= Nabû-ušabši/[…]; B10= Nabû-ṣābit-qātīa/Yatapi; B11= Arad-Innin/Ezu-[…]; B12= Silim-Bēl/Bēl-ahhē-erība; B13= Nabû-mudammiq/Šamaš-zēru-[…]; B14= Nanāya-ahu-iddin/Marduk-zēru-ibni; B15= Zēria/Nergal-ahu-[…]; B16= Nergal-ušēzib, royal official (ša šarri); C1= Ninurta-šarru-uṣur, royal resident (qīpu); C2= Marduk-bēlšunu/Marduk-šāpik-zēri, temple administrator (šatammu); C3= Nabû-ahhē-bulliṭ/Ša-Nabû-šū, scribe of Eanna