VAT 08496

Tabulated list of measurements (mišiḫtu) of gardens (kirû) in the limītu-region of Uruk belonging to Ištar and Nanāya. Each garden is allocated to a gardener of … (text: an šu ti) or iššakku-farmer for the granaries (bīt karê).

1. section: 11 plots (qaqqaru) of gardens, measuring 1300 (cubits) in total, located above the city, allocated to Kuzub-ilāni, Šūlāya, Kudurru, Bušēa?, Iqīšāya/Bēl-erība, Bēl-aḫu-iddin/Marduk, Ahu-lurši, Nabû-ušēzib, Bēl-īpuš, Ērešu, Bulluṭu and Iah-nin.

2. section: 7 gardens of the god Gilgameš, measuring 1800 (cubits) in total, allocated to Sappāya?, Kuzub-ilāni, Zēru-ukīn, Ḫaldūa?, Išá-ni-ḫa, Bēl-aḫu-iddin, Bēl-erība.

3. section: 3 gardens, whose front sides are measuring 1100 (cubits) in total, located on the bank of the upper (tp)Royal Canal (nār šarri), allocated to Nabû-aḫu-ēreš/Šalammu, Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin/Idù-[…]-šú, Upāqu/Iun-šá-a.

4. section: 4 gardens, whose front sides are measuring 700 (cubits) in total, located at the Great Gate of Adad. These gardens are recorded (šaṭāru) on the lapis lazuli cylinder seal (kunukku) of Uṣur-amassu. Assurbanipal took them from (thus Janković; Beaulieu: “returned to”) the Urukeans and installed (ṣabātu Š) the gardeners: Tabnēa/Šullumu, Bēl-ušallim/Ṣillāya, Nabû-uṣalli/Nanāya-īpuš, Nabû-aḫu-ēreš/Šalammu.

5. section: 8 gardens, whose front sides are are measuring 1180 (cubits) in total, located below the city, allocated to Bēl-īpuš, Nabû-uṣalli, Aḫu-lurši, Bušēa?, Kudurru, Bēl-usātu, Ḫaḫḫūru, Nādinu.

6. section: 8 gardens, whose front sides are measuring 720 (cubits) in total, belonging to the temple of Ea (or (tp)Bīt-Ea?), allocated to Šumāya, Nabû-ušēzib, Bēl-aḫu-iddin/Marduk, Rīš-ilī, Zēru-ukīn and Kudurru, Kiribtu, Ērešu, Bēl-erība.

7. section: 3 gardens inside the city, and 4 gardens at the ramp (nabalkattu) of the city wall by the bank of the moat (ḫarīṣu) and the (tp)Ditch of Ninurta (ḫarru ša Ninurta), by the city wall, behind the temple of Ninurta facing the countryside, whose front sides are measuring 720 (cubits) in total. At an inspection (masnaqtu) of Uruk Assurbanipal took these gardens from (thus Janković; Beaulieu: “returned to”) the Urukeans and gave them to Ninurta. They are allocated to Ibāya/Erra-suppi (behind the temple of Ninurta, by the city wall), Ubāru, Priest (šangû) of Ninurta (behind the temple of Ninurta), Mūru/Kudurru (by the (tp)Ditch of Urkayītu (ḫarru ša Urkayītu), Nabû-uṣalli/Aḫḫē-erība, Nanāya-īpuš/Aḫḫē-erība, Aḫḫē-lūmur/Nabû-šumu-ibni, Erēbšu/Aḫḫē-erība.

The last section is followed by an isolated mentioning of a plot of Bīšāya/Zākiru neighboring on the New Year festival (building) facing the countryside, whose front side is measuring 300 (cubits). The list ends with the number 2 and a double mentioning of the (tp)Royal Canal (nār šarri).

See Beaulieu for collations of l. 1: ˹mi*-ši*-iḫ*-ti* GIŠ.KIRI6.MEŠ…˺, and collations in sections 4 and 7. The text is also discussed by Janković 2013: 338-340.

List of date gardens and their gardeners in Uruk: 7 groups of altogether 47 date gardens with length measures of 40 up to 800 cubits (20 – 400 m). Out of the 47 gardens, 43 gardens are located inside of Uruk and the remaining 4 next to the city wall at the Hariṣu Canal and the Harri Canal.