AO 08575

Letter of Nabû-aḫu-iddin (NAI) (Royal Overseer, ša rēš šarri bēl piqitti) to Nādinu (/Bēl-aḫḫē-iqīša//Egibi, temple scribe, ṭupšarru ša Eanna) (N), "his brother", in the context of construction work. NAI sent several men (chiefs of the plow, rab epinni), Šulāya (/Sîn-nādin-šumi), Nādin (/Innin-zēru-ibni), Naˀid-Ištar (/Arad-Innin), Mukkēa (Innin-zēru-ušabši) and Šadûnu (/Libluṭ), to the High Priest to have their accounts balanced, to pay any pertaining arrears and to be sent back to work to NAI quickly (kapdu). NAI tells N that he changed silver from a remainder (rēḫu) from Eṭellu/Zēria, a plowman (ikkaru), into a debt in exchange for digging work on the canal of (tp)Bīt Dababa. Despite having nothing to eat and being angry about it, Sukkāya, a plowman (ikkaru), is doing his work with his men, whereas Nanaya-ēreš (chief of the plow, rab epinni) has only four men ready for work. The accounts of two other men, Ina-ṣilli-Nanaya (/Innin-šumu-uṣur) and Aqria (/Nabu-dalā) (both chief of the plow, rab epinni) have been balanced. They are working at NAI’s site, but their remainder (of debt) is small. NAI seems to suggest that N sends someone as his replacement, who will come without delay (nubattu lā bâtu). NAI requests a scribe to hand out wool and silver to his 200 hired workers as there is neither a scribe nor an Aramaic scribe (sēpiru) with him and because he wants to follow procedure when paying the hired workers. He also complains about the costs for this hired workforce. With regard to his digging work, NAI requests as many temple serfs as are listed in the writing boards (lē’u) of the temple, as well as hired workers the freemen (mār banî) in the list should provide, as well as a lot of silver.