YBC 07534

“Edict of Belšazzar”: Distribution of land to the rent farmers, the gardeners and the ploughmen.

The land of Bēl, which in Nbn 7.I, Belšazzar, by command of the king, divided (zâzu) among the rent farmers (rab sūti) 

For 1;0 kurru of planted land (with date palms): 40;0 of dates (will be delivered). From this amount 5;0 of dates are for the remuneration of the gardeners, which the son of the king left up to them (mašāru). The gardeners are said to dig the ditches and perform the digging (ḫarru u ḫerrūtu ḫarāru), build the walls in the garden (igāru epēšu) and remove the clods of earth (pašku našû).

For the costs (gimru) and the allowances (kurummatu) of the Governor (bēl pīḫāti), the scribes, the measuring officials (mādidu) and the gatekeepers (atû), per each 1;0 of dates, 0;0.1.5 ½ (of dates)) is the payment for their services, which is kept in the underground store (kalakku) and per 1;0 kurru of dates 0;0.0.3 ½ are the rations to eat (litt. rations that they may consume, akālu), which he (=the son of the king) allocated (nadānu). 

[Per plough] 25;0 kurru of land for cultivation they (= the rent farmers) must give (nadānu). Per each kurru of land, he (the ploughman) will give 12;0 of barley as rent (gamirtu).

Moreover, 5;0 kurru of land are given (nadānu) for the costs (gimru) and the  allowances (kurummatu) to the Governor (bēl pīḫāti), the scribes, the measuring officials (mādidu) and the gatekeepers (atû).

For one plough (epinnu): 4 oxen (alpu), 2 cows (arḫu) and 4 plowmen (ikkaru) are provided (nadānu) and the oxen will not die (mâtu), they are made of iron (parzillu banū)

Per kurru, they will add to the rent 0;01.5 ½ of barley and dates as rations and will deliver them (nadānu) to the temple of Esagil. They will give the barley or the dates as the rent to the Esagil.

Per 1;0 kurru of land, they will give 0;0.3 ½ as rations to the Governor (bēl pīḫāti), the scribes, the measuring officials (mādidu) and the gatekeepers (atû). It is in addition (elat) to their rent. In the first year, they will give [per plough] 25;0 of barley for seed, and [20;0 for] rations of the ploughmen. [In total] they will give 45;0 of barley. 

Notes

For the interpretation of this text, see Jankovic 2013, 38ff. and 70-76.