YBC 03549

Letter by an official from Dēr, Nabû-aḫḫē-bulliṭ (NAB), to the High Priest (of Eanna, šatammu) and Nabû-aḫu-iddin (Royal Overseer, ša rēš šarri bēl piqitti), “his lords”, answering a previous message in which the recipients reproached him about illegally detaining the shepherds of Eanna who had grazed animals in the fields of the Eanna with the help of 50 men. The sender now swears that he did not do it and that he had not previously heard about this. He then quotes a statement by Sîn-ibni (SI) about a messenger of NAB telling Šamaš-zēru-ibni, the recipients’ messenger, that NAB did not send him and had not even seen him. He then refers to Šarru-ukīn (ŠU), about whom SI had said that he led people designated for work away with him and gave them to him. NAB quotes ŠU, who told NAB to go to the Eanna-officials (qīpānu) together. NAB now explains that he cannot do this because the archers of the Esangila-temple are doing their work where he is, so he cannot come to the recipients’ man.