Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters Part 38

To the king, my lord, thy servant Akkullanu. Peace be to the king, my lord. Nabu and Marduk be gracious to the king, my lord. In the long desuetude of the customary rights of Ashur, regarding which the king, my lord, sent word to his servant, saying, "Who among the magnates have not complied, have not given, be it much or little (their default)," yesterday I could not write to the king, my lord. Now these are the magnates who have not given their dues: the governors of Bar?alza, Ra?appa, Kalzi, Isana, Bele, Kullania, Arpadda; these have failed to pay their dues. Ra?appa, Bar?alza, Di?u?ina, the chief of the vineyards, Daian-Adadi, Isana, ?alziatbar, Birtu, Arzu?ina, Arbailu, Guzana, Sharish, Di?nunna, Rimusu, all these have not given the barley and wheat due from them. And as to the overseer of the bakehouse, the overseer of the larder and the chief purveyors, concerning whom the king, my lord, inquired, they are removed from their posts, and this is alleged as the reason: The overseer of the bakehouse is a child, Sennacherib removed him; Ashur-zer-iddin, the priest of Nineveh, slandered him. I was frightened at the troubles. He had not committed any great crime.... The overseer of the larder had broken (?) a dish of Ashur's, for this deed thy father removed him from charge of Ashur's dish, and appointed a turban-maker's son; he is without education. And concerning the chief purveyors, Sennacherib made a reduction of their allowances, and the son of the turban-maker receives the rest. Now for six years he has been dead and his son indeed stands in his office. Justice has been in abeyance since Sargon. Sennacherib was the remover. This is according to their reasons. The king, my lord, as he will, let him do.

The text is difficult, partly because some signs are defaced, partly because some words could be read more ways than one, and others are obscure. It seems quite clear that the cult of Ashur had greatly suffered.

We know from the ?arran census that certain lands were charged with dues to the temples, others with salaries to officials. The list of defaulters is of geographical value. The deposition of rightful temple officers and the intrusion of unworthy subst.i.tutes, on slight grounds, is charged to Sennacherib. He was evidently estranged from the cult of Ashur. Doubtless a comparison of other letters will clear up some of the obscurities, but sufficient is clear to indicate the importance of such doc.u.ments.

(M845) It is of interest to note that we have a few letters sent by women.

We may select the following:(943)

To the scribe of the palace, my lord, thy handmaid Sarai. Bel, Beltu (of Nineveh?), Beltu of Babylon, Nabu, Tashmetum, Ishtar of Nineveh, Ishtar of Arbela, be gracious to my lord. Long days, health of mind, health of body, may they give to my lord. The servants of my lord, whom the governor of Bit Naialani took, seven souls in all, he gave to Marduk-erba. Now the people are here, they have come to me and say thus: "Say to the scribe of the palace, Do not cause them to enter into the house of Marduk-erba."

The _a?u_ has sealed for them, now he is with them.

Evidently the lady Sarai had great influence with the scribe of the palace; perhaps she was his wife. The reason why the governor took certain servants of his and gave them to Marduk-erba is not clear. Perhaps they were sold for some government claim. It seems that the lady wished to keep them back, but that the purchaser had called and was about to take them away, unless the scribe in some way intervened.

(M846) A few quite private letters found their way into the archives of Nineveh, unless indeed this is a mere freak of the discoverers. Thus:(944)

Note from Marduk to Kurigalzu, his brother: Bel and Nabu seek the peace of my brother. Wherefore have I not seen thy messenger?

Until he enter Borsippa, when I see thy messenger, my heart shall drink the wine of joy. Let my brother send so many pots.

Here is another from Borsippa:(945)

Note from Bel-upa? to Kuna, his father: Peace be to my father.

Daily I pray to Nabu and Nana for my father's health of life and I have fulfilled the duty to Ezida (the temple of Nabu at Borsippa) for thy sake. When I inquired of Mar-biti (a divine name) for thy sake, a fixed time of peace was taken up to the fourth day. Thy workman is informed concerning everything whatever is safe according to his (the G.o.d's) word.

(M847) As before remarked, many letters are notices of the movements of horses. These are really obscure in that we do not know what the real purpose of the reports was. They are very similar to many reports which lack the form of address that marks a letter. Many of the terms applied to the horses are also obscure and there is no way to translate them. In other cases we have reports to the king or his officials on various every-day subjects. A list of slaves a.s.signed to one or more men, a list of guests, men of high rank, sent to stay with certain officials, lists of furniture and effects, including books, sent to ?arran with one of the princes, all serve to throw light upon the daily life at the court of Nineveh. Incidentally we have many hints for history as well as life and manners. But such lists and reports do not lend themselves to translation.

(M848) A group of texts, very similar to the letters, only with an especial character of their own, are the inquiries addressed by Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal to the oracle of the sun-G.o.d. Their great interest lies in the fact that they usually state the events which cause the king's anxiety and so make important contributions to history. But the larger part of them consist of a detailed statement of what omens have been observed by the augurs on examining the entrails of the sacrifices. On these it is probable that the sun-G.o.d was to base his opinion. He would know and declare what they portended.

(M849) Occasionally a letter serves to make a contribution to some subject which is of interest apart from the events of the day. Thus, information is furnished regarding metrology in a letter primarily concerned with materials for the repair of a temple or palace.(946) There we read of "six articles of _mismakanna_ wood, six _?A_ apiece, one cubit long and one cubit thick." The thickness is clearly a cubit each way, and we learn that a cubit cube contained six _?A_. There are many letters and fragments which concern beams of wood and stones sent from great distances for buildings and repairs. When these are all published and considered together, no doubt they will clear up the difficulties which at present render translation impossible.

(M850) A fragmentary report-it may have been a letter-gives a diary of a journey. If we could complete it, or find a few more like it, we should have a knowledge of geography such as we have not for any other part of the world for early times.(947) We may summarize it as follows: On the sixth, the writer went from Bagarri to Sari, from Sari to Arzu?ina, from Arzu?ina to Tel-Arzu?ina. He stated the distances from city to city, but these are now lost. This was the first journey. The second journey was from Tel-Arzu?ina to Dur-sisite. The third journey was from Dur-sisite to Maturaba, from Maturaba to Dur-Taliti. The fourth journey was from Dur-Taliti to Babiti, from Babiti to Lagabgalagi. The fifth journey was from Lagabgalagi to the river Radanu, thence to Asri. The sixth journey was from Asri to Arrakdi. The seventh journey was from ?ualsundi to Napigi, thence to Dur-Ashur. Here we get the whole distance from Arrakdi to Dur-Ashur as _two kaspu, twenty-four u, twenty-four u_. The identification of these places would be of enormous value for a determination of the a.s.syrian measures of length. The distances are correct to the cubit. The eighth journey was from Dur-Ashur to Tarzini, thence to Banbala. The ninth journey was from Banbala to Ishdi-dagurrai, thence to Gupni-Bel-?arran, _one kaspu, five u, fifty-four u_. The tenth journey was from Gupni-Bel-?arran to Dur-Adadi-rimani, thence to Dur-Tukulti-apil-esharra, on the seventeenth. Several of these places are already known. Others may be identified with some certainty. The whole would have a great value if preserved complete.

X. Letters Of The Second Babylonian Empire

(M851) Some Babylonian letters of the Second Empire are to be found in the great collections published by Stra.s.smaier. For the most part they are of a business nature, asking for some payment to be made or some object sent on.

Thus,(948) one reads:

(M852)

Note from Nabu-shum-lis.h.i.+r to Bel-uballi? and Ki ... my brothers.

Bel and Nabu decree the well-being of my brothers. Two _GUR_ of dates to Bel-na?ir, two _GUR_ to Shamash-pir'-u?ur, from the store for seed let my brothers give. Adar the ninth, year eleven, Nabonidus, King of Babylon.

Or,(949)

(M853)

Note from Shamash-erba to ?ar-ibni, my brother: When I send Shamash-uballi? to thy presence, do thou send ninety _?A_ of meal by his hand. Verily thou knowest. Besides the twelve _?A_ of meal before is this. Adar the thirteenth.

A somewhat longer but imperfect letter(950) reads:

(M854)

Note of Nadinu to the priest of Sippara, my brother: Verily, peace be with thee. To my brother, may Bel and Nabu decree the well-being of my brother. When to my brother I [send], to the presence of my lord.... Thou, my lord, knowest why seeds for the _kepu_ of Ra?za I sent, and money for the seeds I gave him. He received it. Let me hear news and the welfare of my brother.

Of some interest for the nature of public works is:(951)

Note from Shapik-zer to ?ar-ibni, my brother: The G.o.ds decree thy well-being. Give ninety-six _?A_ of meal to the men who are digging the ca.n.a.l. Kislimnu, the twentieth, fifth year, Cyrus, King of Babylon, king of lands.

Or this:(952)

(M855)

Note from the priests to ?ar-ibni, our brother: The G.o.ds decree thy welfare. Give thirty-six _?A_ of meal to Ardi-?ar, for the king's men who dig the ca.n.a.l. Kislimnu the twenty-fifth, year five, Cyrus, King of Babylon, king of lands.

The following is another of the best-preserved letters of this period:(953)

(M856)

Note from Nergal-a?-iddin to Iddin-Marduk, my father: Bel and Nabu decree the health and well-being of my father. Concerning the money my father sent; the money is little, which has been given for dates. Two minas of silver is needed. Let my father send it.

Concerning that (?), as it is good to thee. I have none. See, Nabu-mattua I have sent to my father. The governor has gone to Babylon. As long as he is not here (?) at his side, he demands.

Let me hear news of my father. Whether it be corn or whether it be anything that is with me, I will give to my father. Thy word is indisputable with me.

(M857) For the most part the others are fragmentary and of no special interest. It is noteworthy that they all begin with much the same form of greeting.

Dr. T. G. Pinches published the text of three letters of this period in _Recueil des Travaux_.(954) Two are very fragmentary; the third reads thus: