Position in chronology
OSP 2, 121
About this tablet
A small administrative note from Nippur in the Sargonic (Old Akkadian) period, about 2300 BCE, recording allotments of alliums — crushed garlic and the onion variety šum-sikil — measured in barig and ban. The quantities are destined for the governor (ensi) of Nippur and are linked to a delivery to the king, with a smaller amount for an official of the uz-ga, a storeroom or kitchen establishment. It is a glimpse of the kitchen economy of a provincial court under the kings of Akkad: garlic and onions were staple seasonings issued in bulk by the temple-city's administration.
Plain-language summary by the engine — meant as a doorway into the literal translation below.
Written in modern English
One barig of crushed garlic and three ban of šum-sikil onions: this is the second allotment, for the governor, delivered to the king (the middle of this line is broken). Then two barig of crushed garlic and three ban of šum-sikil onions, for the second instalment, again for the governor. Finally, two ban go to the man in charge of the uz-ga store.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — our engine
Our engine1. 1 barig of crushed garlic, 2. 3 ban of šum-sikil onions — 3. it is the second (allotment?); 4. (for) the governor (ensi), 5. to the king 6. [...] ... delivered (ru-a). 7. 2 barig of crushed garlic, 8. 3 ban of šum-sikil onions, 9. for the second (time/instalment); 10. (for) the governor (ensi). 11. 2 ban (for) the man of the uz-ga.
Our translation engine — Fable 5.1. Reads the photo, translates the cuneiform, and writes a plain-language interpretation. See methodology for limits.
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Transliteration
1(barig@c) szum2 gaz 3(ban2@c) szum2-sikil min-sag-kam ensi2 lugal-ra [...]-ni# ru-a 2(barig@c) szum2 gaz 3(ban2@c) szum2-sikil 2(disz@t)-kam-sze3 ensi2 2(ban2@c) lu2 uz-ga
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC)) — OSP 2, 121. This record has no stored scholarly English translation; the existence of published translations has not been checked; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Attribution
Image: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (P216275) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved).
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