Position in chronology
ARET 03, 132
About this tablet
A fragment of an administrative record from the palace archives of Ebla in northern Syria, written around 2400–2300 BCE. It logs an issue of fine clothing — a double cloak, a Mari-style tunic, and a chest sash — handed over in connection with a named official, Iri-igze, who acted as the agent of a man called Iš'arum. Thousands of such textile-disbursement tablets survive from Ebla, and together they map the gift-giving and diplomatic networks of one of the earliest great cities outside Mesopotamia; the mention of Mari-style dress shows the fashion links between the two rival kingdoms.
Plain-language summary by the engine — meant as a doorway into the literal translation below.
Written in modern English
Issued: one double-weight 'adaum cloak, one tunic cut in the Mari fashion, and one sash worn across the chest. After a gap in the text, the record names the recipient side of the transaction: Iri-igze, acting as the authorized agent of Iš'arum. The beginning and end of the account are broken away, so we do not know the occasion for the gift or any further items listed.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — our engine
Our engine(obverse) 1 'a-da-um cloak of double (quality), 1 dul-garment in the Mari style, 1 chest-sash (níg-lá of the breast), (Break) [given to(?)] Iri-igze, the commissioner (maškim) of Iš'arum. (Break — remainder of the text is lost)
Our translation engine — Fable 5. Reads the photo, translates the cuneiform, and writes a plain-language interpretation. See methodology for limits.
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Transliteration
1(asz@c) 'a3-da-um 2(disz@t) 1(asz@c@90) _dul3_ ma-ri2 1(asz@c) _nig2-la2 gaba_ [...] i-ri2-ig-ze2 _maszkim_ isz11-a-rum2 [...]
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ebla (ca. 2350-2250 BC)) — ARET 03, 132. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Attribution
Image: National Museum of Syria, Idlib, Syria (P242320) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved).
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A window into the world's first total state. The Ur III administration tracked every animal, every worker, every shekel — for a population in the millions. The level of paperwork was not exceeded until the modern era.