2000 – 1600 BCE
Old Babylonian
Hammurabi, the Epic of Gilgamesh, mathematics.
Sumerian becomes a learned tongue, like Latin in medieval Europe; Akkadian dominates daily life. In Babylon, Hammurabi inscribes his code on a black diorite stele. Scribal schools copy and refine the Epic of Gilgamesh into the form we know. Mathematicians on tablets like Plimpton 322 work out Pythagorean triples a thousand years before Pythagoras.
Primary sources
Tablets from this period
22543 tablets dated to Old Babylonian — showing 24 below; browse all 22543.
MS 1739/1
1 royal gur of barley, corresponding to 1 1/4 shekels of silver, from Katar — Puzur-Haya received (it). Witness: Ur-dukuga. Witness: Puzur-<Ha>ya. Month: 'extra month, Harvest' (intercalary). Year: 'the throne of Enlil was fashioned.' (second entry, reverse) 1 gur of barley [...] for/in the amount of [...] Witness: Puzur-[...] Month: 'extra month, Harv[est]' Year: 'the thro[ne ...']
Economy
TLB 05, 10
1 naḫbatum (leather bag/pouch), royal ka-kara4 (leather strap/gear) — sheep hide, ram(?)-hide, its black (portion): 9; its cord/sinew: 5 shekels. 8 shoes (with) hoof-fittings(?), royal ka-kara4, 1 (or) 2 each. Ox hide, its tanning-agent (u2-ḫab2): 5 shekels. Billy-goat hide, its black (portion): 2/3. 3 baskets of gug2-cake (bread); its bitumen: 5 sila. For the offering of the granary. Via Ur-alla and Iddin-Adad, the cook; overseer: Anaḫ-ili. Day [n]. Month: NE-NE-gar. Year: Išbi-Erra, the king, defeated Šimaški and Elam. Copy (gaba-ri).
Economy
TLB 05, 11
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — TLB 05, 11. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išbi-Erra y1 — Išbi-Erra became king based on canonical year-name formula in the trans…
EconomyJANES 18, 44 08
2 ban₂ 7 sila₃ of bread (made) of dabin-flour, festival provisions for the month Gu'sisu (month II), which are on hand with A-zida; in the month NE-NE-gar (Abu, month V) it is to be delivered. Month: Gu'sisu. Year: Šu-ilišu (is) king. A-zida, son of Ur-nigar.
EconomyJANES 18, 45 10
6 sila of bread — of/for the AB[…] (temple? household?), food allotment (šuku) of the [...]-people; month: NE.[NE]-gar (Abu), day 11, [...] [...] received(?) [...] Year: Šu-ilišu the king built the wall (called) Rīm-Ištar.
Economy
JCS 28, 237 01
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JCS 28, 237 01. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-iliszu y1 — Šu-iliszu became king based on canonical year-name formula in the t…
Economy
TLB 05, 23
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — TLB 05, 23. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-iliszu y1 — Šu-iliszu became king based on canonical year-name formula in the trans…
EconomyJANES 18, 48 21
4 sila of honeyed flour, [n] sila of dates (in) a burzi-bowl — delivery; from the temple of Enlil [En]um-Suen has received. Month: Še-sag-ku (harvest month). Year: Iddin-Dagan the king — Matum-niatum, his daughter, the king of Anšan married her. Enum-Suen, the scribe.
EconomyJANES 18, 48 24
4 sheep, cooked (al-še₆), (from/for) Inim-Enlila, [in] Nippur. [De]livery. For ... meat. [...] the house of Gissu(?) [...] [Month:] Apin-du'a (eighth month), [...] day 12. [Year:] "Iddin-Dagan the king elevated the lumaḫ-priest of [the goddess] Nin-Isina."
EconomyJANES 18, 49 25
7 sheep, cooked (boiled), regular offerings (sá-du₁₁) of Enlil and Ninlil. Delivery, for the meat-house (é-uzu), from the É-gissu; sealed tablet of the šatammu-officials. Month: Gan-gan-è (month IX), day 26, year: Iddin-Dagan the king elevated (installed) the lumaḫ-priest of Nin-Isina.
EconomyReligion & MythJANES 18, 49 26
9 sheep, cooked; [...] x [...] within Nippur. From (the household of) É-gissu: delivery. Month: gan-gan-e₃ (month IX). Year: Iddin-Dagan the king elevated the lumaḫ-priest of Nin-Isina.
EconomyJANES 18, 49 27
5 rams, regular offering(s) (for) Enlil and Ninlil, within Nippur; deliv[ery] for the é-uzu ("meat house"); sealed tablet of the šatam-officials. The 9th day (lit. "day ten minus one"), month: Ab-è (month X), year: Iddin-Dagan the king fashioned the great emblem for Nin-Isina.
EconomyJANES 18, 50 29
6 rams — the 26th day; 3 rams — the 28th day: regular offerings (sattukku) of Enlil and Ninlil, in Nippur; from the E-gissu ("House of the Shade") delivery to the <house> of meat (slaughterhouse). Sealed by the šatammu-officials. Month: Ab-e (10th month, Nippur calendar). Year: Iddin-Dagan, the king, fashioned a great emblem for Ninisina.
EconomyReligion & MythJANES 18, 48 23
5 sila of ... flour, provision of the king (šuku lugal), delivery (mu-kux) — the house(?) of Enlil. Enum-Suen received (it). Month: Še-sag-ku ("harvest," month XII). Year after (the year) Iddin-Dagan the king fashioned the throne of the Dubla-maḫ ... [...] for him/her. Enum-Suen, the scribe.
Economy
JCS 28, 238 02
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JCS 28, 238 02. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the…
Economy
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 02
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 02. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 03
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 03. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 04
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 04. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 05
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 05. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 06
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 06. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 09
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 09. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 10
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 10. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Išme-Dagan y1 — Išme-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formu…
Writing & LiteratureReligion & MythJANES 18, 41 02
31 loaves of bread, goods for transport (níg-ki-lah), (for/of) Anamu; available with [...]; [...] (break) Month: "Sowing" (Šu-numuna). Year: "The wall (named) 'Eštar-tāram-Išbi-Erra' ('Ištar-loves-Išbi-Erra') was built." [...]-ane, the perfumer (oil-presser) of Enlil.
EconomyJANES 18, 42 04
[...] oil [...] ... 3 [...] cow(s)(?) (For) Lu-damu: give (it) to him! (šum-mu-na-ab-[...]) Month: Gusisu (Month II). Year: the nin-dingir priestess of (the god) Lugal-Erra was installed. Seal inscription: Išbi-Erra, mighty king, king of his land — Abuni, the steward, son of Nūr-ilī, (is) your servant.
Economy