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
22570 tablets dated to Old Babylonian — showing 24 below; browse all 22570.
MS 1739/1
1 gur of barley (royal measure), for the price of 1 shekel of silver, (at a rate of) 1/4-fraction, from Katar, Puzur-Haya received. Witness: Ur-Duku-ga; Witness: Puzur-[Ha]ya. Month: intercalary Šekinku[5?], year: 'the throne of Enlil was fashioned.' 1 gur of barley [...] year: [...] Witness: Puzur-[x]; Month: intercalary Še[kinku5]; year: 'the throne of [Enlil ...].'
EconomyWriting & Literature
TLB 05, 10
1 nahbatum-vessel (of) royal kakara(-oil); skin of a male sheep (aluM), black: 9 (units); its price: 5 shekels; 8 shoes (with) claws, royal kakara(-oil), 1 (and) 2-fold; skin of an ox, u'habbu-processed: 5 shekels; skin of a billy-goat, black: 2/3 (shekel); 3 baskets of bread-loaves (and) cake; its bitumen: 5 silas; (for) the ritual (and) the granary; via Ur-alla and Iddin-Adad, the cook; overseer: Anah-ili; day n; month: Abu (month of fires / festival of ghosts); year: Ishbi-Erra, the king, smote Shimashki and Elam. — duplicate
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 44 08
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 44 08. 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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 45 10
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 45 10. 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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 48 21
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 48 21. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 48 24
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 48 24. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 49 25
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 49 25. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 49 26
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 49 26. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 49 27
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 49 27. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 50 29
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 50 29. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y1 — Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & LiteratureJANES 18, 48 23
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — JANES 18, 48 23. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Iddin-Dagan y2 — Year after: Iddin-Dagan became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.03, ex. 02
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.03, 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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 01
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)) — RIME 4.01.04.04, ex. 01. 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 transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature
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 formula in the transliteration.
EconomyWriting & Literature