The civilization of Babylonia and Assyria

Its remains, language, history, religion, commerce, law, art, and literature

by Morris Jastrow | 1915 | 168,585 words

This work attempts to present a study of the unprecedented civilizations that flourished in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley many thousands of years ago. Spreading northward into present-day Turkey and Iran, the land known by the Greeks as Mesopotamia flourished until just before the Christian era....

I. Request for a loan. [1]

"Letter [2] of Gula-balateu-ikbi [3] to Kurbanni-Marduk, my brother. May Nabu and Marduk bless my brother! Shaddinnu has no grain for seed. Let my lord [4] give him one Gur of grain and let my lord take from him a promissory note. In urgent need I am sending to my brother. Let my lord not refuse it, and let my lord give him [5] grain for seed."

II. An inquiry regarding the welfare of relatives and friends. [6]

"Letter of Iddina to the lady Kudashu.

My Lady ! Daily I implore Bel [7] and Nabu to grant long life and happiness to my lady. Through the protection of the gods I am well and all with me (are well). Do not worry on my account that you have not received word. Since the month of Siwan [8] I have removed to the land of Paniragana under the guidance of Bel and Nabu.

"Iddina [9] has asked for news about Ina-Marduk, his father, and Ina-E-sagila-ramat, his mother. Iddina has asked for news about Shullnmu, his father, and Damka, his mother. Iddina has asked for news about Dumuk, his brother.

"By the life of the gods, why do not I get any news from them!

. . . . .

Iddina has asked for news about Khabasiru, about Shaddinnu and the lady Ilat-akhe-shu. Iddina has asked [10] for news about Itti-Nabu-balatu. his brother. Why do I not hear from you? And to all the messages which I have sent you I have not seen any; response. I have sent you (a message) as follows:

"Since the day that I left, what has happened in the house . . . Why do I not receive any news? Let me know whether Burku has fallen into the lap [11] of the goddess Tashmetum. Iddina has asked news about the lady Tashmetum-tabni, about Ina-Esagila-Belit, about Shirku, about Lublut, about Burku . . . and concerning the entire household. For an entire month I have not received any message from you regarding Bel-supe-mukhur."

III. Letter from a husband to his wife, telling her to take good care of the house. [12]

"Nabu-zer-ushabshi to Sikku, my wife. May Bel and Nabu proclaim good health and long life to my wife ! Through the protection of the gods I am well, and Bel-iddin also is well.

"Now I have sent a message to Iddin-Marduk, the son of Ikisha, that he should give thee 10 Gur of grain. Do not neglect the house. Have a look to things. Pray to the gods on my behalf. Let me hear through some message what you are thinking of." [13]

IV. An urgent request for money to settle a promissory note. [14]

"To Ibi-Nin-Shubur speaks as follows Yaura-iluma. May Shamash and Marduk grant you life !

"I am responsible for a note for (the purchase of) a female slave. Now that the time of the payment of that note has arrived the agent is pressing me. Therefore, I am sending Arad-Innanna to thee. Give him three shekels of silver due from you and two shekels of your own money to be charged against me and properly attested in Babylon. Be sure to give Arad-Innanna the correct amount. Do not detain Arad-Innanna [15] and please fix up the transaction with him correctly."

V. Letter addressed to four friends, urging them not to pay any attention to slanderous reports about the writer's brother. [16]

"Letter of Nabu-zer-ibni to Akar-apli, Balatu, Nabu-bel-shumate and to Shamash-udammik his brothers. [17]

"Ever to Nabu and Nana for the life of my brothers I pray. Belepush who is with you is indeed my brother. Whatever evil reports may be spread about him, may it please my brothers (i.e., my friends) to be deaf to them. From the beginning to the end we have been brothers to one another. [18] Because of distress I am sending this message to my brothers. May my brothers kindly do this. I look forward to the answer to this message from my brothers."

VI. A peremptory request to send on money due or promised. [19]

"To Adaiatum speaks as follows Ili-ishmeanni. May Shamash and Marduk grant you life ! Send on the money which you spoke of. As I told thee, I need it. In any case, by all means send (it) to me."

VII. A letter with three commissions. [20]

"To Etiatim speaks as follows, Ili'u-Shamash.

"May Shamash and Marduk grant you life! I am well.

(1) It is impossible (for me) to come to see you. I am obliged to go to Gatana. [21]
(2) The she-ass and a young one of good breed, let the butcher kill for me. [22] The young one I got from Belanu, son of Sin-turrim, for 5y 2 shekels of silver. Two shekels of silver I gave him. Three and one half shekels of silver give him. Do not give him more or less. Let him weigh the silver for me. [23]
(3) As to the one female slave which I left with you, do not put her to service. [24] Sell her for silver on my account. Hand over iy 2 Ka of sesame and take a receipt for 2 Gur. One Gur you have received, and this leaves one Gur."

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cuneiform Texts XXII, No. 75.

[2]:

The word used is duppu, meaning tablet.

[3]:

Signifying "the goddess Gula has commanded his life".

[4]:

The writer addresses his brother in this formal way perhaps in order to flatter him. Perhaps, however, "brother" is not used literally here. See below, p. 486, note 221.

[5]:

Namely, Shaddinnu.

[6]:

Cuneiform Texts, XXII, No. 6.

[7]:

Here an epithet of Marduk.

[8]:

Third month.

[9]:

The writer from here on speaks of himself in the third person, perhaps playfully or perhaps because he is dictating the letter to a scribe.

[10]:

These various inquiries repeated, in this way have reference to a number of separate messages sent by the writer and to which he had not received reply.

[11]:

The word for lap, burku, is here introduced as a play upon the name Burku. "To place in the lap of a god" is an expression occurring frequently in business documents meaning to deposit in the treasury of the temple. Iddina jokingly asks whether Burku has lifted something out of the lap, i.e., whether he has made any money, as we would say.

[12]:

Cuneiform Texts XXII, No. 151.

[13]:

The phrase seems to imply the husband's desire to find out what his wife is doing, but perhaps the words mean merely that he wishes to have news of her.

[14]:

Cuneiform Texts IV, Plate 27 a.

[15]:

i.e., send him back as soon as possible.

[16]:

 Cuneiform Texts XXII, No. 155.

[17]:

The word "brother" is frequently used in the tablets as we would say "friend".

[18]:

i.e., at all times we have been in perfect harmony with one another.

[19]:

Cuneiform Texts, XXXIII, PI. 25 (Hammurapi period).

[20]:

Cuneiform Texts, PI. 22 (Hammurapi period).

[21]:

Or possibly Bitana in any case the name of some place.

[22]:

ush-ta-zi-ba-an-wi.

[23]:

To make sure that the exact amount is given.

[24]:

Literally "do not subdue her," evidently in the sense of not to use her for slave service, but to sell her.

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