Clay tablet containing 25 lines of Sumerian cuneiform in obverse, reverse and the left edge. With the exception of a minute spot of damage to the obverse, the tablet is in excellent condition.
It is an administrative document from the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur, dated to the second year of Ibai-Sin, the last king of the dynasty, during the year 2017 BC. ca. It contains a list of rations, being issued to official messengers and the translation follows : ...3 silla of soup, 2 fish: La-qipum, cup-bearer, the kings's messenger when he went for the kings's offerin 1 silla of soup, 1 fish:...-Sin, king's messenge 1 silla of soup, 1 fish: Aba-dan, king's messenge 1 silla of soup, 1 fish: Abi-banum, king's messenger, when they went from Der to the kin 1 silly of soup, 1 fish, Abu-tab, king's messenger when he went to De 2 silla of soup, 2 fish: Shuqatum, king's messenger when he went to arrest the runaway men, servants of Ninhursa 1 silla of soup, 1 fish: Pululu, groom when he went to Anshebaran-Ziku 1 silla of soup, 1 fish: Shu-Adad, barber when he went for... Disbursement of the month Kirsi'a Year: the High Priestess of Inanna of Uruk was chosen by divination, 22nd da Ninhursag is the Sumerian Mother goddess and one of the oldest and most important dieties int he Mesopotamian pantheon. All temples had plenty of staff used for a number of duties. Silla was a measure of capacity, about .85 of a litre. The importance of this tablet lies int he explanation of th purposes of many of the journeys of these messengers, when other tablets of this category which have been published, do not contain such information.