The Correspondence of the Kings of Ur. An Epistolary History of an Ancient Mesopotamian Kingdom

The Correspondence of the Kings of Ur McSOP01AMIAN C~VIUZATIONS

An Epistolary History of an Ancient Mesopotamian Kingdom

GeneTal Editor Jerrold S, Cooper, Johns Hapldns Universiry Editorial Board

Walter Farber, UniveTsiry of Chicago Jean-Pierre Gregoire, C,N,R,$, Piotr Michalowski, UniveTsity of Michigan Sima Parpala, University of Helsinki

Jack Sasson, Vanderbilt Universiry Piotr Steinkeller, Harvard Universiry Marten Sool, Free UniveTSity af Amsterdam Irene Winter, Harvard Universiry

1, The Lamentation over the Destruction of Sumer and Ur

Piotr Michalowski

Piotr Michalowski

2. Schiaf, Kindehen, Schlafl Mesopotamische Baby-Beschwiiru.ngen und -Rir:uale WaIte, Farber 3. Adoption in Old Babylonian Nippur and the Archive ofMann1="fncSu-li;;lu, Elizabeth C. Stone and David LOwen 4, Third~Millenniurn Legai and Administ-rative Texts in the IrG4 Museum, Baghdad Piotr Steinke lie, and), N, Pastgate 5, House Most High: The Temples of Ancl£nt Mesopotamia A.R,Geoq,e 6, Texres cuUnaJTeS Mesopotamiens i Mesopotamian CUUMry TextS Jean Bottero

7, Legends of the King:< of Aihy Wayne Horowitz

9, The Writing on rhe Walt: Studies in ,he Arcmtectund ComeX! of Lare Assyrian Palace Reliefs John M. Russell 10, Adapaand the South Wind; Langu'l5e Has the POOJer of Life and Dcath Shlomo hre'cl 11, Time at f:mar; The C1lltic Calendar and the Rituals from the Diviner's Archiv, Daniel E, Fleming 12.. J..,ett.ers to the Killg of Mari: A New Translation, with HfstorkaL Introduction; Notes, and Commentary Wolfgang Heimpel 13, Babyi<mian Oracle Questions W, G, Lambert 14, Roya! Statuary of Earl, Dy_tic Mesopotamia Gianni MarcheSI and Nicoto Marchetti

Winona Lake, Indiana Eisenbraun,

2011

© Copyright 2011 Eisenbraun.

Contents

All right, reserved. Printed in the United States of America. 'W'V/w.eisenbrauns,com

Foreword . . .

ix

Abbreviations

xiii

Part 1 The Royal Corresporu1ence of the Ur III Kings in Literary and Historical Perspective

TIle, correspondence of the kings of Ur : an epistolary hIstory of an ancient M ' . kingdom I [edited by] Piotr MIchalowski. ' esopotalntan p. em. - (Mesopotamian civillzations ; 15) Includes bibliographical references .md indexes. ISBN 978·1-57506-194_8 (hardback: alk. paper)

I. Sumer18n lettets-Translations into English 2' cr (E t' . ) K' I. 3 U ( . . . . v x mcrctty - mgsand

.

r Extmct Ctty)-HiStory-Sources.

J.882.C6? 2011 899'.956008-dc22

1. Michalowski Piott· 1948' '

Introduction..,.....

3

Chapter 2.

Sumerian Literary Letters.

Chapter 3.

The Royal Letters in Their Literary Setting

14 35

Chapter 4. The Royal Letters in Their Historical Setting l: The Affairs of King Sulgi (Letters 1-12, 1518)

64

Chapter 5.

82

TI,e Amorites in Ur 1II TImes , . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 6. The Royal Letters in Their Historical Setting 2: Great Walls, Amorites, and Military History: The Puzur-Sulgi and Sarrum-bani Correspondence (Letters 13-14 and 19-20)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PubUcatWn Data

ru pe"3'

Chapter 1.

•

. . . .. 122

Chapter 7. The Royal Letters in Their Historical Setting 3: Ur, Isin, Kazallu, and the Final Decades of the Ur III State (Letters 21-24) ...

170

Chapter 8.

216

Afterword.

225

Appendixes

.-

2011015402 The paper used in rhls publication meet" th ~ ,. , dard fo 1nfo ' &: ... e Iu~rurnum tequtrements of the American National Stan 1984, ~'N rmatIOn 'iences-Permanence of Paper for Printed LIbrary Materials l ANSl Z39,48:

Part 2 The Correspondence of the Kings of Ur; Text Editions Introduction to the Text Editions.

235

1. Aradmu to Sulgi 1 . . . . . . (ArSl, 3.1.1, AI, RCD 1)

249

© Copyright 2011 Eisenbrauns

Contents

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

www.eisenbrauns.com

Foreword, ..

ix

Abbreviations

xiii

Part 1

The Royal Correspondence of the Ur III Kings in Literary and Historical Perspective

T~, cOll'respo;n[eddenedce bof]the kings oflir, an epistolary history of a~ ancient Mesopotamian lOge om It Y PIotr Michalowski. p. em, (Mesopotamian civilizations; 15) Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 97B·].57506·194·8 (hardback; alk. paper) L 'M) K' d I1. Sumerian 3 ' letters' . ..-Translations into Engli·! \ U .2. Ur (Extt' ne t Cf"r - ..• tng~ an ru ern, . ur (Extmct city)-History-...sollrces. l. Michalowjord, by J-E GregOire. Pans: Pall Geuthner, 1996, ,,_ Altbabylonische Briefe in Umschrift uruIlJbersetzung Arc;',ves episwlaircs de Mari Archiv fUr OrientjOrschung. . bd AkJ
Neo·Sumerian Account Te,/.< in the Horn Archaeological Museum. by M. Sigrist. Andrews Univetsity Cuneiform Texts 1, Berrien Springs: Andtews University Press, 1984. Neo·Sumerian Account Texts in the Horn Archaeological Museum, by M. Sigrist. Andrews University Cuneiform Texts 2, Betrien Springs: Andrews University Press. 1988.

The Royal Correspondence COLI CDLJ CH Charpin, Archives

Babyloniaca Baglulakr Mitteilungen 'Berliner Beitrage zum Vorderen Orient

Catalogue of Cuneiform Tablets in Birmingham City Museum I, by P. J. Watson. Warminster: Philip & Aries, 1986. C,atalogue of Cuneiform Tablets in Birmingham City Museum 2, bv P. J. Watson. Warminster: Philip & Aries, 1993. Base de Dams de Texms Neosumerios. Online: http://bdtns.tilol .csic,es The Babylonian Expedition of the UniverSity of Pennsylvania Bibliotheca Mesopotamica Babylonian Inscriptions in the Collection of]. B. Nics

Civil, Forerunners

Civil, InslTUCtions

CKU

Bulletin of the Ancient Orient Museum Biblioreca del Proximo Oriente Antigua Bulletin on Sumerian Agriculture

Bulletin of the School of Oriental. and African Studies The Ass)~ian Dictionary of the University of Chicago Urul