VISUALIZATION OF THE SCENE FEATURING A PERSON FALLING SICK ON THE SEAL IMPRESSION ON THE CUNEIFORM TABLET’S ENVELOPE FROM KULTEPE (COLLECTION OF THE PUSHKIN STATE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, I 2 B 1589)

Статья посвящена публикации фрагмента конверта от клинописной таблички с изображением интереснейшей композиции магического характера. В результате исследования выявлено, что сцена заболевания человека является центральной в сюжете. Нергал, бог Подземного мира, которого мы можем распознать по его символу - двуглавому скипетру, насылает на грешника львиноголового демона для причинения наказания - вызывания болезни у человека. Причина многих болезней по представлениям жителей Древней Месопотамии - гнев божества. Главной аналогией данному изображению является композиция на еще одной старовавилонской печати. На фрагменте конверта I 2 б 1589 присутствуют также два символа - сосуд и жезл с шаром. Установлено, что комбинация этих символов наиболее часто встречается на печатях из Сиппара или области Диялы, что может говорить о происхождении исследуемой печати либо резчика, ее изготовившего, с севера Нижней Месопотамии. The article is devoted to the publication of a fragment of a cuneiform tablet’s envelope with the image of interesting composition of a magical nature (Fig. 1; 2). The study revealed that the plot’s central scene is the scene depicting the process of getting sick. Nergal, the god of the Underworld, whom we can recognize by his symbol -a two-headed scepter, sends a lion-headed demon on the sinner to inflict punishment by making the sinner fall ill (many diseases were caused by anger of a deity according to the Ancient Mesopotamian conceptions/ideas). The main analogy to this image is the composition on another Old Babylonian seal (Fig. 3). The fragment of the envelope I 2 b 1589 also contains two symbols - a vessel and a ball-staff. It has been established that the combination of these symbols is most often found on seals from Sippar or the Diyala region, which implies that either the studied seal or its carver came from the northern part of Lower Mesopotamia.

Ein neues zweisprachiges altbabylonisches Vokabular aus Ur

This article presents the first edition of an Old-Babylonian acrographic vocabulary excavated in the city of Ur. Although fragmentary and poorly preserved, this text provides interesting new aspects for the understanding of the so-called „dialects“ of Sumerian and of bilingual language teaching in general, and identifies lurû(m) „(man with a) thin/croaky voice“ as a (person with a) speech defect described as „Emesal“. In addition, it contains entries of business terminology known from the north Babylonian „Sippar Phrasebook“, the Old Babylonian „Forerunner“ of canonical Ura 1 and 2.

Problems in studying of Akkadian expression ubānum ištēt ‘one finger’

The Akkadian expression ubānum ištēt ‘one finger’ is found in the Old Babylonian letters of the 18th century BCE, where it is used as an allegoric description of a close alliance between rulers. In the Assyriological literature, there are two possible explanations of the origin of this expression. According to the first one, the allegory of ‘one finger’ was based on a symbolic gesture performed by the kings while concluding a treaty. This gesture consisted of joining or locking thumbs or index fingers. The second explanation suggested that the expression ‘one finger’ referred to a phenomenon of syndactyly, i.e. an inborn defect of fusing of two or more fingers. The imagination of ancient Mesopotamians could turn such fused fingers into the symbol of alliance. W. L. Moran, whom these explanations belong to, considered the first one to be the clearest. Other scholars also accepted this explanation. Thus, in 2019 D. Charpin compared the Akkadian expression with a scene of concluding alliance between two Asian rulers of the 1st century AD, as described in the “Annals” of Tacitus. According to the Roman historian, the ceremony included binding the right thumbs of the two rulers. However, no direct proofs from written or iconographic sources from the 2nd millennium BCE were found, which support any of these explanations. The present article suggests considering as an iconographic proof of the first explanation the Ugarit stele, RS 7.116. This stele dates back to the 14th century BCE and likely preserves an iconographic source for concluding an alliance. The two rulers are standing in front of each other with a high table placed between them. On this table are sitting two tablets representing a treaty between the two parties. The rulers lean the elbows of one of their hands against the tablets and join (or are about to join) the fingers of those hands at the height of their heads. If this is so, and the Old Babylonian and Ugarit sources refer to the same gesture, the stele from Ugarit provides a sufficient ground for speculations about continuity of symbolic and legal practices in Syria and Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium BCE.

The Role of Legal Texts in Mesopotamian Scribal Education

Mesopotamian scribal education in the Old Babylonian (OB) period included exposure to a wide range of legal-oriented texts, including sample or “model contracts,” “model cases” (or fictional cases), legal phrasebooks, and short series of laws. Although not all of these texts had immediate application, a number of them had ties to law on the ground. Sumerian model contracts, the fictional cases, and legal phrasebooks all include contractual clauses that mirror those used in actual OB contracts. The student exercise known as Laws about Rented Oxen likewise exhibits parallels with actual contracts of hire. When this diverse content is examined as a whole, it becomes apparent that the legal-pedagogical texts reflect a cultural matrix unto themselves, with copious cross-references and abundant links to law beyond the educational sphere. This legal-pedagogical content provides a crucial foundation for the reassessment of the origins of biblical law.

AN UNPUBLISHED LETTER OF SAMSU-ILUNA KING OF BABYLON

This short letter of Samsu-iluna (1749–1712 B.C), king of Babylon, is preserved in the Slemani Museum, along with a number of other Old Babylonian documents. The article gives a brief overview of the letters of Samsu-iluna. The short letter appears to be addressed to one Ipqu-Gula, who may be a šassukkum-official (the head of the cadastre-office) from Isin. The article presents a copy, transliteration, translation of and commentary on this cuneiform document, which adds to the small number of letters sent directly by Samsu-iluna that are currently available.