Middle Assyrian Scribal Education. The Case of Ninurta-uballissu and his Sons

Middle Assyrian Scribal EducationThe Case of Ninurta-uballissu and his Sons

K. Wagensonner

Institut fur OrientalistikUniversitat Wien

July 6th, 2009

Introduction The Family The Texts Details

Introductory Remarks

Introduction

1 IntroductionIntroductory RemarksNinurta-uballissuFindspotBilingual Teaching

2 The FamilyMembersDating

3 The TextsOverviewColophons

4 DetailsSome DetailsTranslations

K. Wagensonner Middle Assyrian Scribal Education


Ninurta-uballissu

The royal scribe Ninurta-uballissu

dNin-urta-u2-TI.LA-su(VAT 8875: rev.iv:42; VAT 9716: rev.ii:22’; Ass. 523: rev.iv:73; BM 98745+: rev.ii’:13’; VAT 9416:

rev.38; Ass. 4463: rev.iv:84; Ass. 2559: rev.iv:50; MS 3030: rev.iv:30; VAT 9552: rev.iv:37)

dNin-urta-TI.LA-su(VAT 9710: rev.iv:28’; VAT 9304: rev.32’)

dNin-urta-u2-TI-su(VAT 10172: rev.vi:46’)



Findspot

The Reconstructed Library M 2



Bilingual Teaching

Bilingualism

Bilingual teaching is conveyed in two categories of texts:

Lexical lists (VAT 8875) Literary compositions (VAT 9710)



Members

The Family members

Ninurta-uballissu:dNin-urta-u2-TI.LA-sudNin-urta-TI.LA-sudNin-urta-u2-TI-su

Marduk-balassu-eres:dAMAR.UTU-TI.LA-su-KAM

Bel-aha-iddina:d+EN-SES-SUM-na

Sın-suma-iddina:d30-MU-SUM-na



Dating

Dating

Assur-aha-iddina(VAT 9710, VAT 9304, MS 3030, VAT 9308)

Assur-ismanni/Abı-ilı(VAT 8875, VAT 9534, Ass. 2559)

Ikkaru(VAT 9416, Ass. 4463)

dated to the reign of Ninurta-apil-Ekur (1191–1179/1181–1168 BC)

Samnuha-asared(VAT 9487)



Dating

Bel-aha-iddina’s later career as scribe

... in the eponymy of Samnuha-asared

VAT 9487 (Diri III)



Dating

placement

Completely lost date on BM 122625

(Lugal-e)

Partly broken date on VAT 9304

(Nin-Isina(k)’s Journey to Nippur)



Dating

Tablets with preserved dates

text no. Mus.no. Serie no. Date

1.1.1 VAT 8875 Ana ittisu VI 7.I+.Assur-ismanni

1.1.2 VAT 9534 Aa : naqu III 17.[...].Assur-ismanni/Abı-ilı

1.2.1 VAT 9710 Lugal-e IX-XII [...].[...].Assur-aha-iddina

1.2.4 VAT 9304 NJN 19.[...].A[ssur-aha-iddina]

1.2.5 VAT 9416 Astrolabe B [...].[...].Ikkaru

2.1.1 Ass. 4463 Ura III 1.XII.Ikkaru

2.1.2 Ass. 2559 Diri II x+7.[...].[Assur-ismann]i/Abı-ilı

2.1.3 VAT 9487 Diri III 2.V.Samnu[ha-asared]

2.1.4 MS 3030 Kagal 14.IX.Assur-aha-iddina

2.1.6 VAT 9552 Ana ittisu III 19.II.[...]

2.2.1 VAT 9308 NJN [...].[...].Assur-aha-iddina



Overview

The Family

Ninurta-uballissu

Marduk-balassu-eres

LexicalVAT8875

VAT9534

VAT9716

VAT10383

Const.4564

Ass. 523

Literary

VAT9710

BM122625

BM98745+

VAT9304VAT

9416Bel-aha-iddina

Lexical

VAT9592 Ass.

4463

MS 3030

Ass.2559

VAT9487

VAT9552

Literary

VAT9308

Sın-suma-iddina

Lexical

VAT10172

Literary

BM121117



Overview

Overview over the textstext no. Mus.no. Serie no. Writer ControllerDate

1.1.1 VAT 8875 Ana ittisu VI MBE — 7.I+.Assur-ismanni

1.1.2 VAT 9534 Aa : naqu III MBE — 17.[...].Assur-ismanni/Abı-ilı

1.1.3 VAT 9716 Nabnıtu IV MBE BAI [...]

1.1.4 VAT 10383 Kagal B MBE BAI [...]

1.1.5 Const. 4564 Ura V MBE — [...]

1.1.6 Ass. 523 Ea II MBE BAI [...]

1.2.1 VAT 9710 Lugal-e IX-XII MBE BAI [...].[...].Assur-aha-iddina

1.2.2 BM 122625 Lugal-e XIII-XVI

MBE BAI [...]

1.2.3 BM 98745+ An-gim MBE BAI [...]

1.2.4 VAT 9304 NJN MBE BAI 19.[...].A[ssur-aha-iddina]

1.2.5 VAT 9416 Astrolabe B MBE BAI [...].[...].Ikkaru

2.1.1 Ass. 4463 Ura III BAI — 1.XII.Ikkaru

2.1.2 Ass. 2559 Diri II BAI — x+7.[...].[Assur-ismann]i/Abı-ilı

2.1.3 VAT 9487 Diri III Nabu-suma-iddina

BAI 2.V.Samnu[ha-asared]

2.1.4 MS 3030 Kagal BAI MBE 14.IX.Assur-aha-iddina

2.1.5 VAT 9592 Kagal A BAI MBE [...]

2.1.6 VAT 9552 Ana ittisu III BAI — 19.II.[...]

2.2.1 VAT 9308 NJN BAI MBE [...].[...].Assur-aha-iddina

3.1.1 VAT 10172 Ea I SSI — —

3.2.1 BM 121117 ? SSI — —



Overview

Unpublished manuscript MS 3030



Colophons

Standardized formula

Cf. the edition in Hunger, BAK, nos. 43f.

Fig. colophon of VAT 8875 (ana ittisu VI)



Colophons

Directly above the colophon

TIL : Akk. qati in VAT 9304

(Nin-Isina(k)’s Journey to Nippur)

... and on the creation myth KAR 4(VAT 9307)

written by a certain Kidin-Sın



Colophons


section transliterated example (VAT 8875)

catch linerubrum A2.KUS2.U3 ma-na-ah-tu

tablet/series DUB.7.KAM2.MA KI KI.KAL.BI.SE3 a-na it-t[i-su]

linecount SU.NIGIN2 3 SU MU.BI.IM

redaction AL.TIL IGI.KAR2 GABA.RI NIBRUki [ ]

scribe SU mdAMAR.UTU-TI.LA-su-KAM DUB.SAR TUR

DUMU dNIN.URTA-u2-TI.LA-su DUB.SAR LUGAL

control (takenfrom VAT 9416)

IGI.KAR2md+EN-SES-SUM-na

prohibitive MU da-sur su-me sa-at.-ra la ta-pa-si-it.

date ITI.DIRI ITI.BARA2 UD.7.KAM2 li-mu mda-sur-is-ma-ni



Colophons

Checked tablets

text no. Mus.no. Serie no. Writer ControllerDate

1.1.3 VAT 9716 Nabnıtu IV MBE BAI [...]

1.1.4 VAT 10383 Kagal B MBE BAI [...]

1.1.6 Ass. 523 Ea II MBE BAI [...]

1.2.1 VAT 9710 Lugal-e IX-XII MBE BAI [...].[...].Assur-aha-iddina

1.2.2 BM 122625 Lugal-e XIII-XVI

MBE BAI [...]

1.2.3 BM 98745+ An-gim MBE BAI [...]

1.2.4 VAT 9304 NJN MBE BAI 19.[...].A[ssur-aha-iddina]

1.2.5 VAT 9416 Astrolabe B MBE BAI [...].[...].Ikkaru

2.1.3 VAT 9487 Diri III Nabu-suma-iddina

BAI 2.V.Samnu[ha-asared]

2.1.4 MS 3030 Kagal BAI MBE 14.IX.Assur-aha-iddina

2.1.5 VAT 9592 Kagal A BAI MBE [...]

2.2.1 VAT 9308 NJN BAI MBE [...].[...].Assur-aha-iddina



Colophons

The IGI.KAR2 section

Preserved specimen from VAT 9416 (Astrolabe B)



Colophons

The Family

Ninurta-uballissu

Marduk-balassu-eres

LexicalVAT8875

VAT9534

VAT9716

VAT10383

Const.4564

Ass. 523

Literary

VAT9710

BM122625

BM98745+

VAT9304VAT

9416Bel-aha-iddina

Lexical

VAT9592 Ass.

4463

MS 3030

Ass.2559

VAT9487

VAT9552

Literary

VAT9308

Sın-suma-iddina

Lexical

VAT10172

Literary

BM121117



Colophons


section transliterated example (VAT 8875)

catch linerubrum A2.KUS2.U3 ma-na-ah-tu

tablet/series DUB.7.KAM2.MA KI KI.KAL.BI.SE3 a-na it-t[i-su]

linecount SU.NIGIN2 3 SU MU.BI.IM

redaction AL.TIL IGI.KAR2 GABA.RI NIBRUki [ ]

scribe SU mdAMAR.UTU-TI.LA-su-KAM DUB.SAR TUR

DUMU dNIN.URTA-u2-TI.LA-su DUB.SAR LUGAL

control (takenfrom VAT 9416)

IGI.KAR2md+EN-SES-SUM-na

prohibitive MU da-sur su-me sa-at.-ra la ta-pa-si-it.

date ITI.DIRI ITI.BARA2 UD.7.KAM2 li-mu mda-sur-is-ma-ni



Colophons

The colophon of Nin-Isina(k)’s Journey to Nippur

49.AM3 MU.SID.BI.IM GABA.RI NIBRUki KA2.DINGIR.RAki

a-na pi-i t.up-pi2 sa-t.a-ri sa mBA-dNin-kar-ra-ak

[DU]MU Nin-urta-ba-ni sa-at.-rat



Colophons

The colophon of Sın-suma-iddina

DUB.1.KAM2.MA DIS e-a A na-a-q[u]

GIS.GAR3 A.Ames LIBIR.RAmes

EGIR.BI DIS du-u2 DU3 ba-nu-u2

SU d30-MU-SUM-na DUB.SAR TUR

DUMU dnin-urta-u2-TI-su DUB.SAR LUGAL



Some Details

VAT 9710 (= KAR 14), Lugal-e IX-XII



Some Details

BM 122625, Lugal-e XIII-XVI



Some Details

Secondary colophons

VAT 9710, col. iii

BM 122625,

col. iii



Some Details

Reconstruction of VAT 9710



Translations

SI=SI : eseru

Nin-Isina(k)’s Journey to Nippur, l.11dsu-nir-ra-a-ni zalag2 an-na-gin7 igi-a-ni-se3 si mi-ni-ib2-sidsu-ri-nu sa ki-ma nu-ur AN-e i+na pa-ni-sa us-te-sir3

{Her (Nin-Isina(k)’s) Emblem—(it is) like the light of the sky—is prepared beforeher.|

Lugal ud-me-lam2-bi nir-gal2, l.724

nin-sag-gi6-ga en2-tar-tar-re kalam-e si ba-ab-sibe-let s.al-mat SAG.DU mus-tal-tu mus-te-si-rat KURmes

{Queen of the Blackheads who asks (and) make order in the land.|



Translations

ES nu-nus and Akk. sin-nis-tu

Nin-Isina(k)’s Journey to Nippur, l.7

dumu-ki-ag2-ga2-ni dda-mu-sa6-ga nu-nus-zi dgu-nu-ramar-tu na-ra-am-ti dDA.MU sin-nis-tu SIG5-tu kit-tu dGU.NU.RA

{Her beloved child, the good Damu, righteous woman Gunura|

Lugal ud-me-lam2-bi nir-gal2, l.380

sul-zi nu-nus-zi-de3 ba-an-tu-udet.-lu ki-nu sa sin-nis-tu kit-tu ul-du-su

{Righteous adolescent whom the righteous woman had born.|



Translations

e3/UD.DU/HAD2.DA : hiat.u

Nin-Isina(k)’s Journey to Nippur, l.4

kalam-ma-ni dutu UD.DU-gin7 silim-ma mu-na-DUma-at-sa ki-ma dUTU i-ha-a-at. i+na sul-mi il-lak

{Her land–it overlooks like the sun–goes in peace (Akk.).|


Middle Assyrian Scribal Education. The Case of Ninurta-uballissu and his Sons

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Transcript of Middle Assyrian Scribal Education. The Case of Ninurta-uballissu and his Sons