Letter from Ibi-Erra to Ibbi-Suen about the purchase of grain

1-2. Say to Ibbi-Suen, my lord: this is what Ibi-Erra, your servant, says: 3-6. You ordered me to travel to Isin and Kazallu to purchase grain. With grain reaching the exchange rate of one shekel of silver per gur, 20 talents of silver have been invested for {the purchase} {(2 mss. have instead:) } of grain. 7-12. I heard news that the hostile Martu have entered inside your territories. {I entered with 72,000 gur of grain} {(1 ms. has instead:) 72,000 gur of grain was brought} -- the entire amount of grain -- inside Isin. Now I have let the Martu, all of them, penetrate inside the Land, and one by one I have seized all the fortifications therein. Because of the Martu, {I am unable to hand over} {(2 mss. have instead:) I am unable to make } this grain for threshing. They are stronger than me, while I am condemned to sitting around. 13-16. Let my lord repair 600 {barges} {(2 mss. have instead:) boats} of 120 gur draught each; 72 solid boats, 20 , 30 , placing (?) 50 and 60 (?) boat doors on the boats (?), may he also all the boats. 17-21. {Let them bring it up} {(1 ms. has instead:) May he make them go out} by water, along the Kura and the Palitum watercourses, to the grain heaps (?) that are spread out. And I myself intend to {go (?)} {(1 ms. has instead:) come out} and meet them (?). The place there where the boats moor will be under my responsibility. Let them load up huge amounts of grain (?), the entire amount of grain; it should reach (?) you. 22-23. If you have not got enough grain, I myself shall have grain brought in to you. 24-28. My lord has become distressed about the battles in Elam. But the Elamites' grain rations have quickly been exhausted, so do not slacken your forces! Do not fall head first into their slavery, nor follow at their heels! 29-30. I have at my disposal enough grain to meet the needs of your palace and of {all the cities} {(1 ms. has instead:) all your cities} for 15 years. 31-33. {That I should guard for you} {(2 mss. have instead:) To guard} {(1 ms. adds:) the city of} Isin, and Nibru: {let it be my responsibility.} {(1 ms. has instead:) my lord, is this my responsibility?} My lord should know this! (end of shorter version) 34-37. My lord, I am without fear! I will not delay (?); I will not in their midst. Each one of Isin's and Nibru's gods may search there for faces (?); I have indeed looked for them. Their widespread people, their population , huge , are indeed healthy; the true seed is {indeed great there} {(1 ms. has instead:) precious}. 38-41. Urim, your holy city, rivalling heaven and earth, whose great prince you are , of which the appearance is precious, which dispenses the divine powers and makes the foundations (?) and the plans firm both in the south and in the uplands, will

surely escape from the grasp and will cry . 42-45. Elam, a raging dog, a destroyer, will not defile E-ki-nu-al, the sanctuary which covers heaven and earth, which has no . Its protective spirits shall not be split apart! My lord: the loudest roarer (?), the runner, has taken flight (?)! 46-51. May An, Enlil and Enki, who have loved Ibbi-Suen from the womb, look upon him approvingly. is indeed placed there; they have changed (?) their appearance. With the and (?) the city-gates of Urim opening, they cry "Aee!" If says, "Who is my lord?" -- You are the king to whom Enlil has given no rival! 52-55. Your heart should not fret over this, ! For has avenged (?) ; he has made its foundations firm for you. Let your heart be glad over and (?) its seed. As long as my lord is alive, he will exercise kingship over Urim. 56-58. Do not suddenly reject anything that is sent as a message (?) to my lord! Before Utu, I will not change my word (?).

Letter from Ibbi-Suen to Ibi-Erra about his bad conduct

1-2. Say to Ibi-Erra: this is what your lord (?), Ibbi-Suen, says: 3-10. As long as Enlil was my lord (?), what course were you following? And is this how you alter your word? Today Enlil detests me, he detests his son Suen (the principal deity of Urim) , and is handing Urim over to the enemy. Its central part (?) is gone, the enemy has risen up, and all the lands are thrown into disarray. But on the day when Enlil turns again towards his son Suen, you and your word will be marked out! 11-13. You have received 20 talents of silver to purchase grain. You purchase it at the price of one shekel of silver per 2 gur of grain, but in dealing with me, you fix the price at one shekel of silver per 1 gur of grain! 14-18. How could you allow Puzur-Numuda, the commander of the fortress Igiursaa, to let the hostile Martu penetrate into my Land? Until now (?) he has not (?) sent to you word (?) about engaging in battle. There are puny men in the Land! Why has he not (?) faced the Martu?

TRAICIN DE ISHBI-ERRA Letter from Puzur-ulgi to Ibbi-Suen about Ibi-

Erra's claim on Isin

1-3. Say to Ibbi-Suen, my lord: this is what Puzur-ulgi, the governor of Kazallu, your servant, says: 4-6. A messenger of Ibi-Erra came to me. He presented himself before me announcing: "Ibi-Erra, my lord, sends you a message:" 7-14. " "Enlil, my lord, has the shepherdship of the land. Enlil has told me to bring before Ninisina the cities, deities and troops of the region of the Tigris, Euphrates, Ab-gal and Me-Enlila watercourses, from the province of amazi {to the sea of Magan} {(1 ms. has instead:) and from the of Magan}, so as to make Isin the storehouse of Enlil, to make it famous, and {to make those regions its spoils of war and to make Isin's citizens occupy their cities} {(1 ms. has instead:) to make Isin's citizens occupy the cities as spoils of war.}"" 15-17. " "Why do you oppose (?) me? {I swear by the name of my lord Enlil and by Dagan, my personal god} {(2 mss. have instead:) I swear by the name of Dagan, my personal god}, that I will indeed get hold of Kazallu!"" 18-25. " "The cities and the province which Enlil has promised me {I want to build up} {(1 ms. has instead:) I want to place} within Isin in their . I want to perform at their ee festivals. I want to install my statues, my emblems, my en priests {(2 mss. add:) and luma priests} and nindiir priestesses in their ipar shrines. Before Enlil, within the E-kur, before Nanna, within the E-ki-nu-al, the shall speak their prayers."" 26-29. " "And as for you, {I want to remove} {(2 mss. have instead:) eradicate} from within his country the man in whom you placed your trust! I want to rebuild the fortification of Isin and name it dil-punu!"" 30-32. Just as he said he would, he has rebuilt the fortification of Isin and named it dil-punu. 33-34. He has captured Nibru and installed {his garrison} {(1 ms. has instead:) set guards} there. Also he has captured Nidugani, the chief administrator {of Nibru} {(1 ms. has instead:) at Nibru}. 35-36. He {has imprisoned} {(1 ms. has instead:) made a prisoner of} Zinnum, the governor {of Subir} {(1 ms. has instead:) of Ki}. He has plundered amazi. 37-42. He has made {Nr-a} {(2 mss. have instead:) Nr-Ea}, the governor of Enunna, u-Enlil, the governor of Ki, and {Puzur-Tutu} {(1 ms. has instead:) Puzur-Marduk}, the governor of Bad-ziaba, return to their posts. At his cry of victory the land is covered (?) like a . Ibi-Erra is constantly at the head of (?) his soldiers! 43-48. Just as he said he would, he has captured the regions of the Tigris, Euphrates, Ab-gal and Me-Enlila watercourses. He has made Iddin enter Malgium

(?). {Opposing} {(1 ms. has instead:) hating} Girbubu, the governor of irikal, he {cut off his strap} {(2 mss. have instead:) he removed his barley stores (?)} and captured him. {His cry of victory lies heavily upon us (?)} {(1 ms. has instead:) he named }. 49-53. Now Ibi-Erra is looking in my direction. I have no ally, nobody with whom I can align myself. Since he has not yet been able to get me in his grasp, let me come to you when he falls upon me. My lord should know this!

Letter from Ibbi-Suen to Puzur-ulgi hoping for Ibi-Erra's downfall

Version A

1-3. Say to {Puzur-ulgi} {(2 mss. have instead:) Puzur-Numuda}, the governor of Kazallu: this is what Ibbi-Suen, your lord, says: 4-5. When I had chosen for you from among the troops, they were at your disposal, as governor of Kazallu. But as in my own case, are not {your troops} {(1 ms. has instead:) your people} proof (?) of your importance? 6-9. Why have you sent me somebody saying: "Ibi-Erra has got his eyes upon me -- so let me come to you when he falls upon me"? 10-14. How come you did not know how long it would take to make Ibi-Erra return to the mountain lands? Why have you and Girbubu, the governor of irikal, not confronted him with the troops which you had at hand? How could you allow (?) him to restore (?) ? 15-19. Today (?) Enlil loathes Sumer and has elevated to the shepherdship of the Land an ape which has {descended} {(2 mss. have instead:) come forth} from those mountain lands. {Now Enlil has given kingship to a dishonest man, {a seller of} {(1 ms. has instead:) who values} asafoetida} {(1 ms. has instead:) At this moment Enlil to somebody who sells asafoetida, a peripatetic criminal} -- to Ibi-Erra, who is not of Sumerian origin. 20-24. See, the assembly where the gods are and Sumer itself have been dispersed! Father Enlil, whose words prevail (?), said: "Until the enemy has been expelled (?) from Urim, Ibi-Erra, the man from Mari, will tear out Urim's foundations. He will indeed measure out Sumer like grain." He has spoken just so. 25-28. Even though you were installed as governors of the various the others will defect to Ibi-Erra, in accordance with Enlil's word. Should you hand over your city to the enemy like your companions, {Ibi-Erra will not recognise

you as his faithful and agreeable servant.} {(1 ms. has instead:) will Ibi-Erra recognise you as his faithful and agreeable servant?} 29-34. May it now be brought about (?) that good words should be restored and treason extinguished. Let Ibi-Erra (?) participate in the harvest among the people there; but you yourself, {do not turn back} {(1 ms. has instead:) do not harvest}, and do not come to me! His grasp should not get hold of the city! This man from Mari, with the understanding of a dog, should not exercise lordship! 35-38. {Now Enlil, my helper, has made the Martu rise from their mountain lands} {(1 ms. has instead:) Now Enlil has the Tidnum as from their mountain lands}. They will repel Elam and seize Ibi-Erra. To regain the Land will indeed make our might known in all the foreign lands. It is urgent! {Do not be neglectful} {(1 ms. has instead:) Do not all give up}!
Version B unknown no. of lines missing

1-4. sent : 1 line missing come (?). they stood . 5-8. How come you did not know to make return to the mountain lands? of irikal, they had , they have not confronted him. How could you allow him (?) to ? 9-13. detests . After (?) he has elevated to the shepherdship of the Land. has given kingship to asafoetida , who is . 14-19. After has been dispersed, 3 lines missing Enlil spoke thus: " will ." 20-23. 1 line fragmentary He (?) will defect to Ibi-Erra . So long as has indeed not been handed over to (?) the enemy, will Ibi-Erra himself (?) recognise ? 24-35. You . he (?) destroyed (?) for you. 1 line fragmentary he (?) overturns (?) there. returning (?) . in my having . I (?) had in mind . was set there in prosperity. is supreme over , after I (?) have made there. I will seize him with my own hands . 1 line fragmentary unknown no. of lines missing