Old Babylonian

The term is used to describe the culture of southern Mesopotamia between approximately 2000 BC-1600 BC.

Description:

The Old Babylonian Period describes southern Mesopotamia where a number of important sates dominated the region, including Isin, Larsa, Eshnuna, and Babylon.  The sixth ruler of Babylon, Hamurabi, unified the southern states and expanded his control into north Mesopotamia.  After his death, the empire gradually shrank, but remained an important power until it was sacked by the Hittite king Mursili I.  During the Old Babylonian period, literary activity flourished with scribes composing and recording religious, poetic, and ‘scientific’ works in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform.  The state retained the Akkadian language for official use, and the Sumerian language for religious use, but Amorite was the spoken language.  The earlier Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in Babylonian culture.  

Ultra-Low Chronology: 1798-1499 BCE

Short/Low Chronology: 1830-1531 BCE

Middle Chronology: 1894-1595 BCE

Long/High Chronology: 1950-1651 BCE

Objects: Old Babylonian Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
16096 52-30-158, 52-30-157 (none) (none) Clay tablet. Date: mu gis tukul ba-an-sig UET/V:397 [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16097 52-30-182, 52-30-182 (none) (none) Clay tablet UET/V:493 [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16502 52-30-164, 52-30-164 (none) (none) Clay tablet. Commercial. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16506B (none) (none) (none) [A-G] 7 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) mu-us-sa 10 kam i-si-in-na in-dib-ba. (B) mugis gu-za bar zag-bi-us kuggi bar es-ma mah ^dinanna-ra mu-na-dim. ; (C) (no date); (D) (No date); (E) (No date); (F) (no date); (G) (no date).
16506D 52-30-86, 52-30-86 (none) (none) [A-G] 7 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) mu-us-sa 10 kam i-si-in-na in-dib-ba. (B) mugis gu-za bar zag-bi-us kuggi bar es-ma mah ^dinanna-ra mu-na-dim. ; (C) (no date); (D) (No date); (E) (No date); (F) (no date); (G) (no date).
16507C (none) (none) (none) [A-D] 4 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) mu-us-sa 4-kam i-(si)-in ba-(an-ky), inventory of cattle (B) mu^id mu-ba-al, (cf. Rim-Sin (b), SAKI 237, note a ?) (C) no date; (D) no date,
16512 (none) (none) (none) Clay tablet. Date: mu-us-sa 6-kam i-si-in-na ba-dib-ba Rim-Sin. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16519 (none) (none) (none) Clay Tablet. Babylonian letter to: A-hu-ki-nu-um from: Lu-dUru-ses-gal HC.30/VIII,1. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16521 (none) (none) (none) Clay tablet. (fragment). [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16522A (none) (none) (none) [A-F] 6 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) muididigna ba-ba-al Rim-Sin (SAKI 237); (B) muidXX-na ba-ba-al..... (C) (mu id) idigna ba-ba-al... (D) mu bad-gal...d u-a..., H.C. 30/IX, 1;, UET/V:816; (E) Babylonian letter; (F) Babylonian letter to: E-a-na-sir; From Ar-bi-tu..., UET/V:7; see also UET/V:23; UET/V: 614.
16522F (none) (none) (none) [A-F] 6 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) muididigna ba-ba-al Rim-Sin (SAKI 237); (B) muidXX-na ba-ba-al..... (C) (mu id) idigna ba-ba-al... (D) mu bad-gal...d u-a..., H.C. 30/IX, 1;, UET/V:816; (E) Babylonian letter; (F) Babylonian letter to: E-a-na-sir; From Ar-bi-tu..., UET/V:7; see also UET/V:23; UET/V: 614.
16524A (none) (none) (none) [A-F] 6 Clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) mu-us-sa-a-bi 4-kam-ma, i-si-in-na in-dib Rim-Sin; (B) no date...; (C) no date...; (D) no date...; (E) no date...; (F) no date...;
16524D 52-30-175 (none) (none) [A-F] 6 Clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) mu-us-sa-a-bi 4-kam-ma, i-si-in-na in-dib Rim-Sin; (B) no date...; (C) no date...; (D) no date...; (E) no date...; (F) no date...;
16526E (none) (none) (none) [A-E] 5 Clay Tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) muidburanum ba-ba-al; UET/V: 417; (B) mu...; (C) mu...; (D) mu...; (E) mu...
16527B (none) (none) (none) [A-I] 9 Clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) Babylonian letter to: Su-mu-um-li-ib-si and UD.KA.BAR-... From: E-a-na-sir & Ilu-su-ellat-su. H.C. 30/X,1. (B)... UET/V:689; (C)....; (D)..., UET/V:65; (E)...; (F)...; (G)...; (H)...; (I)... (O)...,UET/V:72
16527D (none) (none) (none) [A-I] 9 Clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) Babylonian letter to: Su-mu-um-li-ib-si and UD.KA.BAR-... From: E-a-na-sir & Ilu-su-ellat-su. H.C. 30/X,1. (B)... UET/V:689; (C)....; (D)..., UET/V:65; (E)...; (F)...; (G)...; (H)...; (I)... (O)...,UET/V:72
16536 (none) (none) (none) Clay cone. Fragmentary. Sin-idinnam; building of Ebabbar. (Ur inscr 118)
16543 31-43-274 (none) (none) Mace head, diorite (see U.16544) Dedicated to Pa-sag HC.30/III,7.
16566 (none) (none) (none) Clay tablet. Date: mu-us-sa 5-kam, en d.nannar BA-hun-ga fifth year after the high-priest of Nannar was raised to his office Sumu-ilum. (Ur Inscription 250). [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16580 (none) (none) (none) Clay tablet. Babylonian letter to: ^dSin-...; from ^dSin-...; H.C. 30/Xi, [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16581 52-30-60, 52-30-60 (none) (none) Clay tablet. Babylonian letter. To: ^dSin-ri-me-ni; From: ^dSin-mu-ta-si-ma. H.C. 30/IX, 2. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16582 31-43-248 (none) (none) Clay cone. Fragment.
16589 (none) (none) (none) Clay Tablet. Babylonian letter. To: ^dSin-be-el-i-li; From: ^dSamas-na-sir; H.C. 30/VIII, 3. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
16595A (none) (none) (none) [A-D] 4 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A)...; (B) Seventh year after Isin was conquered Rim-Sin; Seal : E-ri-ba-amden, dumu ^dSin-i-warad den; (C) Fourth year after Isin was conquered Rim-Sin. (D) Fourth year after Isin was conquered Rim-Sin.
16596E 52-30-178, 52-30-178 (none) (none) [A-E] 5 clay tablets. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] (A) Fourth ? year after Isin was conquered Rim-Sin; (B) Fourth year after Isin was conquered Rim-Sin; (C) i.q. (A)...Seal; (D) Fifth year after Isin was conquered Rim-sin. (E) no date.

Locations: Old Babylonian Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Location Context Title Context Description Description (Modern)
House I Excavation house designation on the southeast side of Straight Street (originally called Division Street as it divided the first excavation house designations I, II, and III). This unit covered published houses No.2 and No. 4 Straight Street. (none)
House II Excavation house designation on the northwest side of Straight Street (originally called Division Street because it divided the initial excavation units of House I, II, and III). This unit may have initially contained some rooms in No. 3 Straight Street. (none)
House III Excavation designation for a portion of area AH that was eventually published as No. 1 Church Lane and No. 1 Straight Street. It was also called the Pa-Sag or Hendur-Sag chapel. This space was identified as a neighborhood or wayside chapel at the NW edge of Carfax. (none)
House IV Excavation designation in area AH mostly covering No. 1 Old Street but likely containing parts of No. 7 Church Lane as well. (none)
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Child Terms

Isin Larsa

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The Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus