For a floor plan of the museum see here. The showcase designations refer to the numbers given in the detail plan of the Ancient Near Eastern gallery below.

Beneath each showcase the text objects are labeled according to the numbers assigned in the showcases.

The Sumerian King List (SKL), Ashm 1923-444

Description:

Publication: OECT 02, plts. 1-4

Period: Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)

Translation

Overview:

(13) Legal document regarding division of property, Ashm 1930-407b

Description:

Publication: OECT 13, 179

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

(14) Inscribed clay bulla, Ashm 1932-553

Description:

Publication: OECT 15, 320

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

(14) Fragment of an inscribed clay bulla, Ashm 1932-569

Description:

Publication: OECT 15, 336

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

(15) Neo-Assyrian legal text, Ashm 1954-737

Description:

Publication:

Period: Neo-Assyrian (ca. 911-612 BC)

Translation:

(16) Cast of tablet, Ashm 1924-0056

Period: Uruk IV (ca. 3350-3200 BC)

(17) Account of sexagesimally counted objects, Ashm 1926-602

Description:

Publication: MSVO 1, 184

Period: Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience: Jemdet Nasr

Translation:

(18) Account of small amounts of grain, Ashm 1926-597

Description:

Publication: MSVO 1, 013

Period: Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience: Jemdet Nasr

Translation:

(19) http://cdli.ucla.edu/P412450, Ashm 2002-5

Description:

Period:

(20) http://cdli.ucla.edu/P222314, Ashm 1924-0455

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/1, pl. 001, 1924-455 + photo, pl. 1

Period: ED IIIa (ca. 2600-2500 BC)

Translation:

(21) http://cdli.ucla.edu/P222322, Ashm 1928-016

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/1, pl. 004, 1928-016 + photo, pl. 2

Period: ED IIIa (ca. 2600-2500 BC)

Translation:

(22) Ancient Kudurru from Kish, Ashm 1928-423

Description:

Publication: OIP 104, 017

Period: ED I-II (ca. 2900-2700 BC)

Provenience: Kish

Translation:

(23) Old Akkadian record of fourteen orchards, Ashm 1924-0661

Description: The record contains information regarding fourteen orchards, their date-palms and the respective gardeners.

Publication: MAD 5, 106

Period: Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC)

Translation:
95 date-palms, garden of Ur-barag;
23 date-palms, garden of Lugal-itida;
60+[…] date-palms, garden of Enlil, Lisi (is) the(ir) gardener;
38 date-palms, garden of Ur-pisag;
151 date-palms, garden of Idsha;
44 date-palms, garden of Elili, Urpisag (is) the(ir) gardener;
55 date-palms, Nammahni (is) the(ir) gardener;
26 date-palms, garden of Libit-mati;
105 date-palms, Lumma (is) the(ir) gardener;
62 date-palms, garden of Lugal-lu;
50 date-palms, the grand garden;
76 date-palms, the pure garden, Enur (is) the(ir) gardener;
74 date-palms, the 'long' garden;
32 date-palms, garden of Dudu;
40 trees (apparently unfinished)

http://cdli.ucla.edu/P345783, Ashm 1924-0475

Description:

Publication: OECT 05, 02

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

(26) A praise poem of Enlil-bani, Ashm 1922-160

Description:

Publication: OECT 01, pl. 10-12

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation

(27) Sîn-kashid royal inscription, Ashm 1960-1170

Description: This is one of many specimen for a short building inscription on brick-like tablets that commemorates the building of the palace of Sîn-kashid, king of Uruk.

Publication: RIME 4.04.01.02, ex. 054

Period: Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)

Provenience: Uruk

Translation:
Sîn-kashid,
the strong man,
king of Uruk,
king of Amnanum,
built his royal palace.

Check out examples in other collections

(29) Letter of Hammurapi to Shamash-hazir and his colleagues, Ashm 1923-033

Description:

Publication: OECT 03, 25

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:
Speak to Shamash-h[azir], Sîn-mu[shallim] and the[ir] comrades, thus Hammurapi:
Now I have sent there Zikir-ilishu and Erishum together with the cavalry under their leadership.
Furthermore, I have instructed Apil-ilishu, the scribe of the team of the palace's guardianship, and sent (him) with them there.
According the wording of the tablet which I have sent to you,
demarcate the fields for the horse riders
and drive their stakes into the ground!

Envelope with address and sealings, Ashm 1930-407a

Description:

Publication: OECT 13, 178

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

(32) Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, Ashm 1924-0475

Description:

Publication: OECT 05, 02

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:
The manuscript preserves parts of Enmerkar's first challenge:

[In its (Aratta's) chambers you must also chant to him this holy song, this spell:
(135) It is the spell of Nudimmud!]
"One day there will be no snake, no scorpion,
There will be no hyena, nor lion,
There will be neither (wild) dog nor wolf,
And thus there will be neither fear nor trembling,
(140) For man will then have no enemy.
On that day the lands of Shubur and Hamazi,
As well as twin-tongued Sumer - great mound of the power of lordship -
Together with Akkad - the mound that has all that is befitting -
And even the land Martu, resting in green pastures,
(145) Yea, the whole world of well-ruled people,
Will be able to speak to Enlil in one language!
For on that day, for the debates between lords and princes and kings
Shall Enki, for the debates between lords and princes and kings,
reverse
For the debates between lords and princes and kings,
(150) Shall Enki, Lord of abundance, Lord of steadfast decisions,
Lord of wisdom and knowledge in the Land,
Expert of the gods,
Chosen for wisdom, Lord of Eridug,
Change the tongues in their mouth, as many as he once placed there,
(155) And the speech of mankind shall be truly one!"
Furthermore, the lord gave these instructions to the messenger
Who was to go to the highlands, to Aratta:
"Messenger, at night, run swiftly as the south wind,
at daybreak, rise like the dew!"
(160) The messenger heeded the words of his king.
At night he journeyed by starlight.
By day he traveled with the sun in the sky.

(35) http://cdli.ucla.edu/P412443, Ashm 1924-0802

Description:

Publication: Venus Tablets pl. 3-4

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Translation:
In month XI, 15th day, Venus in the west disappeared, 3 days in [the sky it stayed away],
and in month XI, 18th day, Venus in the east became visible: springs will open,
Adad will bring his rain, Ea his floods, a king [will send messages of reconciliation] to a(nother) king.
—
In month VIII, 11th day, Venus in the east disappeared; 2 month (n) days in the sky it stayed away,
and in month X, nth day, Venus in the west became visible: the harvest of the land will prosper. —
…

(30) Gilgamesh and Huwawa A, Ashm 1932-155

Description:

Publication: JRAS 1932, 914-921

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation

(37) Account dating to Darius's reign, Ashm 1951-087

Description: Promissory note with Aramaic inscription on left edge.

Period: Achaemenid (547-331 BC)

Translation:

(33) Mathematical prism, Ashm 1923-366

(34) Mathematical text, Ashm 1931-091

(38) Greek incised on a Clay tablet, Ashm 1937-993

Description:

Period:

Translation:

Overview:

(23) Dagger handle with mirrored inscription, Ashm 1937-651

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/2, pl. 171, 1937-651

Period: Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC)

Provenience: Kish

Translation:

(24) Mace-head with votive inscription, Ashm 1937-650

Description: An Alabaster mace-head, whose upper part is broken off.

Publication:

Period: Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC)

Provenience: Kish

Translation:
Islum,
for (the god) Enki,
Ili-e-Ur(?),
son of Kuku,
has devoted.

(25) Fragment of stone plaque depicting temple facade, Ashm 1933-1331

Description:

Period: ED IIIa (ca. 2600-2500 BC)

(27) Enki's Journey to Nippur, Ashm 1922-161

Description: This four-sided prism formerly part of the Weld-Blundell collection, can be considered one of the best preserved manuscripts of the Sumerian literary composition "Enki's Journey to Nippur".

Publication: OECT 01, pl. 01-04, Ashm 1922-161

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation

(28) Votive inscription, Ashm 1930-052

Description:

Publication: RIME 3/1.01.07.044, ex. 14

Period: Lagash II (ca. 2200-2100 BC)

Provenience: Girsu

Translation:
For (the god) Ningirsu, the strong hero of Enlil, his king,
Gudea, the city governor of Lagash,
has built his Eninnu, the white thunderbird.
In its midst he built a … (equipped with) cedar, the place where he gives jugdment.

(29) Neo-Babylonian barrel with royal inscription, Ashm 1922-201

(30) Ur III building plan with captions, Ashm 1911-238

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/1, pl. 042, 1911-238

Period: Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)

Provenience: Umma

Translation:

(30) Ur III building plan with captions, Ashm 1911-239

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/1, pl. 042, 1911-239

Period: Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)

Provenience: Umma

Translation:

(31) Shulgi votive inscription, Ashm 1922-009

Description:

Publication: RIME 3/2.01.02.15, ex. 01

Period: Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)

Translation:

Clay peg of Ur-Namma, Ashm 1925-663

Description:

Publication: RIME 3/2.01.01.11, ex. 162

Period: Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)

Translation:
(1) For the god Nanna,
impetuous calf of the god An,
first-born son
of the god Enlil,
(5) his lord,
Ur-Nammu,
mighty man,
king of Ur,
his "House, Foundation Platform which Bears Terror"
(10) he built for him.

Overview:

(8) Old Assyrian Marriage Documents, Ashm 1968-065

(8) Old Assyrian summary tag, Ashm 1933-1054

(8) Old Assyrian letter, Ashm 1933-1048

Translation

(14a) Pawn account from Alalakh, Ashm 1953-1320

Description:

Publication: AlT 023

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience: Alalakh

Translation:
(Obv.) 30 sheqels of silver belonging to Ammitaqum,
at the cost of Bentammu, the barber,
according to the silver Bentammu, the barber,
to the palace
as hostage
(Bottom) he is assigned.
If he gets lost
(or) flees,
(Rev.) (then) the silver is at the cost of Zuherashi, his brother,
and at the cost of Aya-ahatu, his sister,
at their warranty.
(Top) Before Werikiba;
before Zunna.

(14b) Administrative text from Alalakh, Ashm 1953-1324

Description:

Publication: AlT 244

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

(14c) Text from Alalakh, Ashm 1953-1325

Description:

Publication: AlT 410

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation:

Overview:

(1) The Epic of Creation, tablet IV, Ashm 1926-373 + 374

Description: This tablet contains the fourth tablet of the Akkadian Epic of Creation, whose incipit is Enuma elîsh.

Publication: OECT 06, pl. 36-37, Ashm 1926-373 +

Period: Neo-Assyrian (ca. 911-612 BC)

Provenience:

(2) Neo-Babylonian boundary stone, Ashm 1933-1101

Description:

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

(3) Clay cylinder with royal inscription by Nebuchadnezzar II, Ashm. 1939-432

Description:

Publication:

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Provenience:

(4) Clay tablet inscribed with a horoscope, Bod AB 251

Description:

Period: Achaemenid (547-331 BC)

Translation:

(5) Babyloniaca, Ashm 1922-202

Description:

Publication: Babyloniaca 7, 230ff.

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Translation:

(6) Receipt from the reign of Nabonidus, Ashm 1878-0003

Description:

Publication: OECT 10, 105

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Translation:

(8) http://cdli/ucla.edu/P347349, Ashm 1922-277

Description:

Publication: OECT 15, 006

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience: Larsa

Translation:

(9) Grain account, Ashm 1926-606

Description:

Publication: MSVO 1, 216

Period: Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience: Jemdet Nasr

Translation:

(36) Fragment of a beer jar, Ashm 1928-474

Description:

Publication: MSVO 1, 244

Period: Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience: Jemdet Nasr

Translation:

Ashurnasirpal II's standard inscription, Ashm ANLoan.109.1

Description:

Publication:

Period: Neo-Assyrian (ca. 911-612 BC)

Provenience: Nimrud

Translation:

Ur III Messenger Text, Ashm 1971-236

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/2, pl. 122, 1971-236

Period: Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)

Provenience: Umma

Translation:

For a floor plan of the museum see here. The showcase designations refer to the numbers given in the detail plan of the Ancient Near Eastern gallery below.

1. "Counting"
2. "Recording"
3. "Communicating"
4. "Decipherment"
5. "Identity"
6. "Divine Inspiration"
7. "World of scripts"

Overview (showcases 1-3):

(1) Calculating areas of fields, Ashm 1926-583

Description:

Publication: MSVO 1, 002

Period: Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience: Jemdet Nasr

Translation:

(1) Neo-Babylonian legal text, Ashm 1924-0488

Description: This legal text, though well preserved, represents an ancient copy of an even older document, which has been copied in order to preserve the information contained in it. Nevertheless, the right half of that document has already been badly damaged or broken away. Therefore the scribe copied what he was able to see and put the remark "new break" (hipi eshshu) next to it.

Publication: OECT 10, 393

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Translation:

(2) Mixed one-year account, Ashm 1926-564

Description:

Publication: MSVO 1, 093

Period: Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience: Jemdet Nasr

Translation:

(1) Old Assyrian envelope, Ashm 1933-1049

Description:

Publication: JCS 14, 12

Period: Old Assyrian (ca. 1950-1850 BC)

Provenience: Kültepe

Translation:

(4) Neo-Babylonian, Ashm 1924-1369

Description:

Publication: OECT 11, 110

Period: Neo-Babylonian (ca. 626-539 BC)

Translation:

Kassite stone inscription copying Ur III administrative text, Ashm 1922-010

Description:

Publication: AAICAB 1/1, pl. 017, 1922-10

Period: Middle Babylonian (ca. 1400-1100 BC)

Translation:

Seal with inscription

(3) Cone with royal inscription, Ashm 1922-159

Description:

Publication: RIME 4.02.14.17, ex. 01-02

Period: Early Old Babylonian (ca. 2000-1900 BC)

Provenience: Larsa

Translation:

(16) Brick with stamp by Adad-apla-iddina, Ashm 1930-039

Description:

Translation:

(15) Loan of one shekel of silver, Bod AB 224

Description:

Period: Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Translation: