9.1 Peter Mathewson and George Smith
The texts edited here are housed in a village named Kotel, situated in the East Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria
Mathewson
I learnt that Mr Smith would probably let you conduct the excavations.6 Being Bulgarianyou will not have the influence needed for the authorities. It is in your interest to be taken for an English citizen, so we can arrange it at the consulate to enroll you as a British subject and the necessary passport will be issued but there is an obstacle—the ending of your name can give you away in front of the Turkish authorities so it is good to change it with Mathews or Mathewson. I chose the second and became an absolute British subject and an Englishman for the people.7
The main goal of Smith’s last expedition was, first of all, another excavation in Nineveh
Smith’s purpose was to dig up the ruins of ancient Nineveh, but he was ordered to go to Baghdad in order to examine a collection of clay tablets with cuneiform script about the existence of which the British Museum had been informed. He was supposed to buy them if they were worth buying.11
In order to reach Baghdad
Although hungry and tired on our arrival at Baghdad, so impatient was he, that as soon as we had a wash, we went in search of Marini to see and arrange about buying the antiquities, which he should have had store for him. He [Smith] would constantly and completely disregard his bodily wants, but never for a moment would be put off the looking at anything with cuneiform on it.12
After examining the tablets offered by Marini in Baghdad
The collection of tablets in Baghdad, found somewhere in the area of Babylon, was examined and bought out by Mr Smith. They were 5,6,7 centimetres long and 4 to 5 centimetres wide which turned out to be mostly contracts for purchases and sales—the English call them tablets, the French savonnettes as they looked like little bars of soap—about a thousand pieces […] The contracts on these tablets were of a special value. They had the name of the king, the year, the month and the day of his reign. It was very useful for solving the gaps in the order and chronology of the reign of kings. These contracts had been sealed by the trader and a mark from the nail of the illiterate person or a seal.14
While both companions were in Baghdad
In Baghdadwhile proving over the tablets, making out a complete list of them […] and making notes on the more interesting ones, he would get up and walk about the room, shaking all over, at these time he would always take some brandy, which would steady his, I may say already shattered nerves. Again he would sit down, but only for a few minutes, to get up and say that his head was anything but right, but that an hour’s walk in the garden would set him up again. We go into the garden but scarcely have we walked for five minutes, when he would say, “I feel better, let us go in and give another trials at the tablets.” We go in and in a minute he is convinced that his head will not help him. This would happen a dozen times in a day. At times he would feel better especially in the morning after a good night’s rest, then he would go over many tablets. The way he used to go to work was: he would sort all the tablets, into the different reigns and again into number of years each reign contained. He would then say there are so many days work for me, dividing them also. When however he felt better, he would not stop after his self-allotted work is done, but would go on doing the next and the next. At these […] times it would take him a couple of days and more to do one day’s work. When he finished all, he would want to look again at one or two particular tablets, and in looking for them, he would go over the whole lot, finding sometimes a few missing. His excuse would be: “Never mind Peter, we have nothing to do, this is an amusement for me, we will soon be in the saddle and then all your troubles and mine will be over […]” he worked very hard to study them, the tablets, and make as many notes as he could. Another reason was, to satisfy his own curiosity as to what they may contain new to him.17
On May 26, Smith received an official statement that he had to leave the country.18 Smith and Mathewson
Our [first] arrival in Baghdadcaused the delay of the excavations. The Resident opposed the endeavour [for excavation]. The country was engulfed by riots, a revolt in Bosnia-Herzegovina flared up and war was being expected […] Mr. Smith had to obey. I arranged the tablets wrapped with cotton wool in two trunks and we were ready to return through Basra and the Suez Canal. We handed over the trunks to the Resident – Colonel Nixon21 to transfer them through the customs and send them with the first ship after our departure. During our stay Baghdad was struck with plague. We found an English ship and were put under ten-day quarantine in the ship itself. A ship came, then another but the trunks did not arrive, our quarantine was over and Mr. Smith said he would not go back without the trunks, the only acquisition from this expedition. When we returned to Baghdad we realised the Resident had tried to carry the trunks through the customs but in vain – taking out antiques was forbidden.22
After returning to Baghdad
I went to the Customs Director, a travel companion from Aleppoto Baghdad , started to shout that the trunks did not contain anything else but stones, so he ordered the officer to examine them, which he did in the most carefree manner, thus they passed unimpeded. I had them loaded in the ship travelling to Basra and from there to the British Museum in London by naval ship.25
On June 18, 1876 the tablets from both purchases were sent with a ship to the British Museum.
Regarding the three boxes (cases) with the antiquities: On June 17, I got the Pacha’s order to the Chief of the Custom House, to allow the antiquities in three cases to pass. Next day Sunday 18, I passed them through the custom house and delivered them into the hands of Mr. Cobrough’s man, and saw them placed in their storeroom, ready for shipment to Bassorah, to be there again shipped, by Mr. Cobrough’s principals, for London. I paid freight to Bassorah and insurance to London to Mr. Cobrough. Mr. Cobrough promised to get the bills of lading for the three cases from Bassorah and send them to Mr. Smith, to English Consul, Aleppo. At Aleppo26 I enquired for the letter, which should have contained them, but none had arrived. The boxes were sealed in Baghdad , very carefully, with the parcel post seal of the Consular Post office. The seals were sunk in the wood at the opening of the lid. The boxes were also sealed or fastened each by a leader Custom house seal […] The address on the boxes is as follows “Chief Librarian British Museum London. This side up.” The antiquities are carefully packed each piece or fragment separately in cotton. In one of the boxes is the lion Mr. Smith had brought two years previous.27
After resending the previously acquired tablets with the recently purchased tablets Smith and Mathewson
The heat was unbearable, the flies and mosquitoes were a real punishment. Mr. Smith decided that we should go back by land. Undoubtedly, not only had he a secret desire to visit the mounds of ancient Ninevehbut he also hoped to find favourable conditions to undertake excavations.28
After Smith decided to take the land road, he informed his wife about the new matters with a letter:
You will be surprised to hear that I have returned to Baghdad, I might have been half way home by now, but I tried to go South to India and from there to Egypt and then home but there was quarantine to keep at the most pestilential place in the whole country. I would not stand it and after a week took advantage of the offer of some more antiquities here to return and purchase them. I am now going North to Mosul and from there home in that direction there is quarantine so I shall have to endure 2 weeks there before getting on. I start Friday June 17 […].29
The second quarantine of 15 days was at Kifri in the Diyala district.30 Both companions had to stay there after exiting Baghdad
On his way back to Aleppo
My Dear Sir, I arrived here (in Mosul) two days ago on my way back, I have obtained permission to export the purchases and passed them through the Custom House, I must delay my report on my proceedings and on them until my return […].33
From Diyarbakir:
There are three cases marked “Principal Librarian British Museum” which I expect will arrive in England before me. They contain my collection but I have not yet had notice that they are shipped and do not know how to advise you about them. In any case if they arrive they had better wait until I arrive when I will see to them.34
The death of George Smith
I pointed out that Mr. Smith had become a victim of the carelessness and clumsiness of the Resident (Colonel Nixon) in Baghdad. If he had sent the trunks and we had received them during the quarantine, we would have continued our journey by ship through the Suez Canal so that Mr. Smith would not have to be exposed to the long and tiring way by land.36
9.2 The Cuneiform Tablets in Kotel
The four tablets published here are well preserved. It remains unclear why Mathewson
9.2.1 No. 1
KT (=Kotel) 1463 = 5,3×6,8×1,9 cm. CDLI No. P43132138
obv. | 1 | MA.NA KÙ.BABBAR šá md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-MU A-šú šá mšu-la-a |
2 | A me-gi-bi ina UGU-ḫi mSUM-nu-nu A-šú šá | |
3 | md+AG-na-ṣir A mman-di-di šá ITI ina UGU-ḫi 1 ma-ni-e |
4 | 1 GÍN KÙ.BABBAR ina UGU-ḫi-šú i-rab-bi É-su | |
5 | šá DA É mMU-d+AG ù mni-qu-du | |
6 | DUMUme šá mŠEŠ-MU-dAMAR.UTU u md+AG-i-na-ka-a+ri-lu-mur | |
7 | lúqal-la-šú maš-ka-nu šá md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-MU | |
8 | lúTUK-ú šá-nam-ma ina UGU-˹ḫi˺ ul i-šal-laṭ | |
9 | a-di UGU-ḫi šá md+AG-ŠEŠ˹meš-MU˺ KÙ.BABBAR-šú | |
10 | i-šal-li-mu i-˹na˺ a-šá-bi šá fkaš-šá-a DAM-šú | |
11 | DUMU.SAL-su šá mBA-šá-a A mman-di-di | |
rev. | 12 | lúmu-kin-nu mšu-la-a A-šú šá md+EN-ŠEŠ-MU |
13 | A mtu-na-a mgi-mil-lu-dME.ME | |
14 | A-šú šá mNUMUN-ia A lúŠITIM mKI-dUTU-TIN | |
15 | ˹A-šú šá˺ md+AG-NUMUN-SI.SÁ A me-gì-bi | |
16 | ˹lúDUB˺.SAR md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-GI A-šú šá mBA-šá-a | |
17 | A <m>ir-a-ni TIN.TIRki itiAPIN | |
18 | UD 5.KAM MU 9.KAM md+AG-I | |
19 | LUGAL TIN.TIRki |
Translation
One mina of silver
In the presence of Kaššâ, his (that is, the debtor’s) wife, daughter of Iqīšâ from the Mandidi family.
Witnesses: Šulâ/Bēl-aḫ-iddin//Tunâ, Gimil-Gula/Zēriya//Itinnu, Itti-Šamaš-balāṭu/Nabû-zēr-līšir//Egibi
Scribe
Babylon, month Araḫsamna (viii), fifth day, year nine of Nabonidus
![](../../../media/proceedings/7/11/big09_Panayotov_imagesPanayotov_01.jpg)
Fig. 9.1: KT 1463 = 5,3×6,8×1,9 cm. CDLI No. P431321
Commentary
In this record Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin, head of the best-known branch of the Egibi family in the second generation, appears as a creditor of the considerable amount of one mina (ca. 500 gs.) of silver
The record follows the formula of an uʾiltu (Verpflichtungsschein, rendered as an IOU, debt note or promissory note in English). Such abstract documents rarely name the purpose of the loan and, as in the present case, do not reveal anything about the reasons why the amount was owed or had been spent. There is no other record in the Egibi archive about the pledged objects; apparently the debtor was under no duress and did not have to sell house nor slave in forfeiture to pay his creditor.
At least one of the assets, be it house or slave—or both—seems to have been part of Iddinunu’s wife’s dowry
The three witnesses are attested in other Egibi documents while the scribe
9.2.2 No. 2
KT 1464 = 5,5×3,4×1,5 cm. CDLI No. P431322
obv. | 1 | ![]() |
2 | NÍG.GA d+AG šá mri-mut-d+EN A-šú šá | |
3 | md+EN-NUMUN-DÙ A mšá-am-ma-ʾ | |
4 | u mgu-za-nu A-šú šá mri-mut A mÌR-dGIR4-KÙ | |
5 | ina UGU-ḫi mMU-GIN A-šú šá mšá-d+AG-šu-u | |
6 | ina itiDU6 KÙ.<BABBAR> ʾ
![]() |
|
7 | 21 GUR ZÚ.LUM.MA i-nam-din | |
8 | ŠE.NUMUN-šú zaq-pi u pi-i šul-pu | |
lo.e. | 9 | šá UGU-ḫi šá ÍD bar-sipki maš-ka-nu |
10 | šá mri-mut-d+EN u mgu-za-nu | |
rev. | 11 | lúmu-kin-nu mki-na-a A-šú šá md+EN-SU |
12 | A mdan-ni-e-a md+EN-TIN-iṭ A-šú šá | |
13 | mdIM-ú-še-zib | |
14 | lúUMBISAG md+EN-TIN-iṭ A-šú šá mŠU-dME.ME | |
15 | A me-gi-bi TIN.TIRki itiKIN | |
16 | UD 13.KAM MU 15.KAM md+AG-I | |
17 | LUGAL Eki |
Translation
Twenty-eight šiqlu of silver
Witnesses: Kīnâ/Bēl-erība//Dannêa, Bēl-uballiṭ/Adad-ušēzib
Scribe
Babylon, month Ulūl (vi), thirteenth day, year fifteen of Nabonidus
![](../../../media/proceedings/7/11/big09_Panayotov_imagesPanayotov_02.jpg)
Fig. 9.2: KT 1464 = 5,5×3,4×1,5 cm. CDLI No. P431322
Commentary
In this record there is no member of the main Egibi branch or their close relatives mentioned (the scribe
The debtor Šum-ukīn who pledges his field (which is partly planted with trees where it borders the Borsippa canal
According to Nbn. 4 (556 BCE, two years after Ner. 43 and fifteen years prior to our document) he had pledged his own field as a security for a previous debt to Iddin-Marduk’s ḫarrānu business partner, and continued to do so. In another debt note (CM 3 371, date lost) he credited the obligation on dates that someone else owed to Iddin-Marduk
In the present record not Iddin-Marduk
The two witnesses and the scribe
9.2.3 No. 3
KT 1465 = 5,2×4×1,6 cm. CDLI No. P431323
obv. | 1 | 1(=60)+10 GUR ZÚ.LUM.MA šá mKI-dAMAR.UTU-TIN |
2 | A-šú šá md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-MU A me-gi-bi | |
3 | ina UGU-ḫi md+EN-SUM.NA A-šú šá mri-mut | |
4 | ina itiAB i-nam-din | |
rev. | 5 | lúmu-kin-nu mEN-šú-nu A-šú šá |
6 | md+EN-ŠEŠmeš-MU A md30-i-mit-tu4 | |
7 | md+AG-it-tan-nu A-šú šá mdU.GUR-ŠEŠ-MU | |
8 | A mSIPA-ANŠE.KUR.RA | |
9 | lúUMBISAG md+AG-MU-MU A-šú šá mna-din | |
10 | A mŠEŠ-ia-ú-tú TIN.TIRki itiAPIN | |
11 | UD 23.KAM MU 3.KAM mku-ra-áš | |
12 | LUGAL TIN.TIRki LUGAL KUR.KUR |
![](../../../media/proceedings/7/11/big09_Panayotov_imagesPanayotov_03.jpg)
Fig. 9.3: KT 1465 = 5,2×4×1,6 cm. CDLI No. P431323
Translation
Seventy kur (ca. 12600 litres) of dates are owed to Itti-Marduk-balāṭu
Witnesses: Bēlšunu/Bēl-aḫḫē-iddin//Sîn-imittu, Nabû-ittannu/Nergal-aḫ-iddin//Rēʾi-sīsî
Scribe
Babylon, month Araḫsamna (viii), twenty-third day, year three of Cyrus
Commentary
This debt note about 70 kur (ca. 12.600 liters) of dates is owed to Itti-Marduk-balāṭu,
The background of the present debt note again is to be sought in the commodity trade
The debtor’s name is given as Bēl-iddin, son of Rīmūt, without any family affiliation and his identity, therefore, is difficult to verify. The absence of a family name in this context speaks against an identification with another contemporary person of the same patronymic who bears an ancestor name, namely Rīmūt from the Dēkû family, who is known as a neighbor of an Egibi house (for example, Nbn. 184, Cyr. 177, CM 20 10, Dar. 265+).
The first witness is well known as a ḫarrānu business partner of both Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin and Itti-Marduk-balāṭu
The scribe
9.2.4 No. 4
KT 1466 = 5×3,9×1,9 cm. CDLI No. P431324
obv. | 1 | ![]() |
2 | šá md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-MU A me-gi-bi | |
3 | ina UGU md+AG-EN-šú-nu A-šú šá mDUB.NUMUN | |
4 | A mdIM-še-e-a šá ITI ina UGU | |
5 | 1 ma-ni-e 1 GÍN KÙ.BABBAR ina UGU-ḫi-šú | |
6 | i-rab-bi e-lat ú-ìl-ti | |
7 | šá 12 GUR ZÚ.LUM.MA | |
8 | šá ina ki-is-kir-ra-ni-e-šú | |
9 | in-ni-iṭ-ṭi-ir-ri ù e-lat | |
lo.e. | 10 | ú-ìl-tì šá 3 GUR 1(PI) 4(BÁN) ŠE.BAR |
11 | maḫ-ri-e-ti | |
rev. | 12 | lúmu-kin-nu mri-mut A-šú |
13 | šá mA-˹a˺ DUMU mÌR-dGIR4.KÙ | |
14 | mdAG-ŠEŠmeš-bul-liṭ A-šú šá mina-SÙḪ-SUR | |
15 | DUMU mbi-ib-bu-ú-a u lúUMBISAG | |
16 | mMU-d+AG A-šú šá mdAMAR.UTU-EN-NUMUN | |
17 | DUMU mú-ṣur-a-mat-dÉ.A | |
18 | TIN.TIRki itiŠU UD 27.KAM | |
19 | ˹MU˺ 12.KAM md+AG-I LUGAL TIN.TIRki |
Translation
One-half mina of silver
(This is) apart from a debt note for 12 kur of dates that have been paid from (what he owes according to) his ledgers, and apart from a previous debt note of 3;1.4 kur (ca. 600 litres) of barley.
Witnesses: Rīmūt/Aplâ//Arad-Nergal, Nabû-aḫḫē-bulliṭ/Ina-tēšê-eṭir//Bibbūʾa
Scribe
Babylon, month Dûzu (iv), day twenty-seven, year twelve of Nabonidus
![](../../../media/proceedings/7/11/big09_Panayotov_imagesPanayotov_04.jpg)
Fig. 9.4: KT 1466 = 5×3,9×1,9 cm. CDLI No. P431324
Commentary
This is a debt note about half a mina of silver
The elat clause which refers to previous debts owed by the same person that are not covered by the present document indicates that Itti-Marduk-balāṭu
Both witnesses are known from other Egibi texts. The scribe
9.3 Index of Personal Names
a. = ancestor of; d. = daughter; f. = father of; s. = son of ; ∞ = spouse of.
/ (= A-šú šá: patronym follows; // (A or DUMU): family name follows.
Adad-šēʾa (mdIM-še-e-a)
a. Nabû-bēlšunu/Šāpik-zēri KT 1466 (no.4): 4
Adad-ušēzib (mdIM-ú-še-zib)
f. Bēl-uballiṭ KT 1464 (no.2): 13
Aḫḫē-iddin-Marduk (mŠEŠ-MU-dAMAR.UTU)
f. Iddin-Nabû KT 1463 (no.1): 6
f. Nīqūdu KT 1463 (no.1): 6
Aḫiyaūtu (mŠEŠ-ia-ú-tú)
a. Nabû-šum-iddin/Nādin KT 1465 (no.3): 10
Aplâ (mA-a)
f. Rīmūt//Arad-Nergal KT 1466 (no.4): 13
Arad-Nergal (mIR-dGIR4.KÙ)
a. Gūzānu/Rīmūt KT 1464 (no.2): 4
a. Rīmūt/Aplâ KT 1466 (no.4): 13
Bēl-aḫ-iddin (md+EN-ŠEŠ-MU)
f. Šulâ/Tunâ KT 1463 (no.1): 12
Bēl-aḫḫē-iddin (md+EN-ŠEŠmeš-MU)
f. Bēlšunu//Sîn-imittu KT 1465 (no.3): 6
Bēl-erība (md+EN-SU)
f. Kīnâ//Dannêa KT 1464 (no.2): 11
Bēl-iddin (md+EN-SUM.NA)
s. Rīmūt (debtor) KT 1465 (no.3): 3
Bēl-uballiṭ (md+EN-TIN-iṭ)
s. Adad-ušēzib (witness) KT 1464 (no.2): 12
s. Gimil-Gula//Egibi (scribe
Bēl-zēr-ibni (md+EN-NUMUN-DÙ)
f. Rīmūt-Bēl//Šammā KT 1464 (no.2): 3
Bēlšunu (mEN-šú-nu)
s. Bēl-aḫḫē-iddin//Sîn-imittu (witness) KT 1465 (no.3): 5
Bibbūʾa (mbi-ib-bu-ú-a)
a. Nabû-aḫḫē-bulliṭ/Ina-tēšê-eṭir KT 1466 (no.4): 15
Dannêa (mdan-ni-e-a)
a. Kīnâ/Bēl-erība KT 1464 (no.2): 12
Egibi (me-gi/gì-bi)
a. Bēl-uballiṭ/Gimil-Gula KT 1464 (no.2): 15
a. Itti-Marduk-balāṭu
a. Itti-Šamaš-balāṭu/Nabû-zēr-līšir KT 1463 (no.1): 15
a. Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin/Šulâ KT 1463 (no.1): 1
Gimil-Gula (mŠU-dME.ME; mgi-mil-lu-dME.ME)
s. Zēriya//Itinnu (witness) KT 1463 (no.1): 13
f. Bēl-uballiṭ//Egibi KT 1464 (no.2): 14
Gūzānu (mgu-za-nu)
s. Rīmūt//Arad-Nergal (creditor) KT 1464 (no.2): 4,10
Iddin-Nabû (mMU-d+AG)
s. Aḫḫē-iddin-Marduk
s. Marduk-bēl-zēri//Uṣur-amāt-Ea (scribe
Iddinunu (mSUM-nu-nu)
s. Nabû-nāṣir//Mandidi (debtor) KT 1463 (no.1): 2 (∞ fKaššâ/Iqīšâ//Mandidi)
Ina-tēšê-eṭir (mina-SÙḪ-SUR)
f. Nabû-aḫḫē-bulliṭ//Bibbūʾa KT 1466 (no.4): 14
Iqīšâ (mBA-šá-a)
f. fKaššâ//Mandidi KT 1463 (no.1): 11
f. Nabû-aḫḫē-šullim//Irʾanni (scribe
Irʾanni (<m>ir-a-ni)
a. Nabû-aḫḫē-šullim/Iqīšâ KT 1463 (no.1): 17
Itinnu (lúŠITIM)
a. Gimil-Gula/Zēriya KT 1463 (no.1): 14
Itti-Marduk-balāṭu
s. Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin//Egibi (creditor) KT 1465 (no.3): 1; (creditor) KT 1466 (no.4): 1
Itti-Šamaš-balāṭu (mKI-dUTU-TIN)
s. Nabû-zēr-līšir//Egibi (witness) KT 1463 (no.1): 14
fKaššâ (fkaš-šá-a)
d. Iqīšâ//Mandidi (ina ašābi witness) KT 1463 (no.1): 10 (∞ Iddinunu/Nabû-nāṣir//Mandidi)
Kīnâ (mki-na-a)
s. Bēl-erība//Dannêa (witness) KT 1464 (no.2): 11
Mandidi (mman-di-di)
a. Iddinunu/Nabû-nāṣir KT 1463 (no.1): 3
a. fKaššâ/Iqīšâ KT 1463 (no.1): 11
Marduk-bēl-zēri
f. Iddin-Nabû//Uṣur-amāt-Ea KT 1466 (no.4): 16
Nabû-aḫḫē-bulliṭ (mdAG-ŠEŠmeš-bul-liṭ)
s. Ina-tēšê-eṭir//Bibbūʾa (witness) KT 1466 (no.4): 14
Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin (md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-MU)
s. Šulâ//Egibi, (creditor) KT 1463 (no.1): 1,7,9
f. Itti-Marduk-balāṭu//Egibi KT 1465 (no.3): 2; KT 1466 (no.4): 2
Nabû-aḫḫē-šullim (md+AG-ŠEŠmeš-GI)
s. Iqīšâ//Irʾanni (scribe
Nabû-bēlšunu (md+AG-EN-šú-nu)
s. Šāpik-zēri//Adad-šēʾa (debtor) KT 1466 (no.4): 3
Nabû-ina-kāri-lūmur (md+AG-i-na-ka-a+ri-lu-mur)
slave of Iddinunu/Nabû-nāṣir//Mandidi KT 1463 (no.1): 6
Nabû-ittannu (md+AG-it-tan-nu)
s. Nergal-aḫ-iddin//Rēʾi-sīsî (witness) KT 1465 (no.3): 7
Nabû-nāṣir (md+AG-na-ṣir)
f. Iddinunu//Mandidi KT 1463 (no.1): 3
Nabû-šum-iddin (md+AG-MU-MU)
s. Nādin//Aḫiyaūtu (scribe
Nabû-zēr-līšir (md+AG-NUMUN-SI.SÁ)
f. Itti-Šamaš-balāṭu//Egibi (witness) KT 1463 (no.1): 15
Nādin (mna-din)
f. Nabû-šum-iddin//Aḫiyaūtu KT 1465 (no.3): 9
Nergal-aḫ-iddin (mdU.GUR-ŠEŠ-MU)
f. Nabû-ittannu//Rēʾi-sīsî KT 1465 (no.3): 7
Nīqūdu (mni-qu-du)
s. Aḫḫē-iddin-Marduk
Rēʾi-sīsî (mSIPA-ANŠE.KUR.RA)
a. Nabû-ittannu/Nergal-aḫ-iddin KT 1465 (no.3): 8
Rīmūt (mri-mut)
s. Aplâ//Arad-Nergal (witness) KT 1466 (no.4): 12
f. Bēl-iddin KT 1465 (no.3): 3
f. Gūzānu//Arad-Nergal KT 1464 (no.2): 4
Rīmūt-Bēl (mri-mut-d+EN)
s. Bēl-zēr-ibni//Šammā (creditor) KT 1464 (no.2): 2,10
Sîn-imittu (md30-i-mit-tu4)
a. Bēlšunu/Bēl-aḫḫē-iddin KT 1465 (no.3): 6
Šammā (mšá-am-ma-ʾ)
a. Rīmūt-Bēl/Bēl-zēr-ibni KT 1464 (no.2):
Ša-Nabû-šū (mšá-d+AG-šu-u)
f. Šum-ukīn KT 1464 (no.2): 5
Šāpik-zēri (mDUB.NUMUN)
f. Nabû-bēlšunu//Adad-šēʾa KT 1466 (no.4): 3
Šulâ (mšu-la-a)
s. Bēl-aḫ-iddin//Tunâ (witness) KT 1463 (no.1): 12
f. Nabû-aḫḫē-iddin//Egibi KT 1463 (no.1): 1
Šum-ukīn (mMU-GIN)
s. Ša-Nabû-šū (debtor) KT 1464 (no.2): 5
Tunâ (mtu-na-a)
a. Šulâ/Bēl-aḫ-iddin KT 1463 (no.1): 13
Uṣur-amāt-Ea (mú-ṣur-a-mat-dÉ.A)
a. Iddin-Nabû/Marduk-bēl-zēri KT 1466 (no.4): 17
Zēriya (mNUMUN-ia)
f. Gimil-Gula//Itinnu KT 1463 (no.1): 14
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to the officials in the Museum of Kotel, “Panteona,” to the Trustees of the British Museum and especially to Jonathan Taylor for the support. S.V. Panayotov thanks D. Kertai for corrections and suggestions.
Bibliography
Aro, S., R. Mattila (2007). Assyriological Studies in Finland. Proceedings of the Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East 1 / 2007. Helsinki: Finnish Institute in the Middle East.
Berridge, G.R. (2009). British Diplomacy in Turkey 1583 to the Present. A Study in the Evolution of the Resident Embassy. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (Brill).
Clancier, P. (2009). Les bibliothèques en Babylonie dans la deuxième moitié du Ier millénaire av. J.-C. Alter Orient und Altes Testament No. 363. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag.
Evers, S.M. (1993). George Smith and the Egibi Tablets. IRAQ 55: 107-117
George, A.R. (2003). The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: Introduction, Critical Edition and Cuneiform Texts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jursa, M. (2005). Neo-Babylonian Legal and Administrative Documents. Typology, Contents and Archives. In: Guides to the Mesopotamian Textual Record, Volume 1 Ed. by E. Frahm, M. Jursa. Münster: Ugarit Verlag
Makiya, M. (1969). The Svoboda Diaries. Badhdad College of Art Journal
Reade, J.E. (1993). Hormuzd Rassam And His Discoveries. IRAQ 55: 39-62
Sánchez, F.D.R. (2006). La tumba de George Smith en Alepo. AuOr 24: 275f
Sayce, A.H. (1876). George Smith. Littell's Living Age
Smith, G. (1875). Assyrian Discoveries; An Account Of Explorations And Discoveries On The Site Of Niniveh, during 1873 And 1874. New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co.
Wunsch, C. (2000). Das Egibi-Archiv. I. Die Felder und Gärten. Leiden, Groningen: Brill.
Footnotes
See (Evers 1993, 107–117).
The manuscript was edited by Veliko Jordanov the Chief Librarian of the National Library of Sofia in 1943. The citations here are made after an English translation from the Bulgarian text.
Four tablets will be published here, the fifth one with a well-preserved seal of Kabti-ilāni-Marduk from the Suḫaja family will be published elsewhere.
Smith’s death is described in telegrams and letters in the British Museum as well as in the Biography of Mathewson in Kotel, and in documents kept in the National Library in Sofia. The exact time of Smith’s death is mentioned in a letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14A Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)]. The British Museum was informed in various ways about the death of Smith. See, for example, a telegraph from Mathewson: Post Office Telegraphs in [(BM OP 51 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 4 Sept. 1976)]. Mr. Skene, the British Consul in Aleppo, informs the authorities through the Post Office & Submarine Telegraphs [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 5 Sept. 1876 No. 4435)] and a letter to John Winter Johnes of the British Museum two days after the death of Smith: Aleppo August 21, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 9 Sept. 1876 No. 4495)]. See for secondary literature also (Sayce 1876; Evers 1993, 108). For a description of his grave see (Sánchez 2006, 275f.).
On the English Consulate-General and the influence of Sir Philip Francis, see (Berridge 2009, 90ff.).
Reference for that plan can be found in a letter from Smith to his wife May as well: “If I am successful this year I will come home in July and leave the excavations in charge of my assistant who is a very good and likely party.” (Letter of G. Smith to his wife May. Dated in Constantinople, March 5, 1876). Another clue is to be found in a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14A Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
From the biography of Peter Mateev.
For the earlier excavations of Smith, see (Smith 1875, vii–viii). See also (Reade 1993, 51).
See (Evers 1993, 107f.; Wunsch 2000, 1f.). There were not only Egibi tablets among the acquired texts in 1876. Smith bought, for example, also a Babylonian manuscript of Gilgameš Tablet XII from Marini, see (George 2003, 416). See also (Clancier 2009, 125ff.).
The land road to Mosul from Aleppo was taken by another scholar who accompanied Smith and Mathewson until Aleppo. This was the Finnish pioneer, Karl Fredrik Eneberg. See (Aro and Mattila 2007, 7ff.). Smith did not get along with Eneberg, and his travel to the Orient was “not at Smith’s will.” From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14A Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
From a Letter of George Smith to J. Winter Jones The Principal Librarian, Baghdad, May 17, 1876 [(BM OP 51 5 Aug. 76 (Stamp: BM 14 Jun 1876 No. 3024)].
From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
From the Biography of Peter Mateev. See (Evers 1993, 107). Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14A Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)]. See also the Letter of Smith to Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Baghdad May 17, 1876 [BM OP 51 5 Aug. 76 (Stamp: BM 14 Jun 1876 No. 3024)].
From a letter of Smith to his wife, May 17, 1876 Baghdad. On that day Smith wrote also to John Winter Johnes, The Principal Librarian of the British Museum, see above.
From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14A Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
Information from his diaries see (Evers 1993, 107).
“The quarantine at Gournah brought him down to a very low state of health, his return to Baghdad revived him somewhat.” From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board of the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14A Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
The Resident stayed in his position during the next year as well (Makiya 1969, 43).
From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
See also (Evers 1993, 107f.; Wunsch 2000, 1ff.).
Their friendship started on the steamer to Baghdad. Mathewson prepared the good relations with hunting birds and rabbits on the steamer’s stops. Mathewson used to slaughter the animals in proper manner for the Custom Director and give him the proper meat.
From the Biography of Peter Mateev. The description at the end is not detailed enough. It refers to the shipping of the old and the newly acquired tablets, which is evident from the other materials.
This has happened after the death of Smith.
From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
From a Letter of George Smith to his wife May, Baghdad June 14, 1876.
From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)]. See also (Evers 1993, 107f.).
See also the Biography of Peter Mateev.
From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
From a Letter of Smith to J. Winter Jones The Principal Librarian, Mosul July 16, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 28 Aug. 1876 No. 4334)].
From Letter of George Smith to J. Winter Jones The Principal Librarian, Diarbakir August 2nd 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 28 Aug. 1876 No. 4335)].
From a Letter of Mathewson to the Chief Librarian of the British Museum, Mersina, On board the S.S. “Alphée” August 26, 1876 [BM OP 53 C 14 Oct. 76 (Stamp: BM 11 Sept. 1876 No. 4512)].
From the Biography of Peter Mateev.
Photographs of the texts are provided through open access in CDLI: http://cdli.ucla.edu. On the format see (Jursa 2005, 4f.).
The place on obv. 9 is not really broken. The signs seems more to be filled with hard-packed dirt.