A Sumerian Clay Cuneiform Tablet
Old Babylonian Period, Reign of Rim-Sin, Circa 1808 B.C.
Height 2 1/4 inches (5.72 cm).
Property from the Collection of Mr. Felix Brejente, Schaumburg, Illinois

Provenance:
Harlan J. Berk, Chicago, where acquired by the present owner, 9 March 2021.

This tablet dating from the Old Babylonian Period is an administrative record of the distribution of three male sheep for various purposes in the palace. The issuance describes one for a ceremonial meal, one for the throne room, and one for the women's' quarters. The tablet is dated to 14th year of the reign of Rim-Sin I of Larsa and records the year as when "the troops of Uruk, Isin, Sutium, and Rapiqum were destroyed, and Irdanene, king of Uruk, was struck with a weapon." Beyond recording details of the palace administration, this tablet provides a window into the political and social landscape of the period. A full translation is available upon request. ;

Rim-Sin I of Larsa ruled at the peak of his city's hegemony over southern Mesopotamia. His long reign ended when his ally to the north, Hammurabi of Babylon, turned against him and conquered Larsa.