BABYLON IN THE DAYS OF NEBUCHADREZZAR. 



197 



very badly, as may be well imagined — I venture to repeat 

 here : — 



The Dead " Galla." 



On the 5th of Chisleu, Sarru-kinu, son of Ammanu, will bring 

 his witnesses, and will prove in the city of Pekod, to Idihi-ili, 

 son of Dinaya, that Idihi-ili said thus to Sarru-kinu : 



" Thou hast not claimed judgment against me concerning 

 thy galla-slsive who was killed — I will make up to thee the 

 life of thy galla-s\a,ve. 



" If they prove it, he will pay 1 mana of silver, the price 

 of his galla, to Sarru-kinu ; if they prove it not he (Idihi-ili) 

 is free. 



" Witnesses : Nazia, the king's captain ; 

 " Amurru-iddina, son of Remut-ili ; 



" Segusu, son of Tala'u, the chief of the grain-store of Opis ; 

 and the scribe, Nabu-ahe-iddina, son of 

 Sulaya, descendant of Egibi. Opis, 

 month Marcheswan, day 7th, year 40th, 

 Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon." 



Among the witnesses it is noteworthy that we have here some 

 high-placed personages, domiciled, most likely, at Opis, Neri- 

 glissar's residence, and it is not at all unlikely that this circum- 

 stance furnishes a clue to the position of Babylon's future king. 

 In all probability he was the chief army officer during Nebuchad- 

 rezzar's reign, and we can regard this as being confirmed by 

 Nazia, the first witness's title of " king's captain." This, too, is 

 confirmed by Jeremiah xxxix, 3, 13, where he appears as Nergal- 

 sharezer, and bears the title of rab-mag, which is possibly the 

 Babylonian rdb-mugi (the latter element is also found nasalized 

 into mungi), chief of the commanders," or the like. We shall 

 probably meet with other " king's captains " under him in 

 the texts referring to the royal family. Another Amuffu-rLBme, 

 (Amurru-iddina) occurs in line 13. 



So far, I have not found the name of Nebuchadrezzar's eldesfc 

 son, Evil-Merodach (Awel-Maruduk), who succeeded him on 

 the throne, in these texts. In all probability he had some 

 official occupation which kept him from trading centres, and 

 also prevented his servants from coming forward and revealing 

 their identity in these records. The other sons of Nebuchadrezzar, 

 however, appear, and we get certain details concerning them. 



