198 



THEOPHILUS G. PINCHES, LL.D., M.R.A.S., ON 



Sometimes, also, the king himself is mentioned, though seldom 

 by name. 



Probably the most interesting tablet referring to the king 

 himself is one of the numerous documents purchased by ]\lr. G. 

 Smith for the British Museum in 1878 (S. + 635). As far as 

 it can be made out from Strassmaier's copy, it reads as follows : — 



" [To] Anu'^-iddina, my lord, and Xebuchadrezzar, king of 

 Babylon, his lord, speak. AMien thou goest to the country, then 

 I shall have decided with regard to the road for the feet of 

 Kabtaya, who taketh a contract for f of a mana and 4 shekels 

 (that is, 54 shekels) of silver for Ablaya." 



Here follow the names of two witnesses, after which we have 

 the words " On the 20th day of Sivan is their time." The name 

 of the scribe, and the date : " Babylon, lyyar, 2nd day, 20th 

 year of Xebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon,'" close the document. 



The text imiortunately leaves something to be desired, and 

 may need revision, but I shall prcbably not be able to do this 

 in the near future. The communication seems to be a direction 

 to consult either a minister or the great king himself, and as no 

 place is specified, it may refer to some secret mission. The 

 mention of the 20th of Sivan points to the date of a possible 

 audience. 



Another inscription in which the name of the king occurs is 

 Xo. 127 of the same publication. The document records the loan, 

 by Ina-esi-etir, agent of Xebuchadrezzar, of 10 shekels of silver 

 in the form of giru, which had been purchased for gold, and 

 was, at the time the document was drawn up, with a certain 

 Xabu-etir. They were to be given back in three months' time, 

 and Xabu-etir's property, of every description, was the security. 

 After the names of two witnesses and the scribe is the date : 

 " Babylon, month Tammuz, day 28th, 21st year of Xebuchad- 

 rezzar, king of Babylon." 



This silver, which had been given to Ina-esi-etir " for gold," 

 naturally suggests that it was some manufactured object, and 

 perhaps highly artistic. Apparently it had been sold by " the 

 king " to the person named, and seemingly he set great store 

 by it. 



Another tablet refers to the guardianship of the great palace 

 of Xebuchadrezzar. This gives the names of the witnesses 

 before whom Xabu-nib-ana-ili and Musibsi-Marduk took up the 

 duty of " turning the gate " (turn hdbi) at the palace. These 

 witnesses were nine in number, and said to those upon whom 



