178 



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



notwithstanding that the inscription which furnishes it is a 

 heatheil religious text — an incantation for purification. 



As far as I have been able to examine them, the new inscrip- 

 tions from Erech are of the later period of Babylonian history, 

 and are mostly trade-documents, generally or often mentioning 

 transactions connected with the religious life of the place — the 

 great temple where the god of the heavens, Anu, with the 

 goddesses Istar (Venus) and Nana were worshipped. The 

 small collection I have seen embraces the period from Nabopo- 

 lassar to the period of the Seleucid« — that is to say, from 626 

 to the end of the second century before Christ. 



Probably the most interesting inscription of the collection is 

 one referring to a necklace or collarette, dated in the 19th year 

 of ISTabopolassar. This tablet has, on the reverse, a rough 

 sketch of the object, and if the reading of the inscription were 

 certain, it would have some philological value. The necklace 

 contained 41 white nurmar and 4 other nnrmar, possibly 

 " pearls," and was priced at 3 mana 57 shekels of silver. 



Another tablet — a contract for barley — dated in the 1st year 

 of Nebuchadrezzar, Jias the name of the governor and the satam 

 (" treasurer "?) of E-anna, the great and renowned temple of 

 Anu at Erech. 



In the matter of officials — their names are not only important 

 historically, but are likely to be so likewise chronologically — 

 an inscription dated in the 19th year of Nebuchadrezzar is of 

 greater value. This refers to a loan of 1 mana 22| shekels 

 of gold, granted by " the Lady of Erech and Nana " (the god- 

 desses of the city) to Nabu-etir-napsati, Governor of tlie 

 Land of the Sea ; Nabu-suzizanni, deputy-governor of the 

 same, and Zilla the scribe. It is at once an historical document 

 and a picture of Babylonian life. This loan was consummated 

 at Babylon — not at Erech — in Nisan, the first month of the 

 Babylonian year, in the presence of Maruduk-iriba, the 

 mayor (?) of Erech ; the satain (? treasurer) of the temple of the 

 Syrian Hadad, here called Amurru (" the Amorite god ") ; a 

 priest of Ur (of the Chaldees) ; and Nabfi-nadin-sum the scribe, 

 and was to be repaid in the month Tammuz. 



Now this and other tablets show that the temples of 

 Babylonia were exceedingly rich, and we see from this inscrip- 

 tion that they could make their riches useful to the State, for 

 the money was granted without interest (provided that it was 

 repaid at the date mentioned), and in view of the importance 

 of the persons to whom it was lent, there is every probability 

 that it was for some public purpose — what that may have been 

 is not here stated. 



