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CIRCA 1900-1700 B.C.
Details
TWO OLD BABYLONIAN CUNEIFORM TABLETS
Circa 1900-1700 B.C.
The first with 21 lines of Sumerian text recounting Dumuzi's Dream, reading, "Bring, bring my sister, bring, bring my Geshtinanna, bring my sister, bring my scribe who understands tablets, bring my sister, bring my singer who knows songs, bring my sister, bring my young one who understands words, bring my sister, bring my wise one who understands dreams, bring my sister, let me explain my dream to her. It was a dream, my sister, it was a dream. In my dream bullrushes were sprouting for me, and bullrushes [were growing], one single reed was bowing its head to me, one single reed alone was separated for me, tall trees grew in the forest of their own accord for me. Water was poured on my holy coals, the cover of my holy milk-churn was thrown apart, my holy cup was thrown down from the peg on which it hung, [my stick] was lost. An eagle took a lamb from the sheep-pen, a falcon took a sparrow from the reed fence, my rams were dragging their lapis beards on the ground, the milk-churns lay there, the milk was not poured (into them), my cup lay there: Dumuzi was not alive. The pen was reduced to nothing."
The second tablet with 23 lines on the obverse from the sister's interpretation of Dumuzi's Dream, reading, "'The demon will strike things. The eagle which took a lamb from the sheep-pen is the bad man who will take out of the sheep-pen. The falcon who took a sparrow out of the reed fence is the big demon who will take out of the sheep-pen. The milk-churns which lay there, no milk being poured (into them), the cup lying there, mean that Dumuzi will not live, but the pen will be reduced to nothing. Your hands will be held in handcuffs, your arms will be bound in fetters. That your rams drag their lapis beards on the ground means that I shall ... my hair like a ... ...That your breeding rams were scratching the ground for you with their stout limbs means that I shall scratch my cheeks with my fingers ...' The words were still on her lips (when Dumuzi said), 'Sister, go on the hill. Sister, go up on the hill, sister when you go up on the hill do not go up like a respectable person ... your heart and your mind ... your clothes. Sister, when you go up on the hill, when you go up ... raise your eyes from the hill ... the boat on the river ... he has ... the handcuffs for the destiny of Dumuzi, he has undone the neckstock for the destiny of Dumuzi.'"
4¼ in. (10.8 cm) long for the larger (2)
Circa 1900-1700 B.C.
The first with 21 lines of Sumerian text recounting Dumuzi's Dream, reading, "Bring, bring my sister, bring, bring my Geshtinanna, bring my sister, bring my scribe who understands tablets, bring my sister, bring my singer who knows songs, bring my sister, bring my young one who understands words, bring my sister, bring my wise one who understands dreams, bring my sister, let me explain my dream to her. It was a dream, my sister, it was a dream. In my dream bullrushes were sprouting for me, and bullrushes [were growing], one single reed was bowing its head to me, one single reed alone was separated for me, tall trees grew in the forest of their own accord for me. Water was poured on my holy coals, the cover of my holy milk-churn was thrown apart, my holy cup was thrown down from the peg on which it hung, [my stick] was lost. An eagle took a lamb from the sheep-pen, a falcon took a sparrow from the reed fence, my rams were dragging their lapis beards on the ground, the milk-churns lay there, the milk was not poured (into them), my cup lay there: Dumuzi was not alive. The pen was reduced to nothing."
The second tablet with 23 lines on the obverse from the sister's interpretation of Dumuzi's Dream, reading, "'The demon will strike things. The eagle which took a lamb from the sheep-pen is the bad man who will take out of the sheep-pen. The falcon who took a sparrow out of the reed fence is the big demon who will take out of the sheep-pen. The milk-churns which lay there, no milk being poured (into them), the cup lying there, mean that Dumuzi will not live, but the pen will be reduced to nothing. Your hands will be held in handcuffs, your arms will be bound in fetters. That your rams drag their lapis beards on the ground means that I shall ... my hair like a ... ...That your breeding rams were scratching the ground for you with their stout limbs means that I shall scratch my cheeks with my fingers ...' The words were still on her lips (when Dumuzi said), 'Sister, go on the hill. Sister, go up on the hill, sister when you go up on the hill do not go up like a respectable person ... your heart and your mind ... your clothes. Sister, when you go up on the hill, when you go up ... raise your eyes from the hill ... the boat on the river ... he has ... the handcuffs for the destiny of Dumuzi, he has undone the neckstock for the destiny of Dumuzi.'"
4¼ in. (10.8 cm) long for the larger (2)