- One ox broken to the yoke,
- An ox from Ibri-sin, son of Sin-imgurani,
- From Ibni-sin
- through the agency of Kishti-Nabium,
- son of Eteru,
- Abarama, son of Awel-Ishtar,
- for one month has hired.
- For one month
- one shekel of silver
- he will pay.
- Of it 1/2 shekel of silver
- from the hand of
- Abarama
- Kisti-Nabium
- has received.
- In the presence of Idin-Urash, son of Idin-Labibaal,
- In the presence of Awele, son of Urri-bani,
- in the presence of Beliyatum, scribe.
- Month of the mission of Ishtar (i.e., Ammizadugga's 11th year).
- The year of Ammizadugga, the king (built)
- The wall of Ammizadugga, (i.e., Ammizadugga's 11th year).
- Tablet of Kisti-Nabium.
This is a copy made for Kishti-Nabium, the agent. The date is 1965 B.C.
Ammizadugga was the tenth king of that first dynasty of Babylon, of which Hammurabi was the sixth
Abraham Leased a Farm
- To the patrician
- speak,
- Saying, Gimil-Marduk (wishes that)
- Shamash and Marduk may give thee health!
- Mayest thou have peace, mayest thou have health!
- May the god who protects thee thy head in luck
- Hold!
- (To enquire) concerning thy health I am sending.
- May thy welfare before Shamash and Marduk
- be eternal!
- Concerning the 400 shars of land, the field of Sin-idinam,
- Which to Abamrama
- To lease, thou hast sent;
- The land-steward (?) the scribe
- Appeared and
- On behalf of Sin-idinam
- I took that up.
- The 400 shars of land to Abamrama
- as thou hast directed
- I have leased.
- Concerning thy dispatches I shall not be negligent.
Abraham Paid His Rent
- 1 Shekel of silver
- of the rent (?) of his field,
- for the year Ammizadugga, the king,
- a lordly, splendid statu (set up),
- brought
- Abamrama,
- received
- Sin-idinam
- and Iddatum
- Month Siman, 28th day,
- The year Ammizadugga, the king,
- a lordly, splendid statu (set up)
This was Amizadugga's 13th year. Abraham is reported as paying part of his rent two years after he hired an ox.
Travel between Babylonia and Palestine
- A wagon
- from Mannum-balum-Shamash,
- son of Shelibia,
- Khabilkinum,
- son of Appani[bi],
- on a lease
- for 1 year
- has hired.
- As a yearly rental
- 2/3 of a shekel of silver
- he will pay.
- As the first of the rent
- 1/6 of a shekel of silver
- he has received.
- Unto the land of Kittim
- he shall not drive it.
- In the presence of Ibku-Adad,
- Son of Abiatum;
- in the presence of Ilukasha,
- son of Arad-ilishu;
- in the presence of ilishu....
- Month Ululu, day 25,
- the year the king Erech from the flood
- of the river as a frienc protected.
This tablet is dated to the time of the migration of Abraham. Kittim is used in Jeremiah 2:10 and Ezekiel 27:6 of the coast lands of the Mediterranean. The contract protects the owner's wagon from being driven the long, scenic route along the coast. This was like a mileage limit on renting a U-Haul for a time period.
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