Records of the Past, 2nd series, Vol. III, ed. by A. H. Sayce, [1890], at sacred-texts.com
Records of the Past, 2nd series, Vol. III, ed. by A. H. Sayce, [1890], at sacred-texts.com
No. I
A house belonging to Nebo-akhi-iddin, the son of Sulâ, the son of Egibi, which adjoins the house of Bel-nadin, the son of Rimut, the son of the soldier (?) 1 has been handed over (by Nebo-akhi-iddin) for 3 years to Nebo-yukin-akhi the secretary 2 of Belshazzar, the son of the king, for 1½ manehs of silver, sub-letting of the house being forbidden, as well as interest on the money. (Nebo-yukin-akhi) undertakes to plant trees and repair the house. 3 At the expiration of the 3 years Nebo-akhi-iddin shall repay the money, namely 1½ manehs, to Nebo-yukin-akhi, and Nebo-yukin-akhi shall quit the house in the presence of Nebo-akhi-iddin. The witnesses (are) Kabtiya, the son of Tabnêa, the son of Egibi; Tabik-zira, the son of Nergal-yusallim, the son of Sin-karabi-isime; Nebo-zira-ibni, the son of Ardia; and the priest Bel-akhi-basa, the son of Nebo-baladhsu-iqbi. (Dated) Babylon, the 21st day of Nisan, the 5th year of Nabonidos king of Babylon. 4
No. II
The sum of 20 manehs of silver for wool, the property of Belshazzar, the son of the king, which has been handed
over to Iddin-Merodach, the son of Basâ, the son of Nur-Sin, through the agency of Nebo-tsabit the steward of the house 1 of Belshazzar, the son of the king, and the secretaries of the son of the king. In the month Adar, of the 11th year (of Nabonidos), he gives the money, namely 20 manehs. The house of … the Persian 2 and all his property in town and country shall be the security of Belshazzar, the son of the king, until he shall pay in full the money aforesaid. The money which he shall (meanwhile) make upon [the property] (?), 3 he shall pay as interest. Witnessed by Bel-iddin, the son of Rimut, the son of the soldier (?); Etilpi, the son of … the son of the father of the house; Nadin, the son of Merodach-[sum-utsur], the son of the superintendent of the works; Nergal-yusallim, the son of Merodach-[edir], the son of Gasura; Merodach-natsir, the son of Samas- …, the son of Dabibi; and the priest Bel-akhi-iddin, the son of Nebo-baladhsu-iqbi. (Dated) Babylon, the 20th day of the month …, the 11th year of Nabonidos king [of Babylon]. 4
No. III
One maneh 16 shekels of silver capital and interest, the property 5 of Nebo-tsabit-idâ, the steward of the house of Belshazzar, the son of the king, which (he owes) to Bel-iddina, the son of Bel-sum-iskun, the son of Sin-tabni, and the seed grown in sight of the chief gates (of Babylon) which has been taken as security (for it). The money, namely 1 maneh 16 shekels, Nebo-tsabit-idâ, by the agency of Itti-Merodach-baladhu, the son of Nebo-akhi-iddin, the son of Egibi, has presented to Bel-iddina. The witnesses (are) Nebo-iddina, the son of Rimutu, the son of Kîkî; 6 Bel-iddina, the son of Bel-sum-iskun, the son of Sin-tabni; Nebo-zira-esir, the son of Ina-essu-edir, the son of the
[paragraph continues] Umuk; 1 Nadinu, the son of Merodach-iddin-akhi; Nergal-yusallim, the priest, the son of Merodach-edir, the son of Gasura. (Dated) at Babylon, the 27th day of the second Adar, 2 the 12th year of Nabonidos king of Babylon. 3
125:1 Kîkî; in the account of the Deluge (l. 169) Bel is called qurad kîkî, "the warrior of the kîkî."
125:2 Amel'sipiri. In the reign of Darius we hear of a certain Ablâ, who was "royal prince and secretary to the princes of the new palace."
125:3 That is to say, to keep the garden and house in order.
125:4 B.C. 551.
126:1 Rab-biti.
126:2 Par'su.
126:3 Literally "the money as much as upon [the property] he shall fill up (?)." Perhaps we should read isabsû, "he shall acquire," instead of imir-sû.
126:4 B.C. 545.
126:5 Read rasutu.
126:6 Written here as a proper name.
127:1 An officer who seems to have had something to do with the beginning of the year.
127:2 The intercalary month Ve-Adar.
127:3 B.C. 544.