BCHP 15: Gold theft chronicle (British Museum)
The Chronicle Concering the Theft of Gold from the Day One Temple, or Gold Theft Chronicle (BCHP 15), is one of the historiographical texts from ancient Babylonia. The tablet can be dated to SE 150/151 (=162/1 BCE) ands belongs therefore to the brief reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus V Eupator (164-162).
A new reading is proposed by Bert van der Spek of the Free University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Irving Finkel of the British Museum.* Please notice that this is a preliminary version of what will be the chronicle’s very first edition.
BCHP 15: Gold theft chronicle (British Museum).**
Description of the tablet
Again a small one-column tablet, more or less square, dealing with a brief period, one year at most.
The preserved length of the tablet is 4.0 – 4.9 cm, the width is 4.5 cm, the thickness 1.7 cm. The upper edge is crumbled off, but signs of line 1 are preserved. The left edge is preserved, but uninscribed; the right edge is also preserved. Eight lines continue on the right edge. The lower edge is mutilated and was possibly inscribed. The lower end of the reverse was left blank with room for 1.5 or 2 lines.
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TRANSLATION |
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| 1 [.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..] /x x\[.. .. | ..] /x x x\ | [“.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..] x x [.. ..] |
| 2 [.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ina qí-b]i šá 1+en lúSIG šá |lúGAL ERÍN KUR URI.KI | [.. .. .. .. .. .. .. at the comma]nd of a certain dignitary of the satrap of Akkad |
| 3 [KÙ.GI ana .. .. .. .. .. ..lúUK]KIN?šá É.SAG.GÍL na-din | [gold? to? .. .. .. .. .. .. the assem]bly? of Esagila was given. |
| 4 UD BI ina É UD.1.KAM ul-te-ri-bu-ú GAR.MEŠ|–šú |
That day into the Day-One-temple they made it enter (and) they put it there. |
| 5 ni-gu-tú ina KUR GAR-nu UD 13.KAM mBa-ra-bu-|ut–dEN SIMUG |
A festival they held. Day 13th, Barabut-Bel, the smith, |
| 6šá TA lúšá-kin7šá LUGAL šá TA MURUB4 MU KUR |
who had been pursued? by the governor of the king since the middle of the year, |
| 7 ana UGU KÙ.GI MU-a-tim @a-bit ITI BI |
was imprisoned on account of the gold aforementioned. That month, |
| 8 UD 21.KAM ina qí-bi šá 1+en lúSIG šá lúGAL ERÍN | KUR URI.KI |
day 21th, at the command of a certain dignitary of the strategos of Akkad, |
| 9lúEN pi-qitlúza-zak-ku ulúE.KI.MEŠ lú|UKKIN šáÉ.SA[G.GÍL] | the trustee (bêl piqitti) (of), the financial official (zazakku) and the Babylonians of the Council (kiništu) of Esa[gila], |
| 10 KÙ.GI MU-a-tim TA É UD.1.KAM ul-te–|@u-šú |
one had brought outside the gold in question from the Day-One-Temple. |
| 11ina KI.LÁ.MEŠ šá É lúKÙ.DIM šá ina IGI-ma ina lìb-bi-|šú-nu LÁ |
When it was weighed[12] with the weight stones of the house of the goldsmiths, with which it had been weighed in the past, |
| 12ki-i LÁ-šú2/3 6½ KÙ.GI in-da-&u |
it was diminished by 2/3 mina and 6 ½ shekels [26.5 shekels]. |
| 13 ITI BI UD 12!.KAM lúšar-ra-q[í ] /MU-a\-tim |
That month, day 22!? the thie[ves ] afore[mentioned] |
| 14 ana tar-@a lúSIG MU-a-tim u lú/GAL.ERÍN.MEŠ\ |
in the presence of the dignitary in question and the x x x |
| 15 u lú? x x x [.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..] |
and the.. .. x x x [.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..] |
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edge mutilated, possibly inscribed |
edge mutilated, possibly inscribed |
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TRANSLATION |
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| 1 u lú ŠÀ?.T[AM .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .] | and the šat[ammu of Esagila] |
| 2 u lúE.KI.MEŠ l[ú? .. .. .. .. .. .. ..] |
and the Babylonians (of) the [Council of Esagila?, the judge] |
| 3šá LUGAL inagišI.LU m[a]-á[š-a-a-al-tú] |
of the king on a rack of inter[rogation] |
| 4 iš-šá-al-šú-nu-tú uk?–t[in-nu-šú-nu-tú] |
interrogatedsg them and con[victed them.] |
| 5 lúšal-lat-su-nu ina KI.TA E.K[I .. .. .. ..] |
Their prisoners [were taken to GN] below Babyl[on and] |
| 6 ina IZI BIL.MEŠ ITI BI [UD.. .. ..] |
were burned with fire. That month [day .. .. ..] |
| 7lúpu-li-&e-e GIŠ GI x[.. MEŠ] |
the politai wooden?? [.. ..] |
| 8 šá MÁ.MEŠ AN.TA E.KI ana tar-@[a x (x)] |
of the ships? above Babylon in fro[nt (of x (x))] |
| 9 É.GAL /LUGAL\ ig-da-áš-ru-ú |
of the palace of the king they repaired? |
| 10 [.. ..] x x [.. ..] al-te-me |
[Month MN. /That month\ I heard |
| 11 [um-ma-a mA]n-ti-‘-uk-su |
[as follows: A]ntiochus, |
| 12 [LUGAL GAZ??] (vacat) |
[the king, was killed”??] (vacat) |
Gold theft chronicle (BCHP 15)
Antiochus V Eupator
The Chronicle Concering the Theft of Gold from the Day One Temple, or Gold Theft Chronicle (BCHP 15), is one of the historiographical texts from ancient Babylonia. The tablet can be dated to SE 150/151 (=162/1 BCE) ands belongs therefore to the brief reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus V Eupator (164-162). For a very brief introduction to the literary genre of chronicles, go here.
The cuneiform tablet (BM 32510 = 76-11-17,2251) is in the British Museum. On this website, a new reading is proposed by Bert van der Spek of the Free University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Irving Finkel of the British Museum. Please notice that this is a preliminary version of what will be the chronicle’s very first edition. This web publication is therefore intended to invite suggestions for better readings, comments and interpretations (go here to contact Van der Spek).
Commentary
General commentary
The chronicle is to be dated to Antiochus IV or later, but probably to Antiochus V. An Antiochus is mentioned in Rev. 11. The mentioning of politai makes Antiochus IV the first candidate and the content of the tablet reminds us of the temple robbery mentioned in the Astronomical Diary II, 476/7, No. -168 A 12′-20′ relating events of the month Arahsamna (VIII) of SE 143 = 15 November-13 December 169 BCE. In that diary the appointment of a zazakku (financial official, prostates) is reported, which seems to be a new function. In our chronicle the zazakku is in function, so that this chronicle postdates this diary.
This diary also concerns temple robbery but our chronicle obviously refers another incident. Theft of temple property is recorded fairly regularly (cf. Joannès 2000). The fact that the chronicle mentions a “governor of the king” (šakin ša šarri), points to the reign of Antiochus V. That office is only recorded during his reign and may regard the guardian of the minor king, appointed by Antiochus IV on his deathbed, Philip or Lysias (1 Maccabees,6.14-15; 2 Maccabees, 9.29).
Since it is likely that the death of an Antiochus is mentioned, the death of Antiochus V will be at issue. If so, the chronicle should be dated to a month between 1 VIII 150 and 22 VI 151 SE = 29 October 162-9 September 161 BCE (cf. Van der Spek 1997/98: 167-8). The death of Antiochus V was violent. His reign had been contested from the start by Demetrius I Soter, son of Seleucus IV, who was kept in Rome as hostage. He escaped, landed in Tripolis, acquired a lot of support and Antiochus, who just had conquered Antioch from Philippus, was handed over to Demetrius and upon his orders executed (1 Maccabees,7:1ff; 2 Maccabees 14:1ff; Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 12.389; Livy, Periochae, 46; Eusebius, Chron. 1 253).
Obverse
4, 10.
É UD.1.KAM, “Day-one-temple”, or “First-Day-temple”, is likely to be an alternative name of the New Year Temple (Bît Akiti), though there are some doubts. The name only occurs in late texts. The first attestation is AD II, p. 202, no. -204 C rev. 17. This astronomical diary reports that king Antiochus III the Great on 8 Nisannu (I) of year SE 107 (7 March 205 BCE) left the royal palace of Babylon, made offerings to Marduk in Esagila and subsequently entered the “Day-One-Temple”. From this passage it is fairly clear that this temple must be the New-Year’s Festival temple. The 8th of Nisan is a day of importance for the king in the New Year ritual (cf. above Seleucus III Chronicle, BCHP 12 = ABC 13b : 3′ with commentary).
Nevertheless, some doubts are in order. In one text the Day-One-Temple is mentioned alongside the Akitu-temple in an administrative document from the Rahimesu Archive (93 BCE), AB 244: 8 and 14 (McEwan 1981b: 133 (copy), 132 (transcription), 134 (translation) = Van der Spek 1998a, p. 234, no. 23). Otherwise the Akitu-temple is not mentioned anymore. In view of the above mentioned diary concerning Antiochus III it is likely, however, that both names refer to the same building.
Note, that the traditional translation of É UD.1.KAM, “Day-One-Temple”, is not unequivocal either. UD.1.KAM is also the ideographical rendering of ûmakkal, “during one whole day” (AHw III, 1412: “ein Tag, einen Tag lang,” Borger, ABZ, p. 153, no. 381, and Borger MZ (2003), nr. 596) p. 380 and 382, “ganztägig, alltäglich”. UD-1-KAM may also be the rendering of ûmu, “day” (Borger, ibidem and BiOr 30, 182a). Hence, a translation “All-Day-Temple” should also be considered.
Secondly, the phrase “Day-One-Temple” might also refer to the first day of each month, hence be a “New Moon Temple”. However it may be, services were not only held on 1 Nisannu or the first day of another month, but during the entire year, as is clear from the Rahimesu document mentioned above, where money is spent for offerings in the Day-One-Temple from 15 Addaru (XII) to 15 Intercalary Addaru (XII2) 218 SE.
In view of the uncertainties it is advisable to translate É UD.1.KAM as “Day-One-Temple”, rather than as Akitu temple or New Year Temple.
6
For the translation of TA as “by”, see comment at the Ptolemy III chronicle (BCHP 11: obv. 11′, rev. 8′, 10′, 14′.) and Demetrius and Arabia fragment rev.1′).
KUR = kašâdu = “to reach, to arrive; to conquer; to capture (an enemy), to arrest (a criminal)”; kuššudu, “to chase away; to pursue; to approach; to make prisoner” (CAD K 271). The difficulty of this line is that a man seems to be arrested (@a-bit), who was caught (KUR) a half year before. Perhaps the meaning is that since a half year he was on the run from the governor and was now captured.
9
zazakku: see above, General Commentary.
lúEN pi-qitlúza-zak-ku, “the trustee of the zazakku“. lúEN pi-qit is a construct case in which case the meaning is “representative, trustee”, “Beauftragter” (cf. AHw I: 120) of someone else (i.c. the zazakku). The title also occurs in plural and as an overseer or clerk of certain profession groups, as in BRM I 88. See Boiy 2004: 211, who translates “clerk” and Bongenaar 1997: 151, n. 170. The bêl piqittu Eanna in Uruk, however, was an important royal overseer of the temple entrusted with the leasing of temple land. See e.g. YBT VI 40 and 41 (Cocquerillat 1968: 108-9; 39 sqq.; cf. Van der Spek 1987: 72) A bêl piqitti Esagila with the same kind of function is attested as well: CT 56, 463, cf. Bongenaar 1997: 62).
lúEN pi-qit may also be an error for lúEN pi-qit-ti (as the final vowel probably was not pronounced), so that we can translate: “the trustee (supervisor), the zazakku, etc.” It seems to be a list of high functionaries, in which a “clerk” is not fitting.
11
The scribe wrote “12”, but the context requires “22”.
šá ina IGI-ma ina lìb-bi-šú-nu LÁ, “with which it had been weighed in the past”. For the use of ša … ina libbišunu, “with whichpl”, with an instrumental meaning: see the astronomical text AO 6478 (Thureau-Dangin, RA 10, 1913, 215-225; translation: Schaumberger ZA 50, 1952, 214-229) (suggestion M. Ossendrijver).
12
kî, “when, as soon as, after” (cf. CAD K p. 316). In Middle and Late Babylonian texts the conjunction kî, “when”, used as introduction to temporal subordinate clauses, is not constructed at the beginning of the sentence, but immediately before the verb. Cf. W. Von Soden, Grundriss der akkadischen Grammatik. Analecta Orientalia 33. (Rome 1969), p. 276, § 172 e. (suggestion M. Ossendrijver).
Reverse
3
gišI.LU = gišKUN4 = simmiltu = ladder, rack (Borger, 2003 [MZ], p. 203, no. 252). The rack of interrogation is also mentioned in a diary referring to similar (or the same?) events: AD II, p. 476, no. -168A rev. 18′. See also the commentary on the Chronicle of the Diadochi (BCHP 3) 30=11′ with other references.
8
MÁ.MEŠ. The signs look like RI.MEŠ, but this conveys no meaning. In astronomical diary AD III, no. -132A r. 19-20 the scribe wrote the sign MÁ = (eleppu, “ship”) in a way that it can hardly be distinguished from RI. Cf. Labat 1963 no. 122 (má) and no. 86 (ri).
7-9
The exact meaning of the phrase escapes us. It may refer to repair of ships in harbour upstream of Babylon just outside the palace, which was situated on the river on the north wall of Babylon (see map).
9
ig-da-áš-ru-ú: perf, of kašâru A, “to repair (ruined or damaged walls, buildings, etc.)” or kašâru C, “to replace” (CAD K 284-5)?
10-12
The phrase “I heard” suggests that something happened to Antiochus far away from Babylon. Antiochus V was murdered in Antioch by Demetrius I. See general commentary.