“A hymn to Nisaba

This hymn describes the great goddess Nisaba as patron deity of scribes and
accountants. She carries a lapis lazuli tablet, the colour of the night sky, from
which she reads the future through celestial omens.”

“She carries a lapis lazuli tablet, the colour of the night sky” why is the tablet of this particular colour and why does a scribe goddess of corn read omens out of the night sky?

Supposedly it’s in the iraq museum but the object itself seems to be missing or at least highly restricted to the public eye.

Unlike most other famous artifacts, there are no recent photos/videos of the object circulating on the internet shared by museum goers. Sometimes you’ll find mediocre replicas displayed inside some museums (photos 2 and 3) but media concerning the original is confined to professional photographs taken many years ago/shortly after its discovery. Furthermore, the interior of the iraq museum in 2009 is free to explore in google street view. Noticeably missing is the copper head. It seems that it has been off display since 2003 in the wake of the Iraq war.

So what gives?

I’ve heard that it was looted in 2003 or more likely, that it’s stored within a very secure place like a vault. Since iraq is a whole lot more stable than it was in 2003, the obvious question is why isn’t the crown jewel of the museum’s collection on display?

See also: The study as it was published in the journal Iraq

The Royal Game of Ur is one of the oldest board games we can still play. Boards were found in the royal tombs at Ur in the 1920s. The rules were reconstructed much later from a Babylonian-era cuneiform tablet, most famously by Irving Finkel at the British Museum.

I made a free iPhone version (no ads) because I wanted a good way to play it with friends. You can play them online, or play against five AI opponents drawn from Mesopotamian mythology: Inanna, Nergal, Marduk, Shamash and Enki. Beating each one unlocks a short history of that god.

If you've ever wanted to play the game rather than just read about it, this is my attempt. I'm happy to answer questions about the rules or the history.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-game-of-royal-ur/id6757752391

Author and source: Fel Ferra

Hi,
I want to dive a bit deeper into the Sumerian and Akkadian languages and I am looking for study materials. I have a minor background in linguistics and I am not aiming to become a reliable translator or an academic in any way, but just get a better glimpse into the languages. It is fine if the material is not super approachable, so challenging or technical material is totally fine.

Do you have any recommendation? I was kind of thinking of introductory text books or resources used for beginner Assyriology courses, but at least for me its tricky to figure out which are good or used.

Below is what I have found so far (and have access to). However, some of it might be outdated.

Any feedback, recommendation where to start, or help is greatly appreciated.

Sumerian:

Sumerian, John L. Hayes; Languages of the World/Materials 68, 1999

Sumerian Grammar, Dietz Otto Edzard, Handbook of Oriental studies. Section 1, Near and Middle East; 2003

A Manual of Sumerian Grammar and Texts, John L. Hayes, 1990

Introduction to Sumerian Grammar, Daniel A Foxvog, 2011

The Sumerian Language, Marie-Louise Thomsen, 1984

A descriptive grammar of Sumerian, Abraham Hendrik Jagersma, 2010

Akkadian:

The Akkadian Dialects of Carchemish and Ugarit, John Huehnergard, 1979

Akkadian Grammar, Arthur Ungnad, 1969

A Grammar of the Akkadian Tablets Found at Ugarit, Gerald Gordon Swaim, 1962

Old Akkadian Writing and Grammer, I. J. Gelb, 1961

A Grammar of Akkadian, John Huehnergard, 1996

Introduction to Akkadian, Richard Caplice, 2002

Assyrian Grammar and Reading Book, A. H. Sayce, ?

Literary Old Babylonian, Izre'el & Cohen, 2004

Basically what the title says. I just wanted to translate Fierce Weather into Sumerian, so here is the lyircs in Sumerian and English (both real song and direct meaning of mine):
Sumerian:
mar-ru huš
amar-gi da-ri
lugal giri-uš
e-eš giri-gar

ul da-ri
lugal in-gaz
ŋu nam-zu da-ri
nam-lugal na-gaz

bur-dul huš
giš-gu-di zif
a-mek alal-huš
sisi šeš-gen

ne-eš tu i-sa-gaz-a
erin-ra lugal ia-gu-dub
sag hal-bi-a
suhub in-šub

guz-za gig
an-ta ugnim-eš
erim tum-sak hu-luh
bar a-mek-ak-aš

a-gu-zi-ga i-bur
a-šag da id
gigir-ne i-sag-šur
du-sa-ne uš i-gurud

Literal English:
Fierce hurricane,
Eternal freedom
The king tread on
The prison tread on

Eternal joy
The king is crushed
For my (our) knowledge
Slaughter the king

Red garment
Trusty musical instrument
Weapon and fierce pipe
Horse like a brother

Finally the pigeon robbed (too much)
For the workers the king cries
Head in the ice house
Boots thrown down

Black fabric
In front of the army
Enemy of the East be frightened
Because of the weapons

(as) Early morning loosened
The on field, beside the river
Chariots rushed
Comrades threw death.

Intended English:

Fierce weather
Freedom for nothing
Prison grates torn out
Prison cell blown up

Pleasure without limit
Shoot from a vintar (rifle)
Shoot for our beliefs
At father-tsar

Red underclothes
Royal accordion
Saber and rifle
And brother-horse

The pigeon played too much
Recieves for all
Head in the ice hole
Boots in the snow

Black banners
In front of regiments
Be careful Bud'onnyi
Of father's sabers

Early in the morning
By the field along the river
Rushed tachankas
Brothers got through

(sorry for it being so long)