Article in special issue

Juggling tablets Praying for the king and writing for priests: the lu2-šud3-de2-lugal-la of Sippar

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Abstract

In Sippar, the title lu2-šud3-de3-lugal-la is known from the seals of four individuals belonging to three generations of a single family. Drawing on 150 attestations spanning 106 years, the article reconstructs their prosopography, traces the chronological distribution of their appearances, and contextualises their seal legends against the Nippur and Dūr-Abiešuh material, which differs in both formulation and institutional embedding. Particular attention is paid to the archive of the Chief Dirge Singers of Annunītum, where Sîn-iddinam, title holder of the latest generation, is overwhelmingly attested. His recurrent appearance as drafter and final witness, indicates that a principal practical function of the Sipparian title holders, especially in the latest generation, was the drafting of legal and administrative documents. Mapping cooccurrences, offices, and transaction contexts, the study situates the family within elite networks linking Sippar-Yahrūrum and Sippar-Amnānum and argues that the title operated largely as an honorary designation.

Keywords: lu2-šud3-de3-lugal-la, Chief Dirge Singers' Archive, Sippar, seals, scribes

How to Cite:

De Graef, K., (2025) “Juggling tablets Praying for the king and writing for priests: the lu2-šud3-de2-lugal-la of Sippar”, Akkadica 146(2), 175-194. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/akkadica.100534