Assur ostracon and tablets

The Assur ostracon and tablets are a series of Aramaic or Phoenician inscriptions found during the 1903-13 excavations of Assur by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft.

They are currently in the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin (ostracon is V. A. 8384).

Ostracon

Assur ostracon

The ostracon was found in six fragments. It is thought to be a letter addressed by an Assyrian official to one of his colleagues.^[1][2][3] It is one of the earliest known examples of Aramaic cursive script, including ligatures.

It is the longest known Aramaic letter written on an ostracon.^[4]

It is also known as KAI 233.

Although decipherment has proven challenging, the inscription is considered to be structured in two parts:

• Lines 1-18: A letter from Assyrian official Bel-etir to another Assyrian official Pir’i-amurri, during the period of the rebellion of King Shamash-shum-ukin against his brother Ashurbanipal
• Lines 19-21: A letter from Bel-etir to another unidentifiable person

Tablets

Assur Phoenician tablets

Nine Phoenician inscribed tablets were found during the same expedition. They are also known as KAI 234-236.

Bibliography

• M. Lidzbarski, Altaramäische Urkunden aus Assur (Wissenschaftliche Veroffentlichung der deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft, 38; Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1921) 5-15.
• M. Lidzbarski, "Ein aramäischer Brief aus der Zeit Ašurbanipals," MDOG 58 (1917) 50-52 [preliminary report]
• D. H. Baneth, "Zu dem aramäischen Brief aus der Zeit Assurbanipals," OLZ 22 (1919) 55-58
• R. A. Bowman, "An Interpretation of the Assur Ostracon," Royal Correspondence of the Assyrian Empire (ed. L. Waterman; University of Michigan Studies, Humanistic Series, 20; Ann Arbor: University of Michigan), 4 (1936) 273-82;
• A. Dupont-Sommer, "Séance du 22 octobre," CRAIBL 1943, pp. 465-66;
• A. Dupont-Sommer, "L'ostracon araméen d'Assour," Syria 24 (1944-45) 24-61