234
be the administrative counterparts of chancery texts of the en-matype,
“decrees,” such as 75.1444^31 and 75.1766,^32 or of the di-ku 5 -type,
“verdicts,” such as 75.1632 (di-ku 5 Gi-rí, and cf. 75.2614), where the
king of Ebla confirms (also by oath) the rights of several of Ib-rí-um’s
sons to many rural estates. Another royal verdict (di-ku 5 ) dealing with
lands, 75.1452, refers to litigation among members of Ib-rí-um’s fam-
ily, namely, his sons Ù-tiand I-rí-ig-da-muand his nephews, all sons
of I-rí-ig-da-mu, Da-¢ír-Li-im(a high priestess, dam-dingir), I-rí-ig-da-
muand Gú-ba-lum.^33 The king’s verdict, against her brothers’ claim,
confirms Da-¢ír-Li-im’s donation to her uncle Ù-tiof the lands she
had received as an inheritance share (níg-á-gá-2) from her father.
The scribal exercise 75.1430 is a royal verdict dealing with villages
and lands, confirming the ownership of A-¢ír-da-mu, son of I-bí-zi-
kir, son of Ib-rí-um.^346.3 Four documents concerning rural estates of other elite families
also contain the key term níg-á-gá followed by the figures 2, 3, or
4, meaning a partition of the father’s property into two, three or
four inheritance shares for distribution among the sons.^35 In ARET
VII 154, it is also said that the sons of Gi-a-Li-im swore an oath
(nam-ku 5 ) and then received the land.6.4 A small but important group of difficult chancery and admin-
istrative texts concerns king Yirkab-damu of Ebla and queen Ti-“a-
Li-imof Emar.^36 The administrative texts ARET II 27a, III 460+,
75.2304, Archi (note)^37 and Dietrich (note)^38 are related to two com-
plementary chancery texts. One is a shorter di-ku 5 -verdict (ARET
XIII 7, including the mention of a “pact,” gi“surx(ÉRIN), lit. “dou-(^31) Edzard, “Der Text TM.75.G.1444...”
(^32) Fronzaroli, “Un atto reale...”
(^33) Fronzaroli, “Un verdetto reale...”
(^34) Fronzaroli, “Il verdetto per A"mur-Damu.. .”; Milano, “Ébla: Gestion des ter-
res.. .,” 155 and n. 150.
(^35) Milano, “Ébla: Gestion des terres.. .,” 153. ARET VII 154 deals with the
shares of the three sons of the lugal Gi-a-Li-im, ARET VII 155 with those of
the four sons of the lugal I-rí-ig-da-mu, ARET III 377 with those of the sons of the
lugal Zi-ba-da, and ARET VII 156 with those of the three sons of the judge Ìr-
am 6 -da-mu.
(^36) Bonechi, “Lexique et idéologie royale.. .,” 523ff.
(^37) Archi, “Un autre document...”
(^38) Dietrich, “Besitz...”
WESTBROOK_F6_227-239 8/27/03 1:42 PM Page 234