B, K13254
This tablet was originally described as a Babylonian fragment of a religious text,^213 how-
ever the drawing in AfO 24, 165, indicates that the script is Neo-Assyrian. The museum
catalogue number suggests that this fragment was excavated at Kuyunjik, though its exact
location at that site remains uncertain.
C, BM34814+35708
These two fragments are from a four column tablet, which presumably contained the text
of the first tablet of the series. The script is Neo-Babylonian. The writing is crowded and
of varying size, with signs ranging from 3mm to 6mm in height. There are no rulings on
the tablet, and many of the lines of text do not maintain a consistent horizontal direction.
The tablet itself is quite thick, approaching 4cms at its centre. The clay is light red, and
terracotta in places, with some signs of impurities. The fragment numbered BM35708 is
of a slightly lighter colour than BM34814, which may be an indication that the tablet was
fired by Rassam’s team before being shipped from Iraq, or it was otherwise broken in an-
tiquity and each piece burned separately. Against the latter conclusion one may note the
relatively even colouring of the individual fragments which is not typical of fragments
baked by conflagration.^214 The museum catalogue number indicates that this tablet was
(^213) See the entry in C. Bezold, L.W. King, and E.A.W. Budge, (^) Catalogue, 3.1298.
(^214) According to S.J. Lieberman, "Canonical and Official Cuneiform Texts," 330, most of the tablets from
the archives and libraries at Kuyunjik were unbaked in antiquity other than those that were effectively fired
in the conflagration of 612 B.C.E. This does not take into account, however, tablets that have firing holes
pressed into their surface so as to avoid cracking during firing (see, for example, the copies of the Venus
Tablet K160 and K2321+3032, and a copy of the second tablet of MUL.APIN not examined here,