Steinurkunde (Kudurru) des Königs Marduk-apla-iddina II. über eine Landschenkung

The stone monument commemorates legally binding that the Babylonian king Marduk-apla-iddina II. has granted royal land to a faithful servant in the seventh year of his reign. The central motif depicts the only known representation of the ruler and the beneficiary Bel-ahhe-eriba, the latter in suitably diminished scale, barefoot and with upraised hand in a gesture of respect. The men, neither of them distinguished by individual features, wear both the Babylonian robe with the typical drapery at the back.

The cuneiform inscription commences with the king's praise, describes the donation and concludes with the invocation of divine punishment against any transgressor. Denoted by altogether sixteen symbols at the top gods like Marduk, Ea or Nabu had to guarantee the compliance.

Stelae like this kudurru were essentially for display and usually set up in a temple where the transaction was announced and where the initial text could be studied in case of legal issues or questions of property. [Nadja Cholidis]