====== Calendars in the Old Babylonian Period ======

During the Old Babylonian period, each kingdom had its own calendar. The current Nippur calendar during the Ur III period was in use in Isin and later in Larsa and Babylon.

The same calendar was in use in the kingdom of Upper-Mesopotamia under the rule of Šamšī-Adad (Šamšī-Adad calendar), thus in the following cities: Mari (Tell Hariri), Ašnakkum (Chagar Bazar), Qaṭṭara (Tell Rimah), Šubat-Enlil (Tell Leilan), Tuttul (Tell Bi’a), etc. But Mari had also a local calendar, and the two calendars could be used at the same time.

More than half of the months names in use at Ešnunna correspond to those of Šamšī-Adad calendar.

| | **Nippur/Isin calendar** | **Babylon calendar** | **E****š****nunna calendar** | **Sippar calendar** | **Mari calendar** | **Š****am****šī-****Adad calendar** | **Period in the year** |
| i | bara<sub>2</sub>-zag-ga | //nis////ā////num// | //niggallum// | //sib////ū////tum// | //ur////ā////hum// | viii* //niggallum// | March-Apr. |
| ii | gu<sub>4</sub>-si-sa<sub>2</sub> | //ayyarum// | //el////ū////lum// | //gusisi// | //malk////ā////num// | ix* //maqr////ā////num// | Apr.-May |
| iii | sig<sub>4</sub>-ga | //sim////ā////num// | //magrattum// | //q////ā////ti-er////ṣ////etim /el////ū////num// | //lahhum// | x* //Dumuzi// | May-June |
| iv | šu-numun-na | //d////ū////zum// | //abum// | //Dumuzi// | //abum// | xi* //abum// | June-July |
| v | ne-ne-gar | //abum// | //zibnum// | //isin-abi// | //hibirtum// | xii* //t////ī////rum// | July-Aug. |
| vi | kin-<sup>d</sup>inanna | //ul////ū////lum// | //niqmum// | //t////ī////rum// | <sup>d</sup>igi-kur | i* //niqmum// | Aug.-Sept. |
| vii | du<sub>6</sub>-ku<sub>3</sub> | //ta////š////r////ītum// | //kin////ū////num// | //el////ū////lum// | //kin////ū////num// | ii* //kin////ū////num// | Sept.-Oct. |
| viii | apin-du<sub>8</sub>-a | //arahsamnum// | //tamh////ī////rum// | //kin////ū////num// | //Dagan// | iii* //tamh////ī////rum// | Oct.-Nov. |
| ix | gan-gan-na | //kisl////ī////mum// | //nabrûm// | //tamh////ī////rum// | //lili////ā////tum// | iv* //nabrûm// | Nov.-Dec. |
| x | ab-ba-e<sub>3</sub> | //ṭ////eb////ē////tum// | //Mamm////ī////tum// | //Mamm////ī////tum// or //nabrium// | //B////ē////let-biri// | v* //Mamm////ī////tum// | Dec.-Jan. |
| xi | ziz<sub>2</sub>-a-an | //š////ab////att////um// | //kiskissum// | //isin-Adad// | //kiskissum// | vi* //mana// | Jan.-Feb. |
| xii | še-kin-ku<sub>5</sub> | //niggallum// | //kinkum// | //ayyarum// | //eb////ū////rum// | vii* //ayyarum// | Feb.-March |

\\ **Bibliography**

  * Charpin, D & Ziegler, N., 2003: //Mari et le Proche-Orient à l’époque amorrite. Essai d’histoire politique//, Florilegium marianum 5, Paris (esp. p. 155-156).\\
  * Cohen, M., 1993: //The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East//, Bethesda.\\
  * Godderis, A., 2000: The local calendar of Sippar, //NABU// 2000/63.\\
  * Greengus S., 1987: The Akkadian Calendar at Sippar, //JAOS 107//, p. 209-229.\\
  * Greengus S., 2001: New Evidence on the Old Babylonian Calendar and Real Estate Documents from Sippar, //JAOS//121, p. 257-267.\\
  * Jacquet, A., 2008: Tell Hariri / Mari: textes VI. La vie religieuse. IX. Calendrier et culte a Mari, in //Supplément au Dictionnaire de la Bible// 14, Paris, p. 405-424.\\
  * Lacambre, D., 2002: //Niggallum//, lecture akkadienne du mois še-kin-ku5 dans le calendrier dit “de Samsî-Addu”, //Florilegium marianum// 6, p. 505-511.\\
  * Lacambre, D. & Millet Albà, A., 2008: 8. Ménologie et chronologie, in Ö. Tunca & A. el-M. Baghdo (ed.), //Chagar Bazar (Syrie) III. Les trouvailles épigraphiques et sigillographiques du chantier I (2000-2002)//, Louvain, p. 155-165.\\
  * Whiting, R. M., 1987: Four Seal Impressions from Tell Asmar, //AfO//34, p. 30-35, esp. p. 32, n. 16.\\

CM

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