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 | Ešnunna calendar | Sippar calendar | Mari calendar | Šamšī-Adad calendar | Period in the year | |
i | bara2-zag-ga | nisānum | niggallum | sibūtum | urāhum | viii* niggallum | March-Apr. |
ii | gu4-si-sa2 | ayyarum | elūlum | gusisi | malkānum | ix* maqrānum | Apr.-May |
iii | sig4-ga | simānum | magrattum | qāti-erṣetim /elūnum | lahhum | x* Dumuzi | May-June |
iv | šu-numun-na | dūzum | abum | Dumuzi | abum | xi* abum | June-July |
v | ne-ne-gar | abum | zibnum | isin-abi | hibirtum | xii* tīrum | July-Aug. |
vi | kin-dinanna | ulūlum | niqmum | tīrum | digi-kur | i* niqmum | Aug.-Sept. |
vii | du6-ku3 | tašrītum | kinūnum | elūlum | kinūnum | ii* kinūnum | Sept.-Oct. |
viii | apin-du8-a | arahsamnum | tamhīrum | kinūnum | Dagan | iii* tamhīrum | Oct.-Nov. |
ix | gan-gan-na | kislīmum | nabrûm | tamhīrum | liliātum | iv* nabrûm | Nov.-Dec. |
x | ab-ba-e3 | ṭebētum | Mammītum | Mammītum or nabrium | Bēlet-biri | v* Mammītum | Dec.-Jan. |
xi | ziz2-a-an | šabattum | kiskissum | isin-Adad | kiskissum | vi* mana | Jan.-Feb. |
xii | še-kin-ku5 | niggallum | kinkum | ayyarum | ebūrum | vii* ayyarum | Feb.-March |
Bibliography
CM
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