These tablets all derive from a single archive which appears to represent lists of offerings presented in the Temple of Assur. The archive has been discussed in detail by van Driel in his Appendix to The Cult of Aššur (Leiden 1969), and his conclusions may serve as the basis for a summary description here (note that we have also included ADD 1025 as no. 187 and 1031 as no. 202, and three pieces not then published, nos. 200, 210 and 219). Although definitely discovered on Kuyunjik (as the provenance of nos. 192 and 197 shows, see van Driel p. 206), the texts mention offerings to the god Aššur himself, to his spouse Mullissu, and to Dagan; these shrines must have been in the Aššur Temple at Assur itself, and this location is further supported by the mention of the "mausoleum" (kimahhu). Why these tablets should have been found at Nineveh remains obscure, but part of the explanation must be that the contributions come from members of the royal household.
Each tablet gives an inventory "of commodities present on a certain day in a certain department of the temple" (p. 207). These commodities are tabulated by van Oriel in the chart at the end of his book, and although joins and collations permit some corrections of detail (e.g. the addition of lipšāti and bandillu to the varieties of meat offering), the broad picture remains valid. Our order differs from his, as we have started from the external format of the tablet: nos. 184-188 are horizontal tablets, all with short texts evidently referring to a single consignment. Nos. 189-208 are relatively small vertical tablets, but often with more than one section, while nos. 209-221 are larger vertical tablets in small, densely written script (see the photographs on Plates X-XI). Some of the longer texts are divided into more than one section, and it seems likely that they may include details taken from two or more smaller tablets, although no direct borrowing can be proved. The sections in question tend to follow a regular order, as observed by van Driel (p. 210f):
There is also one instance of offerings before ištar (no. 195).
The people mentioned in these texts fall into donors and administrators. For the donors see van Oriel's list on p. 190 note 77: the queen, the crown prince, the (chief) steward (masennu) or his household (no. 208), the turtānu (commander-in-chief), the chief cupbearer, the governor of Assur province. For the administrators, under whose authority (ŠU.2) the offerings seem to have been organized, see his list on p. 209: most frequently involved are Nabû-šarru-uṣur and Turî, the others (Šakilja, the brewer; Lu-šakin; Adadila'i and Amur-ilut-Aššur the confectioner) are found once each, as are Šamaš-ibni and Aššur-ahhe-eriba who may now be added to his list. The role of Bel-ahhe-eriba, who is mentioned as making offerings in nos. 189, 191 and 202, is not clear. Unfortunately, the professional designation of some of these people does not tell us whether they were temple or palace officials, and none of them can be definitely identified with persons known from other contexts. The name Nabû-šarru-uṣur is too common, and the other names have no holders who could convincingly be put forward as the same person.
Where preserved, each text is dated to the day, but never to the month or year. The days do not suggest any special regularity about the time of month, and the dating of the archive of the whole is very difficult. The only historical reference is in no. 212 "5 litres of dates from the first-fruits which the king imposed on Akkad," and this does not point clearly to any one king.
F.M. Fales & J.N. Postgate
F.M. Fales & J.N. Postgate, 'The Aššur Temple Offering Lists (Nos. 182-219)', Imperial Administrative Records, Part I: Palace and Temple Administration, SAA 7. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 1992; online contents: SAAo/SAA07 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2021 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa07/accountsoffoodanddrink/theaurtempleofferinglistsnos182219/]