Two closely related, damaged letters relating to the reorganisation of the cult of the Lady of Akkad under Esarhaddon concern the liability of the author for payments, probably in grain, to the king (nos. 8 and 9).[[19]] Pressurised by the king about his allocations, the author probably states that he sent full payment back to the king after the harvest and is not to blame for any outstanding obligations. The man to blame is a certain Zabadu, who has denied a royal judgement concerning his gods, passed when the author brought in the Lady of Akkad's servants to the king. A reference to "the king and the crown prince, my lord," suggests that these letters date from 672-669 B.C. (no. 8 r.2).[[20]] Other sources attest to Esarhaddon's intervention in the affairs of Akkad.[[21]]
Ašaredu from Cutha reports to the king's mother that all is well (no. 10). The correspondents can be identified as the commandant of Cutha and Esarhaddon's mother Naqia.[[26]] An unknown author from Cutha uses greeting formulae similar to no. 10, which suggests an Esarhaddon date (no. 11).[[27]]
19 The term nishu, a type of payment which could be made in grain, is used (no. 8 r. 13).
20 See no. 6.
21 See Frame Babylonia 73ff.
26 On Ašaredu, see no. 131. Other Babylonian letters to the king's mother: no. 85 from NaŹ¾id-Marduk; SAA 10 313 from Nabû-šumu-lišir; SAA 10 154 from Aplaya. She is mentioned in the B abylonian letter SAA 10 109.
27 The available space in no. 11:1 may exclude [ma-šá-re-du] as the author's name.
Frances Reynolds
Frances Reynolds, 'Letters from Akkad and Cutha', The Babylonian Correspondence of Esarhaddon and Letters to Assurbanipal and Sin-šarru-iškun from Northern and Central Babylonia, SAA 18. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 2003; online contents: SAAo/SAA18 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa18/esarhaddoncorrespondence/fromakkadandcutha/]