Abstract
O. R. Gurney published UET 7, 1-72, a collection of tablets from Ur of about 1200 B. C., in 1974, and their translations and notes for them in 1983. These tablets were excavated from the family archive which belonged to the brewers of the god Sîn.
The ginû (regular offering) which I discuss in this paper is mentioned in one of these tablets, UET 7, 41, which records the settlemeut of a dispute between the brewers and a certain Sîn-lēqi-unninni. It is obvious that the blame for this trouble was placed on the brewers, because Sîn-lēqi-unninni received several articles from each of six brewers. However, the cause of this trouble is not stated. And what the description of the ginû means is not obvious. The description of the ginil is as follows: 10 gur ŠE-MAŠ/BAR gišbán 5 sìla ša gi-né-e ša m.dutu-e-ṭi-ir m.dXXX-le-qu-nik-ni in-du-di.
I think the description of the ginû is concerned with the cause of the trouble and that the brewers and Sîn-lēqi-unninni were arguing about the ginû.
Also, in UET 7, 63, a different brewer and Sîn-lēqi-unninni argued about ginû. The trouble in UET 7, 63 the cessation of the ginû caused by Sîn-lēqi-unninni. I think Sîn-lēqi-unninni diverted the ginû on its way to the temple of the national god.
Temple × Sîn-lēqi-unninni ← brewer
(the national god) (ceased)
It is possible that the trouble in UET 7, 41 also involved the cessation or shortage of the ginû. However, in UET 7, 41 the trouble was caused by the brewers.
Temple Sîn-lēqi-unninni x brewer
(the national god) (ceased)
It seems that in this case the unpaid ginû was delivered to the temple of the national god through Sîn-lēqi-unninni. In other words, Sîn-lēqi-unninni measured out (in-du-di) the unpaid ginû (10 gur ŠE-MAŠ/BAR gišbán 5 sìla ša gi-né-e ša m.dutu-e-ṭi-ir) to the temple of the national god. The description of the ginû probably refers to this process.
