The curious case of a discredited scribe (A.1258+): slander and suffering in 18th century BC Mesopotamia

Abstract

This paper aims to offer a translation and detailed analysis of the letter-psalm A.1258+, exhumed in the royal palace of Mari and dated from the 18th century BC. The text in question corresponds to a supplication addressed by a scribe to the sovereign Zimrî-Lîm and presents parallels with the famous Babylonian composition lulul bēl nēmeqi (The Righteous Sufferer), which, in turn, due to the themes addressed, was equated with the Book of Job. Thus, we intend to debate, through an interpretation of the text, questions such as the role of the sovereign, suffering and justice.