Hurrian foundation pegs
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The Hurrian foundation pegs, also known as the Urkish lions, are twin copper foundation pegs each in the shape of a lion that probably came from the ancient city of Urkesh in Syria. The pegs were plac
The Louvre lion and accompanying stone tablet
Foundation peg in the form of the forepart of a lion, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Hurrian language
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Hurrian is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language spoken by the Hurrians, a people who entered northern Mesopotamia around 2300 BC and had mostly vanished by 1000 BC. Hurrian was the language of the Mitan
Hurrian foundation pegs
…as mentioned in the cuneiform inscriptions on them. The inscription on the two pegs and the associated stone tablet is the oldest known text in the Hurrian language. One of the lions is now housed, along with its limestone tablet, in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The second lion is on display at the Metropolitan…
Foundation tablet with a dedication to the god Nergal by the Hurrian king Atalshen, king of Urkish and Nawar, Habur Bassin, circa 2000 BC. (Louvre Museum AO 5678.) The text on the tablet reads:Of Nergal the lord of Hawalum, Atal-shen, the caring shepherd, the king of Urkesh and Nawar, the son of Sadar-mat the king, is the builder of the temple of Nergal, the one who overcomes opposition. Let Shamash and Ishtar destroy the seeds of whoever removes this tablet. Shaum-shen is the craftsman.