Large Western Asiatic Terracotta Chalice

A rectangular bifacial clay tablet bearing cuneiform text to both principal faces and two side edges; a letter from Iluni, king of Ešnunna, to Inzuršakšu, king of Niqqum; Iluni answered to a letter from his ally who accused him of not having respected their agreements by not sending him an army as he had asked in a letter; he says he is attacked by the Elamites (neighbors of Niqqum), Iluni defends himself and considers that it is on the contrary Inzuršakšu who is in his wrong, he accuses him indeed not only of being the aggressor, but also of wanting to push him to enter in conflict with the Elamites, whom he was indeed himself a vassal, an incomplete draft of this letter was already known; excerpts: 'About the Elamite troop which rose against my country I had written to you to send me a reinforcement troop but you did not send me any troop. You have therefore violated your divine oath (...). This is what you have just written to me. It is you who have just violated your divine oath! Now you are willing to do bad things to this country and you want me to be angry with the Elamites. (...)' 179 grams, 94 mm wide



Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

A draft of this message was already known but the present one gives a more complete version.

A mixed group of glass, shell and stone beads of annular, oblate, melon, and other types. 67 grams total, 2-23 mm



Acquired 1970-2010. Collection of a late Japanese gentleman.

A large fired clay brick from the Wall of Babylon bearing six lines of stamped Babylonian cuneiform inscription to one face which reads: 'AG - ku -dur-ri-URU' / 'LUGAL ba-bi-lu' / 'za-ni-nu é-sag-ila' / 'u e-zi-da IBILA' / 'SAG.KAL. sa AG-IBILA-URU' / 'LUGAL ba-bi-lu ana-ku', which translates: 'Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who provides for Esagila and Ezida, the eldest son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I'; traces of bitumen on the blank side; accompanied by an old label which reads: 'Brick from the Wall of Babylon / Presented by W.Bro. Gentle-Cackett Secretary Bible Lands Mission / The impression records the fact that it was built by King Nebuchadnezzar [II]'. 13.6 kg, 33.5 x 33 cm



Ex Reverend Samuel W. Gentle-Cackett (1871-1943), in the 1930s. Gentle-Cackett was the secretary of the Bible Lands Missions’ Aid Society, 76 The Strand, London, WC2 (1904-1943), author of Palestine Portrayed, 1936, and Worshipful Brother of the Lodge of Sincerity 174. This brick formed part of an old collection of Masonic ephemera, and is believed to have originated from the Lodge of Sincerity 174. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. Accompanied by a copy of the book Palestine Portrayed, 1936, written by S.W. Gentle-Cackett. Accompanied by copies of the relevant pages from the book They Wrote on Clay, showing similar bricks in situ.

Genesis 11:3: "And they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly', and they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar." In the 1920s, Cackett read reports of Christian Armenians being orphaned as a result of attacks from Turks and in response he set up a refuge in Bedfont, where he was able to rehome 1500 children.