Lagaba
Lagaba was a city in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now southern Iraq). It is the place of origin of many illicitly excavated clay tablets,[1] all in Old Babylonian. More than 400 tablets are known to have originated there. Tablets from Lagaba are kept in various collections around the world, among which
- the Babylonian Collection at Yale University. Tablets from the Yale Babylonian Collection have been published by G.M. Beckman in the Catalogue of the YBC[2] and by Oded Tammuz[3][4][5] of Ben Gurion University many dated to the reign of Samsuiluna,
- the Böhl Collection at The Netherlands Institute for the Near East[6][7] at Leiden University,
- the Ashmolean Museum[8] in Oxford,
- various others.[9][10]
Most of the known Lagaba tablets are from the Old Babylonian period.[11] In the time of Sumu-la-El (c. 1880-1845 BC), ruler of the First Babylonian empire, the ruler of Lagaba was Mutumme-El.[12] After a long period of control by Babylon the year names of the next to last ruler of that empire Samsu-iluna (c. 1750-1712 BC) ceased to be used in Lagaba in his year 30 suggesting that city, like others in the empire, had gained independence.[13][14]
The tutelary god of Lagaba was Ishtar of Lagaba (Lagabītum, Bēlet-Lagaba, "Lady of Lagaba") though other gods were also worshiped there including Nabu and Laṣ.[6] It has been suggested that this god corresponds to Lakuppītu who is worshiped in Isin.[15]