Journal Article

TREATING GARMENTS IN THE OLD BABYLONIAN PERIOD: \AT THE CLEANERS\ IN A COMPARATIVE VIEW / :ﻣﻌﺎﻟﺠﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﺼﺮ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺑﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﻢ ﻟﺪﻯ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﻈﻔﻴﻦ\ ﻓﻲ ﻧﻈﺮﺓ ﻣﻘﺎﺭﻧﺔ\

Wasserman, Nathan, ﻭﺍﺳﺮﻣﺎﻥ, ﻧﺎﺛﺎﻥ

2013

Overview

This article examines UET 6/2, 414, the Old Babylonian dialogue between a fuller and a client, commonly referred to as \"At the Cleaners\", from the point of view of ancient technology. Drawing upon a wide range of Talmudic and Classical sources mentioning laundry, and based on a careful philological reading of the Akkadian text, this study offers a new understanding of the different stages of washing and treatment of luxury garments in the Old Babylonian period. It is argued that the possible humorous aspect of the text is irrelevant to the fact that UET 6/2, 414 is a unique composition in antiquity, offering a long and accurate sequence of laundry instructions. Washing procedures and ways of treating luxury garments in Mesopotamia are outlined step by step; new Akkadian terms pertaining to garments and clothing are presented; wages of laundry workers in ancient Mesopotamia are briefly discussed. The study concludes with a new edition and translation of UET 6/2, 414. ﺗﺘﻨﺎﻭﻝ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﻟﺔ 414 ,6/2 UET، ﺍﻟﺤﻮﺍﺭ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺑﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﻢ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﻨﻈﻒ ﻣﻼﺑﺲ ﻭﺯﺑﻮﻥ، ﻳﺸﺎﺭ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﺑﺼﻮﺭﺓ ﻋﺎﻣﺔ \"ﻟﺪﻯ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﻈﻔﻴﻦ\"، ﻣﻦ ﻭﺟﻬﺔ ﻧﻈﺮ ﺍﻟﺘﻘﻨﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻮﻓﺮﺓ ﻗﺪﻳﻤﺎً. ﺇﺳﺘﻨﺎﺩﺍً ﺇﻟﻰ ﻣﺮﺍﺟﻊ ﺗﻠﻤﻮﺩﻳﺔ ﻭﻛﻼﺳﻴﻜﻴﺔ ﻛﺜﻴﺮﺓ ﺗﺬﻛﺮ ﺗﻨﻈﻴﻒ ﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ ﻭﺗﻘﻮﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺃﺳﺎﺱ ﻗﺮﺍﺀﺍﺕ ﻟﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﻨﺼﻮﺹ ﺍﻷﻛﺪﻳﺔ، ﺗﻘﺪﻡ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﺪﺭﺍﺳﺔ ﻣﻔﻬﻮﻡ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﻟﻠﻤﺮﺍﺣﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﻟﻐﺴﻴﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ ﻭﻣﻌﺎﻟﺠﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ ﺍﻟﻔﺎﺧﺮﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﺼﺮ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺑﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﻢ. ﻭﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪﺃﻥ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺣﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻔﻜﺎﻫﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺘﻤﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﺺ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻬﺎ ﻋﻼﻗﺔ ﺑﺤﻘﻴﻘﺔ ﻛﻮﻥ UET 6/2, 414 ﻫﻮ ﺇﻧﺸﺎﺀ ﻓﺮﻳﺪ ﻗﺪﻳﻢ ﻳﻌﺮﺽ ﺗﺴﻠﺴﻞ ﻃﻮﻳﻞ ﻭﺩﻗﻴﻖ ﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﺎﺕ ﺗﻨﻈﻴﻒﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ. ﻓﺈﺟﺮﺍﺀﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﻐﺴﻴﻞ ﻭﻃﺮﻕ ﻣﻌﺎﻟﺠﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ ﺍﻟﻔﺎﺧﺮﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻼﺩ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﻣﺤﺪﺩﺓ ﺧﻄﻮﺓ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺧﻄﻮﺓ؛ ﻭﺗﻌﺮﺽ ﻣﺼﻄﻠﺤﺎﺕ ﺃﻛﺪﻳﺔ ﺟﺪﻳﺪﺓ ﺗﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ؛ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺗﻨﺎﻗﺶ ﺑﺎﺧﺘﺼﺎﺭ ﻣﻮﺿﻮﻉ ﺃﺟﻮﺭ ﻋﻤﺎﻝ ﺗﻨﻈﻴﻒ ﺍﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻼﺩ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ. ﻭﺗﺨﺘﺘﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﻟﺔ ﺑﻌﺪﺩ ﻭﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ ﺟﺪﻳﺪﺓ ﻟ 414 ,2/UET 6 .

• Publisher: British Institute for the Study of Iraq