Bad-tibira (also Patibira) (Sumerian: , bad3-tibiraki) was an ancient Sumerian city dating back to the Early Dynastic period, which appears among antediluvian cities in the Sumerian King List. In the earliest days of Akkadian language studies its name was mistakenly read as Dûr-gurgurri. Its location is believed to be at modern Tell al-Madineh (also Tell Madineh and Tell al-Mada’in), between Ash Shatrah and Tell as-Senkereh (ancient Larsa) and 25 km southwest of ancient Girsu in southern Iraq. This proposal is based on unprovenanced illegally excavated inscriptions which were said to have come from a mound called Medain 29 km northwest of Girsu, following a report of a vendor of one of the inscriptions, but excavations there had proved fruitless.Vaughn E. Crawford, "The Location of Bad-Tibira", Iraq 22, "Ur in Retrospect. In Memory of Sir C. Leonard Woolley", pp. 197-199, (Spring - Autumn 1960H. de Genouillac, "Fouilles de Telloh", 1934
There is known to be a temple of the deity Kittum at Bad-tibira. Frayne, Douglas R. and Stuckey, Johanna H., "K", A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Near East: Three Thousand Deities of Anatolia, Syria, Israel, Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, and Elam, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 158-174, 2021 Isar, a god of Mari is also said to have been worshiped there.Durand, Jean-Marie, "Les divinités, leurs temples et leurs cultes", in Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 162. Edited by G. del Olmo Lete. Leuven, Belgium: Peeters, pp. 171-374, 2008 It has been suggested that Ninsheshegarra, an aspect of the goddess Geshtinanna who is sister of Dumuzid, was worshiped in the temple Esheshegarra at Bad-tibira.George, A. R., "House Most High. The temples of ancient Mesopotamia", Winona Lake, 1993 Metcalf, Christopher, "A Poem about Ĝeštinana (“Dumuzi-Inana J”)", Sumerian Literary Texts in the Schøyen Collection: Volume 1: Literary Sources on Old Babylonian Religion, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 76-78, 2019
Bad-tibira in Sumerian literature According to the Sumerian King List, Bad-tibira was the second city to "exercise kingship" in Sumer before the flood, following Eridu. These kings were said to be En-men-lu-ana, En-men-gal-ana and Dumuzid the Shepherd.
The early Sumerian text Descent of Inanna into the Underworld mentions the city's temple, E-mush-kalamma (a temple to Lulal). In this tale, Inanna dissuades demons from the netherworld from taking Lulal, patron of Bad-tibira, who was living in squalor. They eventually take Dumuzid, who lived in palatial opulence at Uruk. This Dumuzid is called "the Shepherd",Inanna's descent to the netherworld - ETCSL who on the King List resides at Bad-Tibira in contrast to the post-diluvian Dumuzid, the Fisherman, who reigns in Uruk.Kramer, S. N. "Inanna’s Descent to the Nether World. The Sumerian version of Inanna's Descent", Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 93–134, 1937Kramer, Samuel Noah, "‘Inanna’s Descent to the Nether World’ Continued", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 94, no. 4, pp. 361–63, 1950Kramer, Samuel Noah, "‘Inanna’s Descent to the Nether World’ Continued and Revised", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 199–214, 1950Kramer, Samuel Noah, "‘Inanna’s Descent to the Nether World’ Continued and Revised. Second Part: Revised Edition of ‘Inanna’s Descent to the Nether World", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–17, 1951
One of the Temple Hymns of Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334-2279 BC), is dedicated to Bad-tibira and the E-mush (e2.muš3) temple of Dumuzid, consort of Inanna, there.Helle, Sophus, "The Temple Hymns". Enheduana: The Complete Poems of the World's First Author, New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 53-94, 2023
History
A illegally excavated cone said to have been found at Tell al-Madineh marked the construction by Ur-Nammu (c. 2100 BC), a ruler of the Ur III empire, of the Iturungal canal.
The "brotherhood text" in a cuneiform inscription on a illegally excavated cone said have been found at "Médaïn". A "Médaïn" northeast of Girsu was investigated and nothing was found there.Ghirshman R., "Appendices sur les fouilles de Médaïn", in de Genouillac H., Fouilles de Telloh. 2: Époques d’Ur, IIIe dynastie et de Larsa, Paris, pp. 139-150, 1936 Speculation on its findspot then shifted to Tell al-Madineh.de Genouillac H., "Nouveaux princes et cités nouvelles de Sumer", in Revue de l’Histoire des Religions 101/1, pp. 216-222, 1930 The cone, of which there are many exemplars, records the friendship pact of Entemena, governor of Lagash, and Lugal-kinishedudu, governor of Uruk (deity Sul-MUS×PA = Shul-utula). to Inanna and Dumuzid, under his local epithet Lugal-E-mush. Kobayashi, Toshiko, "Miscellanea of dlugal-é-muš", Orient 19, pp. 29-50, 1983
A foundation tablet of En-metena (c. 2400 BC) said to be from the Tell al-Madineh, with multiple exemplars, also mentioned the building of E-Mush "... At that time, En-metena built for Lugalemush, the E-mush (“House — Radiance [of the Land]”) of Pa-tibira, his beloved temple, restoring it. ...". Pa-tibira (pa5-ti-bir5-ra{ki}-ka) appear to be an alternate spelling of Bad-tibira."RIME 1.09.05.04, Ex. 02 Artifact Entry", Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), September 26, 2024
An inscription of Enmetena states "... He cancelled obligations for the citizens of Uruk, Larsa and Patibira; he restored (the first) to Inana’s control at Uruk, he restored (the second) to Utu’s control at Larsa, he restored (the third) to Lugalemush’s control at the Emush". Fitzgerald, Madeleine André, "The rulers of Larsa", Yale University, 2002
On a text of Ur-gigir found at Ur it reads:
In the Isin-Larsa Period possession of the city passed between Larsa and Isin. Larsa ruler Sin-Iddinam (c. 1849-1843 BC) claimed, on a cone thought to be from the site, to have built the great wall of Bad-tibira "by means of his triumph he built in a grand fashion the great wall of Bad-tibira".Frayne, Douglas, "Larsa", Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 B.C.): Early Periods, Volume 4, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 107-322, 1990"RIME 4.02.09.14 Composite Artifact Entry", Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), January 20, 2013. Isin ruler Lipit-Ishtar (c. 1934-1924 BC), "the shepherd of Nippur", claimed to have built the "House of Righteousness" there.Ferris J. Stephens, "A Newly Discovered Inscription of Libit-Ishtar", Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 52.2, pp.182-185, June 1932 The city was under the control of Larsa during the long reign of Rim-Sîn I.Van De Mieroop, Marc, "The Reign OF Rim-Sin", Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 87, no. 1, pp. 47–69, 1993 During the reign of Rîm-Anum (18th century BC), a ruler of Uruk during the Old Babylonian period, a šagina-official of Bad₃-tibira is recorded as being received by military scribes at Uruk.Seri, Andrea, "The military, messengers and foreign officials". The House of Prisoners: Slavery and State in Uruk during the Revolt against Samsu-iluna, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 214-236, 2013
Tell al-Madineh
The site was visited in 1927 by Raymond P. Dougherty for a day. He reported that the site covered about a square mile with the western mound being the largest with low extensions bearing off a mile to the north. Straight and circular walls were noted. Numbers of baked bricks were seen along with door sockets, flint saw blades, and a bronze needle. Dougherty, Raymond P., "An Archæological Survey in Southern Babylonia (Continued)", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 25, pp. 5–13, 1927 Some badly effaced half-bricks on the surface of the mound bore the inscription of Amar-Sin, of the Third Dynasty of Ur. Pieces of vitrified brick scattered over the surface of the large mound bore witness to the city's destruction by fire. No building remains were noted
In 1965 Vaughn E. Crawford of the Metropolitan Museum of Art visited the site, noting that surface pottery indicated occupation until about 1500 BC. No building remains were noted.Harper, Prudence O. "Tomorrow We Dig! Excerpts from Vaughn E. Crawford's Letters and Newsletters from al-Hiba", Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen, edited by Erica Ehrenberg, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 89-102, 2002
During a 2017 visit to the site a broken copper figurine of a bearded hero was found, tentatively dated to the Early Dynastic period.Sebastien Rey, et al., "A New Sumerian Copper Figurine from Badtibira", Sumer LXVI, pp. 263-268, 2020
Imagery of the site indicates that it has been heavily looted.Stone, Elizabeth C., "Patterns of looting in southern Iraq", Antiquity 82.315, pp. 125-138, 2008
Tell Jidr (Tall Ǧidr)