Grammatical Texts

In the spring of 1912, Dr. Poebel was granted permission to study the historical and grammatical texts in the Babylonian collections in the University Museum, and was employed by the Museum during the summer of 1913 and during the winter of 1913-14 for the purpose of continuing these studies. During these two periods, Dr. Poebel was chiefly engaged in copying historical and grammatical texts selected from a large number of tablets of all classes. It was Dr. Poebel’s plan to publish simultaneously with his copies, complete translations of all of these texts. It was also a part of his plan to reconstruct, on the basis of the historical tablets, portions of the early history of Babylonia. Another task to which he set himself at the same time was the preparation of a treatise on Sumerian grammar based upon the grammatical tablets in the Museums collection.

Neither of these tasks had been completed at the time when Dr. Poebel’s duties called him back to Germany in March, 1914. It was decided, however, to publish that portion of the work which had been completed and to bring out the remainder at a later date. This volume contains that portion of the projected grammatical studies which was completed in March.