AKKADIAN (ASSYRIAN or OLD BABYLONIAN) ORAL COURSE
This is an inductive course , formulated by Evan der Millner following Prendergast's Mastery system. It can be used by beginners, or more advanced students.
There are approximately three million known cuneiform texts . The British Museum alone has over 75,000! Many cuneiform tablets sit in museum basements, and have not yet been read, even summarily, let alone published or translated, as there are so few scholars in the field.
I am using published texts as my source material. Corrections and proofing remarks are welcome. There are still many disagreements about pronunciation - I am using the system presented in each author.
The source texts and their transliterations used are referenced in each example.
THE METHOD
Each exercise starts with a simple phrase or sentence, and then builds the sentence up phrase by phrase and clause by clause, ending with a complex sentence.
A bell is sounded, followed by a brief pause, which should provide sufficient time for you to translate. Following the pause, a model translation is given.
If you need more time, press pause. You must repeat the lesson until you find pausing unnecessary.
THE EXERCISE - LESSONS
Lesson One Free Akkadian Lesson
FIRST STEPS IN ASSYRIAN by L.W. King Page 3, IX Note the word sun here in this lesson is the one that lights up our days.
Pg 5 FIRST STEPS IN ASSYRIAN by L.W. King. Inscription from a cylinder of Hammurabi, King of Babylon, around 2,200 BCE. British Museum No. 12215)
MS A: Wolfram von Soden. “Schwer zugängliche russiche Veröffentlichungen altbabylonischer Texte – 1. Ein Opferschaugebet bei Nacht.” ZA 43 (1936), 305–8. line 1 to 4
Lesson Four Free Akkadian Lesson
MS A: Wolfram von Soden. “Schwer zugängliche russiche Veröffentlichungen altbabylonischer Texte – 1. Ein Opferschaugebet bei Nacht.” ZA 43 (1936), 305–8. line 5 to 8
Lesson Five Free Akkadian Lesson
MS A: Wolfram von Soden. “Schwer zugängliche russiche Veröffentlichungen altbabylonischer Texte – 1. Ein Opferschaugebet bei Nacht.” ZA 43 (1936), 305–8. line 9 to 11
Lesson Six Free Akkadian Lesson
B a b y l o n i s c h - A s s y r i s c h e L e s e s t ü c k e . Riekele Borger, Column XLVII Epilogue, Code of Hammurapi
Exercise-Lesson 7 B a b y l o n i s c h - A s s y r i s c h e L e s e s t ü c k e . Riekele Borger, Column XLVII Epilogue, Code of Hammurapi
Exercise-Lesson 8 B a b y l o n i s c h - A s s y r i s c h e L e s e s t ü c k e . Riekele Borger, Column XLVII Epilogue, Code of Hammurapi
AKKADIAN AND OLD BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN RESOURCES
Sources of Early Akkadian Literature Project at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (SEAL)
What is a phonological transcription of Akkadian?
Transliteration Principles for Sumerian
Akkadian Keyboard for typing in Akkadian
Transliteration Tool for typing Akkadian from the Cambridge University