Letter from Iddin-Sin to Zinu

Common card · No. 253941

The letter from Iddin-Sin to Zinu, also known by its technical designation TCL 18 111, is an Old Babylonian letter written by the student Iddin-Sin to his mother Zinu. It is thought to have been written in the city of Larsa in the 18th century BC, around the time of Hammurabi's reign (c. 1792–1750 BC). Disappointed with the clothes his mother had woven for him compared to those of his peers, Iddin-Sin complains in the letter about receiving inferior garments and points out that even the adopted son of one of his father's servants had better clothing. The letter is often cited as a document giving insight into daily life in ancient Mesopotamia and as an example of the unchanging essence of human nature through the ages.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Georges Dossin, Public domain