Abarakkum is translated in Akkadian as " steward, [1] house-keeper or administrator" [2] of a temple, palace, or private household. [3] The term was a loan word from the Sumerian lexicon. [4] Sumerian literature described this position as an official entrusted with state secrets (ad-hal). [5] In documents from the royal archives of Mari, Syria, the title designated the male administrator of the palace kitchens.[ citation needed]
The position was cited in several administrative documents under the reign of Zimri-Lim, who maintained an extensive correspondence with his governors. [6] The Mari archives recorded a noted abarakkum identified as Asqudum, who served during the first three years of Lim's reign. [1] He was an important figure not only in the government's administration but also in other areas, having been sent to diplomatic, military, and administrative missions. [7] Another historical figure who occupied this position was Bulatatum. He was tasked with the distribution of agrarian tools during the reign of the Babylonian king Ammi-saduqa. [2] A letter written by a major Saggaratum official called Iskur-Saga also identified an abarakkum called Yawi-la in an account of his administrative duties. [8]
Other sources identified a palace position in Mari called abarakkatum, which was occupied by women doing auxiliary tasks, and abarakku, a position who received garments or was associated with food services. [8]