Cuneiform times of Parthian Empire (250 BC – AD 226). The last known cuneiform inscription, an astronomical text, was written in 75 AD. The complexity of the system prompted the development of a number of simplified versions of the script. Old Persian was written in a subset of simplified cuneiform characters known today as Old Persian cuneiform. It formed a semi-alphabetic syllabary, using far fewer wedge strokes than Assyrian used, together with a handful of logograms for frequently occurring words like "god" and "king". Ugaritic was written using the Ugaritic alphabet, a standard Semitic style alphabet (an "abjad") written using the
Ir (cuneiform) or other conjunction meanings), as in Amarna letter EA 362, (Biridiya to Pharaoh). The twelve tablet (I-XII) Epic of Gilgamesh uses the er, and ir signs, 22 and 72 times. In the Epic, there are no other uses for the sign. For the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters, letter EA 365 authored by Biridiya, it is used for "er". For example on the reverse of EA 365, subject of corvee labor, "harvesting"-(line 20), lines 15 and following translate as follows: The verb "cultivating" (harvesting) is from "erēšu", which is from "harāšu", Ugaratic ḥrț. Ir (cuneiform) The cuneiform ir (more