What needs doing ASAP?
Priority means the next useful research action. It is not a prediction of when a publisher or archive will respond.
First: use translations that already exist
The four Oxford Sumerian works and Lenzi’s Ludlul volume are publicly readable. Their next task is complete reading and passage indexing. No whole-work translation commission has been justified for these texts. A damaged section is a separate problem requiring manuscript study, and physically lost words may remain unrecoverable.
Next: secure exact editions and identifiers
MUL.APIN access has already been requested. Obtain a readable Dialogue of Pessimism edition and one identified diary translation. Confirm the Sefer Yetzirah version metadata before expanding correspondence tables. Existing Book of Giants and Dead Sea Scrolls requests remain pending in the earlier register; none is recorded as a completed acquisition.
P1 · finish reading
Available text; finish the reading before a full synopsis.
P1 · obtain readable edition
Published translation identified; full reader access still needs resolution.
P1 · verify one diary
Select a tablet and match its translation to a museum identifier.
P1 · access request pending
Inquiry sent; await response or identify another lawful access route.
P1 · verify version metadata
Check the exact selected text and edition before comparing units.
P2 · witness comparison
Add manuscript evidence after the selected translated passage is indexed.
When a new translation is actually needed
First identify the work, physical witness, language and exact surviving lines. Check published editions, library holdings and current scholarly corpora. If no translation is located, record the search and ask a qualified language specialist to assess the passage and provide scope, cost and permissions. “Not located by this review” remains the status until that check is complete. No new translator has been commissioned and no paid order has been placed.
What cannot responsibly receive a completion date
The unidentified Vatican label needs a document reference before a translation request is meaningful. The Nippur label has two translated candidates; choosing the intended one needs citation tracing. No credible deadline can be assigned to recovering physically missing ancient words. These remain named research questions rather than promises.