RECORDS OF THE PAST

_______________

BEING
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS
OF THE
ASSYRIAN AND EGYPTIAN MONUMENTS

PUBLISHED UNDER THE SANCTION
OF
THE SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
 

VOLUME SEVEN:

ASSYRIAN TEXTS

___________________

NOTE

Every Text here given is either now translated for first time, or has been specially revised by the Author to the date of this publication.

CONTENTS

{p.i}

PREFACE

THE Seventh Volume of the "RECORDS OF THE PAST" contains a selection of translations of Cuneiform inscriptions of various kinds, chiefly mythological and historical. The attraction of this new branch of study, and the publication for general use of the records, have given a new impetus to the research; and it will be seen that new students have entered upon the paths, and others are rapidly training under the public lectures given by the Society of Biblical Archaeology. On the other hand, Assyriology has to deplore the loss of the late Mr. George Smith, whose translations had contributed so greatly to the study of the Cuneiform by an unrivalled knowledge of the monumental inscriptions. Although the actual excavations have been suspended, and it might be anticipated that the study might therefore be arrested by the want of a fresh supply of original documents, it {p.ii} must be borne in mind that a great mass of material already obtained still remains untranslated, the interpreters having principally directed their attention to historical and mythological texts, while numerous reports, letters, and miscellaneous documents still remain untouched. Besides which sporadic excavations, which continue to be carried on in the country, have recently discovered several thousand inscribed tablets, several of which are on their way to Europe, and will, no doubt, prove contributions to Babylonian literature, a branch of Cuneiform of which less re mains than the more prolific Assyrian. Although the main outlines of Assyrian history have been made out, the annals of Babylonia from contemporary sources have still to be made out.

S. BIRCH.
September, 1876.

{p.1}

INSCRIPTION OF AGU-KAK-RIMI, AN EARLY BABYLONIAN KING
TRANSLATED BY
W. ST. CHAD BOSCAWEN.

THIS inscription, which is as yet unpublished, is found on a terra cotta tablet, marked 527 in the British Museum. It was brought by Mr. Smith from Assyria, in his last expedition, and a translation of it was given by him in his work on Assyrian Discoveries, 1875. The inscription is contained in eight columns, {p.2}  four of them only are of any general interest, the remaining ones are very much broken. I have given a translation of the text in the Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, vol. IV, part 1.

INSCRIPTION OF AGU-KAK-RIMI

COLUMN I

1 AGU-KAK-RIMI¹
2 Son of TASI-GURUMAS
3 of the noble seed of
4 SUGA-MUNA
5 The glory of ANU and BEL
6 of HEA and MARDUK
7 of the Sun and Moon
8 the powerful hero
9 of ISHTAR, the archer
10 of the goddesses, am I.
11 King of Kings
12 King of the obedient
13 Son of TASI-GURUMAS
14 Grandson of¹
15 ABI
16 The warrior
17 in ....
18 the offspring of
19 AGU-RAGAS
20 of the noble and royal race
21 of UMMAH-ZIRITI
22 I am
23 Shepherd
24 of a vast people
________________
1 "The Moon makes our brilliance." Literally "Heart of Hearts."

{p.4}

25 warrior
26 Prince
27 establisher
28 of the foundation of the throne of his fathers
29 I am.
30 King of the Kassi¹
31 and (of the) Accadi
32 King of the vast land
33 of Babylonia
34 Colonizer
35 of the land of As-nun-nak with a people
36 vast, King of Padan
37 and Alman. King of the Goim,²
38 male and female.....³
39 the King, the establisher
40 of the four regions
41 worshipper of the great gods
42 Lo! MARDUK
43 prince of Bit-Saggal⁴
44 (to) Babylon
45 the great gods
46 (with) their noble mouths
47 his return ordered
48 MARDUK to Babylon
49 his face set
50 .... MARDUK ....
51 .... never ....
_________________
1 The Kassidim of the Bible.
2 The tribes of Northern Elam, the old home of the Accadi or Highlanders.
3 Lacunae.
4 This temple was the acropolis of Babylon, its name means "House of the lofty head."

{p.5}

COLUMN II

1 .....¹ I glorified
2 and to take MARDUK
3 to Babylon
4 his face I set and
5 (in) the paths of MARDUK
6 Lover of my life
7 I walked and
8 SARU SAMAS, (an Officer)
9 to the land to the land of Khani²
10 I sent. Him MARDUK
11 and ZlRAT-BANIT³
12 they had taken hold of, and
13 MARDUK and ZIRAT-BANIT
14 lovers of my life
15 to Bit-Saggal
1 6 and Babylon
17 I restored them
18 In the temple of the Sun⁴
19 for the (division) of the future
20 I placed.

[One or two lines are gone.]

23 four talents
24 for the robes
25 of MARDUK and ZIRAT-BANIT
26 I had given and
27 a splendid dress
___________
1 Lacunae.
2 A country to the North-west of Assyria. It is mentioned on an obelisk of Tiglath Pileser I.
3 Succoth-benoth of the Bible.
4 A famous Babylonian temple.

{p.6}

28 a dress of gold and (blue)
29 for MARDUK and ZIRAT-BANIT
30 I had clothed them .....¹

[Here follows a long list of names of precious stones, the translation of which being very uncertain is omitted.]

35 (precious stones) to the shrine of MARDUK
36 and ZIRAT-BANIT
37 I had given
38 and (with) quantities of robes
39 the great
40 divinity
41 I had adorned
42 horned crowns²
43 lofty crowns
44 of Lordship
45 and image of divinity

COLUMN VII

1 MARDUK
2 to his throne
3 I caused to enter
4 a band of
5 sons of the people³
6 them
7 a grove a house field
8 to MARDUK
9 and ZlRAT-BANIT⁴
10 I dedicated them.
11 Of the King AGU
12 may his days be long
________
1 Lacuna.
2 Compare the crowns which adorn the wing-ed bulls, lions, etc.
3 A temple guard of chosen soldiers.
4 The Succoth-benoth of 2 Kings xvii. 29, 31.

{p.7}

13 may his years be extended
14 his life in prosperity
15 may he live
16 The highest heaven
17 wide
18 may he behold it

[Lacuna of six lines.]

25 The god
26 (existing) .....¹
27 for ever
28 may he exist
29 may he exalt (him)
30 to the lordly King
31 AGU
32 who the shrine of MARDUK
33 has made (and)
34 sons of the people
35 has dedicated
36 ANU and ANUNITU²
37 in heaven may they be favourable to him
38 BEL and BILAT
39 In the house and land of life
40 may they seat him
41 HEA³
42 and DAV-KINA⁴
43 dwelling in the great deep
44 a life of days
___________
1 Lacunae.
2 The highest heaven was the realm of Anu.
3 Hea was the lord of chaos or the great deep.
4 The goddess of the underworld, also called Bau, the Heb. ma.

{p.8}

45  ......
46 may they grant him
47 The goddess ZIRA, lady of the great land¹

[The remainder is lost.]

COLUMN VIII

1 Greatness
2 may he complete
3 SIN² illuminator of heaven
4 the revolver the paternal King
5 many days may
6 he appoint him
7 The Prince the Sun
8 ruler of heaven³
9 and earth,
10 his reign
11 for days extended
12 may he establish
13 HEA
14 the old Lord
15 wisdom⁴
16 may he complete for him
17 .....
18 MARDUK lover of his life
19 Lord of fountains
20 his (fertility)
21 may he complete for him.
________
1 An unknown goddess.
2 The Moon.
3 The Sun was also called dayan nisi, "Judge of Men."
4 Hea was called "the lord of wisdom." Compare "Descent of Ishtar,"  col. ii., Records of the Past, vol. I.

{p.9}

THE STANDARD INSCRIPTION OF ASHUR-AKH-BAL
TRANSLATED BY
H. F. TALBOT, F. R. S.

A FINE copy of this inscription exists in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland at Edinburgh, to whom it was presented several years ago by Professor Sir James Y. Simpson, Bart. At the request of the Council I gave a translation of it in vol. VI, part 1, of their Proceedings (Edinburgh 1866), which I have now revised and corrected.

This sculptured slab represents Ashur-akh-bal, a monarch of the ninth or tenth century BC holding a cup of wine, with which he is about to offer a libation to the gods. The sculpture is accompanied by an inscription of twenty-one lines in very good preservation.

This inscription is a well-known one, more than 100 copies of it having been found by Mr. Layard while he was engaged in the excavation of Ashurakh-bal's palace; for which reason it has been called the "Standard Inscription."

{p.10}

Scholars are not agreed as to the pronunciation of this king's name; which signifies "Ashur protect the child!" Until this point is settled, I follow the reading proposed by Dr. Hincks; but I think it probable that the name was Ashur-ussur-bal, but was pronounced in the reverse order Ashur-bal-ussur, like Nabo-bal-ussur (commonly called Nabopolassar, meaning "Nabo protect the child!")

Ashur-akh-bal was a great warrior and conqueror, but he appears to have been destitute of any taste for literature. This may be inferred from the fact that he gave orders to inscribe the same inscription upon so many of the slabs which lined the apartments and galleries of his palace; whereas, if he had given upon each slab the description of some different battle, or other remarkable event of his reign, our knowledge of his career would now have been much more complete.

There have been found, however, two pavement slabs, engraved on both sides, at the entrance of the temple of Hercules on the mound of Nimrud, which give a much more full and perfect account of his reign and his conquests. These have been lithographed by the British Museum and occupy ten plates (17 to 26) of one of their volumes of inscriptions. A translation of them has been published by the Rev. J. M. Rodwell in the Records of the Past, vol. III, pp. 37-80.

{p.11}

INSCRIPTION OF ASHUR-AKH-BAL

1 THIS is the palace of ASHUR-AKH-BAL, servant of ASHUR, Priest of BEL and NINIB, beloved by ANU and DAGON, worshipper of the great gods: the great King, the King of the nations, the King of Assyria. Son of TUKLAT-NINIB¹ the great King, the powerful King, the King of the nations, the King of Assyria: who was the son of Hu-NIRARI,² also King of nations and King of Assyria.
2 The noble hero who went forth in the armed service of ASHUR his Lord against the Kings of the four regions of the world, as none had ever done before; and smote the heretics who worship not the exalted things, in battles too numerous to be counted.
3 The King who humbled to the dust all those who did not obey him; and who subdued all the races of men. The great worshipper of the gods; the trampler upon the necks of his enemies; the conqueror of hostile lands; the destroyer of powerful fortresses. The King who advanced in the arms of the great gods his lords, and seized with his hand all hostile countries, fixed the tribute of all their territories, and took hostages from them as a pledge.
4 The favour of ASHUR, who called me to the sovereign
________
1 Means probably "Servant of Ninib."
2 Means probably "The god of the sky is my helper."

{p.12}

power, and is the supporter of my throne, gave his irresistible arms into the hands of my Majesty. The armies or the wide world I overthrew in battle.
5 By the help of the SUN, and IM,¹ the gods to whom I trust, I conquered the armies of the Highland Nahiri, the land of Kirkhi, the land of Subari,² and the land of Nireb; and like the god IM himself I rode thundering over them.
6 The King who subdued all the regions from the great stream of "the Tigris unto the land of Lebanon and the Great Sea: with the land of Laki throughout all its provinces, and the land of Tsukhi as far as the city Rapikhi, and compelled them to fall down at his feet. And who seized with his hand the region from the source of the river Supnat unto the land of Urardi.³
7 All the region from the entrance of the land of Kirruri unto the land of Kirzan; and from the great stream of the lower Zab as far as the fortress of Til-bahari which protects the city of Zakim; and from the fortress of Aptan unto the fortress of Zabdan, along with the cities of Khirimu and Birrutu which is a fortified city of the land of Kardunias⁴ I restored once more to my country's rule. All the region from the entrance of the land of Babiti, as far as the city of Khasmar, I distributed among the men of my own land.
8 Over the regions which I had conquered I placed my Lieutenants, and they did homage to me.
9 ASHUR-AKH-BAL the glorious Ruler, the favourite of the great gods. The Sun of great splendour, the conqueror of cities and lands with all their people; the King of Kings, the chastiser of heretics; the scourge of those who worship not the sacrifices; the great smiter of the
______
1 The god of the sky.
2 Or Mesopotamia.
3 Armenia.
4 Babylonia.

{p.13}

disobedient; the destroyer of rulers who reject my royalty, and of heretics and rebellious men. The King whose name caused lands and seas to tremble; and who enrolled in the federation of his empire glorious foreign Kings, from the rising of the sun unto the setting of the sun, every one of them.
10 The former city of Calah, which SALMANURISH King of Assyria, one of the Kings who reigned before me, had built, that city had fallen into ruins.
11 That city I built again. I peopled it with the captives I had taken in the various lands which I had conquered: the land of Tsukhi; the land of Lakhi through all its provinces; the city of Tsirku which is placed at the great passage of the river Euphrates: the land of Zamia through out its whole extent: the land of Bit-Adini, and the land of Syria; together with the people of LUBARNA King of the Patinaeans whom I had carried off.
12 I pulled down its old citadel, and I built it new. as far as the surface of the waters (in its moat?). One hundred and twenty spans of the lower part I built in fine masonry. Within the circuit of this fortress I constructed a palace¹ of cedar; a house of cypress wood; a house of taprani wood; a house of ku wood; a house of meshkani wood; a house of terebinth wood; and of tarpikhi wood, for the residence of my Majesty, and for a remembrance of my reign for evermore.
13 I made sculptures of the animals of the lands and seas, carved in pari stone and in paruti stone,² and I set them up at the doors of my palace.
14 I made it grand, I made it splendid; and with images of bright copper I adorned it.
15 Columns of cedar wood, cypress wood, taprani wood,
____________
1 Or fine house.
2 White alabaster. (?)

{p.14}

and meshkanni wood I erected at its gates: and the stores of silver and gold; of lead, copper, and iron, captured by my hand in the lands which I had conquered, which I had seized in vast quantities, I treasured up within it.

[It will be understood that this translation represents the Edinburgh copy of the inscription. Other copies which were found by Layard in great numbers, may differ somewhat in the phrases employed, and in the arrangement of the subjects.]

{p.15}

MONOLITH OF ASHUR-AKH-BAL
KING OF ASSYRIA
TRANSLATED BY
H. FOX TALBOT, F.R.S.

THIS inscription is now preserved in the British Museum. A lithographic copy of it was published in Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, vol. I. pt. 27. I published a translation of it in 1862 in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature, vol. VII. p. 184.

It is distinguished by a long and earnest adjuration to his successors on the throne, not to injure or deface his monuments, as they value the happiness of their own lives, and the favour of heaven.

{p.16}

Ashur-akh-bal was the most powerful of the ancient kings of Assyria. He seems to have been almost always at war. His conquests were very extensive, reaching as far as the Mediterranean Sea, upon which his love of adventure prompted him to embark and join in the exciting chase of the dolphin. As a warrior he was doubtless very active and skilful, but he was cruel and merciless as we know from his own account of his campaigns.

{p.17}

INSCRIPTION OF ASHUR-AKH-BAL

THE former city of Calah, which SALMANURISH King of Assyria, my ancestor, had built; that city had fallen to decay, and its buildings had sunk into ruins and rubbish. That city I built again. And I dug a canal from the Upper Zab river, and I gave it the name of the Stream of Fertility. And I planted beautiful trees along its banks, and fruit trees the best of every kind, and vines. The finest I devoted to ASHUR my Lord, and the temples of my country.

I erected palaces, and from the foundation to the roof I built and I finished them. A palace for my royal residence and for an eternal remembrance of my reign I founded within the city. I adorned it, I embellished it; with a crowd of precious bronzes¹ I filled it. Great gates of ....² wood I
_______
1 Bronze or perhaps polished brass.
2 Lacuna.

{p.18}

made: with nails of bronze I fastened them together and I placed them at the entrance. Thrones of cedar and various other precious woods: ornamental ivories skilfully carved: heaps of silver, gold, lead, copper and iron, the spoils gained by my valour which I had brought away from the nations I had conquered: all these treasures I deposited within it.

The King of future days who shall repair its injuries, and shall replace the written tablets in their places, ASHUR will hear his prayers!

That good King shall never fly before his enemies, nor abandon this palace, my royal dwelling, in the city of Calah. Its gates, its rafters, the crowd of bronze ornaments which now stand within it, shall not be carried off. They shall not be removed to the city of his enemies, nor to the palace of his foes. Its roofs shall not be broken: its statues shall not be torn up: the sources which supply it with water shall not be cut off: its spring shall not be closed up. 1 Its chambers of treasure shall not be plundered: its harem shall not be burst open with violence. Its inhabitants shall not be made captives, nor with unseemly shameful and immodest treatment be dragged away to the enemy s palace, during the destruction and downfall of their own city.

The King who shall not injure the sculptures of my palaces, nor write on them wicked words: who shall not
________
1 Bal-sha la ipakhi.

{p.19}

suffer the front of my throne and my royal dwelling-place to be broken; who shall protect the face of these my written tablets and shall not hurt the records of my reign; May ASHUR Chief of the great gods, who is the supporter of my kingdom, uphold his rule over all the nations and place him on my throne of glory and in my seat of power! May he subject the country of the four nations to his arms, and make him live in prosperity joy and abundance!

But the man who shall not spare the face of these my tablets, who shall injure the written records of my name, who shall destroy these sculptures, or tear them off or hide them in the earth, or bury them in the ashes, or burn them with fire, or drown them in the waters: or who shall remove them from their place and shall throw them down where they will be trampled on by animals, and shall place them in the pathway of the cattle: or who shall falsify my tablets, which are now sculptured with good and pious words, and shall write on the face of my records anything that is bad and impious: or who shall change the words so as to confound their meaning; whether he be a nobleman, or an officer or any one else among my people, or who shall scrawl on the tablets that I have written, and shall say that they are not true; or out of contempt¹ shall turn the face of my tablets backward:

May ASHUR the great Lord, the god of Assyria, the Lord of all royal crowns, curse his reign and destroy his works!
_______
1 As nisti.

{p.20}

May he shake the foundations of his kingdom! May want and famine; sickness and distress, prevail throughout his land!
_________
1 This inscription contains a few more lines, but they are much defaced.

{p.21}

THE ANNALS OF SARGON
TRANSLATED BY
DR. JULIUS OPPERT.

THE annals of Sargon are the largest of all Assyrian texts. They have been engraved in the two halls of Khorsabad, which are noted in the plan of Botta as Nos. II. and V. The annals formed an immense ribbon of inscriptions, disposed in columns like the papyrus rolls. Evidently the manner of the writing of this great text is an imitation of the usual style of papyrus rolls. In entering the hall, the reader commenced at his left hand, and followed all the sides and angles of the room, until he returned to the entrance door, where the last lines of the inscription were opposite to its beginning.

I have restored the texts by the four copies of Hall II, V, XIII, and XIV. The Roman cyphers at {p.22} the margin designate the rooms, and the Arabic number indicates the tablet in the Botta collection.

My translation of this important text appeared first in the work entitled Dour-Sarkayan, Paris, 1870, and has been re-edited by M. Menant in his Annales des Rois d'Assyrie, with some alterations. I have corrected in this English edition a great many of the errors which existed in my former version.

The Annals are arranged in a chronological order by the years of Sargon, commencing with the civil year (palu), and distinct from the computation after the real accession (from one date of the accession to another, sanat). Every year commences therefore about March or April.

The text contains, moreover, one of the most important documents concerning chronology. In this inscription, as in the great inscription of the Hall, there is the mention of a period of Sin, or lunar period, which ended in BC 712. I have proved that this period was an eclipse epoch, and contained 22,325 synodical months, or 1805 years. By the aid of this text we can with a mathematical certainty fix the {p.23} Median Dynasty in Babylon at 6.0.2517 (712+1805). Indeed, 234 after this event, took place the Elamite invasion, 2283; and we equally obtain this date from the Assurbanipal texts, which put the capture of Babylon by the Elamites 1635 years before 648, that is, BC 2283.

In the Larnaca text of Sargon, now at Berlin, the parallel confirming passage is as following: (idtu yii)me rnkuti sibit Assur (adi muaii)na.
"From the most remote days, the constitution of Assyria, until now."

Here follows the true chronology of Babylon, after Berosus:
10 antediluvian kings .... 432,000 years.
Deluge according to the Babylonians ... BC 41,697 86
Chaldean kings, 39,180 years, cyclical time of 12 periods of 1805, and 12 sothiac periods of 1,460 years ... 41,697-2517
8 Median kings (Aryan) 234 years .... 2517-2283
11 Median kings (Elamite) 224 years .... 2283-2059
49 Chaldean kings 458 years .... 2059-1601
9 Arabian kings 245 years ...... 1601-1356

{p.24}

Semiramis 42 years .... 1356-1314
45 Assyrian kings 526 years .... 1314-788
(Until the Babylonian and Median revolt.)
Downfall of Nineveh, BC 606.
Median empire, 228 years .... 788-560

Sargon states that from the ancient times until his reign three hundred and fifty kings had ruled over Mesopotamia, but this Berosian canon, restored by aid of the inscriptions, contains only the names of the Babylonian monarchs.

{p.25}

INSCRIPTION OF THE ANNALS OF SARGON

XIV-3. PALACE of SARGON, the great King, the mighty King, King of the legions, King of Assyria, Vicar of the gods in Babylon, King of the Sumers and the Accads, King of the four regions, Favourite of the great gods.
The gods ASSUR, NEBO and MERODACH, the gods of my worship have entrusted me with the royalty without equal, and have propagated the glory of my name until the end of the world. I caused the contentment of Sippara, Nipur, Babylon and Borsippa, I have made men respect the laws and I have punished the transgression. I have restored to the towns of Kalu, Ur, Orchoe, Rata, Kullab, Kisik, the dwelling of the god LAGUDA, the gods who are living there, I have dispersed their inhabitants. The laws of the "old empire" 1 and of the town of Harran had fallen into oblivion since many years, I have re-established their altered dispositions.
I walked in the obedience of the great gods; I forced under my dominion the lands, which would not bow to me, I opened forests which have never been crossed, I explored their retreats.
I broke the pride of HUMBANIGAS, King of Elam, I subdued the lands of Karalla, of Surda, the towns of Kisasi, of Kharkhar, of Media, until the ends of Bikni. I put under the domination of Assyria the land of Ellip; I brought war into Armenia, I destroyed MUSASIR, I subdued the land of Andia, I transported the populations to the land of Van, I placed them into a delicious spot in
______
1This term is explained by Assur, but it means Sumir.

{p.26}

transporting them to the dwellings of Syria, of Carcamis, and of Commagene. I took away GUNZINAN of Khammanua of the town of Miliddie,¹ the town of his royalty; I instituted my Governors as Lieutenants. I changed the royalty of TARKHULAR in the town of Markas. I carried into Assyria the whole of the tribes of GAMGUM the Great² YAMAN of Asdod despised my power, he left his wife, his sons, his daughters, and fled through the lands of the midday sun to the limits of Libya.³ I established him on the throne powerfully; I put over the whole of his extent country and on the men uhati, the Satraps my Lieutenants for governing them; I extended the limits of Assyria.
XIV-2. Then the King of Libya was overwhelmed by the immense fear of ASSUR, my Lord, he bound his (Yaman's) hands and feet with iron chains, he sent his envoys in my presence to Assyria. I plundered the district of Samaria and the entire house of OMRI, I entered to Tamna, which is situated in the middle of the Western sea, swimming like a fish. I took away the treasure of the lands of Kaska,⁴ Tabal, Hilakhu.⁵ I expelled MITATTI, King of the Moschians. I overpowered Egypt at Raphia; I treated like a slave HANON, King of Gaza. I made tributary seven Kings of the land of Yahnagi, the land of Yatnan,⁶ who have established their dwellings in the midst of the sea of the setting sun, within seven days of navigation.
MERODACHBALADAN, King of the Chaldeans, who inhabited the shores of the sea had exercised the supreme power against the will of the gods of Babylon; my hands reached him. I took for hostage his entire country, and I entrusted it to the hands of my Lieutenant of Babylon,
________
1 The Melitene.
2 Lacuna.
3 Meluhhi.
4 Colchis.
5 Cilicia.
6 The island of Cyprus.

{p.27}

and of my Lieutenant of Gambul. I subdued to ASSURUPER, King of Dilmun, who has established his hidden dwellings in the middle of the sea like the fishes; he sent presents to me to submit himself under my royalty.
By the assistance of the great gods ASSUR, NEBO and MERODACH, I became victor by my arms, and obtained the destruction of my enemies. I reigned from Yatnan, which is in the midst of the sea of the setting sun, until the limits of Egypt and of the land of the Moschiens, from the great Phoenicia, Syria in its totality, to all the cities of remote Media, near the country of Bikni from Ellip, Ras,¹ which is neighbour to Elam on the border of the Tigris until the tribes of Ituh, Rubu, Haril, Labdud, Hauran, Ubul, Ruhua, Litai, who live on the rivers of Surappi and Ukne, the suti of the desert which are in the land of latbur, the ...² until the towns of Samhun, Babdur, Dur-Telit, Bilat, Dunni-Samas, Bubi, Tell-Khumba, which belong to Elam; and Kar-Duniyas, the Higher and the Lower, from the lands of Bet-Amukkan, Bet-Dakkur, Bet-Silan, Bet-Pahalla, which form Chaldea in its totality, the land of Bet-Iakin, which is on the sea shore until the prescinity of Dilmun.³ I took their tributes, I put over them my Lieutenants as Governors and I forced them under my sovereignty.
II-2. That is what I did until the fifteenth year of my government .... Selected by the Kings who to my favour explained the eclipse⁴ visible over Haran and signed their pacts according to the will of OANNES and of DAGON. Long and
___________
1 The Ros of the Bible; some scholars believed them to be the Russians; Ras, Mesek Tubal were explained by Russia, Moscan Tobolok.
2 Lacunae.
3 The modern Daylem, near Bunder-Bushir.
4 This is the lunar eclipse of 721 (9, 280), March 19, mentioned in the Almagest.

{p.28}

mighty, I employed my weapons for submitting the rebels. Being King, I have had no equal among the Kings from the first day of my accession; being a warrior I did not withdraw battles and fights. All the countries I crushed like the hasbet.
I asked from them the symbols of submission in the four elements. I crossed forests without numbers, deep and of a great extent; I levelled their inequality. I crossed winding and dry valleys, which were the seat of heat, and in passing I ordered cisterns to be dug.
From the land of Ras, in the province of Elam, the tribes of Rupud, Tamun, the towns of Dur-Kurigalzi, Rapik, the lands of Maskak-Abi, until the river Musri (Egypt) of Phoenicia, of Syria, all those gave me tribes.
My mighty hand reached from the town of Hasmar until the town of Simaspatti in Media the far one, which is situated at the rising sun, the lands of Namri and Ellip, Bet-Hamban, Parsua,¹ Van, Armenia, Kaska (Colchis), Tabal, until the Moschians, I instituted my Lieutenants as Governors over them and I imposed to them the prestation of the tributes like to the Assyrians.
II-3. In the beginning of my reign ....² ......³ the Samaritan .....⁴

[Three lines are wanting.]

with the help of the Sun, who aided me to vanquish my enemies, I besieged, I occupied the town of Samaria and I brought into captivity 27,280 persons; I took before all parts over them 50 chariots, the part of my kingdom. I took them to Assyria and instead of them I placed men to live there whom my hand had conquered. I instituted over them my Lieutenants as Governors, and I imposed on them tributes like over the Assyrians.
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1 Parthia.
2 BC 721.
3 Unfortunately the name of the Samaritan king is lost.
4 Lacuna.

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In the first year of my reign, HUMBANIGAS, sinned against the precepts of the great gods and revolted himself. He came into my presence for delivering a battle. I vanquished him. I submitted the land of Tuhmun under the domination of ASSUR.
MERODACH-BALADAN having usurped against the will of the gods, the kingdom of Babylon ....¹ I led away² men whatever they possessed I transported them to Syria.
In the second year (720-719) of my reign, ILUBID of Hamath; he established himself in the town of Qarqar and excited against me the towns Arpad, Simyra, Damas and Samaria ....

[The Inscriptions of Hall II. pis. 4, 5 are destroyed. Forty lines are wanting here and unfortunately the whole passage concerning the battle of Raphia against Sebech and other most important matters.]

II-6. SEBECH had confidence in his armies and came towards me for delivering a battle. I defeated them, in remembrance of the great god ASSUR, my god. SEBECH went away with a shepherd who watched his sheep and escaped. HANON was taken by me, and I took with me to my city of Assyria all he possessed. I destroyed, I demolished his cities, I burnt them by fire; I took with me 9033 men with their numerous properties. In the third year (719-718) of my reign, the towns of Suandakhu and Durdukka, the capitals, thought of with drawing themselves from the domination of IRANZU of Van, their Sovereign, who was faithful to me. They trusted to MITATTI the Zikirtian. And the latter added his men of war to their horsemen, and they made them selves his allies.
XIV-1. I counted all the armies of the god ASSUR and I
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1 Lacunae.
2 The numbers are wanting.

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marched against these towns. By the catapults (asibi danni) I besieged, I broke the walls of their forces; I took with me the inhabitants like slaves with all they possessed. I destroyed, I demolished these towns, I burnt them by fire.
II-7. The inhabitants of Sukkia, Bala, Pappa, Abitekna had followed the counsel of revenge, in transporting their sursi, and in order to make submission to URSAHA, the Armenian, they had given him the kiss of peace and had committed great sins. I pulled them from their dwellings and I made them live in the land of Syria and in Phoenicia.
In the fourth year of my reign (718-717), KIAKKU of Sinukhta forgot the precepts of the great gods, his heart became hard he did not send any more his tributes. I lifted my hand to the gods, my Lords, and I burst over Sinukhta like a cloud. I treated him and his soldiers like prisoners, 7,350 inhabitants, his wife, his sons, his daughters, the servants of his palace, and I took a great deal of booty. I gave Sinukhta, his capital, to MATTI of Atuna, and I added to the preceding tributes, horses, donkeys, gold and silver.
In the fifth year of my reign (717-716), PISIRI, of Karkamis 1 sinned against the great gods and sent against MITA the Moschian messages hostile to Assyria. He took hostages. I lifted my hands to ASSUR, my Lord. I made him leave the town, I sent away the holy vases out of his dwelling.
I made them throw into chains of iron, I took away the gold, the silver and the treasures of his palace, the Circesian rebels who were with him and their properties, I transplanted them to Assyria. I took among them 50 cars, 200 riders, 3000 men on foot, and I augmented the part of my kingdom. I made the Assyrians to dwell in
_____________
1 Carchemish or Circesium.

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Circesium, and I placed them under the domination of ASSUR, my Lord.
The inhabitants of Pappa and of Sallukna had seduced the Overseer (the dogs), the scholars of my palace in the land of Kakim, napadis. I pulled them out of their habitations and I made them live at Damascus in Phoenicia.
In the sixth year of my reign, URSAHA, King of Armenia, enticed to rebellion BAGADATTI, of the mountain of Mildis, and the great of Karalla, of Zikirtu, of Van; they prepared the defection, and conspiration.
II-8. He made them doubt the power of SARGON and superseded AZA, their legitimate Lord ....¹ he conducted them In the high mountains, they prepared the revolt of the country of Van On the summits of high mountains, they threw the body of AZA, their master. I lifted the hand to the god ASSUR, my Lord, to interfere in the troubles of the country of Van and to spare similar discords in Assyria. In the high mountains, in an inaccessible place, there, where they had thrown the corpse of AZA, I had BAGADATTI flayed, and I terrified the country of Van; and I placed ULLUSUN on the throne, the brother of AZA; I entrusted to him the whole country. But ULLUSUN had confidence in URSAHA, the Armenian. He associated in his revolt against me ASSURLIH of Karalla, ITTI of Allabur and accepted the supremacy of URSAHA, the Armenian. In the anger of my heart, I invaded these countries like a raven. I counted the armies of the god of ASSUR, and I fell into the country. I plunged like a storm on Izirti, the capital of the country of Nairi, I killed a great many people; I burnt by fire Izirti and I occupied the towns of Izibia and Armit. ULLUSUN and the race of his country came all to me and
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1 Lacunae.

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kissed my feet. I forgave him his sins and I replaced him on the throne of his royalty and I imposed him a tribute in addition to the preceding tributes. When I went to ITTI of Allapur, I dragged him out of his dwelling  deported all the men of Karalla; and him and his suite, I placed them in Hamath the town .....
XIII-9. ... of Ganon, the land of See...¹ I took with my own hand NIRISAR, Governor of the town of Surgadia. I joined these towns to the government of Parsuas.² BELSARUSSUR was the King of the town of Kisasi, ..... I had them transported to Assyria with the treasure of his palace. I put over him my Lieutenants as Governors.
V-17. I placed in the middle of the town the gods who show me the way and I called this town Kar-Ninip. I erected there an image of My Majesty. I occupied the lands of Bet-Sakbat, Bet-Hirmami, Bet-Umargi, the towns of Harhubarnua, Kilamoti, Armangu, I joined these to his government. The people of Kharkhar had enforced KIBABA, the Chief of the town and had sent to DALTA of Ellip for submitting themselves. I occupied this town, I delivered the prisoners, I installed those men whom my hand had conquered. I put over them my Lieu tenants as Governors. I occupied the superior banks which form the land of Aranzi, the inferior banks where are situated the lands of Bet-Ramatua, Uriqatu, Sikris, Saparda, Uriakku, five districts and I joined them to those; I imposed them besides their divinities,³ in ASSUR. I called the town of Kar-Sarkin.⁴ I raised the considerable tributes of 28 prefects of the capital places of Media, I put the image of my royalty in the midst of the town.
In the seventh year (715-714) of my reign, URSAHA, the Armenian, conspired about the defection with ULLUSUN
_________
1 Lacunae.
2 Parthia.
3 Unintelligible.
4 Kharkhar.

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of Van, and took from him 22 strong places. Mat taspisti dabilte ULLUSUN conspired with DAYAUKKU. the Prefect of Van,¹ and took with him his son as hostage. I lifted my hand unto ASSUR, my Lord, I occupied these 22 strong places and I incorporated them to the dominion of Assyria. I took with me DAYAUKKU and his tribute, I re-established the tranquillity in the land of Van.
II-9. I imposed as tribute to YANZU, King of Nairi, in Hupuskia, the town of his power .... the town of .....² the town of .......... the towns of his power, horses, oxen, lambs ..... their oxen, their lambs .... I attacked the strong places of TILUSINA of Andia, I took with the inhabitants of the two towns and all they possessed ..... I had an image of my royalty made, I inscribed the glory of the god ASSUR, I erected it in the middle of Izirti .... The land of the superior banks and of the inferior banks which I had submitted with the inhabitants of Kharkha in my preceding cam paign, the Bet-Aranzi ..... Bet-Ramatua, Uriqatu, Sikris, Saparda, UPPARIA had abandoned me and conspired against me. I ..... I subdued them under my domination. I carried off the inhabitants as prisoners.
I occupied the towns of Ka .... of Kisirzariba, of Halbuknu .... of ..... ua, of Anzaria, which were situated on the superior and inferior banks. I carried off .... their soldiers 4820 .... I imposed to them tributes ..... arms of war. I occupied the towns of Tell-Akhitub, of Hindau, of Anzaria, of Bit-Bagaia; I transported the inhabitants to Assyria. I restored them again and I gave them the names of Kar-Nabu, Kar-Sin, Kar-Bin, Kar-Istar.
________
1 This is the Median name of Dejoces.
2 Lacunae.

{p.34}

To keep my position in Media, I built fortifications in the neighbourhood of Kar-Sarkin, I fortified ....¹ I received the tributes of 22 Prefects of the capitals of Media.
I occupied the towns of .....¹ Kimurru, the lands of Bet-Hamma, I carried IL-II. away 2830 inhabitants with all they possessed ....

[Two lines are wanting.]

who since and had killed the men of Que² I expelled them unto the sea; I subjected them again under my domination. I occupied the towns of Harrua and of Usnani of the land of Que, which MITA, King of the Moschians had ravished, I ravaged and plundered them.
I marched against the tribes of Tasidi, of Ibadidi, of Marsimani, of Hayapai, of the land (of Arabia) the remote inhabitants of the land of Bari whom the learned and the wise men had not known; no one among the Kings my ancestors had ever heard this name. I submitted them to the obedience of ASSUR, and those who remained, I pulled them out of their dwellings and I placed them in the town of Samaria.
PHARAOH, King of Egypt, SAMSIE, the Queen of Arabia, IT-AMAR, the Sabean, are the Kings of the far seaside and of the land of l I got from them, as tributes, frank incense, metals .... of the town of Am ......gu, all sorts of dogs of different races, horses and camels. I helped MITA, the King of the Moschians, in the districts of his kingdom ..... the fortified places of Harrua and Usnani, of the land of Que, which had belonged to the men of this land since an infinite time, I gave them back to him.
In the eighth year of my reign, 2 I received the tributes of
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1 Lacunae.
2 BC 714-713.

{p.35}

Van, of Media, which the men of the land of Van and Ellip had kept from me.
II-I2. I imposed a considerable tribute on ZIRZIRAZALA, the Governor of the towns who belong to the district of T from whom the Kings my ancestors had never obtained a contribution .....¹

[A line wanting.]

I killed a great many people in Mitatti of Zikirta, I took three large towns with 24 boroughs in the environs, I took all that appertained to them, I destroyed by fire Parda, the town of his power. He and his men of his country fled and one never saw again their traces. I killed in quantities without number, people of URSAHA,² the Armenian, and 250 persons of his royal race, and I made prisoners his horsemen. He, he fled on his stud to save his life; he escaped in the mountains; for five months he wandered about alone in the mountains, in going from the heights of the land of Zihar unto the valleys of the mountains. I took from him the districts of the land of Van, and I gave them to ULLUSUN of Van.

I occupied the towns of Uskaya, of Birtu, which are in the dependency of the land of Zaran ....hi, in the land of Mallan, the valleys of the cypress raksat and the 115 towns³ Astania, which is in the dependency of Bet-Sangibut, the town(?) of ni(?) the town of Salmaki of the land of Sala ..... which are in the neighbourhood of the town of Ulhu, near the land of Kispal, of Ezu, the capitals and 140 towns of the neighbourhood which are situated on the mountains of Arzabia, I destroyed them to ashes. I attacked the principal.
II-13. towns and 30 small towns in the neighbourhood of the land of Armari of Ubiarda, the town of
________
1 Lacunae.
2 The Armenian Harcea.
3 This passage also is mutilated.

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Abu, the residence of RUSAN ....¹ the towns which are in the neighbourhood of the land of Arah, the districts which are on the other side of the sea, the town of Ar ... the town of Qa which .... the lands erukku sabi the five towns of the neighbourhood of the land of Uaya; 30 towns of the land of Uaya, I occupied them, I destroyed them to ashes. I imposed upon YANZU, King of Nairi, as tribute in his capital Hubuskia, horses, oxen, and lambs.
URZANA of Musasir had refused the protection of ASSUR and of MARDUK and had thrown the eyes on URSAHA, the Armenian. I recommended myself to the gods, my Lords, I counted my cars and 1000 riders of my guard, the men of my reserve zukruya and the ..... of the battles I went through the lands of Sihak, of Ardi ..... of Ulayan, of Alluria, inaccessible mountains ..... impossible for the horses and inaccessible for myself; URZANA heard of the march of my expedition; he escaped like a bird and he went to the high mountains. I took the town of Musasir, the residence of the god HALDIA; I seized the booty of URZANA, his wives, his sons, 8,160 men, 682 donkeys, sheep, 920 .... 125 .... lambs, and I allowed them to leave, 30 talents, 18 mines of gold, ..... 60 talents, .... minehs 2 of silver, cloths of berom and cotton in great quantities ..... with .... talent,² mines of gold 27

[Two lines are wanting.]

I took with me, the gods HALDIA and BAGABARTU .....
V-18. All these I took with me to Assyria and I confided it to the hands of my Lieutenant, Chief of the dominion. URSAHA heard the downfall of Musasir, the capture of his god HALDIA; he despaired on account of the victories of ASSUR, and he with his own hand with the
________
1 Lacunae.
2 I.e., a weight.

{p.37}

dagger of his belt he pierced his entrails, as to a wild beast ....¹
In the ninth year (713-712) of my reign I went to Ellip, Bet-Dayaukhu and Karalli; the people of Karalli had turned out my Lieutenant and had elevated to the highest dignity AMITASSI, the brother of ASSURLIB. I ordered them to come to Assyria into the palace, and I imposed upon them two thousands of horse harness. I pursued AMITASSI, him and his ...

[The Inscriptions in Hall II. pi. 15 are wanting, and those in Hall V. pi. 14 are very mutilated.]

and I named of his royalty and I rejoiced the heart of DALTA, and I re-established the tranquillity in his country.
II-16. The lands of Bait-Ili, the district of Media, which belongs to Ellip ...... The lands of Parnusiti, of Utirna, the town of Eristani and the lands of Uriakku, of Rimanuta, the lands of the district of Uppuriya, of Uya-dane, of Pustis, of Agazi, of Ambanda, of Dananu, the far districts of the territory of the Arabs from the rising sun and the principal districts of Media had shaken off the yoke of ASSUR and had terrified the mountain and the valley ...... I distributed sarrakis the sakukat as the belonging portion of every town and I pacified their districts. I received the tributes of ULLUSUN of Van, of DALTA of Ellip, of NINIP-BALADAN of Allapur, and of 45 Governors of the Median towns, consisting of 4609 horses, donkeys and lambs of an innumerable quantity.
II-17. AMBARIDI, of Tabal HULLI his father, was on the throne of the royalty; one had given him Bet-Burrutes, and he had entrusted it to his hand. In the days of Hulli I had left him there and I had given him my daughter with the town of Hilakku,² and I had extended his dominion. But he, an unfaithful man,
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1 Lacunae.
2 Cilicia.

{p.38}

did not observe his alliance, he had confidence in URSAHA the Armenian, and in MITA the Moschian, who had taken my provinces and my towns in the land of Tabal, and he had sent him ambassadors. I counted all the armies of the god of ASSUR, and I cut like corn (ukatti seeds) the whole land of Tabal. AMBARIS, King of Bet-Buritis, and the descendants of his paternal house, the great of the land, with 100 cars, were taken to Assyria. I established in the land of Bet-Buritis, the land of Hillakku, aburris, strong places in this country, and I placed the men whom ASSUR had submitted by his arms, I placed my Lieutenant as Governor over them, and I subjected them under my crown like the Assyrians.
In the tenth year¹ of my reign, TARHUNAZI of Mulid .....² did not remember the religion of the great gods. The great land of Khamman had not accepted obedience nor the due respect to ASSUR. I had put him out, GUNZINAN took possession of the throne of his royalty ..... he had filled his hands with their tributes, he had listened to his enemies and he had sent hostile messages to Assyria. In the anger of my heart, I went into the land of Khamman and I filled with terror Miliddu, the town of his royalty like the .... All their men, the herds I treated .....
II-18. And he for saving his life, retired himself to the town of Tell-Garimmi. I took this town by stratagem. (?) I diminished those who had withdrawn their obedience to me. I threw TARHUNAZI and his warriors into chains of iron and I transported his wife, his sons, his daughters, with 5000 prisoners and warriors into my capital. I remade Tell-Garimmi, I got it quite occupied by the .... of the land of Khamman, which my hand had conquered, and I consigned it to the hands of my Lieutenant; I put
__________
1 BC 712-711.
2 Lacunae.

{p.39}

over him my Vice-king, as it was in the time of GUNZINAN, the preceding King. I rebuilt ten strong places of his environs and I made there a place of rest. I fortified the towns of Suhsu, of Ursia, of Ammuaru, of Ku of Anduarsilia, of the side of Armenia. I rebuilt the towns of Usi, Usi ....,¹ of . ..., who are near the Moschians, and I occupied the places which one could not leave. The towns of Illibir, of Sindarara, against I Duir, the town of his royalty, with the districts of the town of Commagene In these times, I had I the retreats of the mountains of Syria.
II.-19. In these times of my campaign, they brought me .... the (boxes?) containing the treasures of the palace of SARIS, of Suruman consisting in .... the products of or during brilliant ore, of the land of Susanira, of the land of Ilipu or Dariu, of sti, crowns, of nibban in iron of the land of Sanmun which l making it bright like tin, their white lead of the land of Ammun, the mountain before the arms, the treasure of the royalty which, like white marble the .... the land of Ba ilzabuna, the great mountain of copper, one after one, he worked them .... These treasures without number which our fathers had not heaped up, I amassed them in the cells of the palace of Dur-Sargon, my town, and the collectors of silver made themselves obeyed like in the whole of Assyria.
II-20, XIII-4. In the eleventh year (711-710) of my reign, TARHULARA of Gamgum had been obliged to recognize the power of MUTALLU, his son, who had taken his seat on his throne against my will, and administered the country. TARHULARA asked me to decide on his
_______
1 Lacunae.

{p.40}

quarrel ....¹ In the wrath of my soul, I marched in haste with my cars and my horsemen, who did not leave the trace of my sandals, to Varkasi. I took MUTULLU, his son, and the family of the land of Bet-Pahalla, in its whole extent; I took as booty, the gold, the silver, the of his palace of which the number is ....¹
II-2I. I reinstated the people of Gamgum and the territory of their tributes; I instituted my Governor over them like my Lieutenant, and I treated them like Assyrians.
AZURI, King of Asdod, made up his mind not to be obedient to ASSUR and not to supply any more his tributes. He sent to the Kings his neighbours hostile messages to Assyria. Then, I meditated a vengeance, and I replaced him in the domination of his lands. I elevated to his place his brother AKHIMIT to the royalty. But the people of Syria inclined to revolt, and were tired of the government of AKHIMIT and elevated IAMAN, who like him was not the legitimate master of the throne. In the wrath of my heart, I did not divide my army and I did not diminish the ranks, but I marched against Asdod with my warriors, who did not separate themselves from the traces of my sandals. I besieged, I took Asdod and Gimt-Ashdodim. I took with the gods who inhabit these towns, the gold, the silver, the whole contents of his palace.
II-21a. I then made again these towns. I placed the people whom my arm had conquered. I put over them my Lieutenant as Governor; I considered them like Assyrians and they practiced obedience.
In the twelfth year² of my reign, MERODACH-BALADAN, son of JAKIN, King of Chaldea, who had established his dwelling amidst the sea of the rising sun, he had confidence in the sea and gubus idi.
____________
1 Lacunae.
2 BC 710-709.

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V-11, XIII-4. He ....¹ the precepts of the great gods and refused his tribute. He had first engaged an alliance with HUMBANIGAS, King of Elam, and excited against me all the tribes of Mesopotamia. He prepared himself to war and he descended to the land of the Sumers and the Accads. Against the will of the gods of Babylon, the town of BEL, who judges the gods, he had sent during twelve years ambassadors. But MERODACH, the great god, did not accord his protection to the hostile actions of Chaldaea, which he had seen, and the loss of the sceptre and the throne of his royalty was made with his help.
I who am SARGON, the pious King, I have been chosen by him among all the Kings, and he elevated my head in the land of Sumer and Accad, and in order to make to submit the Chaldeans, a people rebellious and perverse he augmented my forces.
With the help of MERODACH, my Lord, I kept up my heroism; I arranged my plan of the battle, and I proclaimed an expedition against his hostile enemies. But he, MERODACH-BALADAN, heard of the approach of .....
V-10. .... my expedition; he fortified his strong places, he assembled the parties of his army and he united all the troops of Gambul to the town of Dur-Atkhar, and when my expedition passed, he augmented his garrison.² He left to them 600 horsemen and 4000 .... who formed the front guard of his army, and he incited their courage. They joined new works to those which the fortress had already, and they bored a channel from the river Surappi, and ..... a swarm they his environs.
II-26. I marched until the hour of the setting of the sun, and I captured 18,430 men with all they possessed,
_______
1 Lacunae.
2 Masartu.

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their horses, donkeys, mules, camels, oxen and lambs. The rest fled before my arms; they directed themselves to the river Uknu, the inaccessible one, and the reeds (of) the (marshes) ,.....¹ after the They heard that I attacked the town; their courage left them, they fled like birds, taking with them from the river Ukni great tributes in oxen and lambs. I re-built this town, and I gave to it the name Dur-Nabu. I put over these men my Lieutenant as Governor and I imposed to every one of them like a yearly tribute 1 talent, 30 minas of silver, 2000 acres of corn, besides twenty oxen, one ox besides 10 and one lamb. I left there these men and .... which I had taken.²
II-22. The town of Karet-Nami, the town of Nabu-Yusalla, ....³ the 3 of Dur .... the town of Mahiru, six towns of the .... and of Hubagu 3 the town Oran-Rahmiel, the town of Yahdi, two great towns of ...-nanagi, the town of Parasa, the town of Yah .... three towns of Nahar-hirit, the district of the town of Higaya, the town of .... the town of Asie ..., the strong place of Vannuyasana, the town of Rahi .... the town of ..... unaisidan, six towns be longing to the city of Hilti, the town of Haza ..... the town of Sapharri, the town of Hamadani, the town of .... the town of Yahyanu, six towns of Sahalani, the town of .... the town of Namri, the town of Zaruti, the town of Saadani, the town of .... the town of ..... sali, seven towns which belong to the district of Nagia, the town of .... of Astamu, whose .... are numberless, the Zikri of Aisamu, .... paha, the town of Dinega, the town of Samibnaya, the town of
_______
1 Lacunae.
2 The Hall II. pi. i has a different copy; there are the names of Bar, Hazael, Hamdan, Zebit, Amava, and others.
3 Unfortunately the names of all these towns are obliterated.

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V-9c. Babilie, the town of ....¹ mi, the town of Andan, Sihrai, Patiyail, Khula .....su, the town of Usiyadah, Hailai .... the town of Hukanu, the lands of Silburatti, Tibarsun, Pasur, Hahimt, Hilmut, the six districts of Gambul and the treasures of the fortified towns them selves, were joined by me to the crown of Assyria.

[The Inscriptions in Hall II, pts. 23, 24 are wanting.]

The tribes of Rubua, of Hindear, of Jatbur, of Pukud, learned the seizure of Gambul; they left at the approach of the night, and directed themselves to the inaccessible Uknu. I made a bridge over the river Undias, the river of their l through woods and plants. I got constructed two forts on the other side of the river. I allowed them to quit with their goods, and they left the environs of Ukni, and they kissed my feet. YANUK, the Lieutenant of the town of Zame, belonging to NABUYUSALLA, of the town of Abure, PASSAN-HAUKAN of Nuhan, SATAL of Ibuliya, the men of the nasikat of Pukud, ABHATA of Ru-....
XIII-7. .....hua, HUNIN, SAMEA, SABHARRU, RAPIG of
II-2I. Hindar, the horses and the oxen, the lambs of the Chief of Hindar and the warriors came to Dur-Atkhar and kissed my feet I took their hostages, and I constituted a tribute like to the Assyrians. I handed them to the hands of my Governor of the land of Gambul. I consecrated the spoil of the oxen, numerous muttons at NEBO. The rest of the arameen people, wicked people and those who inhabit their districts, had placed their hopes On MERODACH-BALADAN,and OnSUTRUK-NAKHUNTE, and had directed themselves to the river Uknu. I ravaged their country, the great buildings like the light ning. I hewed down the palms of their plantations, their gardens, the product of their districts and I distributed their villages among the army. I sent them out to the ......
_______
1 Lacunae.

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river Ukni, at the place where they should meet their dispersed bands; I defeated them and put them to flight. They took as prisoners their men and their goods, and ...

[The Inscriptions in Hall II. pt. 26, 27 are wanting.]

they made an invasion in the towns of Rame, Abure, Saptir, Mahis, Hilipan, Kaldan, Pattian, Hayaman, Gadiya, Amat, Nuhan, Ama, Hiur, Saal, the fourteen strong towns and the neighbouring towns in the  valley of the river Ukni, which had withdrawn themselves under the strength of my weapons. They came back humiliated from the river Ukni and they kissed my feet. I threw down like T this district more than it had been done formerly, and I intrusted it to the hands of the Prefect. The towns of Sam un and of Bab-Dur, fortress of SUTRUK-NAKHUNTE, King of Elam, were incorporated to the land of Jatbur. I took into captivity Ninu and Singansibu, the chief of the fortresses and 7,520 Elamites who were with them and 12,062 men of T the issumbi, horses, donkeys, sheep, camels and a great many treasures.
V-9a. I rebuilt the town of Samuna, I made to change its name and I called the town Bel-Bagar. I named MUSEZIB, NATNU, AILUN, DAIZZAN, of the land of Sahir, AIRIMMU, the only chief of the town of Sula .... and ....,¹ the seven nisikat of the Jatbur brought to my camp horses, donkeys, oxen and lambs; and to complete their submission, they kissed my feet. I incorporated to the territory of Assyria the town of Sahir, of the land of Tadibir, the towns of Salan, of of Samuna, of Bab-Dur, the fortresses of Jatbur, the towns of Akhilimmu, of Pillut, the dominion of Elam and the towns which they environ in the valley of the river Nadit. The towns of....
________
1 Lacunae.

{p.45}

Tul-Humba Dube, Haman, the fortified refuges of the land of Ras, had retired themselves before my mighty battles and were entered into the town of Bet-Tinbi; and this SUTRUK-NAKHUNTE, their King, retired himself with them into the far mountains to save his life. With the help of ASSUR, of NEBO, of MERODACH, I traversed with the force of my armies the Euphrates, and I directed my face to the town of Dur-Ladinna, of the land of Bet-Dakurri. I rebuilt the town of Dur-Ladinna nada, and I united my soldiers, the selected troops of my battles.
Concerning the glory of ASSUR, of NEBO and of MERODACH which I had spread in these countries, MERODACH-BA-LADAN, King of Kar-Dunyas, heard of it at Babylon, in the midst of his palace, his distrust.....¹
II-28. .... overcame him; he made go out in the night time with his auxiliaries, his troops of battle, and he directed his steps against the land of Yatbur in Elam. He gave as a propitiatory present his pasur in silver, his throne in silver, his parasol in silver, his ....² in silver, his nirmaktu in silver, the insignia of his royalty, of a considerable weight, to SUTRUK-NAKHUNTE the Elamite, that he might support his party. He took by violence dà'tus, the cattle of the Elamite and avoided my arms in pursuing .... his march and did not announce his itinerary. He heard of the abstention of the chief of his party, and he turned³ in a circle. He made wear his cotton (proverbially), he took with him what remained to him, and prepared himself for every eventuality. He and his auxiliaries withdrew their soldiers from Jatbur, he went to the town of Ikbibel and stopped there in safety.

The people of Babylon and of Borsippa, the men who
_______
1 Lacunae.
2 Unknown.
3 Ippalsih.

{p.46}

enter the palace, the men of the army, the learned people of books, and those who march before the muherat of the land which he had entrusted to him, carried in my presence the sihat of BEL, ZARPANIT, NEBO and TASMIT in the town of Dur-Ladinni. The inhabitants of Babylon called on me, and I made shake the entrails of the town of BEL and of MERODACH, who judges the gods. I entered immediately to Babylon, and I immolated the expiating victims to the great gods.
I established my power in the midst of the palace of MERODACH-BALADAN; and I received the tribes of the ......
V-9. ... lands of Aram, of Amukkan, of Dakkuri. The Kings my predecessors had dug an ancient channel at Borsippa; I have made a new one, to the glory of NEBO .....
II-29. ... and of MERODACH, unto the town of Suanna (Babylon).
The people of Hamaran who had withdrawn from my mighty arms were entered in Sippara, and had resisted to the approach of the expedition of the Babylonians. In my constancy, I sent them my judges as my Lieutenants; they approached themselves in confidence and, great and small, they fled no more.
During the rest, during the calm, the month of Sebat approached, the month of the rise of the Master of the gods; I took the hands of BEL, of MERODACH, of NEBO, the King of the legions of the sky and of the earth, and I searched the road of the house of treasures. Two sculptured bulls, equal, winged, birds ...¹ with their katri without ..... were erected before them. I accomplished sacrifices to the gods of the Sumirs and the Accads.

In the thirteenth year² of my reign, in the month of Iyar,
_______
1 Unexplained words.
2 BC 709-708.

{p.47}

I left the town of Suanna (Babylon); I raised my courage and I disposed of my strength I ...

[The Inscription in Hall II. pt. 30 is wanting.]

went to the towns of ...bidaya, Ikbibel, Hi ..., MERODACH-BALADAN forced a contribution of the towns of Ur, of Larsa, of Kisik, the dwelling of the god LAGUDA; he assembled his forces....
V-8. ... at Dur-Jakin, and he fortified his citadels. He made measure almost a plethrum around his fort, and dug ....
II-31. .... a ditch of 200 spans of longitude and of one fathom and a half of depth, until he arrived at the waters of the channels. Then he pierced a trench beginning from the Euphrates, and he divided in several branches the height of the course of the river. He provided the town the centre of his rebellion, with a dam, he filled all with water, and cut the conductings. He and his auxiliaries commanded to the soldiers of his battles to raise into the air like birds, the insignias of his royalty, and he arranged his camp. By the grace of ASSUR, of the SUN and of MERODACH, my warriors extended themselves along the courses of the water like.....¹ I approached myself with courage to him and his royal courtiers, whom I pulled before his feet like the asli. I put disorder among his soldiers and the horses, among the harness of his feet, when they advanced. I pierced myself the T in the zibit mulmulli, and the King pierced, like a sihku, with trouble the great gate of his town. I harvested like the asli the people of Pukud, .... and the Marsanians who accom panied them. I filled with terror of death the other soldiers. I captured the insignias of his royalty, the throne of his royalty in gold, the sceptre in gold, the pasur in gold, the parasol
________
1 Lacunae.

{p.48}

V-7. in gold, udini in gold and in silver, arms thisnat, .....¹ ganin sutilli, instruments of the battle. I made prisoners all the men who inhabit the interior of this land and who had withdrawn from my arms in Dur-Jakin. The pasir, the herds

[The Inscriptions in Hall II. pt. 32, 33 are wanting.]

of oxen, of camels, of sheep and lambs were taken away ..... The mighty armies of the god of ASSUR pillaged this town during three days and three nights and took with an immense booty .... I carried off 80,570 men, 2070 horses, 700 donkeys, 6054 camels ..... I received what my army had taken. Then I ordered that nothing should come out of the town or come in of what they had appropriated with respect to oxen and sheep, and I enclosed all in the town Rusukis. I destroyed the parks, I cut the trees .... Then I limited the surface of the town, like a .... I heaped up ..... a .... great in a pile which I put into the fortress. And this MERODACH-BALADAN, recognising his own weakness, was terrified; the immense fear of my royalty overwhelmed him, he left his sceptre and his throne; in the presence of my ambassador, he kissed the earth. He abandoned his castles, fled and one saw no more his trace.² His .... I called him, he blessed my honour and I accorded him the grace. The gold, the silver, the stones, the metals, the bdelliuim ... the nmnati, the stones ka .... the .... the copper, the minerals which had been accumulated by the princes his predecessors and ancestors since many years, 1,000 horses, 800 donkeys ... 30,000 giziati in gold, the instruments
V-6. .... the thrones in gold, the in gold .... productions of the river, .... I burnt by fire the town of Dur-Yakin, I destroyed, I
_____
1 Lacunae.
2 Literally "and no one saw him again."

{p.49}

ruined by fire his ancient pinnacles; I pulled out the fundamental stone, I have made a place of desolation.
Concerning the people of Sippara, of Nipur, of Babylon and of Borsippa, I allowed them to continue in the midst of the town their ancient professions, in surveying them. They took the culture of the fields, which be longed since an immemorial time to the people of Suti, and they appropriated them to themselves. I replaced under my domination the Suti of the desert. I put again in their former places their limits.
I re-established at Ur, Orchoe, Rat, Sarsa, Kullab, Kisik, the dwelling of the god of Laguda, the god of their sanctuary and I restored the gods who had been taken away from them; I restored their habits which were fallen into oblivion.
I subjected to a regular contribution the land of Bet-Yakin both superior and inferior, unto the towns of Sam-una, Bab-Dur, Dur-Telit, Bube, Tul-Humba, which belong to the dominion of Elam, and I placed, in changing the respective places the men of the Commagene in Syria, whom my arm had reached, in the adoration of the great gods, my Lords. I established the administration containing the dominion of Elam in the town of Sakbat. I ordered NABUPAKIDILAN to make enter the impositions of the Elamite people.¹ I took for mortgage ...
V-5. .... the fortress (Birtu) of this land and I trusted her to my Lieutenant the Governor of Babylon and to my Lieutenant the Governor of Gambul. UPERI, King of Dilmun, whose hidden dwelling is established in the midst of the sea, thirty parasangez off ....
II-34. ...the coast, like those of the fishes, he heard of the glory of my domination and he brought his tribute. While I made them repent their punishment to the
________
1 Literally, "to impose tribute upon the Elamites."

{p.50}

Chaldeans and to the Arimi of the sea of the rising sun and while I made feel my domination to the men of Elam, my Lieutenant of the land of Que whom I had instituted in the land of in the countries of the setting sun, and to whom I had trusted my subjects, he attacked MITA the Moschian in his countries, he went on the good roads with his cars and he marched on the bad roads by foot, being under water until three silbu. He took 2000 men, amongst the soldiers of their battalions and there were no more. He occupied two fortresses, the protection of these districts whose position is inaccessible in the mountains and in the far region.
(He killed) the men of war (who had opposed themselves) in his forts; he let the life to the others. He carried into captivity 2400 men, free and slaves, of this land; he pillaged these two towns and the neighbouring towns; he demolished and ruined them and burnt them by fire. His ambassador, who was of the family of his wife, carrying thousand ... took with in my presence the man ...¹ in the town of Irmai in Elam, and he rejoiced my heart. And this MITA, the Moschian, who had not presented homages to the Kings my predecessors and who had not sent ambassadors for asking peace and friendship, hearing the record of my glory and of the prey of my hand which ASSUR the great Lord had granted to me for what I had done in the sea of the rising sun; (and hearing) of the defeat of the land and of the captivity of the inhabitants and of the humiliation of UPERI, King of Dilmun, who is living in the midst of the sea ... this MITA sent in my presence his ambassador for making his submission and for bringing his tributes unto the shore of the Eastern sea, and presented me his expiatory presents, and recognized the power of the god of ASSUR.
_______
1 Lacunae.

{p.51}

II-35. And the seven Kings of Iahnagi of the land of Latnan,¹ whose dwelling is situated at a distance of seven journeys in the middle of the Western sea and who have elevated there their dwellings, and whose names since the most remote times until the renewal of the lunar period, were not known by the Kings my fathers ....² they had refused their contributions, but after the news of the humiliation of the Kings of Chaldea .... which they heard far away ... they brought in my presence to Babylon, gold, silver, utensils, ebony, sandal wood, and the products of their countries and they kissed my feet.

[Hall II. pts. 36 and 38 are wanting. Some lacunas are restored by the so named Great Inscription.]

III-4. In the fourteenth year (708-707) of my reign, MUTALLU, of Commagene, a wicked man and an enemy, who had not honoured the cult of the gods, had confidence in ARGISTI, King of Armenia, and he had trusted to him the town of Ulid. In the virgin forests he ..... had refused his tribute and he sent his ambassador in my presence into the land of Bet-Iakin, to ask from me peace. He had learned what I had done in the preceding campaign, which I had undertaken in Assyria, and the high deeds which I had executed over the land of the Chaldeans and in Elam. He fled alone to save his life; he wandered, even ing and morning, on the inaccessible mountains with his Princes. I ordered my Judges to administer these large territories as a part of my royalty. I marched during six schoenes, he abandoned his palace and he fled alone, and his trace was no more seen. They (my Judges) besieged this town, and they carried from it as spoil, his wife, his sons, with the inhabitants of the land, the horses, the donkeys, the mules, the camels, the oxen and the sheep. They took also the gold, the silver, clothes in
_______
1 Cyprus.
2 Lacunae.

{p.52}

berom and in cotton, blue and purple dresses, bdellium, skins of sea calves, ebony, sandal, the treasure of the palace, and they brought all this in my presence into the town of Calach. I rebuilt this town, I placed there the men of the land of Bet-Iakin. I instituted over it my Lieutenant as Governor, I called him BIT-KAT ....¹ and I joined a tribute to that one which I had paid formerly, and I replaced the Governor on his throne. I fixed his contribution to 150 cars, 1400 horse men, 20,000 archers, 10,000 shield bearers; spear casters were taken among his men. I entrusted to him the country, and I considered him as one of my Lieutenants, and In the fifteenth year² of my reign, the following passed: I had subjected to the power of the god ASSUR the country of Ellip in one of my former campaigns; as long as DALTA of Albany lived, it was subject to me. But the illness of age came and his last day arrived, and went with him in the path of death. NIBIE and ISPABARA, the sons of his wives, asked each of them for himself the occupation of the royal throne, the country and the tributes, and they prepared themselves to combat.
V-3. NIBIE asked SUTRUK-NAKHUNTE King of Elam, that he should support his party, and he gave him, as mortgage, the promise of his submission, and he left assisted by him. ISPABARA asked me, in his prostration and humiliation, to support his party and to fortify his courage, and he offered allegiance to me. I sent then seven of my Lieutenants, my Governors, to make triumph his party. NIBIE and the army of the four rivers (of the Susians) his auxiliaries retired themselves. He and 1500 Elamite archers fled, to save their lives, unto the town of Mareobisti. He locked himself up at Mareobisti, his fortress, which is
______
1 Lacunae.
2 BC 707-706.

{p.53}

situated on the summit of a mountain. My warriors drew away once more in their attack the inaccessible fort. They carried before me NIBIE, covered with ties and chains. I raised once more the town of Mareobisti, and I crucified on the cross the adherents of NIBIE. On the whole land, I established the regency of ISPABARA ....¹ I trusted him the government over all the men of Ellip; I made of the whole country a place of peace, I re-established it under his domination, and they behaved like pious men.
In these times, these people and these countries which my arm had conquered and which the gods ASSUR, NEBO and MERODACH had united under my domination, followed the road of righteousness. With their help I made a town with the divine will and the wish of my heart, which I called Dur-Sarkin at the feet of Musri, to replace Nineve.² SALMAN, SIN, SAMAS, NEBO, BIN, NINIP and
_____
1 Lacuna.
2 In some inscriptions are given the dimensions of Khorsabad, as 3½ ners, i stadium, 3 canes, and 2 spans(U').
This is: 3½ ners, at 7200 spans ... 24,000 spans.
             1 stadium at 720 .............. 720  "
             3 canes ..............................18     "
             2 U' .................................... 2      "
                                                        =24,740
The great side, according to the measurements of Botta, are just in the proportion of 6000 to 6370. The great sides or the square were therefore:
      2 sides at 6000 .......12,000
      2 sides at 6370 ...... 12,740
                                      =24,740
By this means, the length of the span or the half cubit has been fixed at o m 27425, or English inches, as the whole of the walls of Khorsabad are 6790 metres, 7427 yards; the sides are:
     2 sides of 1645 metres, 6000 spans
     2 sides of 1750 metres, 6370 spans
     6790 metres, .................24,740 spans.
See the explanation in my Etalon des mesures assyriennes.

{p.54}

their great wives, who reign eternally in the high regions and in the infernal tracts of ARALLI, have blessed the splendid wonders, the beautiful streets of Dur-Sarkin. I rectified the institutions which were not corresponding with their wills. The priests, the nisi ramki, the sarmakki supar debated, in their learned discussions, the predomination of their domination and the efficiency of their sacrifices.
I built in the town, palaces covered with skins, sandal, ebony, tamariscus, cedar, cypress, wild pistachio-tree, of an incomparable splendour, for the seat of my royalty. I have disposed their dima on golden boards, in silver, in copper, in stone tihpi, in polished stones, in tin, in lead, in iron, in steel and in hibisti arranged. I have written about this the glory of the gods; on the top I have built doors in cedar.
V-2. I have surrounded with rings of copper the doors of fir and of tamariscus, and I disposed their distance symmetrically. I made a spiral staircase equal to that one of the great temple in Syria, and which is called in the Phenician language, Bit-hilanni. Between the doors, I put eight double lions of which the weight is of a ton, of six quintals, of fifty talents¹ of massive copper employed in honour of MYLITTA. Their ....² was of wood in timmi and of fir, and I placed their .... kubur in materials of the mountain Amanus, on the nirgalli. I fortified the vaults of the doors by timmi and I painted at the exterior the animals of the field of all size and winged, in stone of mountains.
______
1 This is 1 ton .. 600 talents.
   6 quintals .....  360  "
   50 talents ...    50    "
                        = 1010 talents, or nearly 67,000 English pounds.
2 Lacuna.

{p.55}

Towards the four regions of the sun, I disposed the cornices and the door posts; I placed over them architraves in gypsum stone of great dimensions originally from the countries which my arm had conquered. I covered their walls and for the admiration of men, I had the images of the lands sculptured since the beginning until the end, which I had occupied with the aid of ASSUR, my Lord. After the rules of art of skilful men, I have made these palaces, I have built the rooms of treasures.
In the month of hearing, on the day of blessing, I have invoked amidst my followers ASSUR, the Father and the Sovereign of the gods, and the goddesses who inhabit Assyria. I presented them frankincense vases in glass, chiselled objects in pure silver heavy jewels, in great quantities, and I rejoiced their mind. I exposed sculptured bulls, coupled, winged, winged, ....¹ winged quadrupeds, reptiles, fishes and birds, symbols of abundance of an incomparable fecundity, then of midit expiatory silaru, to present the elevated mountains, the summits of the heights which my hands had conquered. For the glory of my royalty, the arm of the gods, ASSUR has received them and his heart became favourable to me. I immolated, in the presence of the gods, pure victims, supreme sacrifices, expiatory holocausts to excite them to pardon, which was difficult to be gotten, I asked at the same time a happy existence, a long life, an illustrious descendance, the constancy in victory, and I relied upon him.
The great Lord BEL-EL, Master of the earth, inhabits the Sennaar; the gods and the goddesses inhabit Assyria; they live there in pargiti and martakni.
With the Chief of the provinces, the Satraps, the Wise men, the Doctors, the Magnates, the Lieutenants and
__________
1 Unexplained objects.

{p.56}

the Governors of Assyria, I sat in my palace, and I practised justice.
This palace contains gold, silver, vases in gold and silver, precious stones, copper, iron, the products of rich mines, blue and purple stuffs, cloths in berom and cotton,
V-1. amber, skins of sea calves, pearls, sandal, ebony, horses of Egypt, oxen strains, donkeys, mules, camels, oxen, these are the tributes which I asked for the gods whose heart I rejoiced.
May ASSUR bless this town and these palaces in giving to his images an eternal brightness. Might it be accorded to them to be inhabited until the most remote days.
May dwell before its supreme face the sculptured bull, the protector the accomplishing god, may he watch there the day and night time, and never his feet may move from this threshold!
With the aid of ASSUR, the King who has founded this palace may attain the old age, and may he have seven fold offspring! Until the last days may last its battlements.
And may it be that I, SARGON, who inhabits this palace, may be preserved by destiny during long years for a long life, for the happiness of my body, for the satisfaction of my heart, and may I arrive to my end!
May I accumulate in this palace immense treasures, the booties of all countries, the products of mountains and valleys!
Whoever, in the following days, among the Kings my sons, will succeed to me, may he restore this palace if it is threatened with ruin, may he read my inscriptions, may he count the tablets, and perform a sacrifice, may he put all back in its place. Then ASSUR will listen to his prayer! But whoever shall alter my writings and my name, may ASSUR, the great god, throw down his sword; may he exterminate in this land his name and his offspring, and may he never pardon him this sin!

{p.57}

BULL INSCRIPTION OF SENNACHERIB
BC 705-681.
TRANSLATED BY
REV. J. M. RO DWELL, M.A,
RECTOR OF ST. ETHELBURGA, LONDON.

THE following translation is part of the history of Sennacherib, found on slab 1, belonging to the Koyunjik bulls in the British Museum, and published in the Western Asiatic Inscriptions, p. 12. It has not been thought desirable to encumber these pages with the text of the three remaining slabs, as they are in a very fragmentary state, and have reference mainly to the buildings erected at Nineveh, consisting chiefly of uninteresting lists of material (wood and stone) and of architectural terms for which it is always difficult, and often impossible, to find modern equivalents. {p.58} The perusal of this inscription will present many important points of contact with the Books of Kings and the prophecies of Isaiah, and should be compared with a different text recently translated by the late Mr. G. Smith, at p. 295 of his Assyrian Discoveries, and of which the text here given is obviously an abbreviated copy. It need not be remarked that the Sennacherib inscriptions are a remarkable confirmation of the scriptural accounts of the same events.

{p.59}

INSCRIPTION OF SENNACHERIB

1 The palace of SENNACHERIB, great Prince, powerful Prince, Prince of legions, King of the land of Assyria, King of the four regions, worshipped of the great gods irsu valiant, the manly, the brave, Chief of the Kings
2 of disobedient people, subverter of evil designs. The god ASSUR, the mighty god whose rule hath no equal, hath established me, and over all the inhabitants of realms hath amplified my sway
3 from the upper sea towards the sunset to the lower sea of the sunrise, all the Kings of the four regions have I subjugated .....¹ In my first
4 expedition, of MERODACH-BALADAN King of Kardunias together with many warriors of Syria his allies, in the vicinity of the town Kiski I effected the overthrow. For the preservation of his life, by himself
5 he fled away: his chariots, his horses, his goats and oxen, and beautiful woollens my hands captured; I went up to his palace in the heart of Babylon; I opened it, and
6 his treasure house, with gold and silver, vessels of gold and silver, the precious stones, the choice spoils (kept in) that palace, I plundered; his strong cities, the castles of the land of the Chaldees together with the wide-spread cities of their territory
7 I captured and spoiled (together with) their women. On my return I captured and despoiled the Aramaeans on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates with their women. In the course of my expedition
________
1 Lacunae.

{p.60}

8 from the Governor of Hararati I received abundant tribute; I cut off the hostile population of the city of Hirimmi and destroyed them with the sword; but few were there whom I left: that city I took
9 together with its oxen, sheep and goats and all its principal possessions I took possession of for the land of Assyria.
In my second expedition to the lands of Bisiya and Yasibi with my forces I went. Through forests
10 and difficult places I rode on horseback to a remote spot: to my yoke I subjected it: the cities of Kilamzah, Hardispi, Bit-Kubili, their cities, their fortresses
11 I captured and despoiled: their women and their cities their sons without number, I destroyed and cut off : the palace I burned with fire: I then returned and Bit-Kalamzah
12 to Birtutu I annexed: the inhabitants of these lands, the acquisition of my hands, I settled in it; and reckoned them to the city of Arbuha in the hands of a Viceroy: I turned and to the land of Illipi
13 the road I took: before me ISPABARA its King his strong city evacuated and to a distance fled: the city Marugarti, the city Akupardu, cities of his sovereignty,
14 together with the cities of their territory I captured and plundered: their spoil I laid waste, cut off, and burned with fire; the city Umumirta, the city Hapumah, fortified cities as well as smaller cities
15 within their territory I captured: the land of Bit-Parua I formed into a complete province and annexed it to the borders of Assyria: the city Ilinzas for the protection of that province I took

{p.61}

16 its name I changed, and gave it the title of Kar-Senna-cherib: the men of the land the acquisition of my hands I caused to dwell in its midst, and in the hands of the Governor of the city Harhar
17 I placed them. On my return I received through my prowess the tribute of the remote land of Media of which the Kings my fathers had not even heard, and subjected them to my yoke.
18 In my third expedition I proceeded to the land of (Hatti)¹: fear at my approach overwhelmed ELULAUS (LuLi) the King of Zidon, and from the midst of the land of (Aharri)² to (Yatnana)³
19 which is in the midst of the sea he fled and quitted his country: I placed TUBALU on the throne of his kingdom: I established over them a tribute for My Majesty: the Kings of the West country, all of them, their abundant tribute
20 as a gift, each for his own city, to my presence brought, and ZIDQA King of Ascalon who had not submitted to my yoke. The gods of his fathers house together with his family.
21 I removed and deported to Assyria. SARLUDARI the son of RUKIPTI the former King I appointed of the people of Ascalon, and ordained for him the tribute due to my dominion.
22 In the course of my expedition I captured and took the spoil of his cities which had not submitted to my yoke. The Governors and the population of the city (Amgaruna)⁴ who PADI their King
23 an ally of Assyria with a chain of iron had bound and to
_______
1 Syria.
2 Phoenicia. The Assyrian word Ahirra implies that Phoenicia was a land which stood far back, i.e. westward.
3 Cyprus. Yatnana has reference to the mercantile transactions.
4 Ekron.

{p.62}

HEZEKIAH King of Judah had delivered him, the shadows of death overwhelmed them. The Kings of Egypt gathered archers
24 chariots and horses of the King of Meroe, 1 a force without number. Under the walls of Albaku I fought with them, and effected their overthrow. The Commander of the chariots
25 the sons of the Egyptian Kings together with the Commanders of the chariots of the King of Meroe alive my hand captured. To Ekron I approached; and the Princes who rebellion
26 had brought about, I slew with the sword; the sons of the city who had thus behaved to me I treated as prey; the rest of them who had done nothing (amiss) I proclaimed as innocent. PADI their King
27 I brought forth from the midst of Jerusalem and on the throne I set over them, and fixed upon him the tribute due to my dominion. HEZEKIAH King of Judah did not submit to my yoke;
28 46 of his cities, strong fortresses and cities of their territory which were without number, I besieged, I captured, I plundered, and counted as spoil. Himself I made like a caged bird in the midst
29 of Jerusalem the city of his royalty: garrison-towers over against him I raised: his cities which I had plundered, from the midst of his country I separated, and to the Kings of Ashdod, Askelon
30 Ekron and Gaza I made them over, and diminished his land. In addition to previous taxes, I imposed upon them a donation from their own resources as tribute. HEZEKIAH himself the fear of the approach
31 of My Majesty overwhelmed, and the urbi and his own soldiers and the (other) soldiers whom he had caused to
_______
1 Ethiopia.

{p.63}

enter Jerusalem his royal city. He consented to the payment of tribute: 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver:
32 the bullion the treasure of his palace, his daughters the women of his palace, male musicians and female musicians to within Nineveh the city of my power he caused to carry and for the payment of the tribute he sent his messenger.
33 In my fourth expedition to the land of Bit-Yakin I proceeded. In the course of the expedition against SUZUB a Chaldean dwelling in the midst of marshes, at the city Bit-but I effected
34 his overthrow. My arms he avoided and fled alone, and his place was not discovered. I then faced about and to the land of Bit-Yakin took the road. He,
35 MERODACH-BALADAN¹ whose overthrow I had accomplished in the course of my former campaign, avoided the blows of my powerful arms, and to the city of Nagiti which is in the midst of the sea he fled.
36 His brothers the seed of his father s house whom he had left on the sea coast and the rest of the people of his land, from Bit-Yakin in the midst of the marshes and swamps, I took as spoil. I returned, and his cities
37 I laid waste and burned with fire. On my return, I seated ASSUR-NADIN-SUM my son on the throne of his dominion, and entrusted him with authority. In my fifth expedition,
38 against the people of Tukharri, whose abode like nests of birds upon the rugged mountain tops over Nipur was established, but who had not submitted to my yoke.
39 I got ready my chariots at the foot of Nipur, and with my soldiers I, like in their front with an attack that turned not back ; hollows, streams, mountain crags, in a palanquin I passed over
_________
1 Merodach Baladan. This name may also be written Marduk Bel-Adon, and is obviously Semitic.

{p.64}

40 a place that was impracticable for the palanquin I passed over on foot ...¹ to a place where my knees had rest: the sheep, the cattle, I collected; waters
41 nauseous (to quench) my thirst I drank: by crags and forests I reached them, and beneath them I took up my position : their cities I captured and plundered,
42 laid waste, razed and burned with fire: I again faced round and took the road towards MANIYA, King of Ukki, who had not submitted to me: rugged paths, such as never before (I had seen), mountains
43 difficult (of access) in their midst, where no Prince before me had ever been I traversed on foot: at the foot of Anara and Asku, powerful countries, I caused my chariots to halt:
44 I seated in my splendid palanquin, with my men of war painfully climbed up crags and broken mountains ....
45 He, MANIYA heard of the approach of my army, and evacuated Asku his royal city, and fled to a distance. I went up
46 to the interior of his palace; his bullion, his stores of untold number, I plundered. His vast treasure: his city I laid waste, razed and burned with fire; and took possession of like a heap of corn.
________
1 Lacunae.

{p.65}

A PRAYER AND A VISION, FROM THE ANNALS OF ASSURBANIPAL, KING OF ASSYRIA
TRANSLATED BY
H. FOX TALBOT, F.R.S.

THE passage of which the following is a translation forms an episode in the great war of Assurbanipal against the Elamites. The original text is given in the Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, vol. III, pt. 32, and in the late Mr. George Smith's Annals of Assurbanipal, p. 119-126. This translation was first published in the Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, vol. I., p. 346.

In this poetic narrative Ishtar is not the goddess of love and beauty, but the goddess of war, Bellona of the Latins, Enyo of the Greeks. Under the name of Anaitis or Anahid the goddess was greatly worshipped at Comana in Cappadocia; and also in Pontus and Armenia. At Comana she had a splendid {p.66} temple, served by a college of priests and more than six thousand hierodouli or temple-servants. Her statue was of solid gold:¹ her high priest was second only to the king in rank.

Strabo calls this goddess Enyo, and Berosus makes her the same with Aphrodite or Venus. The inscriptions of Artaxerxes discovered at Susa call her Anahid, which was the Persian name of the planet Venus.²

The promises which the goddess Ishtar made to the King in this vision of the month Ab were fulfilled. In the following month (Elul) Assurbanipal took the field against Tiumman, and his army speedily achieved a brilliant victory. Tiumman was slain, and his head was sent to Nineveh. There is a bas-relief in the British Museum representing a man driving a rapid car, and holding in his hand the head of a warrior, with this inscription, Kakkadu Tiumman, "The head of Tiumman."
_______
1 Pliny Hist. Nat., vol. II., p. 619, Harduin.
2 Silvestre de Sacy.

{p.67}

A PRAYER AND A VISION

I

In the month Ab, the month of the heliacal rising of Sagittarius, in the festival of the great Queen (ISHTAR) daughter of BEL, I was staying at Arbela, the city most be loved by her, to be present at her high worship. There they brought me news of the invasion of the Elamite, who was coming against the will of the gods.
Thus: TIUMMAN has said solemnly, and ISHTAR has repeated to us the tenor of his words: thus: "I will not pour out another libation until I shall have gone and fought with him."
Concerning this threat which TIUMMAN had spoken, I prayed to the great ISHTAR. I approached to her presence, I bowed down at her feet, I besought her divinity to come and save me. Thus: O goddess of Arbela, I am ASSUR-BANIPAL King of Assyria, the creature of thy hands, (chosen by thee and) thy father (ASSUR) to restore the temples of Assyria and to complete the holy cities of Akkad. I have sought to honour thee, and I have gone to worship thee.
But he TIUMMAN King of Elam who never worships the gods .....

[Here some words are lost.]

O thou Queen of queens, Goddess of war, Lady of battles, Queen of the gods, who in the presence of ASSUR thy father speakest always in my favour, causing the hearts of ASSUR and MARDUK to love me ....¹ Lo! now, TIUMMAN King of Elam who has sinned against ASSUR thy father, and has scorned the divinity of MARDUK thy brother, while I ASSURBANIPAL have been rejoicing their hearts. He has
______
1 Lacunae.

{p.68}

collected his soldiers, amassed his army, and has drawn his sword to invade Assyria. O thou archer of the gods, come like a in the midst of the battle, destroy him, and crush him with a fiery bolt from heaven!

ISHTAR heard my prayer. Fear not! she replied, and caused my heart to rejoice. According to thy prayer thy eyes shall see the judgment. For I will have mercy on thee!

II

In the night-time of that night in which I had prayed to her, a certain seer lay down and had a dream. In the midst of the night ISHTAR appeared to him, and he related the vision to me, thus: ISHTAR who dwells in Arbela came unto me begirt right and left with flames, holding her bow in her hand, and riding in her open chariot as if going to the battle. And thou didst stand before her. She addressed thee as a mother would her child. She smiled upon thee, she ISHTAR, the highest of the gods, and gave thee a command. Thus: Take (this bow) she said, to go to battle with! Wherever thy camp shall stand, I will come to it.

Then thou didst say to her: thus: O Queen of the goddesses, wherever thou goest let me go with thee! Then she made answer to thee: thus: I will protect thee! and I will march with thee at the time of the feast of Nebo. Meanwhile eat food, drink wine, make music, and glorify my divinity, until I shall come and this vision shall be fulfilled.

[Henceforward the seer appears to speak in his own person.]

Thy heart's desire shall be accomplished. Thy face shall not grow pale with fear: thy feet shall not be arrested: thou shalt not even scratch thy skin in the battle. In her benevolence she defends thee, and she is wrath with all thy foes. Before her a fire is blown fiercely, to destroy thy enemies.
_____
1 Lacuna.

{p.69}

SENKEREH, INSCRIPTION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
TRANSLATED BY
H. FOX TALBOT, F.R.S.

THIS text is inscribed on the cylinders which were found at Senkereh in the ruins of the temple of the Sun, which are now in the British Museum. The original text of this inscription was published in Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, vol. L, pl. 51. The inscriptions of Nebuchadnezzar relate chiefly to the repairs of temples, which are often given at great length. {p.70} If we possessed a single historical inscription of that monarch, it could not fail to cast a strong light on Babylonian history, and perhaps on that of the Jews also. But hitherto the researches of our explorers have been unsuccessful in finding any annals or civil records of his reign, unconnected with the public worship of the temples.

{p.71}

SENKEREH, INSCRIPTION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR

COLUMN I

1 NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of Babylon
2 the monarch devout and pious
3 worshipper of the Lord of Lords¹
4 restorer of the temples of SAGGATHU and ZIDA
5 the noble son of NABOPOLASSAR
6 King of Babylon, I am he.
7 When the great Lord MARDUK
8 the renowned Chief of the gods
9 this land and people
10 gave unto my rule,
11 at that time the temple of Tara
12 which is the temple of the SUN at Senkereh²
13 from extreme old age
14 had mouldered into ruin:
15 its interior had fallen, and lay scattered about:
16 its figures³ were no longer visible.
17 And during my reign the great Lord MARDUK
18 that temple
19 shook with an earthquake.
20 Towards all the four quarters of the heavens it was thrown down
21 the earth of the interior had been dug up
22 in looking for the figures.
23 Then me NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of Babylon
24 his chief worshipper
25 to restore that temple
_________
1 The god Marduk.
2 Senkereh is the modern name of the city.
3 Idols, or symbolic figures.

{p.72}

COLUMN II

1 greatly he commanded me.
2 Of its ancient platform¹
3 I made a repair.²
4 On its ancient platform
5 fine earth I broke small,
6 and flat bricks I placed thereon.
7 Then the temple of Tara, a noble temple,
8 the dwelling of the SUN my Lord
9 for the SUN dwelling in Tara
10 which is within the city of Senkereh,
11 the great Lord, my Lord, I built.
12 O SUN! great Lord!
13 into the temple of Tara, thy divine dwelling-place
14 in joy and gladness
15 when thou shalt enter
16 the pious works of my hands
17 regard with pleasure!
18 and a life of prolonged days
19 a firm throne
20 a long reign
21 may thy lips proclaim for me!
22 and may the gates and doors, and halls, and apartments
23 of the temple of Tara
24 which I have built
25 with no sparing of expense
26 remain recorded in thy book!³
__________
1 Or foundation of the old temple.
2 Akhit.
3 The good deeds of the Babylonians were recorded in heaven.

{p.73}

THE BIRS-NIMRUD, INSCRIPTION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.
TRANSLATED BY
H. FOX TALBOT, F.R.S.

THIS text was first published in the Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, vol. L, pl. 51, from the cylinders found at the corners of the third stage of the temple of the Seven Spheres at Birs-Nimrud (anciently Borsippa), and now deposited in the British Museum.

It was first translated by Sir Henry Rawlinson, in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. XVII, and soon afterwards in vol. XVIII, p. 35, published in 1860, I added various remarks upon it. I have {p.74} now revised my translation and made a few emendations.

The ruins of the Birs-Nimrud still rise 153 feet above the level of the plain. It appears from the researches carried on by Sir H. Rawlinson in the year 1854 that it was originally a building in seven receding stages, which were coloured so as to represent the seven planetary spheres, according to the tints regarded by the Sabaeans as appropriate to each. See Rawlinson's Herodotus, vol. II, p. 583.

{p.75}

THE BIRS-NIMRUD, INSCRIPTION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR

COLUMN I

1 NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of Babylon
2 the noble King, proclaimed to you by the will of MAR-DUK:
3 the great high priest, beloved by NEBO:
4 the wise Mage who unto the doctrines of the gods
5 raised his intelligence:
6 the high priest ever active in adorning the temple of SAGGATHU
7 and the temple of ZIDA:
8 the eldest son of NABOPOLASSAR
9 King of Babylon, I am he.
10 When MARDUK the great Lord
11 had created me a King
12 he commanded me to complete his holy buildings.
13 NEBO who bestows the thrones of heaven and earth
14 placed the sceptre of justice in my hand,
15 the temple of SAGGATHU, the great temple of heaven and earth
16 the dwelling of MARDUK Lord of the gods;
17 the temple of KUA, the (shrine) of his Lordship
18 with shining gold I splendidly adorned.
19 The temple of ZIDA I built anew.
20 With silver, gold, and precious stones
21<