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Written on the pedestal of the statue of the god Bēl. Like its original, written and collated. Tablet belonging to Marduk-šākin-šumi, the young apprentice scribe. Written by Nabû-zēra-ikṣur, scribe, son of Ina-tēšî-ēṭir, scribe and descendant of Nabû-nāṣir, scribe. |
foremost son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria; grandson of Sargon II, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; descendant of the eternal line of Bēl-bāni, king of Assyria, ancient stock, whose place of ultimate origin is Baltil Aššur, governor of Babylon, |
When the god Aššur, king of the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, father of the gods, lord of the lands; the god Anu, the powerful, the foremost, whose spoken order no god can alter; the god Enlil, greatest lord, the one who decrees the fates of heaven and netherworld and makes the dwellings secure; the god Ea, the wise, lord of wisdom, creator of all creatures, the one who fashions everything, whatever its name; the god Sîn, the one who constantly renews himself, the pure god, the one who determines decisions and reveals signs; the god Šamaš, the great judge of the gods, the one who illuminates darkness, whose lordly splendor overwhelms the lands; the god Adad, the canal inspector of heaven and netherworld, the one who brings abundant rains and sustains all living things; the god Marduk, firstborn son, the Enlil of the gods, the one who has the power to depopulate and resettle a region; the god Nabû, scribe of the universe, the one who directs the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods and who is entrusted with the entire universe; the god Nergal, the almighty, endowed with strength and power, the one who captures enemies, the Enlil of the vast netherworld; the goddess Agušāya Ištar, mistress of war and battle, the one who starts fighting and causes conflict; the Sebitti, valiant gods, who hold bow and arrow, whose assault is combat and warfare; and the great gods, who reside in heaven and netherworld, whose favorable words cannot be changed, |
truly selected me, Esarhaddon, with their pure, upraised eyes, to shepherd their people, they raised |
valiant warrior, clothed with numinous splendor; whom the god Aššur, king of the gods, made take up his weapons to overthrow the enemies of Assyria; light of the four quarters; the hero with whom the gods, his helpers, go constantly for the conquest of the enemy; foremost of all rulers; who marched freely from the rising sun to the setting sun and has no rival therein; |
son of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria; descendant of Sargon II, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; royal descendant of Bēl-bāni, king of Assyria, ancient stock, whose place of ultimate origin is Baltil Aššur; and whose dynasty from earliest times, by the command of the god Marduk, was called to rule the land and people, all of it, was suitable for kingship, whose governing status was pleasing to the god Aššur, and whose food offerings the gods of heaven and netherworld desired — |
Jupiter shone brightly and came near in Simānu III and stood in the place where the sun shines. It reached its hypsoma for a second time in the month "Opening of the Door" and stayed in its place. |
In order to triumph and to show overpowering strength, he the god Marduk revealed to me good omens concerning the (re-)entering of Esagil. The stars of heaven stood in their positions and took the correct path and left the incorrect path. Every month, the gods Sîn and Šamaš together, at their appearance, answered me with a firm ‘yes’ concerning the renewing of the gods, the completion of the shrines of cult centers, the lasting stability of my reign, and the securing of the throne of my priestly office. |
At that time, I, Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one selected and chosen by the god Aššur, the one required by the great gods, with the broad wisdom and vast comprehension that the sage of the gods, the prince, the god Nudimmud Ea, gave to me, and through the great wisdom that the gods Aššur and Marduk imparted to me (opened my ears) for refurbishing the great gods, I prayed to the divinity of the god Aššur, king of the gods, and the great lord, the god Marduk, with raised hands, prayers, and expressions of humility, saying: |
"With whom, O great gods, will you continually send me to create gods and goddesses, difficult work performed in an inaccessible place? Can I undertake the renovation work with people who are deaf and blind, who do not know themselves and whose future is still undecided? The creation of gods and goddesses is in your hands, so build yourselves a cella for your majestic divinity! Whatever is in your heart, let it be done! Through the unalterable words spoken by your lips, give the skilled craftsmen, whom you ordered to perform this work, sublime knowledge like the god Ea, their creator, and teach them the skills needed. By your exalted command, let them make all of their handiwork succeed while doing the work of the god Ninšiku." |
I kneeled reverently seeking the judgment of the gods Šamaš and Adad, and I stationed diviners to ascertain their true decisions. I had an extispicy performed concerning the selection of the use of the workshop in Baltil Aššur, Babylon, or Nineveh, and I placed before the diviners separate lists of craftsmen who should do the work and be allowed to enter the secret place. The omens were unanimous: they answered me with a firm ‘yes,’ and told me it should be in Baltil Aššur, my dynastic city, the residence of the father of the gods, the god Aššur. They indicated to me the workshop to use and the craftsmen to perform the work. Through truthful, trustworthy portents, diviners told me to perform that work, saying thus: "Do it quickly, pay attention, and be careful! Do not procrastinate! You should not turn your attention to anything else!" I trusted their immutable, firm ‘yes,’ and I felt confident. |
In a favorable month, on a propitious day, in Šabāṭu XI, the favorite month of the god Enlil, exactly as they the gods wished, I entered the workshop where the renovations would be done and I brought carpenters, jewelers, copper smiths, seal cutters, skilled craftsmen, who know the secrets, into the temple that the gods Šamaš and Adad had selected by divination, and I installed them there. |
As for red gold, an ore from its mountain which nobody had yet cast into a work of art, and countless precious stones, that have not yet seen the light of day, the creation of the mountains where the god Ea greatly decreed their fate to be the radiance for the artwork of lordship, I had them greatly prepared and delivered to their (the craftsmen’s) pure hands for the shrines of the great gods, my lords, and for the ornamentation of their divinity. I had an artfully designed crown, which is befitting the lordship of the god Aššur, king of the gods, my lord, made of red gold and precious stones, and I restored it. The god Aššur, the great lord, accepted magnanimously that crown, which is clothed in splendorous radiance, full of dignity, radiating a glow, and wrapped in brilliance, and his spirit was pleased and his countenance shone. |
The gods Bēl, Bēltīya, Bēlet-Bābili, Ea, and Mandānu, the great gods, were truly created in Ešarra, the temple of their progenitor, and they grew beautiful in figure. I sumptuously adorned their features with red ṣāriru-gold, the creation of Mount Arallu and an ore from its mountain. I adorned their necks and covered their chests with magnificent ornaments and precious jewelry, all that the great lord, the god Marduk, had in mind and that the queen, the goddess Zarpanītu, wanted. They fashioned images of their great divinity more artfully than before and greatly adorned them. They provided them with awe-inspiring vigor and made them shine like the sun. |
I made anew a seat of everlasting musukkannu-wood together with a footstool, covered with red gold, for the goddess Tašmētu, the great lady, who lives in Eumuša, the cella of the god Marduk, which is in Babylon. I refurbished the god Amurru, the one who cleanses heaven and netherworld, the one who purifies Esagil, and who lives in Enamtaggadua. I renewed the gods Abšušu and Abtagigi, who live in Egišḫurankia, the temple of the divine lady of Nineveh, and all of the gods and goddesses that the gods Aššur and Marduk ordered me to, and I returned them to their proper places: I returned the gods Great-Anu, Šarrat-Dēri, Niraḫ, Bēlet-balāṭi, Kurunītum, Sakkud of the city Bubê, and Mār-bīti to Dēr, their city; I returned the goddess Uṣur-amāssa, the one who gives counsel, the intercessor, to Uruk, her city; and I returned the god Šamaš of Larsa to Larsa and the gods Ḫumḫumiya, Šuqamuna, and Šimaliya to Sippar-Aruru. |
The god Marduk, the great lord, was mindful of the work on the dais of his sublime divinity, all of it, and in order to show the people the might of his nature and to teach humanity the glory of his divinity, in |
I had a lifelike engraving of a ferocious dragon couchant made on an alallu-stone, a stone for speaking and acceptance |
whose limbs had not been fashioned before by the work of the craftsmen and a stone for placing locks on the sea |
the great gods were truly created in Ešarra, the temple of their progenitor, and they grew beautiful in figure. I sumptuously adorned their features with red ṣāriru-gold, the creation of Mount Arallu and an ore from its mountain. I adorned their necks and covered their chests with magnificent ornaments and precious jewelry, all that the great lord, the god Marduk, had in mind and that the queen, the goddess Zarpanītu, wanted. They fashioned images of their great divinity more artfully than before and greatly adorned them. They provided them with awe-inspiring vigor and made them shine like the sun. |
I placed at their service ramku-priests, pašīšu-priests, ecstatics, those initiated in secret rites, purification priests, āšipu-priests, lamentation priests, and singers, who have mastered their entire craft. |
Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, appointed by the god Enlil, priest of the god Aššur; son of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, appointed by the god Enlil, priest of the god Aššur; the king who has revered the utterances of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, Bēl, and Nabû and has extolled their might ever since his childhood; |
In order to give the land and the people verdicts of truth and justice, the gods Sîn and Šamaš, the twin gods, took the road of truth and justice monthly. |
and fourteen. Venus, the brightest of the stars, was seen in the west, in the Path of the Ea-stars. Concerning the securing of the land and the reconciliation of its gods, it Venus reached its hypsoma and then disappeared. Mars, the giver of decisions on the land Amurru, shone brightly in the Path of the Ea-stars and it revealed its sign concerning the strengthening of the ruler and his land. Messages from ecstatics were constantly available. |
Good signs occurred for me concerning the securing of the foundation of the throne of my priestly office forever. Favorable omens concerning the securing of my throne and the prolongation of my reign came to me in dreams and through oracles. I saw those signs, was encouraged, and my mood felt good. |
I wrote anew the tablet of their exemptions. I made them larger and bigger than before; I raised them up and glorified them. I exempted them from barley taxes and straw taxes, and from the dues levied on the quays and crossing points throughout my land. I established the remission of their debts and set up divine protection in their gates forever. |
The former temple of the god Aššur, which Ušpia, my ancestor, priest of the god Aššur, first built, became dilapidated and Erišum I, son of Ilu-šūma, my ancestor, priest of the god Aššur, rebuilt it; one hundred and twenty-six years passed and it became dilapidated again, and Šamšī-Adad I, son of Ilā-kabkabī, my ancestor, priest of the god Aššur, rebuilt it; four hundred and thirty-four years passed and that temple was destroyed in a conflagration, and Shalmaneser I, son of Adad-nārārī I, my ancestor, priest of the god Aššur, rebuilt it; five hundred and eighty years passed and the inner cella, the residence of the god Aššur, my lord, the bīt-šaḫūru, the temple of the god Kubu, the temple of the god Dibar, and the temple of the god Ea became dilapidated, aged, and antique. |
I was worried, afraid, and hesitant about renovating that temple. In the diviner’s bowl, the gods Šamaš and Adad answered me with a firm ‘yes’ and they had their response concerning the rebuilding of that temple and the renovation of its chapel written on a liver. |
I, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, reverent king, pious prince, favorite of the great gods, gathered the people conquered by me and made them take up hoe and basket. I razed that temple from its battlements to its foundations and mixed the mud for its revetment with oil, honey, ghee, wine, and cedar resin. They made bricks in brickmolds of ivory, boxwood, ebony, musukkannu-wood, cedar, and cypress. |
I, the pious slave who reveres him, put on an apron and made bricks with my own pure hands. I let the people of the lands see the might of the god Aššur, my lord. I raised a basket on my head and carried it by myself. I showed it to the people in order to inspire awe in the lands. The people of the lands, the brick makers, made bricks for one year in happiness, joy, and rejoicing. |
In a favorable month, on a propitious day, I laid its foundations with limestone, a strong mountain stone, over gold, silver, stones, antimony, all kinds of aromatics, pūru-oil, fine oil, honey, ghee, beer, and wine, and laid them on bedrock. I made foundation documents bearing inscriptions written in my name and placed them in it. I mixed its mortar with oil, fine oil, pūru-oil, honey, ghee, and cedar resin. For the preservation of my life and the lengthening of my days, I carried the first brick on my neck and then laid its foundations and secured its brickwork. |
When the second year arrived, I raised the top of Ešarra, the residence of the god Aššur, my lord, to the sky. Above, I made it tower to the heavens, and below, I secured its foundations in the netherworld. I made Eḫursaggula, the temple of the great mountain, glisten like the stars (writing) of the firmament. I heaped it up like a mountain. |
I built and completed that temple from its foundations to its parapets and filled it with splendor to be seen. I roofed it with beams of cedar and cypress, grown on Mount Sirāra and Mount Lebanon, whose fragrance is sweet. I fastened bands of gold on doors of cypress and installed them in its gates. |
I restored the shrines, daises, cult platforms, and ruined ground plans; I made them good and made them shine like the sun. Its top was high and reached the heavens; below, its foundations were entwined with the apsû. I made anew whatever furnishings were needed for Ešarra and put them in it. |
I had the god Aššur, king of the gods, dwell in his lordly, sublime chapel on his eternal dais and I placed the gods Ninurta, Nusku, and all of the gods and goddesses in their stations to the right and left. I slaughtered a fattened bull and butchered sheep; I killed birds of the heavens and fish from the apsû, without number; and I piled up before them the harvest of the sea and the abundance of the mountains. The burning of incense, a fragrance of sweet resin, covered the wide heavens like heavy fog. I presented them with gifts from the inhabited settlements, their heavy audience gifts, and I gave them gifts. I banned access to A.RI.A.TA.BAR, that is ‘Foreign Seed,’ from its midst and appeased his (Aššur’s) anger. |
The god Aššur, king of the gods, truly looked on my good deeds and his heart became joyful, his mood shone. He blessed me with a blessing of long days and named me as the builder of the temple. I, together with my nobles and the people of my land, held a celebration in the courtyard of Ešarra for three days. I appeased the heart of his great divinity and placated his mood. |
I made foundation inscriptions, wrote the deeds that I had done on them, and left them forever for future kings, my descendants. |
May one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names to rule over the land and people, read my foundation inscription, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers. |
May the god Aššur, king of the gods, look upon him with fury, overthrow his kingship, make his name and his seed disappear from the land, and have no pity on him. |
Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, pious prince, beloved of the god Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, upon whom you placed your protection and whom you safeguarded for kingship, all of whose enemies you killed and whose wish you caused him to attain, upon whose father’s throne you placed in greatness, and whom you entrusted with the lordship of the lands; son of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who made the statues of the god Aššur and the great gods; descendant of Sargon II, king of the world, king of Assyria, who is assiduous towards the shrines of the god Aššur and the goddess Mullissu — |
The former temple of the god Aššur that Shalmaneser I, son of Adad-nārārī I, king of Assyria, a ruler who came before me, had built: Five hundred and eighty-six years passed and then it became dilapidated. |
I did not change the location of that temple and I laid its foundations on gold, silver, precious stones, aromatics, and ḫašūru-resin, and I secured its brickwork. I built and completed it, and greatly made it an object of wonder for the people. |
I built it for my life, the prolongation of my days, the securing of my reign, the well-being of my seed, the safeguarding of the throne of my priestly office, the overthrowing of my enemies, the prospering of the harvest of Assyria, and the well-being of Assyria. |
Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, pious prince, beloved of the god Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, upon whom you placed your protection and whom you safeguarded for kingship, all of whose enemies you killed and whose wish you caused him to attain, upon whose father’s throne you placed in greatness, and whom you entrusted with the lordship of the lands; son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria; descendant of Sargon II, king of the world and king of Assyria — |
The former temple of the god Aššur that Shalmaneser I, son of Adad-nārārī I, king of Assyria, a ruler who came before me, had built, became dilapidated: Five hundred and eighty-six years passed and then it became dilapidated. |
I did not change the location of that temple and I laid its foundations on gold, silver, precious stones, aromatics, and ḫašūru-resin, and I secured its brickwork. I built and completed it, and greatly made it an object of wonder for the people. |
Moreover, I struck with the sword Teušpa, a Cimmerian, together with his entire army, in the territory of the land Ḫubušna; I conquered Sidon, which is in the midst of the sea, caught Abdi-Milkūti, its king, like a fish, and cut off his head; I conquered the city Arzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, threw Asuḫīli, its king, into fetters and took him to Assyria; I conquered the city Bāsu Bāzu, a district in a remote place; I fixed the tribute of my lordship on Qanâ, king of Dilmun; |
I wrote to all of the kings who are in the midst of the sea, from Iadnana Cyprus and Ionia to Tarsus, and they bowed down at my feet. I received their heavy tribute. I achieved victory over the rulers of the four quarters and I sprinkled the venom of death over all of my enemies. I carried off gold, silver, goods, possessions, people — young and old — horses, oxen, and sheep and goats, their heavy booty that was beyond counting, to Assyria. |
At that time, the former temple of the god Aššur that Shalmaneser I, son of Adad-nārārī I, son of Arik-dēn-ili, my ancestor, had built earlier, became dilapidated and old. I razed that temple and reached its foundation pit. I laid its foundations with limestone, a strong mountain stone, making it like bedrock. I built and completed it from its foundation to its parapets. I roofed it with magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Sirāra, which I had cut down in the course of a campaign of mine. |
The dais of destiny, the lofty dais on which the god Aššur lives and where they the gods decree the destiny of heaven and netherworld, which the kings, my ancestors, had made of baked bricks and covered with silver zaḫalû, I now had it skillfully made of 180 talents of cast ešmarû-silver. I fashioned on it the dais my royal image shown praying to their divinity and imploring them constantly to give me life, and an image of Ashurbanipal, my crown prince. |
I cast from shining bronze two bison positioned opposite each other, with their faces looking forward and backward, to bear the columns which support crossbeams forming the cornice in its gate and I set them up in the Gate of the Path of the Enlil-Stars. I had two fierce Deluge monsters made with skillful craftsmanship and I placed them in the Royal Gate, to the right and left of the gate. I also set up twin Deluge monsters cast of shining silver zaḫalû |
The god Bēl and the goddess Bēltīya, the divine lovers, were created in the city Aššur by their own command and were truly born in Eḫursaggalkurkura. The gods Bēlet-Bābili, Ea, and Mandānu were made in the city Aššur, place of the creation of gods, and I completed their figures. I sumptuously adorned their features with fifty talents of red ṣāriru-gold, the creation of Mount Arallu and an ore from its mountain that had not been refined. I adorned their necks and covered their chests with magnificent adornments and precious jewelry that greatly befitted their lordship. |
They moved forward and went out from Eḫursaggalkurkura radiantly, like the sun to the land. They took the road to Šuanna Babylon, a joyful path. From Baltil Aššur to the quay of Babylon, piles of brushwood were lit every third of a league and they slew fattened bulls at each league. Moreover, I, Esarhaddon, took the hand of his great divinity and |
They the gods entered the orchards, groves, canals, and gardens of Ekarzagina, a pure place where the craft of the sage, "the washing of the mouth," "the opening of the mouth," "bathing," and "purification" were recited before the stars of heaven: the gods Ea, Šamaš, Asalluḫi, Bēlet-ilī, Kusu, Ningirima, Ninkurra, Ninagal, Kusibanda, Ninildu, and Ninzadim |
The palace of Esarhaddon, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, son of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria — I had the gatehouse, which is in the palace in Baltil Aššur, built anew for coming and going and I firmly founded its foundation with white limestone. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria — I had the gatehouse, which is in the palace in Baltil Aššur, built anew for coming and going and I firmly founded its foundation with white limestone. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, son of Sennacherib, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria — I had the gatehouse, which is in the palace in Baltil Aššur, built anew for coming and going and I firmly founded its foundation with white limestone. |
I, Esarhaddon, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, renewed the statues of the great gods; son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria; descendant of Sargon II, king of Assyria — during my kingship, when the god Aššur and the goddess Mullissu stretched out their protection over me and when the great gods called my name for lordship over the land and people, and when I made Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, enter the House of Succession, it was at that time, that I raised that terrace and built a palace for my royal residence on it. |
To the god Aššur, his lord: Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of all of Karduniaš Babylonia, king of the kings of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush, king of the four quarters, placed and gave this door socket for his long life, the prolongation of his days, and the well-being of his offspring. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad — an amphora filled with oil fit for princes, which was with the vast possessions and goods without number, the treasures of the palace of Abdi-Milkūti, the king of Sidon — which is in the midst of the sea — that my great hands captured with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, skilled in battle and warfare, who leveled his enemies, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad — an amphora filled with oil fit for princes, which was with the vast possessions and goods without number, the treasures of the palace of Abdi-Milkūti, the king of Sidon, that my great hands captured with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela. |
I, Aššur-etel-ilāni-mukīn-apli, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of the world and king of Assyria; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, restored the shrines of cult centers, completed the rites, and reconfirmed the offerings of the great gods; I am also the one who knows how to greatly revere the gods and goddesses of heaven and netherworld. |
I, Aššur-etel-ilāni-mukīn-apli, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of the world and king of Assyria; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, restored the shrines of cult centers, completed the rites, and reconfirmed the offerings of the great gods, am I. |
Esarhaddon, trusted ruler, the one who is rebuilding the temple of the god Aššur, mustered the workmen of the god Aššur from all of the settlements and mustered the rulers of all four quarters. They carried baskets to the capital city. |
The king, who with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, Marduk, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, marched freely from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea and made all of his enemies and the rulers who were unsubmissive to him bow down at his feet; the one who conquered the city Sidon, which is in the midst of the sea, and the one who leveled all of its dwellings; the one who plundered the city Arzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, and who threw Asuḫīli, its king, into fetters along with his counselors and brought them to Assyria; moreover, I am the one who struck with the sword Teušpa, a Cimmerian, together with his entire army, in the territory of the land Ḫubušna; the one who treads on the unsubmissive people of Cilicia; |
The one who crushed the Barnaki, a dangerous enemy, who live in the city Tīl-Ašurri, which is called Pitānu in the language of the people of the land Miḫrānu; the one who scattered the Mannean people, undisciplined Gutians — as for the land Patušarri, a district in the area of the salt desert, which is in the midst of the land of the distant Medes, borders Mount Bikni, and upon the soil of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had walked, I carried off to Assyria Šidir-parna and E-parna, mighty chieftains, who were not submissive to my yoke, together with their people and their heavy plunder. |
Son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad — |
At that time, by means of the prisoners from the lands that I had conquered with the help of the god Aššur, my lord, the arsenal, which was in Kalḫu, that Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria, son of Ashurnasirpal II, a ruler who came before me, had built, had no terrace and its site had become too small. |
As for me, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, pious prince, to whom the prince, the god Ninšiku Ea, gave wisdom equal to that of the sage Adapa, that terrace was on my mind and I thought about it. I incorporated unused land as an addition and raised the terrace with massive stone blocks from the mountains. I raised its walls by 120 brick courses, built palatial halls for my royal residence upon it, and built and completed it from its foundations to its parapets. I roofed them with magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Amanus, and installed doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet, in their gates. I filled it with splendor making it an object of wonder for all of the people. |
I made foundation inscriptions, had the might of the god Aššur, my lord, and the deeds that I had done written on them, and placed these inscriptions in them the foundations. |
In the future, in far-off days, may a future ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, renovate its dilapidated sections. May he read a foundation inscription written in my name, make an offering, anoint it with oil, write my name with his name, and return it to its place. The god Ninurta, son of the god Enlil, will then hear his prayers. |
Ayyāru II, eighteenth day, eponymy of Nabû-bēlī-uṣur, governor of the city Dūr-Šarrukku, when the treaty concerning Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who resides in the House of Succession, was made. |
Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, the true shepherd who reorganized the confused people and made light shine forth for them; to whom the great gods gave as a gift the ability to create, build, and renew; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, completed all of the cult centers, renewed the statues of the great gods, and who returned the plundered gods of the lands to their proper place from Assyria; who plated Egašankalama, the temple of the goddess Ištar of Arbela, his lady, with silver zaḫalû and made it shine like daylight — I had lions, screaming anzû-birds, laḫmu-monsters, and kurību-genii fashioned from silver and copper and set them up in its entry doors. |
The king, who with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, Marduk, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, marched freely from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea and made all of his enemies and the rulers who were unsubmissive to him bow down at his feet; the one who conquered the city Sidon, which is in the midst of the sea, and the one who leveled all of its dwellings; the one who plundered the city Arzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, and who threw Asuḫīli, its king, into fetters along with his counselors and brought them to Assyria; moreover, I am the one who struck with the sword Teušpa, a Cimmerian, together with his entire army, in the territory of the land Ḫubušna; the one who treads on the unsubmissive people of Cilicia; |
The one who crushed the Barnaki, a dangerous enemy, who live in the city Tīl-Ašurri, which is called Pitānu in the language of the people of the land Miḫrānu; the one who scattered the Mannean people, undisciplined Gutians — as for the land Patušarri, a district in the area of the salt desert, which is in the midst of the land of the distant Medes, borders Mount Bikni, and upon the soil of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had walked, I carried off to Assyria Šidir-parna and E-parna, mighty chieftains, who were not submissive to my yoke, together with their people and their heavy plunder. |
At that time, by means of the prisoners from the lands that I had conquered with the help of the god Aššur, my lord, I repaired and renovated the dilapidated parts of the ruined wall, city gates, and palaces, which are in Kalḫu. I built and completed them and made them greater than ever before. |
I made foundation inscriptions, had the might of the god Aššur, my lord, and the deeds that I had done written on them, and placed these inscriptions in them the foundations. |
In the future, in far-off days, may a future ruler be like me and renovate their dilapidated sections and write my name with his name. The god Ninurta, son of the god Enlil, will then hear his prayers. |
the one who drove out Nabû-zēr-kitti-līšir, son of Marduk-apla-iddina II (Merodach-baladan); the one who sacked Bīt-Dakkūri, which is in Chaldea, an enemy of Babylon; the one who captured Šamaš-ibni, its king, a rogue and outlaw — I surrounded, captured, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Ḫandasu, Magalani, Alpiana, Diḫrāni, Qatabuʾ, Padê, and Udēru, fortified cities in the district of the land Bāzu, together with small cities in its environs. |
The one who crushed the Barnaki, a dangerous enemy, who live in the land Tīl-Ašurri, which is called Pitānu in the language of the people of the land Miḫrānu; the one who scattered the Mannean people, undisciplined Gutians — as for the land Patušarri, a district in the area of the salt desert, which is in the midst of the land of the distant Medes, borders Mount Bikni, and upon the soil of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had walked, I carried off to Assyria Šidir-parna and E-parna, mighty chieftains, who were not submissive to my yoke, together with their people and their heavy plunder. |
Son of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad — |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad — with regard to the armory, which is in Kalḫu, that Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria, son of Ashurnasirpal II, a ruler who came before me, had built, I incorporated unused land as an addition to it, raised the terrace with massive stones from the mountains, and built palatial halls for my lordly pleasure on it — son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of the world and king of Assyria. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the kings of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush, king of the four quarters. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, and renewed the statues of the great gods; king of Egypt, the one who defeated the king of Meluḫḫa, king of the four quarters, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, king of the world and king of Assyria. |
The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, and renewed the statues of the great gods; king of Egypt, the one who defeated the king of Meluḫḫa, son of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. |
Property of Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Sennacherib, king of the world and king of Assyria, which was placed in the midst of the platform, more or less. |
Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, the true shepherd who reorganized the confused people and made light shine forth for them; to whom the great gods gave as a gift the ability to create, build, and renew; the one who reconstructed the temple of the god Aššur, rebuilt Esagil and Babylon, completed all of the cult centers, renewed the statues of the great gods, and who returned the plundered gods of the lands to their proper place from Assyria; who plated Egašankalama, the temple of the goddess Ištar of Arbela, his lady, with silver zaḫalû and made it shine like daylight — I had lions, screaming anzû-birds, laḫmu-monsters, and kurību-genii fashioned from silver and copper and set them up in its entry doors. |
The king, who with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, Marduk, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, marched freely from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea and made all of his enemies and the rulers who were unsubmissive to him bow down at his feet; the one who conquered the city Sidon, which is in the midst of the sea, and the one who leveled all of its dwellings; the one who plundered the city Arzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, and who threw Asuḫīli, its king, into fetters along with his counselors and brought them to Assyria; moreover, I am the one who struck with the sword Teušpa, a Cimmerian, together with his entire army, in the territory of the land Ḫubušna; the one who treads on the unsubmissive people of Cilicia; |
the one who drove out Nabû-zēr-kitti-līšir, son of Marduk-apla-iddina II (Merodach-baladan); the one who sacked Bīt-Dakkūri, which is in Chaldea, an enemy of Babylon; the one who captured Šamaš-ibni, its king, a rogue and outlaw — I surrounded, captured, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Ḫandasu, Magalani, Alpiana, Diḫrāni, Qatabuʾ, Padê, and Udēru, fortified cities in the district of the land Bāzu, together with small cities in their environs. |
The one who crushed the Barnaki, a dangerous enemy, who live in the land Tīl-Ašurri, which is called Pitānu in the language of the people of the land Miḫrānu; the one who scattered the Mannean people, undisciplined Gutians — as for the land Patušarri, a district in the area of the salt desert, which is in the midst of the land of the distant Medes, borders Mount Bikni, and upon the soil of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had walked, I carried off to Assyria Šidir-parna and E-parna, mighty chieftains, who were not submissive to my yoke, together with their people and their heavy plunder. |
At that time the site of the small palace, which is in the city Tarbiṣu, had become too small. I added more land as an addition making it bigger than before and I completely raised its terrace. I built and completed a magnificent palace, whose site is very extensive, for the pleasure of Ashurbanipal — senior son of the king, who resides in the House of Succession, my beloved son, whom the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela called to exercise kingship — from its foundations to its parapets. I roofed them with magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Amanus, and installed doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet, in their gates. I filled it with splendor making it an object of wonder for all of the people. |
I had a foundation inscription written in my name and written in the name of Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who resides in the House of Succession, my beloved son, and placed this inscription in it. |
After I finished the work on that palace and completed its construction, I invited the god Nergal and the goddess Laṣ, gods who live in the city Tarbiṣu, into it. I made large, pure offerings before them and presented them with my gifts. |
May a future ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar name to rule the people, renovate the dilapidated sections of that palace when it becomes old and dilapidated. May he read a foundation inscription written in my name and written in the name of Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who resides in the House of Succession, my beloved son, and may he anoint it with oil, make an offering, and place it with a foundation inscription written in his name. The god Nergal and the goddess Laṣ will then hear his prayers. |
Ayyāru II, eighteenth day, eponymy of Nabû-bēlī-uṣur, governor of the city Dūr-Šarrukku, when the treaty concerning Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who resides in the House of Succession, was made. |
I, Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, built and completed a palace in the city Tarbiṣu as the residence of Ashurbanipal. |
I, Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the kings of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush built and completed a palace in the city Tarbiṣu as the residence of Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who resides in the House of Succession, my offspring. |
Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, had a palace built anew in the city Tarbiṣu from its foundations to its parapets. |
Hazael, the king of the Arabs, who came to Nineveh, my capital city, with his heavy audience gift and kissed my feet, implored me to give back his gods, and I had pity on him. I refurbished the gods Atar-samayin, Dāya, Nuḫāya, Ruldāwu, Abirillu, and Atar-qurumâ, the gods of the Arabs, and |
I gave them back to him. I appointed the lady Tabūa, who was raised in the palace of my father, as ruler and returned her to her land with those gods of the Arabs. |
The god Aššur, father of the gods, who loves my priestly service; the god Anu, the powerful, the foremost, the one who called my name; the god Enlil, lofty lord, the one confirmed my reign; the god Ea, wise one, knowing one, who decrees my destiny; the god Sîn, shining Nannar, the one who makes signs favorable for me; the god Šamaš, judge of heaven and netherworld, the one who provides decisions for me; the god Adad, terrifying lord, the one who makes my troops prosper; the god Marduk, hero of the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the one who makes my kingship great; the goddess Ištar, lady of war and battle, who goes at my side; the Sebitti, valiant gods, the ones who overthrow my enemies; and the great gods, all of them, who decree destiny and give victorious might to the king, their favorite, |