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Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of Karduniaš Babylonia, king of all of them; king of the kings of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush; the one who reveres the great gods, majestic dragon; beloved of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, Nabû, and Marduk; king of kings, the merciless, the one who curbs the insolent ones, the one who is clothed in splendor, fearless in battle, perfect warrior, merciless in combat, almighty prince, the one who holds the nose-rope of rulers, raging lion, avenger of his father, who engendered him; the king, who with the help of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, Nabû, and Marduk, the gods, his helpers, marched freely and attained his wish — he broke all of those disobedient to him and rulers unsubmissive to him like a reed in the swamp and trampled them underfoot.

The one who provides provisions for the great gods, knows how to revere the gods and goddesses,

to whose lordship they gave their merciless weapons as a gift; the king, whom the lord of lords, the god Marduk, made greater than the kings of the four quarters, whose lordship he made the greatest; the one who made the lands, all of them, bow down at his feet and who imposed tribute and payment on them; the one who conquered his enemies and destroyed his foes; the king whose passage is the deluge and whose deeds are a raging lion — before he comes it is a city, when he leaves it is a tell. The assault of his fierce battle is a blazing flame, a restless fire.

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; royal descendant of the eternal line of Bēl-bāni, son of Adasi, founder of the kingship of Assyria, whose place of ultimate origin is Baltil Aššur —

By the command of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, Nabû, and Marduk, the great gods, lordship fell to me. I am mighty, I am almighty, I am lordly, I am proud, I am strong, I am important, I am glorious, and I have no equal among all of the kings. Chosen by the gods Aššur, Nabû, and Marduk; called by the god Sîn, favorite of the god Anu, beloved of the queen — the goddess Ištar, goddess of everything — and the merciless weapon that makes the enemy land tremble, am I. A king, expert in battle and war, the one who slaughters the settlements of his enemies, the one who kills his foes, the one who dissolves his adversaries, the one who makes the unsubmissive bow down, and the one who rules over all of the people of the world —

The gods Aššur, Šamaš, Nabû, and Marduk, my lofty lords, whose word cannot be changed, decreed as my destiny an unrivaled kingship. The goddess Ištar, the lady who loves my priestly service, put in my hands a strong bow and a mighty arrow, the slayer of the disobedient; she allowed me to achieve my wish and made all of the unsubmissive kings bow down at my feet.

When the god Aššur, the great lord, wanted to reveal the glorious might of my deeds to the people, he made my kingship the most glorious and made my name greatest of the kings of the four quarters, made my hands carry a terrible staff to strike the enemy, and empowered me to loot and plunder any land that had committed sin, crime, or negligence against the god Aššur and to enlarge the territory of Assyria. After the god Aššur and the great gods, my lords, had ordered me to march far along remote roads, through rugged mountains and great sand dunes, where one is always thirsty, I marched safely and in good spirits.

I carried off to Assyria his wife, his court ladies, Ušanaḫuru, his crown prince, and the rest of his sons and his daughters, his goods, his possessions, his horses, his oxen, and his sheep and goats, without number. I tore out the roots of Kush from Egypt. I did not leave a single person there to praise me. Over Egypt, all of it, I appointed anew kings, governors, commanders, customs officers, trustees, and overseers. I confirmed sattukku and ginû offerings for the god Aššur and the great gods, my lords, forever. I imposed the tribute and payment of my lordship on them, yearly, without ceasing.

I had a stele written in my name made and I had inscribed upon it the renown and heroism of the god Aššur, my lord, and the might of my deeds which I had done with the help of the god Aššur, my lord, and my victory and triumph. I set it up for all time for the admiration of all of my enemies.

Whoever takes away this stele from its place and erases my inscribed name and writes his name, covers it with dirt, throws it into water, burns it with fire, or puts it in a place where it cannot be seen, may the goddess Ištar, lady of war and battle, change him from a man into a woman, and may she seat him, bound, at the feet of his enemy. May a future ruler look upon a stele written in my name, read it aloud while standing in front of it, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and praise the name of the god Aššur, my lord.

the one who is clothed in splendor, fearless in battle, perfect warrior, merciless in combat, almighty prince, the one who holds the nose-rope of rulers, raging lion, avenger of his father, who engendered him; the king, who with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, and Marduk, the gods, his helpers, marched freely and attained his wish — he broke all of those disobedient to him and rulers unsubmissive to him like a reed in the swamp and trampled them underfoot.

before he comes it is a city, when he leaves it is a tell. The assault of his fierce battle is a blazing flame, a restless fire.

Son of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon II, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; royal descendant of the eternal line of Bēl-bāni, son of Adasi, founder of the kingship of Assyria, whose place of ultimate origin is Baltil Aššur —

I am mighty, I am almighty, I am lordly, I am proud, I am strong, I am important, I am glorious, and I have no equal among all the kings. Chosen by the gods Aššur, Nabû, and Marduk; called by the god Sîn, favorite of the god Anu, beloved of the queen — the goddess Ištar, goddess of everything — and the merciless weapon that makes the enemy land tremble, am I. A king, expert in battle and war, the one who slaughters the settlements of his enemies, the one who kills his foes, the one who dissolves his adversaries, the one who makes the unsubmissive bow down, and the one who rules over all of the people of the world —

The gods Aššur, Šamaš, Nabû, and Marduk, my lofty lords, whose word cannot be changed, decreed as my destiny an unrivaled kingship

With rejoicing and jubilation, I went into the city Memphis, his royal city, and I sat joyfully upon his gold-mounted stool

Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, true shepherd, favorite of the lord of lords, pious prince, beloved of the goddess Zarpanītu — the queen, the goddess of the entire universe — reverent king who from the days of his childhood was attentive to their rule and praised their valor, pious slave, humble, submissive, the one who reveres their great divinity —

At that time, in the reign of a previous king, bad omens occurred in Sumer and Akkad. The people living there were answering each other yes for no and were telling lies. They led their gods away, neglected their goddesses, abandoned their rites, and embraced quite different rites. They put their hands on the possessions of Esagil, the palace of the gods, an inaccessible place, and they sold the silver, gold, and precious stones at market value to the land Elam.

The Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, became angry and plotted evilly to level the land and to destroy its people. The river Araḫtu, normally a river of abundance, turned into an angry wave, a raging tide, a huge flood like the deluge. It swept its waters destructively across the city and its dwellings and turned them into ruins. The gods dwelling in it flew up to the heavens like birds; the people living in it were hidden in another place and took refuge in an unknown land. The merciful god Marduk wrote that the calculated time of its abandonment should last 70 years, but his heart was quickly soothed, and he reversed the numbers and thus ordered its reoccupation to be after 11 years.

You truly selected me, Esarhaddon, in the assembly of my older brothers to put these matters right, and you are the one who placed your sweet protection over me, swept away all of my enemies like a flood, killed all of my foes and made me attain my wish, and, to appease the heart of your great divinity and to please your spirit, you entrusted me with shepherding Assyria.

At the beginning of my kingship, in my first year, when I sat in greatness on my royal throne, good signs were established for me; in heaven and on earth, he the god Marduk constantly sent me his omens. The angry gods were reconciled and they repeatedly disclosed favorable signs concerning the rebuilding of Babylon and the renovation of Esagil.

In a favorable month, on a propitious day, I laid its foundation platform over its previous foundations and in exact accordance with its earlier plan I did not diminish it by one cubit nor increase it by half a cubit. I built and completed Esagil, the palace of the gods, an image of the apsû, a replica of Ešarra, a likeness of the abode of the god Ea, and a replica of Pegasus; I had Esagil ingeniously built and I laid out its square. For its roof, I stretched out magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Amanus, the pure mountain, and fastened bands of gold and silver on doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet, and installed them in its gates.

I repaired the woeful desecrated state of the gods and goddess who lived in it, who had been displaced by floods and storm, and whose appearances had become dim; I made their dimmed appearance bright, cleaned their dirty garments, and had them permanently installed on their daises. As for the šēdus, lamassus, and rābiṣu-demons of the temple, I repaired their dilapidated parts, and I restationed them

With the large aslu-cubit, I measured the dimensions of Imgur-Enlil, its great wall — each length and width was 30 ašlus. I had it built as it was before and raised its top up like a mountain. I built and completed Nēmetti-Enlil, its outer wall, and filled it with splendor making it an object of wonder for all of the people.

I established anew the remission of debts of the wronged citizens of Babylon, people entitled to the privileged status and freedom guaranteed by the gods Anu and Enlil. I gathered the bought people who had become slaves and who had been distributed among the foreign riffraff and counted them once again as Babylonians. I returned their looted possessions, provided the naked with clothing, and let them take the road to Babylon. I encouraged them to resettle the city, build houses, plant orchards, and dig canals.

I restored their interrupted privileged status that had fallen into disuse. I wrote anew the tablet of their exemptions. I opened roads for them in all directions so that they could establish an important position by having commercial relations with all countries.

Let the seed of my priestly office endure along with the foundations of Esagil and Babylon; let my kingship be sustaining to the people forever like the plant of life so that I may shepherd their populace in truth and justice; and let me reach old age, attain extreme old age, and be sated with the prime of life until far-off days. Truly I am the provider.

Let me enlarge my family, gather my relatives, and extend my progeny so that they branch out widely; let him make the foundations of the throne of my priestly office be as secure a great mountain; let my reign endure as long as heaven and earth; let me stride beaming daily in joy, gladness, happiness, shining face, and happy mood; and let a happy fate, a good fate, one for the lengthening of the days of my reign, the protection of the throne of my priestly office, and the well-being of my offspring be placed in their (the gods’) mouths.

May he allow my hands to grasp the righteous scepter that enlarges the land and the fierce staff that humbles the unsubmissive; may they cause my weapons to rise up so that I may kill my enemies; and may he allow me to stand over my enemies in victory and triumph.

Let them allow there to be in my land rains and floods, successful harvests, an abundance of grain, plenty, and prosperity, and let them store it in piles of grain.

I had foundation inscriptions made of silver, gold, bronze, lapis lazuli, alabaster, basalt, pendû-stone, elallu-stone, and white limestone, as well as inscribed objects of baked clay, and then I depicted on them hieroglyphs representing the writing of my name. I wrote on them the might of the great hero, the god Marduk, and the deeds that I had done, my pious work, and I placed these inscriptions in the foundations and left them for far-off days.

In future days, in far-off days, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the king of the gods, the god Marduk, names to rule the land and the people, read an inscription written in my name, and anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Marduk, king of the gods, will then hear his prayers.

Esarhaddon, great king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, true shepherd, favorite of the lord of lords, pious prince, beloved of the goddess Zarpanītu — the queen, the goddess of the entire universe — reverent king who from the days of his childhood was attentive to their rule and praised their valor, pious slave, humble, submissive, the one who reveres their great divinity —

At that time, in the reign of a previous king, bad omens occurred in Sumer and Akkad. The people living there were answering each other yes for no and were telling lies. They led their gods away, neglected their goddesses, abandoned their rites, and embraced quite different rites. They put their hands on the possessions of Esagil, the palace of the gods, an inaccessible place, and they sold the gold, silver, and precious stones at market value to the land Elam.

The Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, became angry and plotted evilly to level the land and to destroy its people. The river Araḫtu, normally a river of abundance, turned into an angry wave, a raging tide, a huge flood like the deluge. It swept its waters destructively across the city and its shrines and turned them into ruins. The gods and goddesses dwelling in it flew up to the heavens like birds; the people living in it were hidden in another place and took refuge in an unknown land. The merciful god Marduk wrote that the calculated time of its abandonment should last 70 years, but his heart was quickly soothed, and he reversed the numbers and thus ordered its reoccupation to be after 11 years.

You truly selected me, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, in the assembly of my older brothers, to put these matters right, and you are the one who placed your sweet protection over me, swept away all of my enemies like a flood, killed all of my foes and made me attain my wish, and, to appease the heart of your great divinity and to please your spirit, you entrusted me with shepherding Assyria.

Bright Jupiter, the giver of decisions on Akkad, came near in Simānu III and stood in the place where the sun shines. It was shining brightly and its appearance was red. It reached its hypsoma for a second time in the month "Opening of the Door" and stayed in its place.

He the god Marduk ordered me to complete the cult centers, to renovate the shrines, and to organize well the rites of Esagil, the palace of the gods. Every month, the gods Sîn and Šamaš together, at their appearance, answered me with a firm ‘yes’ concerning the avenging of Akkad.

By means of the great intelligence and vast understanding that the sage of the gods, the prince, the god Nudimmud, gave to me, it occurred to me to repopulate that city, to renovate the shrines, and to make the cult center shine, and my heart prompted me.

I was afraid and worried to perform that work and I knelt before the gods Šamaš, Adad, and Marduk, the great judges, the gods, my lords. In the diviner’s bowl, trustworthy oracles were established for me, and they had their response concerning the rebuilding of Babylon and the renovation of Esagil written on a liver.

I trusted in their firm ‘yes’ and I mustered all of my craftsmen and the people of Karduniaš Babylonia to its full extent. I had them wield hoes and I imposed baskets on them. I mixed the mud for its revetment with fine oil, honey, ghee, kurunnu-wine, muttinnu-wine, and pure mountain beer. In order to show the people his great divinity and to inspire awe in his lordship, I raised a basket onto my head and carried it myself. I had its bricks made in brickmolds of musukkannu-wood. I gathered together expert craftsmen and skilled master builders, who lay out plans, exposed the place where Esagil stands, and inspected its structure.

In a favorable month, on a propitious day, I laid its foundation platform over its previous foundations and in exact accordance with its earlier plan I did not diminish it by one cubit nor increase it by half a cubit. I built and completed Esagil, the palace of the gods, an image of the apsû, a replica of Ešarra, a likeness of the abode of the god Ea, and a replica of Pegasus; I had Esagil ingeniously built and I laid out its square. For its roof, I stretched out magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Amanus, the pure mountain.

with musukkannu-wood, cedar, and terebinth, natural wood, together with bricks, so that the temple would be made permanent, the bonds of the wall would not disintegrate, and none of Esagil’s ornaments would be neglected.

At that time, I had the terrace, the place where the gods Marduk, Zarpanītu, and Nabû dwell, dug down 16 cubits, where I reached ground water. With bitumen and baked brick, I enlarged its lower part beyond the water table and I built up its foundations as the god Nudimmud had instructed me. I raised it up and heaped it up like a mountain for the residence of his great divinity. I built the home of the gods Marduk, Zarpanītu, and Nabû in their midst.

I fastened bands of gold, silver, and copper on doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet, and installed them in its gates. I refurbished the statues of the great gods and had them dwell on their daises as an eternal dwelling. As for the šēdus, lamassus, and rābiṣu-demons of the temple, I repaired their dilapidated parts, and I restationed them

I had whatever furnishings were needed for Esagil skillfully made with artful craftsmanship from gold and silver, each of whose weight is 50 minas. I restored the holy rites of Esagil and made them more splendid than before. I set out before them the gods their pure guqqû offerings, their pure nindabû offerings, and their interrupted sattukku offerings. I placed at their service the former ramku-priests, pašīšu-priests, and ecstatics, those initiated in secret rites. I set before them purification priests, āšipu-priests, lamentation priests, and singers, who have mastered their entire craft.

I built anew Etemenanki, the ziggurrat, on the site where it previously stood — its length is one ašlu and one ṣuppān, and its width is one ašlu and one ṣuppān.

I returned the plundered gods of the lands from Assyria and the land Elam to their proper places, and I set up proper procedures in all of the cult centers.

Let me enlarge my family, gather my relatives, and extend my progeny so that they branch out widely; let him make the foundations of the throne of my priestly office as secure as a great mountain; let my reign endure as long as heaven and earth; let me stride beaming daily in joy, gladness, happiness, shining face, and happy mood; and let a happy fate, a good fate, one for the lengthening of the days of my reign, the protection of the throne of my priestly office, and the well-being of my offspring be placed in their (the gods’) mouths.

May he allow my hands to grasp the righteous scepter that enlarges the land and the fierce staff that humbles the unsubmissive; may they cause my weapons to rise up and kill my enemies; and may he allow me to stand over my enemies in victory and triumph.

May they allow there to be in my land rains and floods, successful harvests, an abundance of grain, plenty, and prosperity, and let them store it in piles of grain.

I had foundation inscriptions made of silver, gold, bronze, lapis lazuli, alabaster, basalt, pendû-stone, alallu-stone and white limestone, as well as inscribed objects of baked clay, and then I depicted on them hieroglyphs representing the writing of my name. I wrote on them the might of the great hero, the god Marduk, and the deeds that I had done, my pious work, and I placed these inscriptions in the foundations and left them for far-off days.

As for the one who changes an inscription written in my name, defaces my representations, annuls the privileged status of Babylon, and breaks the covenant of the lord of lords, may the god Marduk, the Enlil of the gods, the lord of the lands, look with fury on him and order his destruction among all of the black-headed people. May he the god Marduk make his word bad in Ubšukkinnaku, the courtyard of the assembly of the gods, the place of council, and order that his life not last even a single day.

Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, pious prince who reveres the gods Nabû and Marduk —

Before my time the great lord, the god Marduk, became angry, trembled with rage, and was furious with Esagil and Babylon; his heart was full of rage. Because of the wrath in his heart and his bad temper, Esagil and Babylon became a wasteland and turned into ruins.

Its (Babylon’s) gods and goddesses became frightened, abandoned their cellas, and went up to the heavens. The people living in it Babylon were distributed among the foreign riffraff and became slaves.

At the beginning of my kingship, in my first year, when I sat in greatness on my royal throne and when they the gods entrusted me with the lordship of the lands, the heart of the great divine lord, the god Marduk, was appeased, his mood was soothed; he became reconciled with Esagil and Babylon, both of which he had punished.

As for me, Esarhaddon, the servant who reveres his great divinity, it occurred to me and my heart prompted me to rebuild Esagil and Babylon, renovate its gods and goddesses, complete its shrines, and reconfirm its sattukku offerings. I was encouraged and ordered the rebuilding.

I gathered the peoples of the lands conquered by me and had them take up hoe and basket. I mixed the mud for its revetment with fine oil, honey, ghee, kurunnu-wine, muttinnu-wine and pure mountain beer. In order to show the people his great divinity and to inspire awe in his lordship, I raised a basket onto my head and carried it myself.

I had its bricks made for a whole year in brickmolds of ivory, ebony, boxwood, and musukkannu-wood. I built anew and completed Esagil, the palace of the gods, together with its shrines, from its foundations to its battlements. I made it greater than before, raised it up, glorified it, and made it glisten like the stars (writing) of the firmament. I filled it with splendor making it an object of wonder for all of the people.

I refurbished the gods and goddesses who lived in it and had them dwell on their daises as an eternal dwelling. I reconfirmed their interrupted sattukku offerings. I had whatever furnishings were needed for Esagil and its shrines made from gold, silver, and bronze, and I placed them in their midst.

I had Babylon, which was measured by the aslu-cubit checked by the gods, Imgur-Enlil, its wall, and Nēmetti-Enlil, its outer wall, built anew with the work of the god Kulla and I raised them like mountains.

I am the one who rebuilt Babylon, reconstructed Esagil, renewed it gods and goddesses, completed its shrines, reconfirmed its sattukku offerings, and who gathered its (Babylon’s) scattered people.

May the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, and the goddess Zarpanītu, the queen, look with joy upon the work of my good deeds and order the prolongation of my days, and discuss my years to be many; may they decree as my fate the protection of my offspring, the increase of my progeny, the expansion of my family so that they branch out widely; like a father and mother, may they come over to my side in battle and warfare; may they come to my aid; and may they make my weapons rise up and kill my enemies.

Let me attain whatever my heart desires and may they allow me to stand in victory and triumph over my enemies; let me squash all of my enemies like ants; let him the god Marduk make the foundation of the throne of my priestly office be as secure as a great mountain; and let my reign endure as long as the foundations of Esagil and Babylon. May all of the great gods who sit on daises in Babylon bless my kingship until far-off days and may they order security for my reign forever.

I had foundation inscriptions made of silver, gold, lapis lazuli, alabaster, basalt, pendû-stone, elallu-stone, and white limestone, as well as inscribed objects of baked clay, and then I wrote the might of the great hero, the god Marduk, and the deeds that I had done, my pious work. I placed these inscriptions in the foundations and left them for far-off days.

In future days, in far-off days, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the king of the gods, the god Marduk, names to rule the land and people, read an inscription written in my name, and anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Marduk, the king of the gods, will then hear his prayers.

I built and completed Nēmed-Enlil, its outer wall, and had it filled with splendor, making it an object of wonder for all of the people.

I returned the plundered gods of the lands from Assyria and the land Elam to their place and I set up proper procedures in all of the cult centers.

Let me enlarge my family, gather my relatives, and extend my progeny so that they branch out widely; let him the god Marduk make the foundation of the throne of my priestly office be as secure as a great mountain; let my reign endure as long as heaven and earth; let me stride beaming daily in joy, gladness, happiness, shining face, and happy mood; and let a happy fate, a good fate, one for the lengthening of the days of my reign, the protection of the throne of my priestly office, and the well-being of my offspring be placed in their (the gods’) mouths.

I had foundation inscriptions made of silver, gold, bronze, lapis lazuli, alabaster, basalt, pendû-stone, elallu-stone, and white limestone, as well as inscribed objects of baked clay, and then I depicted on them hieroglyphs representing the writing of my name. I wrote on them the might of the great hero, the god Marduk, and the deeds that I had done, my pious work, and I placed these inscriptions in the foundations and for far-off days.

As for the one who changes an inscription written in my name, defaces my representations, annuls the privileged status of Babylon, and breaks the covenant of the lord of lords, may the god Marduk, the Enlil of the gods, the lord of the lands, look with fury on him and among all

matter. They were afflicted by thieving and murdering. They were stealing from the poor and giving to the mighty; there was oppression and the taking of bribes in the city. Every day, without ceasing, they stole goods from each other, a son cursed his father in the street, a slave

His mood became furious. The Enlil of the gods, the lord of the lands, plotted evilly to scatter the land and people; his heart schemed to level the land and to destroy its people. A bitter curse was set in his mouth.

He the god Marduk brought about the destruction of the city Babylon and reed-marshes and poplars grew profusely in it and threw out many offshoots. There were birds of the heavens and fish of the apsû, without number, in it.

good signs were established for me; in heaven and on earth, he the god Marduk constantly sent me his omens concerning the resettling of the city and the renovation of its shrines. I mustered all of the craftsmen throughout Karduniaš Babylonia. They cut down the trees and reeds with axes and tore out their roots. I diverted the waters of the Euphrates River, the washout, from its midst and redirected them to their previous channels.

true shepherd, favorite of the lord of lords, pious ruler, the one who is loved by the goddess Zarpanītu — the queen, goddess of the entire universe — reverent king who was attentive to their rule and praised their valor, pious slave, humble, submissive, the one who reveres their great divinity —

You are the one who entrusted him with renovating the destroyed shrines, making the cult centers shine, and shepherding all of the people; elevated him to the kingship to organize well the forgotten rites and to avenge the land of Akkad; and to appease the heart of your great divinity and to please your spirit, you chose him for power.

I placed at their service the former ramku-priests, pašīšu-priests, and ecstatics, those initiated in secret rites. I set before them purification priests, āšipu-priests, lamentation priests, and singers, who have mastered their entire craft.

May the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanītu, the gods, my helpers, look with joy upon my good deeds and bless my kingship in their steadfast hearts. Let the seed of my priestly office endure along with the foundations of Esagil and Babylon; let my kingship be sustaining to the people forever like the plant of life so that I may shepherd their populace in truth and justice;

The people living there were answering each other yes for no. They neglected their goddesses, abandoned their rites, and embraced quite different rites. They put their hands on the possessions of Esagil, the palace of the gods, an inaccessible place, and they sold the gold, silver, and precious stones at market value to the land Elam.

As for the šēdus, lamassus, and rābiṣu-demons of the temple, I repaired their dilapidated parts and I restationed them where their

I gathered the bought people who had become slaves and who had been distributed among the foreign riffraff and counted them once again as Babylonians. I returned their looted possessions, provided the naked with clothing, and let them take the road to Babylon. I encouraged them to resettle the city, build houses, plant orchards, and dig canals.

Let me stride beaming daily in joy, gladness, happiness, shining face, and happy mood; and let a happy fate, a good fate, one for the lengthening of the days of my reign, the protection of the throne of my priestly office, and the well-being of my offspring be placed in their (the gods’) mouths.

May he the god Marduk make his name and his descendants disappear from the land. May he have no pity on him forever.

Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the kings of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush, king of the four quarters, the king who has no rival in all of the lands; son of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria;

; who piles up heaps of grain, who drove out hunger and famine during his days and established prosperity; who brought to the land stable prices, bountiful harvests, and an abundance of grain; in whose reign the land Elam was disobedient; the evil enemy, the powerful offspring of the gods, rose up against the wishes of the gods and set out to attack

Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, chosen by the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanītu, true shepherd, favorite of the god Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, the king who from his childhood trusted in the gods Nabû, Tašmētu, and Nanāya and knew their power; son of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria; descendant of Sargon II, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad; descendant of the eternal line of Bēl-bāni, whose ultimate origin is Baltil Aššur —

Before my time, the great lord, the god Marduk, became furious with Esagil and Babylon, and his heart was full of rage. His people were answering each other with yes for no and were speaking untruthfully. They put their hands on the possessions of the great lord, the god Marduk, and gave them to the land Elam as a bribe. Their deeds were displeasing to the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanītu, and they the gods ordered their scattering. He the god Marduk made its waters sweep destructively across the city and he turned it into fallow land. Its gods and goddesses took fright and went up to the heavens. The site of the city was torn out and its foundation platforms could not be seen.

At the beginning of my kingship, in my first year, when I sat in greatness on my royal throne, the merciful god Marduk’s heart was appeased and he became reconciled with the city that had angered him. I had Esagil and Babylon built anew. I renovated the statues of the great gods and had them dwell on their seats as an eternal dwelling. I completed the temple of the god Aššur and set up proper procedures in all of the cult centers.

At that time, Eniggidrukalamasuma, the temple of the god Nabû of the ḫarû, its site had become a heap of ruins and changed into a tell so that the top of its foundations could not be seen and its shape could not be determined. I, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, whose mind the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, and Nabû opened for completing the cult centers and renovating their shrines — it occurred to me and my heart prompted me to rebuild Eniggidrukalamasuma.

I opened up its dirt piles and surveyed and examined its structure. I measured its foundation platform in exact accordance with its earlier plan and did not add even a single brick more. In a favorable month, on a propitious day, I laid its foundation and secured its brickwork. I built and completed that temple from its foundations to its parapets and made it shine like daylight.

May the god Nabû, the sublime son, look with joy upon this work, bless my kingship with his steadfast heart, and allow my hand to grasp the righteous scepter that widens the land. For Ashurbanipal, crown prince of Assyria, and Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, crown prince of Babylon, both brothers, my offspring, may they decree as their destiny a good fate, a favorable fate, one of the lengthening of the days of their reigns and the protection of the thrones of their priestly offices; may their kingships

lead my land in truth and justice; and may the gods Sîn and Šamaš together keep answering the true princes with a firm ‘yes’!

In future days, in far-off days, may a future ruler, who renovates the dilapidated sections of this temple when it becomes dilapidated and old, place my inscribed name with his name. The god Nabû, the sublime son, the one who gives scepter, throne, and reign, will then hear his prayers.

Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, pious prince, who reveres the gods Nabû and Marduk —

Before my time, in the reign of a previous king, bad omens occurred in Sumer and Akkad. The people living there were answering each other yes for no and were telling lies. They put their hands on the possessions of Esagil, the palace of the gods, and they sold the gold, silver, and precious stones at market value to the land Elam.

The Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, became angry and plotted evilly to level the land and to destroy its people. The river Araḫtu, normally a river of abundance, turned into a huge flood like the deluge, and swept its waters destructively across the city, its dwellings, (

), and its shrines, and turned them into ruins. The gods and goddesses dwelling in it went up to the heavens; the people living in it were distributed among the foreign riffraff and became slaves.

The merciful god Marduk wrote that the calculated time of its abandonment should last 70 years, but his heart was quickly soothed, and he reversed the numbers and thus ordered its reoccupation to be after 11 years.