Position in chronology
Aššur-etel-ilāni 02
Translation — scholar edition
RINAP 5(o 1) [To the god] Marduk, venerable, splendid, the Enlil of the gods, most exalted of [the] gods, the one who directs all of the gods (and) holds the link between the Igīgū- [and] Anunnakū-gods, controller of the heavenly abode, king of the totality of heaven and netherworld, at whose mention the great gods fearfully attend his command, 3 blank lines (o 5) respectful, large of stature, one who grew up in the Watery Abyss (apsû), (whose) dignity is splendid, (whose) body is superior, (and whose) features are perfect, most capable of all (of the gods), one who knows everything, understands the…
Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period, volume 5 — scholar edition (ORACC).
Why it matters
Addresses Marduk as 'Enlil of the gods' and supreme arbiter of both Igīgū and Anunnakū — attesting the late Assyrian theological strategy of absorbing Babylonian divine supremacy into royal piety.
Transliteration
[a-na dAMAR].⸢UTU? kab⸣-tu šit-ra-ḫu dEN.LÍL DINGIR.MEŠ šá-qu-ú / [e-li DINGIR].⸢MEŠ⸣ a-⸢šir⸣ DINGIR.MEŠ ka-la-me mu-kil mar-kas dí-gì-gì / [ù da]-⸢nun⸣-na-ki mu-ma-ʾe-er an-durun-na LUGAL ŠÚ AN-e ù KI-tim1 / ⸢šá? a?-na? zik⸣-ri-šú DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ ⸢pal⸣-ḫiš ú-taq-qu-ú qí-bit-su / šaḫ-tú la-a-nu ši-i-ḫu šá ina ZU.AB ir-bu-ú bal-ti šur-ru-ḫu / mì-na-a-ta šu-tu-ru ṣu-ub-bu-ú nab-ni-ti le-eʾ-um /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003857.
Attribution
Image: PTS 2253 (Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, USA) — from Bābili (mod. Babylon) ? — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.earth/artifacts, P468981). source
Translation excerpted from Novotny, J. & Jeffers, J. 2018–. The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal (668–631 BC), Aššur-etel-ilāni (630–627 BC) and Sîn-šarra-iškun (626–612 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 5. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap5/Q003857/.
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The earliest historical document in human history. Before this, we have lists, accounts, and dedications. Here, for the first time, a ruler tells us what happened — with names, places, and consequences.