Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 087
Written in modern English
Tammarītu, described as even more arrogant than Ummanigaš, seized the throne of Elam and, just like his predecessor, took bribes from Šamaš-šuma-ukīn and ignored Ashurbanipal's royal dignity — then marched to support Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, Ashurbanipal's treacherous brother, against Ashurbanipal's own forces. The inscription then mentions prayers Ashurbanipal had directed to the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, but the line breaks off before any outcome is recorded. Everything that follows is lost: one column is almost certainly missing entirely, a second column may also be gone, and the remainder of the passage is blank or destroyed beyond recovery.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — scholar edition
RINAP 5Completely missing (ii 1) Tammarītu, who [was] (even) more [insolent than Ummanigaš, sat on the throne of the land Elam]. (ii 2) Just like him (Ummanigaš), he (Tammarītu) accepted bribes fro[m the hands of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, did not enquire about the well-being of my royal majesty, (and) went] to the aid of Šamaš-šu[ma-ukīn, (my) unfaithful brother, (ii 5) to figh]t [with my] troops. [As a result of the supplications that I had addressed to (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar], (ii 6) (No translation possible) One column possibly completely missing One column possibly completely missing Blank Completely missing
Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period, volume 5 — scholar edition (ORACC).
Why it matters
Charges the Elamite king Tammarītu with accepting bribes from the rebel Šamaš-šuma-ukīn: direct Assyrian royal testimony on the diplomacy that nearly split the empire in the 650s BCE.
Transliteration
mtam-ma-ri-tu ⸢šá⸣ e-⸢li⸣ [mum-man-i-gaš ek-ṣu ú-šib ina GIŠ.GU.ZA KUR.ELAM.MA.KI]1 / ki-ma šá-a-šu-ma ul-⸢tu⸣ [ŠU.II mdGIŠ.NU₁₁-MU-GI.NA] / ṭa-ʾa-a-tu im-ḫur [ul iš-al šu-lum LUGAL-ti-ia] / ⸢a-na⸣ kit-ri mdGIŠ.NU₁₁-⸢MU⸣-[GI.NA ŠEŠ la ke-e-nu il-lik-am-ma] / [a-na mit-ḫu]-⸢ṣi⸣ ERIM.ḪI.A-[ia ina su-up-pe-e ša AN.ŠÁR u d15] / [...] (x) x [...] / [...] (traces) [...] / [...] (traces) [...] / [...] (traces) [...] / [...] (traces) [...] / [...] (traces) [...]
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003786.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P398860). 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/Q003786/.
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