Ashurbanipal 099

~655 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·Q003798

Written in modern English

Marduk's throne-dais was enlarged by casting fifty talents of gleaming zaḫalû-silver into bricks. Over it, a canopy of durable musukkannu-wood — described as rivaling the heavens — was built, its outer surface clad with thirty-four talents and twenty minas of reddish gold. Temple furnishings were added to those left by earlier kings, the great gods were installed in their inner sanctuaries, and lavish offerings and gifts were presented before them; regular offerings and contributions were made more abundant than in earlier times. At least one full column is missing, and the entire reverse of the tablet is lost.

A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.

Translation — scholar edition

RINAP 5

High confidence

(i 1') [(As for) the throne-dais, the seat of his (Marduk’s) exa]lted [divinity, I cast fifty talents of shiny zaḫ]alû-silver [into] bricks and (thereby) [enlarge]d it. (i 6') [I had a canopy, which rival]s the heavens, [ma]de from musukkannu-wood, [a dur]able [wood. (i 10´) I] clad [its perimeter with thirty-four talents (and) twenty min]as of reddish gold (ii 1') I [added (temple appurtenances)] to [those of the kings, my ancestors]. I made the [great] gods who sup[port me reside] in [their exalted] inner sanctum[s. I offered sumptuous] offerings before [them (and) presented (them) with my gifts. I made] re[gular offerings (and) contributions more plentiful than those of distant days]. One column likely completely missing Reverse completely missing

Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period, volume 5 — scholar edition (ORACC).

Why it matters

Quantifies the precious materials — fifty talents of zaḫalû-silver and thirty-four talents of gold — lavished on Marduk's throne-dais, giving a rare cost-accounting of Assyrian royal temple patronage in Babylon.

Transliteration

[DINGIR-ti-šú] ⸢ṣir⸣-ti1 / [50 GUN za]-⸢ḫa⸣-lu-u / [eb-bu a-na] ⸢a⸣-gúr-ri / [ap-ti-iq]-ma / [ú-rab-ba]-⸢a⸣ EDIN-uš-šú / [ú-še]-⸢piš⸣-ma / [GIŠ.er-me a-nu] GIŠ.MES.MÁ.KAN.NA / [iṣ-ṣi da]-re-e / [šá šit-nu]-⸢nu⸣ šá-ma-meš / [34 GUN 20 MA].⸢NA⸣ KÙ.GI ḪUŠ.A / [kip-pat-su ú]-⸢šal⸣-biš / ⸢e-li⸣ [ša LUGAL.MEŠ AD.MEŠ-ia] / ⸢ú⸣-[rad-di] / DINGIR.MEŠ [GAL.MEŠ] / ti-⸢ik⸣-[le-ia] / ina at-ma-⸢ni⸣-[šú-nu…

Scholarly note

Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003798.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P425058). 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/Q003798/.

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