Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 1007
Translation · reference
High confidence(1') [...] ... [...] in ... [..., who] had sent his troops [to fight with (the troops of) ..., the k]ing of Assyria, [... Egy]pt and Kush [...] to me, the land of Sumer and Akkad, (5´) [saying: “... of Karduni]aš (Babylonia), all of it, we will deliver into your hand.” [...] (who) did not remember my kindness, [...], abandoned [the ...]s of the gods, and [...]. He forgot my ... and (10´) [...] ... [...]
Source: 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/Q003836/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[...] ⸢E LI⸣ [...] / [...] ina ⸢da⸣-x [...] / [...] ⸢MAN⸣ KUR AN.ŠÁR.KI ERIM.ḪI.A-šú iš-pu-⸢ru⸣ / [... KUR.mu]-⸢ṣur⸣ u KUR.ku-ú-si / [...] x-u-ni KUR EME.GI₇ u URI.KI / [... KUR.kár-ddun]-⸢ía⸣-àš DÙ-šá nu-mal-la-a qa-tuk-ka / [...] la ḫa-sis MUN-ti / [...].⸢MEŠ⸣ ša DINGIR.MEŠ ú-maš-šir-ma / [...] x x-ia ⸢im⸣-ši-ma / [...] x SI x [x (x)]
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003836.
Attribution
Image: Created by Jamie Novotny and Joshua Jeffers, 2015-22. Lemmatized by Joshua Jeffers, 2018-19, for the NEH-funded RINAP Project at the University of Pennsylvania. The annotated edition is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license 3.0.. Please cite this page as http://oracc.org/rinap/Q003836/..
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/Q003836/.
Related tablets
Related sources
The earliest historical document in human history.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.
The oldest surviving law code in human history. The principle that the state — not the wronged family — defines and enforces justice begins here.
Not the first law code, but the most complete and the most famous. Inscribed on a black diorite stele over two meters tall, displayed in a public place — law made visible, law made monumental.