Ashurbanipal 098

~655 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·Q003797

Written in modern English

Ashurbanipal brought the gods Bēl (Marduk), Bēltīya (Zarpanitu), the Lady of Babylon, Ea, and Mandānu out of the temple Ešarra and led them into Babylon. The inscription then turns to the throne-dais, the seat of Marduk's exalted divinity — but two columns are almost certainly gone at that point, 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') [...] I [brought the deities Bēl (Marduk), Bēltīy]a (Zarpanitu), the Lad[y of] B[abylon, E]a, (and) [Mandānu ou]t of Ešarra [(and) made (them) e]nter into Šuan[na (Babylon)]. (i 6') [(As for) the throne-da]is, the seat of [his (Marduk’s) exalted] divi[nity], Two columns likely completely missing Reverse completely missing

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

Why it matters

Records Ashurbanipal's ceremonial return of Marduk and the Babylonian gods to Esagila after their Assyrian exile — a pivotal act of religious diplomacy meant to legitimise Assyrian rule over Babylon.

Transliteration

[...] x [...] / [dEN dGAŠAN]-⸢MU⸣ d⸢be-let-KÁ⸣.[DINGIR.RA.KI] / [dé]-⸢a⸣ d[DI.KU₅] / [ul-tú] ⸢qé⸣-reb é-šár-ra ⸢ú⸣-[bil] / [ú]-⸢še⸣-rib qé-reb šu-⸢an⸣-[na.KI] / [BÁRA].⸢MAḪ?-ḫu? šu-bat DINGIR⸣-[ti-šú ṣir-ti]

Scholarly note

Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003797.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.earth/artifacts, P403187). 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/Q003797/.

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