Position in chronology
Esarhaddon 049
Translation · reference
High confidence(1') [...] the goddess Tašmētu, the god(dess) [... great] queen [...] whom [she selected] and raised for [kingship ... king of the fo]ur [quarters], favorite of the [great] gods, [... (5′) ... the one who (re)bui]lt Esagil and Babylon, [..., who] made (them) dwell on (their) eternal daises, [...], who (re)confirmed the [satt]ukku (and) ginû offerings in them, [... who does not fai]l [to make offerings (and) fulfill rites], who observes the days of the god (and) the eššē[šu-festival, ...] made take up [his] weapons [to overthrow the enemies of] Assyria, [... (10′) ...], who had [...] (and) who found no riv[al ..., who marched freely from the rising] sun to the setting [sun and ...] before him ... [...]
Source: Leichty, E. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Esarhaddon, King of Assyria (680–669 BC). RINAP 4. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003278/
Why it matters
Attests Esarhaddon's claim to legitimacy through piety — rebuilding Esagil, restoring Babylon's cult offerings, and observing festival calendars — framing conquest as divine mandate rather than imperial ambition.
Transliteration
[...] ⸢d⸣PAPNUN ⸢d⸣[...] / [...] šar-ra-⸢tu⸣ [GAL-tu ...] / [... tu-ut-tu]-⸢šú⸣-ma ta-áš-šú-šú ⸢a-na⸣ [LUGAL-ti ...] / [... LUGAL kib-rat LÍMMU]-tim mi-gir DINGIR.MEŠ ⸢GAL⸣.[MEŠ ...] / [... e]-⸢piš⸣ é-sag-íl u KÁ.DINGIR.⸢RA.KI⸣ [...] / [... ú]-⸢šar⸣-mu-u pa-rak da-ra-a-⸢ti⸣ [...] / [... SÁ].⸢DUG₄⸣ gi-nu-u ú-kin-nu qé-reb-⸢šin⸣ [...] / [... la ip-par-ku]-⸢u⸣ i-na-ṣa-ru u₄-mu DINGIR eš-še-[e-šu…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Esarhaddon, edited by Erle Leichty (RINAP 4, 2011). ORACC text Q003278.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P425741). source
Translation excerpted from Leichty, E. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Esarhaddon, King of Assyria (680–669 BC). RINAP 4. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003278/.
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