Position in chronology
Sennacherib 005
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), capable shepherd], favorite of the great gods, [guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, (and) strives after] good deeds, [perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, (and) the one who strikes en]emies [with lightning]: (1') [In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated section(s) when…
Source: Grayson, A.K. & Novotny, J. 2012–2014. The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704–681 BC). RINAP 3. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap3/Q003479/
Why it matters
Preserves Sennacherib's standard titulary — 'king of the four quarters,' 'perfect man, virile warrior' — and a dynastic renovation curse, documenting the formulaic language Assyrian kings used to legitimise rule and bind successors.
Transliteration
[mdEN.ZU-ŠEŠ.MEŠ-eri-ba LUGAL GAL-ú LUGAL dan-nu LUGAL kiš-šá-ti LUGAL KUR aš-šur.KI LUGAL kib-rat LÍMMU-ti RE.É.UM it-pe-šú] mi-gir DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.⸢MEŠ⸣1 / [na-ṣir kit-ti ra-ʾi-im mi-šá-ri e-piš ú-sa-a-ti a-lik tap-pu-ut a-ki-i sa-ḫi-ru] ⸢dam⸣-qa-a-ti / [eṭ-lu gít-ma-lum zi-ka-ru qar-du a-šá-red kal mal-ki rap-pu la-ʾi-iṭ la ma-gi-ri mu-šab-ri-qu za]-⸢ma⸣-a-ni / [a-na ar-kàt u₄-me ina…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003479.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P393942). source
Translation excerpted from Grayson, A.K. & Novotny, J. 2012–2014. The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704–681 BC). RINAP 3. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap3/Q003479/.
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