Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

Sennacherib 011

~695 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·Q003485

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), leader of] a widespread [population, the one who fashioned image(s) of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of] Bīt-Kidmuri, [Bēlet-ilī, and the great gods, the one who carries out to perfection the rites of E]šarra (5) [and Emašmaš], who knows well [how to revere the gods of heaven and the gods of Assyri]a, [the builder of Assyria, the one who brings his cult centers to completion, the one who uproots] enemies (and) [destroys their settlements,…

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/Q003485/

Why it matters

One of Sennacherib's royal titulary inscriptions, attesting his claim to have personally fashioned cult statues for Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, and five other deities — linking military kingship to ritual restoration of the Assyrian pantheon.

Transliteration

[md30-PAP.MEŠ-SU MAN GAL MAN dan-nu MAN ŠÚ MAN] KUR aš-šur.[KI]1 / [MAN kib-rat LÍMMU-tim mut-tar-ru-ú UN.MEŠ] ⸢DAGAL⸣.MEŠ / [e-piš ṣa-lam AN.ŠÁR da-nim d30 dUTU dIŠKUR dU.GUR d15 ša] É-kid-mu-ri / [DINGIR.MAḪ ù DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ mu-šak-lil pa-ra-aṣ é]-šár-ra / [ù é-maš-maš šá pa-làḫ DINGIR.MEŠ šá AN-e ù DINGIR.MEŠ KUR aš-šur].⸢KI⸣ ra-biš mu-du-u / [e-piš KUR aš-šur.KI mu-šak-lil ma-ḫa-zi-šú…

Scholarly note

Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003485.

Attribution

Image: BM 123418 (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P422499). 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/Q003485/.

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