Position in chronology
Sennacherib 024
Translation · reference
High confidence(i 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 lov]es ju[stice, (i 5) renders assistance, goes to] the aid of [the weak, (and) strives after good deeds, perfect] man, [virile warrior, fore]most of all [rulers, the bridle that controls] the insub[missive, (and) the one who strikes enem]ies [with lightning]: (i 9b) The god Aššur, the [great] mounta[in, gran]ted to [me unrivalled sovereignty and] made my weapons gr[eater than (those of) all who…
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/Q003498/
Why it matters
Preserves Sennacherib's royal titulary and Aššur theology in formulaic detail, documenting how Neo-Assyrian kings grounded military authority in divine mandate circa 695 BCE.
Transliteration
[mdEN.ZU-ŠEŠ.MEŠ-eri-ba] LUGAL GAL ⸢LUGAL⸣ [dan-nu] / [LUGAL kiš-šá-ti LUGAL KUR aš-šur].KI LUGAL [kib-rat LÍMMU-tim] / [RE.É.UM it-pe-šu] ⸢mi⸣-gir DINGIR.⸢MEŠ⸣ [GAL.MEŠ] / [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⸣-lum [gít-ma-lum] / [zi-ka-ru qar-du a-šá]-red ⸢kal⸣ [mal-ki] / [rap-pu la-ʾi-iṭ] ⸢la⸣ ma-[gi-ri] /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003498.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P393930). 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/Q003498/.
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