Position in chronology
Sennacherib 135
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), [(...) son of Sargon (II), (...) great king], strong [ki]ng, king of the world, king of Ass[yria, (king of the four quarters (of the world))]: (3b) [On] my [first campaign, I] brought about the defeat of Marduk-apl[a-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), (...) ...] ... [...] (r 1') [...] ... [...] ... [...] you, my god, have seen my handi[work ...] shrines in Akkad, earth, [...] ...
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/Q003940/
Why it matters
Attests Sennacherib's claim to have defeated Merodach-baladan on his first campaign, anchoring a key episode in Assyro-Babylonian conflict within the king's own commemorative voice.
Transliteration
[md30-PAP.MEŠ-SU MAN GAL-ú MAN dan-nu MAN ŠÚ MAN] KUR aš-šur MAN kib-rat LÍMMU-tim / [(...) DUMU mLUGAL-GI.NA (...) MAN GAL-ú] ⸢MAN⸣ dan-nu MAN ŠÚ MAN KUR aš-[šur]1 / [(MAN kib-rat LÍMMU-tim) i-na maḫ-re-e ger-ri]-⸢ia⸣ šá mdAMAR.UTU-⸢IBILA⸣-[SUM.NA] / [MAN KUR.kár-ddun-ía-àš (...)] ⸢áš⸣-tak-an BAD₅.⸢BAD₅⸣-[šú]2 / [...] x x x x [x x (x)] / [...] x x / [...] ⸢BUR⸣ at-ti UD UD di-ni / [... ši-pir?] ŠU.II-ía ta-mur i-lí / [...] ⸢suk⸣-ki ina KUR URI.<KI> KI-tim / [...] ŠE? LI IGI
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003940.
Attribution
Image: BM 099178 (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P422159). 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/Q003940/.
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