Position in chronology
Sennacherib 163
Translation · reference
High confidence(1') the one who brings [his] cult cent[ers] to completion, [makes enemy land(s) submissive] (and) destroys [their] settlem[ents, ...]: (3') When [I refur]bis[hed] the image(s) of (the god) Aššur, my l[ord, ... (and) carried out to perfe]ction the rites of Ešar[ra], (5´) just like Sargon (II), king [of Assyria], my [fat]her — my father [...]. Its place [...] my [... (the god) Aš]šur (9') (No translation possible) (r 1') The arrangement (of the inscription) that (is) upon the (paving) slabs of alallu-stone in the temple of the god Aššur upon which the king stands (when) he kisses the ground.
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/Q003968/
Why it matters
Records Sennacherib's refurbishment of Aššur's cult images and Ešarra's rites, explicitly invoking Sargon II as a legitimising precedent — and uniquely notes its own placement on the alallu-stone pavement where the king prostrated himself.
Transliteration
mu-šak-lil ⸢ma-ḫa⸣-[zi-šú mu-ma-ag-gir KUR na-ki-ri] / mu-ab-bit da-ád-⸢me⸣-[šu-un ...] / e-nu-ma ṣa-lam AN.ŠÁR ⸢EN⸣-[ia ... ud?]-⸢di?-šu?⸣ / pa-ra-aṣ ⸢é-šár⸣-[ra ú-šak]-⸢li⸣-lu / ki LUGAL-GIN ⸢LUGAL⸣ [KUR aš-šur.KI a]-⸢bi⸣-ia1 / a-bi lu-u [...]2 / a-šar-šú? [...] x-pi-ia / ⸢maš?⸣ [... AN].ŠÁR / [...] u / [...] / [...]-a / ⸢ši⸣-ik-nu ša UGU ⸢NA₄⸣.KUN₄.MEŠ / ša NA₄.a-lal-lum ša É daš-šur / ša LUGAL ina muḫ-ḫi i-za-zu-ni / qaq-qu-ru i-na-áš-ši-qu-ni
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003968.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P395703). 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/Q003968/.
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