Position in chronology
Sargon II 086
Translation · reference
High confidence(1') [I mustered the numerous troops of (the god) Aššur and crossed the Tigris (and) Euphrates Rivers, as well as in]numerable small [stream]s. [Like the Deluge, I overwhelmed the Chaldeans to their (lit.: its) full extent. In the face of my advance (lit.: “before me”), Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-Baladan)] gathered together [the inhabitants of his cities (lit.: “his inhabited cities”) and the gods dwelling in them], and [brought (them) in]t[o the city Dūr-Yakīn. He strengthened its enclosure walls (and), moving back a distance of ten nindanu from in front of its main wall], he made [a…
Source: Frame, G. 2021. The Royal Inscriptions of Sargon II, King of Assyria (721–705 BC). RINAP 2. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap2/Q006567/
Why it matters
Sargon II's own account of his campaign against Merodach-Baladan II attests the Assyrian siege of Dūr-Yakīn (~710 BCE) and the Chaldean king's defensive tactic of withdrawing troops behind a second perimeter ten nindanu from the main wall.
Transliteration
[...] x x [...] / [... ÍD].MEŠ TUR.MEŠ la [mi-na ...] / [...] ⸢ú⸣-paḫ-ḫir-ma a-⸢na⸣ [...] / [...] ⸢iš⸣-kun-ma 1 1/2 NINDA ú-[šap-pil-ma ...] / [... ta-mir]-⸢tuš?⸣ A.GÀR.MEŠ-šú a-šar mit-ḫu-⸢ṣi⸣ [...] / [... ki]-⸢ma⸣ MUŠEN.ku-mé-e za-ra-tu LUGAL-⸢ti⸣-[šú ...] / [... ú]-⸢šak⸣-bi-is-ma šá-a-šú ga-du LÚ.mun-⸢daḫ?⸣-[ṣe-šu ...] / [... i-de-e]-šu ki-ma ŠE.MUNU₆ áš-ṭe-e-ma i-ta-⸢at⸣ [...] / [...]…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sargon II, edited by Grant Frame (RINAP 2, 2021). ORACC text Q006567.
Attribution
Image: BM 098528 (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P421837). source
Translation excerpted from Frame, G. 2021. The Royal Inscriptions of Sargon II, King of Assyria (721–705 BC). RINAP 2. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap2/Q006567/.
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