Chapter 00 · 1400 – 1077 BCE

Middle Assyrian

Aššur's first imperial expansion.

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 09

In plain English

Adad-nārārī I, king of Assyria and son of Arik-dīn-ili, grandson of Enlil-nārārī, both also kings of Assyria, records that the facing wall along the Tigris riverbank had fallen into disrepair — floodwaters had eaten away its limestone and baked brick. He rebuilt it with bitumen and baked brick, making it four and a half bricks thick, and lined the back face with limestone set in bitumen mortar. He deposited commemorative inscriptions within the structure. The inscription breaks off after that, with whatever blessing or curse formula followed too damaged to read.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1) Adad-nārārī (I), king of the world, strong king, king of Assyria, son of Arik-dīn-ili, king of Assyria, son of Enlil-nārārī, (who was) also king of Assyria. (5) (As for) the facing (of the quay wall), which faces the (Tigris) River, which through the (action of the river’s) water had become dilapidated and flood(s) had eroded away its limestone and baked brick, I repaired that facing using bitumen and baked brick.I made (it) the thickness of four and one half bricks. I faced the back of it using limestone and bitumen mortar. [I deposited my commemorative inscriptions (therein]. (15b) May…”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q005746/

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 10

In plain English

The wall of the New City, facing the Tigris and opposite the tisaru-district, had originally been built by Adad-narari's ancestor Puzur-Aššur III. By the time Adad-narari came to it, the wall was only two and a half bricks thick and thirty courses high, and floods had left it crumbling and ruined. He cleared the site, dug down to the foundation pit, and relaid the foundations on solid bedrock using a large brick mold that brought the new wall to a full ten bricks in thickness. He then rebuilt it from the foundations all the way up to the battlements. The text continues with a description of drainage sewers, but the passage breaks off before it is complete.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(35) At that time, (as for) the wall of the New City, which faces the (Tigris) River, which is opposite the tisaru-district, which Puzur-Aššur (III), my ancestor, a king who came before me, had previously built, it was two and one half bricks thick and thirty layers of brick high, had become dilapidated, was in ruin, and eroded by flood(s). I cleared its site (and) reached its foundation pit. I made (it) the thickness of ten bricks using my large brick mold. I laid its foundations on solid bedrock. I built (it) from its foundations to its crenellations. (44b) (As for) the sewers that drain…”

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 1001

Attests Adad-nārārī I's campaign into the Lullumê highlands, placing Assyrian military reach into the Zagros within the generation that transformed Assyria from a vassal into an imperial power.

In plain English

A king — the son of Irištienni and grandson of someone whose name is lost — rebelled, and events involving a city wall and matters of life followed, though the damaged surface makes the details unreadable. Irištienni spoke some words that are also lost. With great strength and with weapons given to him by the goddess Ištar, his lady who marched before him, Adad-narari entered the distant land of the Lullumê with a resolute heart. What followed — conquest, submission, and actions involving a wall — is too broken to piece together. The inscription closes with a blessing: whoever restores Adad-narari's inscribed name and foundation texts, the god Aššur will hear his prayers. A final partial line reads 'the hand of MES—' before the text breaks off.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1') [..., the son of Ir]ištienni, [...], the grandson of I[...], the offspring of [...: ...]ki, the king of the land [...] rebelled. The wall of the city [...]... and life [...]. Irištienni said: “[...].” (9') With great strength [...], with the mighty weapons [that the goddess Ištar, my lady], the one who goes before me, [had given to me, I entered with] my [firm/wise] heart the land of the Lullumê, w[hich is far off]. Conquest [...] submission [...]. (16') [...] that wall [...] that wall [...]. (20') [(As for) the one who restores my] inscribed [name and my foundation inscriptions, the god Aššur will (then) listen to] his prayers. (21'b) [...] (l.e. 1) The hand of MES[...]”

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 1002

In plain English

Only scraps of this text survive, but they follow a familiar pattern. The king says he rebuilt some structure completely, from the foundations up to the parapets, and mentions a palace. He then addresses future rulers: whoever restores his inscribed name to its proper place should have the goddess Ištar hear his prayers and stand by him; but whoever fails to do so — the curse breaks off just as the storm-god Adad is invoked to strike with a bolt of evil lightning. The beginnings and ends of all four lines are lost.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(Fragmentary; a single passage from a composite text) [... fro]m its foundations to [its] crene[llations ...] [...] its [...] I built. The palace to/for [...] [... may he return my] inscri[bed name] to its place. (Then) may the goddess Ištar [... his] praye[rs ...] [... may she(?) st]and [by him(?)]. (But if not,) may the god Adad with an evil lightning bolt [...]”

Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 11

In plain English

A section of the quay wall facing — originally built by Adad-narari's ancestor Aššur-uballiṭ I, running from the palace complex to the processional avenues — had been breached by a wadi cutting through its middle, up near the orchards of the Inner City. To stop the floodwaters, Adad-narari faced the breach with baked brick and bitumen, laid in three drains to carry the water off, and then redirected the water's course, holding it back with more baked brick and bitumen. What he did on the opposite bank is partially described, including some widening work, but the inscription breaks off before the account is complete.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1') [At that time], (as for) the facing (of the quay wall), [which (stretches) from] the palace complex [to] the processional avenues, [which] Aššur-uballiṭ (I), my ancestor, had previously built, a ... wadi had broken through and beyond it in the middle, at the top of the orchards of the Inner City. In order to quiet down the rage of the mighty waters, I faced (the area of) the ... wadi using baked brick and bitumen. I installed three drains to carry off the water. I altered (the course of) the water and kept (it) away with baked brick and bitumen ... On the opposite bank ... I widened ...…”

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 12

In plain English

The king records that he deposited his commemorative inscriptions in the structure. He calls on any future ruler who renovates the facing — whether it has fallen into disrepair or been damaged by flooding — to restore the deteriorated sections and return his inscribed name and commemorative inscriptions to their proper places. The left edge of the tablet carries signs that cannot be translated.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(r 1') Moreover, [I deposited] my commemorative inscriptions (therein). (r 2') [May] a future ruler, when he renovates that facing (when) it becomes dilapidated or (when he repairs it when) it is eroded by flood(s), renovate its dilapidated section(s) (and) [return my] inscribed [name] and my commemorative inscriptions [to their places]. (l.e. 1') (No translation possible.)”

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 13

In plain English

The great wall of the New City — built on a mound facing the open country, running from the wall of the Inner City all the way to the Tigris River — had first been constructed by Adad-narari's ancestor Puzur-Aššur III. A later ancestor, Aššur-bēl-nišēšu, added a façade to it, but the wall fell into disrepair again. Another ancestor, Erība-Adad I, vice-regent of the god Aššur, then applied new facings and a façade at various points along it. The text breaks off here.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(29) At that time, (as for) the great wall of the New City, which (was built on) a mound facing the [open country], which (stretches) from the great wall of the Inner City by the entirety of [the New City], as far as the (Tigris) River, (and) which Puzur-Aššur (III), my ancestor, a king who came before me, had previously built, Aššur-bēl-nišēšu, (who was) also my ancestor, applied a façade to that wall, (but) it again became dilapidated, and Erība-Adad (I), the vice-regent of the god Aššur, (who was) also my ancestor, a king who came before me, applied a facing and façade in different places,…”

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~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 14

In plain English

Adad-nārārī I, appointee of Enlil and vice-regent of Aššur, was the son of Arik-dīn-ili and grandson of Enlil-nārārī, both of whom held the same titles before him. He records that the wall of the Inner City — originally built by earlier kings and standing opposite the great new ziggurat of Aššur that his father Arik-dīn-ili had erected — had fallen into disrepair. Adad-nārārī tore out the crumbling sections and reached its… the inscription breaks off here before the work is described further.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1) Adad-nārārī (I), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Arik-dīn-ili, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Enlil-nārārī, (who was) also appointee of the god Enlil (and) vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (4) At that time, (as for) the wall of the Inner City, which my ancestors, the kings who came before me, had previously built (and) which is opposite the large new ziggurat of the god Aššur, my lord, which Arik-dīn-ili, my father, had built, that wall had become dilapidated and I removed its dilapidated section(s) (and) reached its…”

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