Chapter 00 · 1400 – 1077 BCE
Middle Assyrian
Aššur's first imperial expansion.
~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Tukulti-Ninurta I 39
“(1) [Tukul]tī-[Ninurta (I), ...], loved one of the god Aššur, [...]; king of kings, [lord of lords, ruler of] rulers, [...] attentive shepherd, [...], the one who gladdens [the heart of (the god) Aššur, the one whose conduct is pleasing to] the gods [of heaven and netherworld], the one who [constantly makes abundant the offerings for all of the gods].”
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/Q005875/
Read the full tablet entry~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Tukulti-Ninurta I 40
In plain English
Only the letterhead of this inscription survives. It reads: 'Tukulti-Ninurta, chosen by the god Enlil and governor on behalf of the god Aššur; son of Shalmaneser, likewise Enlil's appointee and Aššur's vice-regent; son of Adad-nārārī, who also held those same divine offices.' In other words, three generations of Assyrian kings, each claiming the same divine mandate. After this formal introduction the tablet breaks off, and whatever project or achievement the king went on to commemorate is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[Tukultī-]Ninurta (I), appointee of the god Enlil, [vice-regent of the god Aššur], [son of Shalmaneser (I)], appointee of the god Enlil, [vice-regent of the god Aššur], [son of Adad-nārārī (I), (who was) also appointee of the god] Enlil (and) vice-regent of [the god Aššur]; [...] ... [...] (the remainder is broken)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Tukulti-Ninurta I 42
In plain English
Only shreds of the text remain, but they read like the opening credits of an Assyrian royal proclamation: the king presents himself as the earthly deputy of the god Aššur, then begins reciting the foreign lands he has subdued — the mountain country of the Papḫu, the land of the Uqumanu, and others whose names are broken away. One line calls him 'the one named' or chosen (presumably by the gods). The rest of the inscription, whatever victories or building works it went on to record, is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Fragmentary royal inscription; only line-ends and line-beginnings survive) [... Tukulti-Ninurta (I), vice]-regent of the god Aš[šur ...] [...] ... the land of the Papḫu, the land [...] [... the land Uqu]manu and(?) [...] [...] the one called [by ...] [...] ...(?) the land [...] [...] ... [...] (The remainder of the text is lost.)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Tukulti-Ninurta I 43add
“(1) Tukultī-Ninurta (I), king of the world, strong king, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), sun(god) of all of the people, exalted priest, chosen of (the god) Aššur and Enlil, attentive ruler, creature of the gods Anu and Ea, the capable, the ferocious, loved one of the gods Šamaš and Adad, valiant dragon, favourite of the gods Marduk and Zababa, exceeding in strength, the strong one whose support is the god Ninurta — the hero of weapons — loved one of the divine power (manifest in) the goddess Ištar’s banquet, true shepherd, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the Upper…”
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/Q009242/
Read the full tablet entry~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Tukulti-Ninurta I 44add
“(1) Tukultī-Ninurta (I), strong king, king of all of the people, ruler, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, the foremost purification priest, ruler of rulers, the able favourite of the god Enlil, true shepherd, king (whose) decree cannot be rivalled, designate of the god Anu, the one who understands, the wise one, who reaches the utmost boundaries of wisdom, the beloved of the god Niššiku (Ea), the pure one, worthy representative of kingship (lit. “scepter and crown”), designate of the god Sîn, root of lordliness, attentive ruler, creature of the god Šamaš (and) his offspring, king of kings,…”
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/Q009243/
Read the full tablet entry