Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE

Neo-Assyrian

Empire, library, terror, scholarship.

Illustration: Scholars examining clay tablets in an Assyrian archive at Nineveh
An archive at Nineveh, around 650 BCE.

~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 035. The King of Šubria Refuses to Extradite Deserters (CT 53 160)

“(1) [To the king, my lord: your servant Ša-Aššur-dubbu. The best of health to the king, my lord]! (4) [The forts and the land of the king, my lord, are well. The king, my lord, can be gl]ad. (7) [......] (8) [......] my messenger (9) [......] my [mes]senger (10) [......] (11) [... they s]tay [...] his [...] (12) [......] day(s) (13) [......] they come (14) [...... has been se]rving [...]. (15) Now that my messenger wanted to make him leave, they protected him with axes and [...]. (17) I a[sk]ed the [Šubria]n: "Why do you seize deserters [f]rom the Urarṭian (king) fleeing to Assyria, and…”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313575/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 036. Joint Sacrifices (CT 53 163)

“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [......] what [...] (2) ... We made many sacrifices. [The]y went away to their country, (while) [w]e [...ed] hither. (6) Their people, [who] had f[led to] Urarṭu, have [like]wise [retu]rned [...] (Break) (r 6) [...... the It]u'eans [...] (Rest destroyed)”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313578/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 037. Defense Against Accusations (CT 53 101)

“(1) [To the king, my lord: your servant Ša-Aššur-dubbu. The best of health to the king, my lord]! (4) [The forts and the land of the king, my lord, are well]. (Possibly one line missing) (5) (......) who [......] — the king, my lord, should [not believe him]! (7) No Tazir[u ......] (8) I do [not] conceal [...]. (9) Let the king, my lord, not [...]! (10) If I [......], I will not be able to [...] and to [...]. (12) The sheep are at the disposal of the people; [......]. (13) I [...] here; I have [......], (14) and will bring out [...]. My [servant]s have [...ed] to [...] and questioned (him).…”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313516/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 038. A Visit by Duri-Adad and a Royal Delegate (ABL 0703)

“(1) [To the king, my l]ord: [your servant Š]a-Aššur-d[ubbu. Good h]ealth to the kin[g, my lord]! (4) Duri-A[dad the ...] has just come [with ...]tušu, the (royal) delegate; [I shall write] through Urda-[...] whatever he had to te[ll] and [rep]ort. (8) Right now, Duri-Adad [...] is leaving, and the delegate is lea[ving] with him; they are on their way. [The king, my lord, can] be glad. (11) [...] my presence [......] (Rest destroyed)”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334497/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 039. Fragment Concerning Tree Trunks (CT 53 726)

“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [... wh]ich are in the cit[y ...] (2) [...] he [...] (3) [...] in the river [...] (4) [...] ... [...] (5) [...] the beams [...] (6) [...] afterwards [...] (7) [... wh]ich we [...] (8) [...] to [...] (Rest destroyed)”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P314136/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 040. A Šubrian Emissary on His Way to the King (CT 53 004)

“(1) [To the king], my [lord: your servant ...]-ka''in. [Good health to the king], my lord! (4) [The for]ts [and the land of the king, m]y lo[rd, are well]. (Break) (10) [......] we [don't] know [...] (11) [......] told me: "He has se[t out] (12) [......] "He has not s[et out] (13) [......] "In [...] (Break) (21) "They are keeping [an eye] on them." (22) I have sent (scouts) to go and inquire; (when) they come back with a detailed report, I shall write to the king, my lord. (r 2) A Šubrian emissary is just coming to the king, my lord. [Let them ...] in the presence of the king, my lord, whatever they have to say. Perhaps [......] (Rest destroyed)”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313419/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 041. (no title) (CT 53 697)

“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...]a, the gov[ernor oppo]site me is here. (3) He is [...]; the gra[pes] (4) [...] the men (5) [...] where 10 [...] (Rest destroyed)”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P314108/

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~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 05 042. (no title) (CT 53 424)

“(Beginning destroyed or too broken for translation) (7) [... s]peak [...] (8) [...] garden [...] (9) The king, [my] lo[rd, can be glad]. (r 1) Also, they are bring[ing out] the re[st] of their brothers, including people from Labir and Sakkuana. [No]w then, these have come and said: (r 6) "[Should we l]ay hands on Assyrian territory, we would be ...ed; re[port to] the Palace [......]" (Rest destroyed)”

Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313837/

Read the full tablet entry