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 05 076. (no title) (CT 53 578)

“(1) [To the king], my [lo]rd: [your servant Ma]hdê. [Good health] to the king, my lord! (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/P313990/

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

SAA 05 077. (no title) (CT 53 847)

“(Beginning destroyed) (1) "I have giv[en] two pots and three [...s] to the Šubr[ian]."”

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/P314256/

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

SAA 05 078. Imposing the King’s Treaty (ABL 0246)

“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Aššur-belu-da''in. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) The Ušhaeans and Qudaeans about whom the king, my lord, wrote me, have submitted to the king my lord's command; (these) towns which were not submissive in the days of Šamaš-ila'i, the royal bodyguard has now assembl[ed] and brought over to me. (16) I have made peace with them. Those obliged to provide labour have provided it, and those obliged to provide king's men have provided them. (r 4) The whole mountain (area) has observed the king's tr[eaty]; the king, my lord, ca[n be glad]. (r 7) Shall I…”

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/P334181/

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

SAA 05 079. Capturing Runaways (ABL 0245)

“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Aššur-belu-da''in. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) The mule stable attendant whom I brought forth in search of the runaway people of the country has brought forth men from my neighbourhood and given them to me. All Halziatbareans have run away in great numbers and are (scattered) all over the countries. The mule stable attendant is desperate, saying: "It is an impasse." (15) Now Nabû'a, the mule stable attendant who was appointed in charge of the Chaldeans, has brought me 380 persons; a number of them remain in Yasumu and in Bit-Zamani. (r 7) Let them send him a letter (telling him) how he is to bring forth the Chaldea[ns] compl[etely], and how he is to assemble the runaway people of the country and bring them to me.”

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/P334180/

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

SAA 05 080. Building a Fort and Houses for Deportees (ABL 0247)

“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Aššur-belu-da''in. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) The forts and the [ga]rrison of the king, my lord, are well. (7) The work on the fort [i]n the centre of the town [...]. Two men [......] (Break) (r 1) [...... the ... of] the king [ke]ep [the watch]. The Chaldeans are building their houses. (r 5) On the 20th of Elul (VI) I started working on the bricks.”

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/P334182/

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

SAA 05 081. A Case Against the Governor (TCL 9 68)

“(1) A tablet of Aššur-zeru-ibni to Nergal-eṭir. I am well; may my brother be well. (5) My messenger is n[ow] on his way to the chief eunuch. He has left on account of the claim of the governor of Halziatbar concerning the Ehimaneans: "You are my servants!" (14) Now that the messenger is going to the chief [eunuch, ...]; (r 1) You [...]; write to anybody! (r 3) Are you not my brother? Let my brother write (me) whatever the news (may be).”

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/P337151/

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

SAA 05 082. Paying the Corn Tax (ABL 1012)

“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Šulmu-beli-lašme. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to what the king, [my] l[ord], wrote to me: "[The time for cultivating] the fields has elaps[ed; where is] the yield of the thresh[ing-floor]" — (9) 53 [......] (Break) (r 1) "to [......]." Now [NN], (r 2) the recruitment offi[cer ...] (r 3) ha[s ......] (r 4) neither stored [grain nor ...] (r 6) 30 horses [...] (r 7) of the king, m[y] lord, [...] (r 8) [the royal] bodyguard [...]. (r 9) [N]ow, the king, my lord, [should a]sk Mannu-ki-ahhe, the [roy]al bodyguard who [extra]cted the corn-tax, whether there is any barley (here).”

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/P334674/

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

SAA 05 083. Fragment of a Military Report (ABL 0769)

“(1) To the ki[ng], my [lo]rd: your servant Nabû-šarru-uṣur. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) My scouts have come out [fr]om the Interior and reported to me [as foll]ows: "[......]" (Break) (r 2) As to what I wrote the king, my lord: "This governor has come to Mount Kirmesi" — it is not so, he has not come but is still there.”

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/P334544/

Read the full tablet entry