Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.

~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 164. King of Urarṭu Facing Battle with Sargon (ABL 0515)
“(1) [To] the king, my lord: your servant Bel-iddina. (3) As to the news of the Urarṭian, a messenger of the Andian and a messenger of the Zikirtean have gone to Waisi and told him: "The king of Assyria is upon us." (12) The day he saw the messengers he set out to Zikirtu, he himself with his troops. (r 3) The Hubuškian too went with him, for five stages. (Then) he turned back and ordered his magnates: "Organize your troops, I shall array myself against the Assyrian king." (r 11) This is from [in]formers; (the part) concerning the arraying is from informers.”
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/P334355/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 165. King of Uraṭu Sacrificing on a Campaign (ABL 1298+)
“(1) To the king, my [lord]: your servant B[el]-iddina. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to the news of the Urarṭian, he set out [on the ... d]ay and was making sacrifices in the city of A[... on the ...th] wi[th his magnates], (when) a me[ssage from] the Hubuškian [came] to him: (11) "[...]...[......] (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/P334839/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 166. Revolt in Urarṭu (ABL 1325)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...] has captured [...] in the moat of the town Š[u...], and is bringing cap[tives] from various places into it. (r 1) Furthermore, the city Kar-siparri has revolted against him, and his commander-in-chief is engaged in [bat]tle [the]re. (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/P334848/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 167. Military Movements in Urarṭu (CT 53 615)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [......] the Urarṭian has go[ne] (2) [......] have assem[bled] (3) [...... in] Waisi [...] (4) [......] in the presence of the king, [my] lord, (5) [......] Wais[i ...] (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/P314027/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 168. Report on the Urarṭian Camp (ABL 1081)
“(1) To the vizier, my lord: your servant Adâ. Good health to the Vizier, my lord! (5) As regards the news [of the Urarṭi]an about which my lord [wrote m]e, in [......] (Break) (r 4) On the night of [... he pla]ced [...]s within it; he is encamped in ..., within Uluaza; I have written to the vizier, my lord, where he intends to go. (e. 1) I have written [all that I have heard ...] (e. 2) I have written [......].”
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/P334723/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 169. King of Zikirtu as Horse Trader (ABL 0205)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-šumu-iqiša. (3) The emissaries of the Zikirtean (king) are now coming; the messengers of the Urarṭian who had gone to the [Zi]kirtean are coming with them as captives. (8) I have had money brought up and deposited in the stronghold, (relying) on the word of the Zikirtean, who said: "I shall sell you the horses in Paššate." (13) Now let it be impressed upon the emissaries, as the emissaries are trying hard to back out of their word, claiming: "We have not heard about (such a promise) by our lord." (r 4) The king should ask the second emissary; he knows that he gave the order to the commander-in-chief.”
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/P334149/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 170. Appointing an Attendant to a Eunuch (CT 53 204)
“(1) [To the king, my lord: y]our [servant] Di[nanu. Good] health to the k[ing, my lord]! (4) [As to what the ki]ng, my lord, [wro]te me last y[ear], the eunu[ch about whom] the king, my lord, said: "[Appoint ...] to his service!" — Išme-ilu [is now] in [his] service. (9) When [......] (Break) (r 4) [the Bu]susean(s) [...] (r 5) [... o]f Bi[rate] (r 6) [...] enter [...] (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/P313619/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 171. Arrival of Foreign Princes with Horse Tribute (ABL 0466)
“(1) Yala[...], the crown prince of And[ia], is coming t[o ...], accompanied by the em[issary] Nergal-belu-uṣur. (6) 16 red horses; 13 irginu horses; 14 black horses; 1 Haršean horse; 1 tuanu horse; 6 mares; 5 mules; in all 51 horses from the crown prince of Andia. (r 4) Abat-šarri-uṣur, the Mannean emissary, is coming with them. I asked him: "Is the audience gift with you?" (r 11) He said: "[......] to [......]; (r.e. 13) "what[ever ...] ...[...]."”
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/P334321/
Read the full tablet entry