Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.
~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 268. Refusal to Transport Saplings (CT 53 836)
“(1) [To the king, my] lord: your servant [NN]. (4) As to [the saplings] about which they wr[ote to me] from [the Palace ..., ...] sapl[ings of ...] are [now] avail[able ...]. (9) The towns [......] (10) all [......] (11) ...[......] (12) [They] absolutely [...] refu[se to obey me]; they do not [...] the [... and do not transport] the sapl[ings], saying: "[......] (Break) (r 4) "We shall not [......, w]e are exempt [......]." (r 6) The prefect [......] (r 7) her[e ......] (r 8) an order [......]. (r 9) Instead of exe[mpted men ...], the prefect should send [......].”
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/P314245/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 269. Delivery of Barley (CT 53 324)
“(1) [To the king, my lord: y]our [servant NN. Go]od health [to the king, my lord]! (4) [As to what] the king, my lord, [wrote me]: "[Gi]ve Ki[ṣir-Aššur] the barley of [... wh]ich is at [your] disposal!" — (8) there are 7,000 (homers) of ba[rley, (measured) by a s]eah of 6 litres, at [my disposal]. (10) [Man]nu-ki-Arbail, the [...] official, [and] the [...] scribes [who ca]me here hit the [......] (14) [the ki]ng, [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/P313739/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 270. (no title) (CT 53 827)
“(1) [To the king, my lord: your servant NN. Good health] t[o the king, my lord]! (4) [The forts of the king, my lord], are [well]. (Break) (11) the king [......] (12) not [......] (13) the It[u'eans ......] (14) with me [......] (15) sent, [saying: "...] (16) with you [......] (17) [...] aft[er ......] (18) [...] I [......] (Break) (e. 2) [......] I sent to [......] (e. 3) Who will give [...]?" He said: "[......] (e. 4) [...] they [......]”
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/P314236/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 271. (no title) (CT 53 200)
“(1) [To the king, my lord: your] servant [NN]. Good [health to the king, my lord]! (4) Wh[en ......] (Break) (r 1) its [we]ight is [x] minas [...]. (r 3) We shall [...] and b[ring it in].”
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/P313615/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 272. Rain and Travel Problems (ABL 1305)
“(Beginning destroyed) (r 1) It is [now] raining on it. If ice does not form on it, we can leave it in mid-Shebat (XI).”
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/P334842/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 273. An (Urarṭian?) Defeat (CT 53 795)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...] it was raining [heavily] on [...]. (3) [... was ca]reless; the Assyria[ns ... c]ame out of the forts and infl[icted] a defe[at on th]em. (7) [Th]ey killed [...] (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/P314205/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 274. Heavy Rain (ABL 1265)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) It rai[ned] extremely heavily. (4) The water trough raised 100 homers (20,000 litres) of water. (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/P334821/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 275. Steady Rain (CT 53 695)
“(Beginning destroyed) (2) It star[ted to rain] on the 20th day, and it rai[ned heavily] for two days. (6) The water [trough raised x homers of water]. (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/P314106/
Read the full tablet entry