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

~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 276. Fragment Reporting on Rainfall (CT 53 558)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [On the ...th] da[y ...] it rai[ned] extremely heav[ily] in the ci[ty ...]. (r 2) The k[ing, my lord], can [be glad]. (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/P313970/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 277. Assembling Troops (CT 53 305)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [in] Arz[uhina ......]. (2) I am w[riting to you righ]t now: [after I have] sent [..., speak] with [NN wh]o [has written] to the Palace ab[out ...]: (5) "Why [is] the wor[k delayed]? To whom did you [......]? Have they p[romoted NN] as city [lord]?" (8) He is [...]; as for you, [be ready] wi[th your army and wi]th your ch[ariot] troops, assemble the Gurreans, the It[u'eans, the ...], the exempt infantry, the kal[lāpu troops and ...] (Break) (r 2) [I said:] "No [......] (r 3) [de]layed [......] (r 4) [... the cr]own prince [......] (r 5) does [n]ot bring [......] (r 6) Mannu-ki-[Adad ......] (r 7) "As [......] (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/P313720/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 278. (no title) (CT 53 677)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) he is my [...] (2) [...]ean(s) and Arazaean(s) (3) [...] he is [...]. Send him (4) [...] the army of [...] (5) [...] has de[parted fr]om there. (6) (The situation) [is ve]ry [good]. Whatever [...] (7) [...] the re[ar ......] (8) [......] barley [...] (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/P314088/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 279. Military Matters (CT 53 403)
“(Beginning destroyed) (2) [......] palace [...] (3) [......] ... [...] (4) [...... Gabbu]-amur who [...] (5) [...... You] know that [the ...] (6) [who ...]... g[o and] (7) [...]. Now, [...] (8) [with] my assembled [tr]oops [...] (9) [...] together with the h[orses ...] (10) [...] the chief eunuch [...] (11) [...] to [...] (12) [...... say]ing: "The king, [my] lor[d, ...] (Break) (r 2) [...] the royal bodyguard who [...] (r 3) [...] one [...] of the palace [...] (r 4) [... have co]me, saying: "We have been sent [to ...]" — (r 5) [that is] not [true]! (r 6) [You] know that [the ...] (r 7) [who]…”
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/P313817/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 280. Oxen and Wagons (CT 53 442)
“(Beginning destroyed) (6) [...] to [......] (7) [t]o the te[ams ......] (8) to the messen[ger ...] (9) I bro[ught ......] (Break) (12) I g[ave him] these orders: "As soon as you have brought [...] the oxen and the wa[gons, give them] to [NN]; later on, [......]." (r 4) What else? Let these [...]s go out too, don't let [...] grow [...] (Break) (r 11) [... ap]proached [...] (Break) (e. 1) [wh]ich I answered you [...]”
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/P313855/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 281. Trees for the Royal Orchards (CT 53 036)
“(1) To [the king, my lord]: your servant Sin-[ahhe-riba]. Good health to the k[ing, my lord]! (4) [Assyria] is well, the tem[ples] are well, [all the king's] fo[rts] are well. The king, [my] lo[rd], can be [glad indeed]. (8) Two big ... trees [......] (9) on the 5th day of [......] (10) to the city Šur[u ......] (11) On the 7th of [......] (12) Tu'ayu [......] (13) came [to me ......] (14) among the medlar(s) [......] (15) of the orchard [......] (Break) (r 1) [...] tree [......] (r 2) cypres[ses ......] (r 3) all [......] (r 4) there [......] (r 5) grape[s ......] (r 6) recei[ved ......] (r 7) I gave orders [......] (r 8) the rites of Nisan (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/P313451/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 283. Arrival of a Royal Messenger (CT 53 658)
“(Beginning destroyed) (3) [I]n [his] letter [it was written as follows]: (4) "While [I was] he[re], a messenger of [the king of ... c]ame [t]o [m]e in the city [...]; he had [no]t reached me in [...] (Break) (r 5) thi[s lett]er [ca]me [to me ......] (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/P314070/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 284. Carnelian from Kumme (ABL 1035)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...... Ari]ye (Break) (r 3) "I shall not giv[e the ...]... (r 4) [On acco]unt of this matter [NN] wrote: "[... is] against me; [make it known] in the Palace," and for that reason I wrote [to] my [lord]: "I shall write to find out [what] he has [in m]ind." (r 10) The [...] of the Ukkean are [...] with him. (r 11) [... A]riyazâ has brought carnelian (r 12) [...] to Silim-Aššur (r 13) [...] good (r 14) [...] second best (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/P334688/
Read the full tablet entry