Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.
~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 065. Dispatching Horses (ABL 0226)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Nergal-eṭir. The best of health to the king, my lord! The land of the king is well. The king, my lord, can be glad indeed. (8) The bodyguard came to me on the 6th of Iyyar (II). The horses set out on the 7th of Iyyar.”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334167/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 066. The Messenger of Dalta on his Way to the King (ABL 0227)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Nergal-eṭir. The very best of health to the king, my lord! The land of the king is well. The king, my lord, can be glad indeed. (10) The messenger of Daltâ has [l]eft for the king, my lord. There are [x ho]rses [in] his charge. He is accompanied by a dispatch rider.”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334168/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 067. Retrieving ilku Dues (ABL 0230)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Nergal-eṭir. [The be]st of health [to] the king, my lord! (5) [The retr]ieval of ilku dues which the king [im]posed on me — [...] 30 oxen, [x] sheep from Pa[rs]ua (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334169/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 068. Report on Humbe of Bit-Zualza; Sending Horses to the King (ABL 0983+)
“(1) To the king, [m]y lo[rd]: your servant Nergal-e[ṭir]. The best of health to the king, my lord! The land of the king [is] well. The king, my lord, [can b]e glad [ind]eed. (8) [...]ragaya, the di[spatch] rider [of] Bit-Zualza came [to] me on the 15th of Adar (XII), [saying]: "[Hu]mbê [sen]t me [......]." (16) Now then [I] am sending him to the king, my lord, [in charge of] my messenger, so [the ki]ng, my lord, can question him. I myself will set my horses in motion on the 20th of Adar. Let the king, my lord, send me instructions.”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334661/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 069. Fight for the Control of Šingibutu; Magnates in Media (ABL 0174)
“(1) [To] the king, my lord: [your servant] Marduk-šarru-uṣur. [Good health t]o the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord i[s well]. (5) [Concerning the n]ews of the district, they told me [previously: "Ašpa-ba]ri [has t]old Kibabiše and Dasukku: 'The king gave Ellipi to me and I shall enjoy it. He gave Šingibutu to Marduk-šarru-uṣur. It is your towns that have been snatched away. If you (want to) fight, do so, or leave it; I am not involved in it.'" He spoke thus before the people of the country. (19) Now Kibabiše and Dasukku are constantly running about opposite [me] with a hundred…”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334119/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 070. Returning a Son (ABL 0715)
“(1) [To] the king, my lord: [your servant] Marduk-šarru-uṣur. [Good heal]th to the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord i[s well]. (5) [...] Erra-dalâ (6) [who] came [...] (Break) (r 2) [broug]ht him with [his ...] before Bel-uṣur. (r 4) [Now he ...]: "Bring me my son!" [......] should send the man [...] here.”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334507/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 071. Sending Cavalry (ABL 0772)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Marduk-šarru-uṣur. [Good] h[ea]lth [to the king, my lord]! (Break) (r 1) [I] have sent [...... ca]valryman [...]. (r 2) I will do whatever the king, my lord, commands.”
Source: Fuchs, A. & Parpola, S. 2001. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part III: Letters from Babylonia and the Eastern Provinces. SAA 15. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa15/P334546/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 15 072. Adda-rami and Horses (CT 53 606)
In plain English
To the king, my lord — from your servant Bēl-erība. I wish good health to the king, my lord. The opening of my report is lost, but it concerned Adda-rami and something on the far side of the border, and matters brought before the king, my lord. People were moving about, together with someone whose name is broken away. Something I took, and something they carried on the journey. The truth is this — and now: horses. Three horses. Concerning those three horses, they became agitated. The rest of the letter is too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[To the king, my lord]: [your servant] Bēl-erība. [Good health to the king], my lord! [......] Adda-rami [......] on the other side [......]-iq [...... the king], my lord [..................] [......] ... [......] [......] they move about, with [......] [......]-imma which I took [......] they brought on the road (journey) [...... the tr]uth. Now [......] horses [......]... 3 horses [......] concerning 3 horses [......] they trembled [......] ... a [..................] (The text breaks off; the remainder is lost.)”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry