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.

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 132

“(1) Palace of Ashurnasirpal (II), <king of the world>, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (II), (who was) also king of the world (and) king of Assyria: facing (brick) of the well of the Bīt-Kidmuri.”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004586/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 133

“(1) Ashurnasirpal, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Adad-nārārī (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur: (3b) I completed the temple of the goddess Ištar of Nineveh, my lady, from its foundation(s) to its crenellations and (then) paved (its courtyard).”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004587/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 134

“(1) Ashurnasirpal, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Adad-nārārī (II) (who was) also appointee of the god Enlil (and) vice-regent of (the god) Aššur: At that time, I built the temple of the goddess Ištar of Nineveh, my lady, from its foundation(s) to its crenellations.”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004588/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 135

Records Ashurnasirpal II's claim to have built the temple of Ištar of Nineveh, anchoring his legitimacy in divine patronage and a three-generation royal genealogy reaching back to Adad-nārārī II.

“(1) Palace of Ashurnasirpal (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (II) (who was) also king of the world (and) king of Assyria: (I am the one) who built and constructed the temple of the goddess Ištar of Nineveh.”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004589/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 136

“(1) Palace of Ashurnasirpal (II), <king of the world>, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), (who was) also king of the world (and) king of Assyria: I built and constructed the temple of the goddess Ištar of Nineveh.”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004590/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 137

Ownership stamp linking Ashurnasirpal II's palace archive to the Bīt-natḫi institution at Nineveh, attesting the administrative reach of Assyrian royal households beyond the capital at Kalḫu.

“(1) Palace of Ashurnasirpal (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (II) (who was) also king of Assyria. (3) Property of the Bīt-natḫi of Nineveh.”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004591/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 138

“(1) Ashurnasirpal (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Adad-nārārī (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur: (4) (As for) the five towers from the towers of the Kalkal Gate to the towers of the gates [(which one uses) when entering]the forecourt of the god Nunnamnir, [...] … [...] …”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004592/

Read the full tablet entry

~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Ashurnasirpal II 140 add (Ashurnasirpal II 141 add)

“(1) Palace of Ashurnasirpal (II), vice-regent of Aššur, favorite of Enlil and Ninurta, beloved of Anu and Dagan, overwhelming weapon of the great gods, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukulti-Ninurta (II), great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nerari (II), likewise king of the world, king of Assyria; (3b) heroic man who acts with the help of Aššur, his lord, and has no equal among the rulers of the four world regions; marvellous shepherd, fearless in battle, towering flood-wave which has no rival; king who forces those unsubmissive to…”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q007295/

Read the full tablet entry