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

~800 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Adad-nerari III 2017
In plain English
This is the seal of Bēl-dayyānī, a eunuch in the service of Adad-nārārī III, king of Assyria.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(1) Seal of Bēl-dayyānī, eunuch of Adad-nārārī (III), king of Assyria.”
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/Q004797/
Read the full tablet entry~800 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Adad-nerari III 2018 add
In plain English
The tablet's opening lines are damaged and begin mid-thought, identifying the god Salmānu as a great lord who resides in the city Dūr-Katlimmu, his holy and beloved abode. A governor named Pālil-ēreš, who held authority over the land of Rasappa, the city Nēmed-Ištar, and the city Apku, had a golden sword made and commissioned a statue of Adad-nārārī III, king of Assyria, which he then presented to the god Salmānu. The purpose of these gifts was to secure Salmānu's protection of Adad-nārārī's priestly throne, to place in the king's hands the scepter that shepherds the people, and to ensure the well-being of his descendants, the people of Assyria, and Assyria itself. The inscription breaks off after this point.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(1') who resides in the ciy Dūr-kat[limmu, the] holy [shrine], his beloved abode, the great lord, his lord: (3') Pālil-ēreš, [the gover]nor of the land R[asappa], the city [Nēmed-Ištar, (and) the city Apk]u, had a gol[den sw]ord made and made and presented an image of Adad-nārārī (III), king of Assyria, his lord, to the god Salmānu (Text: “Adad-nārārī, king of Assyria”), his lord, who protects the throne of his priesthood, to give into his hands the scepter that shepherds the people, for the well-being of his seed, the well-being of the people of Assyria and the well-being of Assyria, 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/Q009276/
Read the full tablet entry~800 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Adad-nerari III 21
In plain English
Adad-nārārī III dedicated this to Aššur, his great lord. He identifies himself as appointee of Enlil and vice-regent of Aššur, son of Šamšī-Adad V — who held the same titles — and grandson of Shalmaneser III, who likewise served as appointee of Enlil and vice-regent of Aššur. The dedication was made for Adad-nārārī's own life, the well-being of his descendants, and the welfare of his land.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“For (the god) Aššur, the great lord, his lord: Adad-nārārī (III), appointee of the god [Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur], son of Šamšī-Adad (V), [appointee of the god Enlil], vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Shalmaneser (III), (who was) also [appointee] of the god Enlil and vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, [dedicated (this)] for his life (and) [the well-being of his seed] and his land.”
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/Q004769/
Read the full tablet entry~775 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Shalmaneser IV 1
“(1) Shalmaneser (IV), strong king, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (III), strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Šamšī-Adad (V), king of the four quarters (of the world): (4) When Šamšī-ilu, the field marshal, marched to Damascus, I received the payment of Ḫadiānu of Damascus: silver, gold, copper, his royal bed, his royal couch, his daughter, together with her extensive dowry, the property of his palace, without number. (11) On my return march, I gave this boundary stone to Uspilulume, the king of the city Kummuḫu. (13b) (As for) whoever (dares) to take (this boundary…”
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/Q006687/
Read the full tablet entry~775 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Shalmaneser IV 2
“(1) The god Marduk, the great lord, the king of the gods who holds the circumference of heaven and netherworld, populates cities, establishes sanctuaries, (and) supervises all of the shrines of the gods; the god Nabû, the scribe of the gods who grasps the holy tablet stylus, carries the tablet of the destinies of the gods, provides for the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, (and) continually gives food rations (and) thereby grants life; (5) the god Šamaš, the light of the lands, the judge of all of the cities, protector of the (four) quarters (of the world); the god Sîn, the luminary of heaven and…”
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/Q006688/
Read the full tablet entry~775 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Shalmaneser IV 3
A royal prayer formula addressed to Aššur and the gods of Eḫursaggalkurkurra, attesting the liturgical language by which Shalmaneser IV legitimised his reign during the poorly documented mid-eighth-century Assyrian 'interlude'.
“(1) [To the god Aššur, the father of] the gods, [the great lord who dwells in Eḫursaggalkurkurra], his great temple, may it be [extremely] good! (4) [To the gods of destinies (and)] the goddesses [who dwell in Eḫursaggalkurkurr]a, their great temple, may it be [extremely] good! (7) [To the gods of destinies (and)] the goddesses, [who dwell in the city Aššur], in their great [temple], may it be [extremely] good! (10) It is [extremely] good with [Shalmaneser (IV)/Aššur-dān (III)], the holy priest, [the servant who worships your great divinity], and with [his] military forces. (13) No…”
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/Q006689/
Read the full tablet entry~765 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Aššur-dan III 1
“(1) [(...)] Aššur-dān (III), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent [of (the god) Aššur (...), son of] Adad-nārārī (III), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Ašš[ur (...), son of] Šamšī-Adad (V), [(who was) also] appointee of the god Enlil and vice-regent of [(the god) Aššur (...)]: (4) [(...)] the main courtyard of Eḫursa[gkurkurra ...] the main 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/Q006691/
Read the full tablet entry~760 BCE · BM — — British Museum, London, UK
BAM 6, 531
In plain English
Only scraps survive. The upper lines belonged to a healing text: something compared to a part of a man, a mention of the head, and a list of the supernatural causes of illness — affliction by a god, by the goddess Ishtar, by a ghost — together with the incantations against them. Then the text shifts to a library note in the king's own voice: 'I collated it. I, Ashurbanipal, to whom the gods granted broad understanding — whatever belongs to this work, as much as exists, I had set down on tablets for my reading.' The remaining lines are too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(obverse, fragmentary) [...] ... [...] [...] like the ... of a man ... [...] [...] against/to Nergal(?) ... the head [...] [... "Hand]-of-a-god," "Hand-of-Ishtar," "Hand-of-a-ghost" — incantation(s) [...] [...] ... and I collated (it). I, Ashur[banipal ...] [... to whom Nabû(?)] and Anu(?) granted broad understanding, [... for] my reading(?) — whatever (pertains to) that work [...] [...] ... as much as exists, on tab[lets ...] [...] (traces only) [...]”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry