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.

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 30

“Duplicate of text no. 13:5–7 (1) as far as Mount Saue — which abut[s] Mount Leba[n]on — Mount Baʾali-ṣapūna as far as Mount Amma[nā]na — the boxwood mountain — [Mount] Saue in its entirety, the province of the city Kār-Adad, the city Ḫatarik[ka], the province of the city Nuqudina, the land Ḫasu[atti, together with cities] in its environs, the city Arâ, [...]”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003443/

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~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 31

“Duplicate of text no. 13:7–11 and text no. 14:10 (1) [...] ... both sides of them, the cities in their environs, Mount Sarbūa in its entirety, the cities Ašḫani (and) Yaṭabi, Mount Yaraqu in its entirety, ..., the cities Ellitarbi (and) Zitānu, as far as the city Atinnu, ... [...], (5) the city Bumame — I annexed to Assyria (those) nineteen districts of the city Hamath, together with cities in their environs, which are on the coast of the Sea of the Setting Sun, (and) which had been criminally <and> sinfully seized for Azriyau (Azrī-Iāu). I placed two eunuchs of mine as provincial governors over them. (9) The payment of Kuštašpi of the land Kummuḫu, Raḫiānu (Rezin) of the land Damascus,”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003444/

Read the full tablet entry

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 32

“Duplicate of text no. 14:10–text no. 15:4 (1) [I received] the payment of Kuštašpi of the land Kummuḫu, Raḫiānu (Rezin) of the land Damascus, Menahem of the city Samaria, Hiram of the city Tyre, Sibitti-Biʾil of the city Byblos, Uriaikki of the land Que, Pisīris of the city Carchemish, Ēnī-il of the city Hamath, Panammû of the city Samʾal, (5) Tarḫu-lara of the land Gurgum, Sulumal of the land Melid, Dadīlu of the city Kasku, Uassurme of the land Tabal, Ušḫitti of the land (A)tuna, Urpallâ of the land Tuḫana, Tuḫamme of the city Ištunda, Urimmi of the city Ḫubišna (Ḫubušnu), (and) Zabibê,…”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003445/

Read the full tablet entry

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 35

“(i 0) (erased signs) (i 1) [(The god) Aššur, great lord, the] Enlil of the gods, the one who decrees fates; [the god Marduk, the one who formula]tes designs, creator of mankind, the one who inspects [...], the one who makes firm the foundations of the land; [the god Nabû, holder of] the stylus (and) bearer of the tablet of destinies of the gods, (i 5) [...]; the god Nergal, ..., [...] whose onslaught cannot be withstood; [the god Šamaš, the one who] bestows protection ... [...] ...; [the god Sîn, bright (celestial) light], the one who gives scepter (and) crown (to the king), the one who…”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003448/

Read the full tablet entry

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 36

“(1') [...] ... [... I received the payme]nt [of ..., Sulum]al of the land Me[lid, ...]. (4') [... the land ...]ni, the land Ayalay[a, ...], the land Niksam[ma, ... I received the payment of Dalt]â of the land Elli[pi: ... horse]s, mules, [Bactrian camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, ...]. (8') [...]tu, the land Lusia, the land U[...] rebelled and did not [... I des]troyed, devastated, (and) [burned] with [fire ...]. (11') [... Sarduri of the land Urar]ṭu, whom [I defeated] on a previou[s campaign of mine, ... I crossed the] Arṣania [River] when [it was in flood. ... I made my troops jump across the ...]a [River] as if it was a ditch, [...] (14') (No translation possible)”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003449/

Read the full tablet entry

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 37

“(1) The god Aššur, great lord, the Enlil of the gods, the one who decrees fates; the god Marduk, the one who formulates the designs of all of the lands, [...] ... [...]; the god Nabû, holder of the stylus (and) bearer of the tablet of des[tinies of the gods], the one who reviews ...; the god Šamaš, king of heaven (and) netherworld, creator of the black-headed, [...] of humanity; (5) [the god Sîn], bright (celestial) light, the one who gives scepter (and) crow[n] (to the king), the one who establishes lordship; the god Adad, canal inspector of heaven (and) earth, the one who heaps [up…”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003450/

Read the full tablet entry

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 38

“(1') [...] ... [... the land] Nam[ri ...] up to the land [... the city] Ṣibar, the city [... the city Niqqu] of the land Tupliy[aš ...]. (6') [...] ... of the city ... [...]”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003451/

Read the full tablet entry

~735 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Tiglath-pileser III 39

“(1) Palace of Tiglath-pileser (III), great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of Sumer <and> Akkad, king of the fo[ur] quarters (of the world), the one chosen by the glance of the god Enlil; the king who from the rising sun to the setting sun considered all of his enemies as (mere) ghosts and took control of (their) power; the one who exchanges the people of the upper land(s) with (those of) the lower land(s), the one who ousted their rulers (and) installed his governors (in their stead). (4) From the beginning of my reign <until my ...teenth palû>, I exercised…”

Source: Tadmor, H. & Yamada, S. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 1. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap1/Q003452/

Read the full tablet entry