Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.
~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 042. Unclear Status of a Town Near Guzana (CTN 5 p. 179)
“(Beginning destroyed) (6) [...] It is the third year (now) since they took the t[o]wn, (and) they are saying: "[...] in the village of the que[en]" (9) [...]...[...] (10) [......] (11) 140 (‘litres') of flou[r (in]stead of [......] (r 1) He is taking (for himself) a town of the king. (r 3) I have sent from Guzana 30 (‘litres') of flour, 50 sheep and 40 jars, but has the town itself been purchase[d] with silver? Is it a town that the queen is buying and [...]ing? (r 9) I will be coming [to GN and at the king my lord’s] command [shall ... the ...] of the [...]. (r 14) [...] an abat šarri [......] (Rest destroyed or too broken for translation)”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P393611/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 043. Archers, Şimirra, and Work to be Finished (CTN 5 p. 145)
“(Beginning destroyed) (2) [......] ... the [k]ing (Break) (11) [......] whom the ki[ng|] (12) [... ...]... the people (r 1) [... ...]... have taken (r 2) [Concerning the a]rchers [about whom the king, my lord], wrote me, [saying] (r 4) [......] eunuch (r 5) [......] has [...]ed his archer(s) (r 6) [le]t him attack [... ...] the archers (r 7) [... On the x]th day two of them (r 8) [......] 40 [......] (r 9) [......] together (r 10) [O]n the 20th [o]f Nisan (I), [Mušal]lim-Aššur retur[ned] from [Ṣ]imirra, [saying]: “Go, quickly [rem]ove the corpses [...] and res[ume] th[eir] work, so it can be fin[ished] before the king (comes)." (r 15) [One] boat of Ṣi[mirr]a [...] (r 16) [... i]n [Ṣ]imirra [......] (r 17) [...] the [arche]r[s ...] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P393620/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 044. Archers Arrested and Sent to the Palace (CTN 5 p. 177)
“(1) To [the king, my lord: yo]ur servant [NN]. (3) At this very moment [I] am sending off the [...] (4) [...] ...... (5) ... the city of ... (6) [...] ... 20 minas of silver (7) ...... 8 mi[n]as of silver (8) [...] of [...] (9) Grand total: 30 min[as of silver] instead of the silver [......] (11) in the cu[stom] house [...] (12) [Ag]ain [......] (Break) (r 2) Right now [...] so[ldiers] have br[oken] their treaty with [the king of] Damascus and are going to Hamath; from among them ... have been arrested atop Qadeš, and I am right now sending them to the Palace. They are good archers.”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P224455/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 045. Building Works in Damascus (CTN 5 p. 181)
“(Beginning destroyed) (2) [not] yet [......] (3) 1,000 (bricks) the [... official] (4) ... [...] (5) We are building [......]. We have finish[ed] the ci[ty wall] and are digging [the moat]. (7) As t[o the news] of Damasc[us, PN], the commander-of-fifty of Ata[...], has ru[n away] to me. [I am herewith sen]di[ng him to] the king, [my] l[ord ...] (Break) (r 2) [..., sa]ying: "[... I have g]one up fr[om ...]; (thus) they should go up accordingly." (r 4) (But) from who[m] I am to give him barley? (r 6) Let the k[ing, my lord], write me [how much barley there] is left. (r 8) The kin[g ......] (r 9) which in the city of [......] (r 10) the k[ing, my] lord [......] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P393621/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 046. Horses, Horse Trainers and Captives (CTN 5 p. 184)
“(Beginning destroyed) (3) [that] I pla[ced ...]s (4) [from] Qu[e] (5) [...] horses [...] (6) [...] horse trainers [...] (7) [...] king's men wi[th him ...] (8) We [...] in their hands [...] (9) [... accor]ding to him [...] (10) [... t]his [...] (11) [...] me [...] (12) [...] ...... (13) [...] seized [...] (14) [......]... (15) [......] the district (16) [......] (17) [......] I (18) [......] year (Break) (r 5) [... se]ttle [...] them (r 6) [le]t him guard [...] they ... (r 7) [...]... I have settled them there. (r 8) They are waiting [for] their [...]s, their houses (and) their [...]. (r 10)…”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P393622/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 047. Dispute of Three Towns in the West (CTN 5 p. 313)
“(1) [To the k]ing, my l[or]d: [yo]ur [servant] Sulaya. Good [heal]th t[o] my [lo]rd! (4) Šamaš-naṣir, the deputy of Aššur-rema[nn]i has come [to] me, sa[ying]: "The king has given me the towns of Taku, Lulubani and Mila. Bring out your people so that I can bring my people in." (11) I refused to give up the towns, saying: "Until I see the king's messenger, I will cultivate [the tow]ns." (15) The king know[s] that Pirriya is not a subsoil-plough household; water is hard there. It is a shepherding household: pigs and deers are strong there. All the arable field[s] that can be cultivated [there…”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P224493/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 048. Information from a Deserter (CTN 5 p. 229)
“(1) To the kin[g, my lo]rd: [yo]ur serva[nt] Aššur-ila'i. Good health to the king, my [lo]rd! (4) The [f]orts a[n]d [se]rvants of the ki[n]g, my lord, are we[l]l. (6) As to what the kin[g], my [lo]rd, wro[t]e to me: "[Le]t [your] guar[d] be [s]trong." The gods of the king, my lord, have been returned. The king, my lord, can be glad. (9) Bur-il of Gu[bl]a, a servant of Anu-[...], has deserted [t]o [me]. I am herewith sending him to the k[ing], m[y] lord. (As to) the news of the town of Ba[r-Ur]i, he told me as follows: "They are selling half a (homer of) b[arl]ey fo[r ...] shekels of silver.…”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P224456/
Read the full tablet entry~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 19 049. Should They Cross the River or be Detained? (CTN 5 p. 245)
“(1) To the king, my lord: yo[ur] servant Aššur-ila'i. Good he[alth] to the king, [my] lord! (4) As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Arrest the caravans! Until [... have ente]red, [nobody] shall cr[oss] the river!" (Break) (r 2) The ...s are coming to meet the king, my lord. Should I let them go to cross the river or detain them? (r 8) Let the king, my lord, write me what (his) orders are.”
Source: Luukko, M. 2012. The Correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. SAA 19. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa19/P393678/
Read the full tablet entry