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.

~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 19 228. Regular Offerings (CTN 5 p. 307)

“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [NN ......] (2) ...[... ......] (3) ...[......] (4) the men [......] (5) when the (cult) dais [......] (6) [...] oxe[n ......] (Break) (r 1) I (and) the [... official ......] (r 2) its/his ... [......] (r 3) saying: "Let him tell me! [Gird your] loin[s ...], but stay (here) and bring [...]. (r 4) They brought [...]. A seal[ed document ...] (r 6) regular sheep offering with one [......] (r 7) ... head [......] (r 8) has cu[t ......] (r 9) the (cult) dais [......] (Break) (e. 1) [......] ...... [......] (e. 2) [......] of m[y] lord [......].”

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/P224482/

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~730 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

SAA 19 229. Men in Great Numbers (CTN 5 p. 292)

“(1) [To the king, my lord: your servant NN. The b]e[st of health to the k]in[g, m]y lord! (5) [...] are good. [PNf] go[es] to the interior. (7) Th[i]s [...] until we [...] (8) men in great numbers - this [...] which we will pl[ace]. (10) [...] ]men in great numbers [...]. (11) [M]oreover], they [ha]ve gone up a [...] terrain. (12) ...[... ...] they destroy (14) [...] shall we place (15) [... ve]ry (r 1) [...] his [...s] (r 2) [...] co[m]e down (r 3) [...] our [...]s. (r 4) The ki[ng], my [lord], knows [that ...] (r 5) in the forts [......] (r 6) of the for[ts ...] (r 7) the men of [......] (r 8) the king, [my] lo[rd ......] (Break) (e. 1) [The king, my lord], knows that the[s]e matters [......].”

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/P224462/

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~725 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Shalmaneser V 1

“(Akkadian 1) Palace of Shal[maneser (V), king of Assyria]: five minas of the king. (Aramaic 1) Five minas (by the standard) of the land. Five (minas) of the king.”

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/Q003622/

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~725 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Shalmaneser V 1003

“(Inscription_1 1) Fifteen minas (by the standard) of the land. (Inscription_2 1) Fifteen minas [of] the king.”

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/Q003633/

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~725 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Shalmaneser V 1004

“(Akkadian 1) Palace of [Shalmaneser (V)], king of Assyria: one mina of the king. (Aramaic 1) (One) mina of the king.”

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/Q003634/

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~725 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Shalmaneser V 2

“(Akkadian 1) Palace of Shalman[eser (V), king of Assyria]: three minas of the king. (Aramaic 1) Three minas (by the standard) of the land. Three minas of [the] king.”

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/Q003623/

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~725 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Shalmaneser V 2001

“(1) Belonging to Bānītu, queen of Shalmaneser (V), king of Assyria.”

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/Q003635/

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~725 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Shalmaneser V 2002

“(1) Belonging to Bānītu, queen of Shalmaneser (V), king of Assyria.”

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/Q003636/

Read the full tablet entry