Sennacherib 160
Obverse | ||
o 1o 1 | md30-PAP.MEŠ-SU MAN KUR aš-[šur].⸢KI⸣ e-piš ṣa-lam AN.ŠÁR ù DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ | (1) Sennacherib, king of Assy[ria], the one who fashioned image(s) of (the god) Aššur and the great gods: |
o 22 | ⸢É⸣ a-ki-it EDIN šá ⸢EZEN⸣ [qé-re-ti] ⸢šá ul⸣-tu UD.MEŠ SÙ.MEŠ im-ma-šu-u | (2) [Through] divination, at the command of the gods Šamaš and [Adad, I built] the akītu-house of the steppe for the [qerītu]-festival, which had been forgotten for a long time. I named it [Eabb]augga, “House (where) Tiāmat Is Put to Death.” I named its cella Edubduba[bba, “House that Makes] the Host of Tiāmat [Trem]ble.” |
o 33 | [ina] ⸢bi-ri⸣ qí-bit dUTU u d[IŠKUR DÙ-uš? é-(a)-ab?]-⸢ba?⸣-ug₅-ga É ka-mu-u ⸢tam?-tim⸣ MU-šú am-bi1 | |
o 44 | MU É pa-pa-ḫi-šú é-dùb-⸢dùb-ab⸣-[ba É mu-ri?]-⸢ib?⸣ ki-ṣir tam-tim ni-bit-su az-kur2 | |
o 55 | ⸢KÁ⸣.GAL ZABAR ḪUŠ.A šá ma-la a-ga-⸢sa⸣-[lak-ki ina] ši-pir dSIMUG3 | (5) [Through] the craft of the deity Ninagal [and] my own expertise, I had a gate of reddish bronze made that is entirely (one single) metal b[and]. Acco[rding to] the command that the gods Šamaš and Adad gave me through divination, I depicted on this gate an image of [(the god) Aššur, who] is going to fight [Tiāmat], (showing) the bow as he carries (it), in the chariot which he rides, (and) the Deluge [which he has h]arnessed, (and) the god Amurru as the driver who rides with him. |
o 66 | [u] nik-lat NÍ-ia ú-še-piš-ma ṣa-lam [AN.ŠÁR šá a-na ŠÀ ti-amat] ṣal-ti DU-ku | |
o 77 | ⸢GIŠ.PAN⸣ ki-i šá na-šu-ú ina GIŠ.GIGIR šá ra-ak-bu a-bu-⸢bu⸣ [šá ṣa]-⸢an⸣-du4 | |
o 88 | dMAR.TU šá a-na mu-kil ap-pa-a-ti it-ti-šú rak-bu a-⸢na⸣ [UGU] ⸢pi⸣-i šá dUTU u dIŠKUR | |
o 99 | ina bi-ri ⸢iq-bu⸣-nim-ma ṣe-er KÁ.GAL šá-a-šú e-ṣir DINGIR.[MEŠ ma-la] ina IGI-šú DU-ku | (9b) According to the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, I depicted on this gate (a scene showing) the god[s, as many as] go in front of him and go behind him, those who ride in vehicles (and) those who go on foot; [th]eir pos[itions] as they are arrayed before (the god) Aššur and arrayed behind (the god) Aššur; (and) Tiāmat, <with> the creatures (created) [inside] her, against whom (the god) Aššur, king of the gods, goes to fight. |
o 1010 | ù EGIR-šú DU-ku šá ru-ku-bu rak-bu šá ina GÌR.II-šú-<nu> DU-ku ⸢man⸣-[zal-ta-šú]-⸢nu⸣ ki-i šá ina IGI AN.ŠÁR5 | |
o 1111 | si-id-ru u EGIR AN.ŠÁR si-id-ru ti-amat <EN> nab-⸢nit⸣ [qer-bi]-⸢šú⸣ šá AN.ŠÁR MAN DINGIR.MEŠ | |
o 1212 | a-na lìb-bi-šú ṣal-ti il-la-ku a-na ⸢UGU pi⸣-i šá dUTU u dIŠKUR ṣe-er KÁ.GAL šá-a-šú e-ṣir | |
o 1313 | si-it-ti DINGIR.MEŠ šá ina GÌR.II-šú-nu il-la-ku ina UGU pi-i ⸢šá⸣ dUTU u dIŠKUR | (13) According to the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, ditto (= I depicted on this gate a scene showing) the rest of the gods who go on foot. [Acco]rding to the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, I did not depict (the scene) before Aššur captures Tiāmat, carries off the beasts of Tiāmat, gives [...] his [...]s as they run about on foot like this one, [...] who are not depi[cted] with them. I put in writing (the details of the scene) on this gate an[d] splendidly erected (it) [...] in silver, gold, (and) bronze. |
o 1414 | ⸢KIMIN?⸣ a-di la-a AN.ŠÁR ti-amat i-kam-mu-u ú-ma-ma-a-nu šá ti-amat i-na-áš-šá-a | |
o 1515 | [x (x) x].⸢MEŠ⸣-šú i-nam-di-nu ki-i an-⸢ni⸣-i ina GÌR.II-šú-nu i-du-ul-lu | |
Reverse | ||
r 16r 16 | [x x] x [x (x)] ⸢šá⸣ it-te-šú-nu la eṣ-[ru a-na] ⸢UGU pi⸣-i šá dUTU u d⸢IŠKUR⸣ la e-⸢ṣir⸣ | |
r 1717 | [a]-⸢na KÁ.GAL šu⸣-a-ti áš-ṭu-ru-⸢ma⸣ [...] KÙ.BABBAR KÙ.GI ⸢ZABAR⸣ še-er-⸢ḫiš⸣ | |
r 1818 | ⸢ul-ziz⸣ ú-nu-ut KÙ.BABBAR KÙ.GI ⸢ZABAR⸣ [ḪUŠ.A] ⸢ḫe⸣-pu-u ul-tu UGU 1 LIM ⸢GUN⸣ | (18b) To break down utensils of silver, gold, (and) [reddish] bronze, to melt down (metal) from 1,000 talents to one shekel, (and) to smelt (them) together: (20) I myself, the one who understands their technique (and) who grasps their casting, have mastered (these skills). If you do not believe (the record of) the casting of this bronze, I (hereby) swear by the king of the gods, (the god) Aššur, the god who created me, where this inscription is written down and where the image of (the god) Aššur and the image of the gods, as many as go to fight against Tiāmat with him, are depicted, that I myself had this metal-work cast. So that it will be known to future generations: (25) I increased therein the amount of tin. Know through this that I myself had this metal-work cast. |
r 1919 | a-di 1 GÍN šub-šu-lim-ma a-ḫa-meš ṣa-ba-tu mu-nak-kil nik-la-te-šú-nu | |
r 2020 | ṣa-bit pít-qí-šú-nu a-le-ʾe-e a-na-ku šum-ma šá bu-šul šá ZABAR šá-a-šú6 | |
r 2121 | ⸢a⸣-na qip-ti la ta-šak-kan at-mi LUGAL DINGIR.MEŠ AN.ŠÁR DINGIR ba-ni-ia | |
r 2222 | ⸢šum⸣-ma a-šar mál-ṭa-ru an-nu-ú šaṭ-ru u maš-kán ṣa-lam AN.ŠÁR u ṣa-lam DINGIR.MEŠ | |
r 2323 | ma-la it-ti-šú a-na ŠÀ ti-amat ṣal-ti il-la-ku eṣ-ru la pít-qa šu-ú | |
r 2424 | la a-na-ku ú-šab-ši-lu a-na it-ḫu-ra-nu-ti áš-šú li-iḫ-ḫa-kim | |
r 2525 | AN.NA ina lìb-bi uš-šá-am-id ina ŠÀ an-nim-ma ḫi-kim ki-i pít-qa šu-u ana-ku ú-šab-ši-lu | |
r 2626 | ṣa-lam AN.ŠÁR šá a-na ŠÀ ti-amat ṣal-ti DU-ku ṣa-lam md30-PAP.MEŠ-SU MAN KUR aš-šur7 | (26) The image of (the god) Aššur, who goes to fight against Tiāmat. The image of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The deities Šarur, Šargaz, Kakka, Nusku, Mandānu, Tišpak, Ninurta of the Wall, Kusu, Ḫaya, (and) the Sebetti — these are the gods who go in front of (the god) Aššur. The deities Mullissu, Šērūa, Sîn, Ningal, Šamaš, Aya, Kippat-māti, (30) Anu, Antu, Adad, Šala, Ea, D[amqina, (...)], Bēlet-ilī, (and) Ninurta — these are the gods who [g]o behind (the god) Aš[šur]. |
r 2727 | dšár-ur₄ dšár-gaz dkà-kà dnusku d⸢DI.KU₅⸣ dtišpak dMAŠ šá BÀD | |
r 2828 | dkù-sù dḫa-ìa d7.BI an-nu-ti DINGIR.MEŠ šá ina IGI AN.ŠÁR il-la-ku | |
r 2929 | ||
r 3030 | ||
r 3131 | dbe-let-DINGIR.MEŠ dMAŠ an-nu-ti DINGIR.MEŠ šá EGIR AN.[ŠÁR DU]-⸢ku⸣ | |
r 3232 | (32) The victorious weapon is placed in the chariot of (the god) Aššur. | |
r 3333 | (33) Tiāmat with the creatures (created) inside her. |
1DÙ-uš? “I built”: The restoration was suggested by E. Frahm (Sanherib p. 224). As Frahm correctly points out, there is not sufficient space on the tablet to restore ú-ter áš-ru-uš-šú “I restored”; for that restoration, see, for example, Livingstone, NABU 1990 p. 65 no. 87; Pongratz-Leisten, Ina Šulmi Īrub p. 207; Frahm, Sanherib p. 224; and Vera Chamaza, Omnipotenz p. 350. [é-(a)-ab?]-⸢ba?⸣-ug₅-ga “[Eabb]augga”: The proposed reading of the Sumerian ceremonial name follows George, NABU 1993 pp. 34–35 no. 43; note that until confirmation comes from another text, the reading of the name will remain open to speculation. A. Livingstone (NABU 1990 p. 65 no. 87) reads the Sumerian ceremonial name as ⸢é⸣-lá-ug₅-ga “Elaugga”; M. Malul (NABU 1993 pp. 83–85 no. 100) accepts Livingstone’s interpretation. The CAD (M/2 p. 316 sub mūtu), based on a collation by W.G. Lambert, understands the name of the akītu-house as ⸢é⸣-ug₅-ga “Eugga.” ⸢tam?-tim⸣ “Tiāmat”: The reading of the damaged sign follows George (and collation of the tablet). Lambert (CAD M/2 p. 316 sub mūtu) and Livingstone (NABU 1990 p. 65 no. 87; and NABU 1993 p. 60 no. 76), however, read the signs as ⸢mu-tim⸣ “death.”
2é-dùb-⸢dùb-ab⸣-[ba] “Edubduba[bba]”: E. Frahm (Sanherib p. 224) thinks that é-dùb-⸢dùb-ba⸣-[(a)-ab-ba] is also possible. [É mu-ri?]-⸢ib?⸣ “[House that Makes Trem]ble”: The restoration was suggested by Frahm (ibid.). A. Livingstone (NABU 1990 p. 65 no. 87) restores [É mu-šap-ši]-⸢iḫ⸣ “[House that Calm]s” and A.R. George (NABU 1993 pp. 34–35 no. 43) restores [É mu-nap-pi]-⸢iṣ⸣ “[House that Rout]s.”
3dSIMUG “the deity Ninagal”: For the reading, see CT 25 pl. 48 line 8: dnin-á-gal = dSIMUG = dé-a ša nap-pa-ḫi. Cf. Borger, MZ p. 360, where the signs are read as dÚMUN “the god Mummu.”
4[šá ṣa]-⸢an⸣-du “[which he has h]arnessed”: The restoration more or less follows CAD A/1 p. 80 sub abūbu 3b and Frahm, Sanherib p. 224. Cf. Luckenbill, Senn. p. 140; Pongratz-Leisten, Ina Šulmi Īrub p. 207; and Vera Chamaza, Omnipotenz p. 351, where the passage is read as [šá pa]-⸢aq⸣-du “[with which he is e]ntrusted.”
5⸢man⸣-[zal-ta-šú]-⸢nu⸣ “[th]eir pos[itions]”: The restoration is based on a suggestion that A. Livingstone made to E. Frahm (Sanherib p. 224).
6šá bu-šul “that of the casting”: The reading of the signs follows CAD B p. 351 sub bušlu 2. B. Pongratz-Leisten (Ina Šulmi Īrub pp. 207 and 209) takes the word to be an Assyrian infinitive (šá-bu-šulu). E. Frahm (Sanherib p. 224) suggests that the text may be corrupt here, with the scribe mixing up the Š infinitive form (šubšulu) and the nominal form (bušlu) of the root bšl.
7ṣa-lam md30-PAP.MEŠ-SU “the image of Sennacherib”: See Frahm, Sanherib p. 224.
8⸢GIŠ⸣.TUKUL “the weapon”: On the reading of the signs, see Livingstone, NABU 1990 p. 67 no. 88.
Created by A. Kirk Grayson, Jamie Novotny, and the Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period (RINAP) Project, 2014. Lemmatized by Jamie Novotny, 2013. The annotated edition is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license 3.0. Please cite this page as http://oracc.org/rinap/Q003965/.