The Khorsabad list and the Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDAS)
List, are the two best preserved surviving versions of the Assyrian
King List. The tablet was found at the site of Khorsabad (ancient
Dūr-Šarrukīn) during the excavations led by the Oriental Institute of
the University of Chicago in 1932-33. A photograph of the tablet's
obverse first appeared in Loud and Altman, Khorsabad 2 (OIP
40 [1938] pl. 57 no. 74); the image, however, was unfortunately not
legible. A more legible photograph of the reverse face had been
published a few years earlier in the English periodical The
Sphere and Weidner used that image to produce a partial
translation of it (AfO 14 [1941-44] 362-9). In 1943, A. Poebel
published a long historical analysis of the text, as well as translations of some of the more important passages.
The SDAS List is essential for reconstructing many of the damaged passages of this important tablet. In 1954, I.J. Gelb published both versions of Assyrian King List in tandem, presenting the two texts in side-by-side transliterations and translations.
The Khorsabad List, which ends with the reign of Aššur-nārārī V (754-745 BC), is the only extant version of the AKL that is dated: it was inscribed during "the eponymy of Adad-bēl-ukīn, governor of Ashur" (738 BC), during the reign of Aššur-nārārī's immediate successor Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 BC).
Gelb, JNES 4 (1954) pl. 14-15.
The tablet inscribed with the Khorsabad List is nearly identical in
size and shape to the one on which the SDAS List is inscribed. There are a few notable differences in these two versions of the AKL.
ii 3: The
Khorsabad List records that Išme-Dagan I (no. 40) exercised kingship
for forty years. In the SDAS
List he is credited with a fifty-year reign. Išme-Dagān I's
reign is not preserved in the Nassouhi List.
iv 3: The Khorsabad List has
[...-k]a-bi, possibly referring to Ilā-kabkabī; this
is presumably a scribal error for Aššur-bēl-kala (no. 89), the ruler's
name one expects on the basis of SDAS List iii 35. [Note that Gelb 1954:211 mistakenly refers to a non-existent line "iii 39" in his introduction.]
| Line | Ruler
No. | | Translation | | Ruler No. | | Translation |
| i 1 | (1) | | Ṭūdīya | | | | |
| i 2 | (2) | | Adāmu | | (3) | | Yangi |
| i 3 | (4) | | Saḫlāmu | | (5) | | Ḫarḫaru |
| i 4 | (6) | | Mandaru | | (7) | | Imṣu |
| i 5 | (8) | | Ḫarṣu | | (9) | | Didānu |
| i 6 | (10) | | Ḫanû | | (11) | | Zū-abi |
| i 7 | (12) | | Nuʾabu | | (13) | | Abāzu |
| i 8 | (14) | | Belû | | (15) | | Azaraḫ |
| i 9 | (16) | | Ušpiya | | (17) | | Apiašal |
| | | | | | | |
| i 10 | | | Total of 17 kings, | | | | who dwelt in tents. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 11 | (26) | | Aminu [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/ashursorigins/aminu/index.html], |
| | | son of Ilā-kabkabī. |
| i 12 | (25) | | Ilā-kabkabī, | | | | son of Yaškur-ilu. |
| i 13 | (24) | | Yaškur-ilu, | | | | son of Yakmenu. |
| i 14 | (23) | | Yakmenu, | | | | son of Yakmisu. |
| i 15 | (22) | | Yakmisu, | | | | son of Ilī-Wēr. |
| i 16 | (21) | | Ilī-Wēr, | | | | son of Ḫayānu. |
| i 17 | (20) | | Ḫayānu, | | | | son of Samānu. |
| i 18 | (19) | | Samānu, | | | | son of Ḫallî. |
| i 19 | (18) | | Ḫallî, | | | | son of Apiašal. |
| i 20 | (17) | | Apiašal, | | | | son of Ušpiya. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 21 | | | Total of 10 kings, | | | | who were forefathers. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 22 | (27) | | Sulilu [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/ashursorigins/sulilu/index.html], | | | | son of Aminu [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/ashursorigins/aminu/index.html]. |
| i 23 | (28) | | [Ki]kkiya | | (29) | | Akiya |
| i 24 | (30) | | [Puzu]r-Aššur (I) | | (31) | | Šalim-aḫum [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/shalimahum/index.html] |
| i 25 | (32) | | [Ilu-š]ūma [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/ilushumma/index.html] | |
| | Total
of 6 kings, |
| i 26 | | | [who occur? on? bricks], whose | | | | eponymies are unknown(?). |
| | | | | | | |
| i 27 | (33) | | [Er]išum [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/erishumi/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Ilu-šūma [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/ilushumma/index.html], |
| i 28 | | | [whose eponymie]s? (are known?), | | | | ruled 40 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 29 | (34) | | [Ikūn]um [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/ikunum/index.html], | | | | son of Erišum [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/erishumi/index.html] (I), |
| i 30 | | | [x years] | |
| | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 31 | (35) | | [Sargon] [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/sargoni/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Ikūnum [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/ikunum/index.html], |
| i 32 | | | [x ye]ars | |
| | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 33 | (36) | | Puzur-Aššur (II), | | | | son of [Sargon] [/riao/ria1/earlybeginnings/puzurashurdynasty/sargoni/index.html] (I), |
| i 34 | | | [x] years | |
| | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 35 | (37) | | Narām-Sîn, | | | | son of Puzur-Aššur (II), |
| i 36 | | | [x] years | |
| | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 37 | (38) | | Erišum (II), | | | | son of Narām-Sîn |
| i 38 | | | [x] years | |
| | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| i 39 | (39) | | Samsī-Addu [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/samsiaddudynasty/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Ilā-kabkabī, |
| i 40 | | | at the time | | | | of Narām-Sîn, |
| i 41 | | | went [to Karduni]aš. | | | | In the eponymy of Ibnî-Adad, |
| i 42 | | | [Samsī]-Addu (I) | | | | from Karduniaš |
| i 43 | | | [came up (to) Ekallāte] | | | | (and) he seized (it). |
| i 44 | | | [3 years in Ekallāte] | | | | he resided. |
| i 45 | | | [In the eponymy of Atamar-Ištar,] | | | | Samsī-Addu (I) |
| i 46 | | | [from Ekallāte | | | | c]ame up. |
| i 47 | | | [Erišum (II), son of Narām-Sîn, | | | | h]e deposed from the throne, |
| ii 1 | | | he seized the throne (and) 33 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 2 | (40) | | Išme-Dagān (I), | | | | son of Samsī-Addu (I), |
| ii 3 | | | 40 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 4 | (41) | | Aššur-dugul, | | | | son of a nobody, |
| ii 5 | | | not an occupant of a throne, 6 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 6 | | | At the time of Aššur-dugul, | | | | son of a nobody, |
| ii 7 | (42) | | Aššur-apla-īdi, | | (43) | | Nāṣir-Sîn |
| ii 8 | (44) | | Sîn-nammir, | | (45) | | Ipqi-Ištar |
| ii 9 | (46) | | Adad-ṣalūlu | | (47) | | Adāsi, |
| ii 10 | | | 6 kings, | | | | son(s) of a nobody, |
| ii 11 | | | ? ? ? | | | | ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 12 | (48) | | Bēlu-bāni, | | | | son of Adāsi, |
| ii 13 | | | 10 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 14 | (49) | | Libāya, | | | | son of Bēlu-bāni, |
| ii 15 | | | 17 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 16 | (50) | | Šarma-Adad (I), | | | | son of Libāya, |
| ii 17 | | | 12 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 18 | (51) | | Iptar-Sîn, | | | | son of Šarma-Adad (I), |
| ii 19 | | | 12 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 20 | (52) | | Bāzāyu, | | | | son of Bēlu-bāni, |
| ii 21 | | | 28 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 22 | (53) | | Lullāyu, | | | | son of a nobody, |
| ii 23 | | | 6 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 24 | (54) | | Šū-Nīnua (or Kidin-Nīnua), | | | | son of Bāzāyu, |
| ii 25 | | | 14 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 26 | (55) | | Šarma-Adad (II), | | | | son of Šū-Nīnua (or Kidin-Nīnua), |
| ii 27 | | | 3 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 28 | (56) | | Erišum (III), | | | | son of Šū-Nīnua (or Kidin-Nīnua), |
| ii 29 | | | 13 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 30 | (57) | | Šamšī-Adad (II), | | | | son of Erišum (III), |
| ii 31 | | | 6 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 32 | (58) | | Išme-Dagān (II), | | | | son of Šamšī-Adad (II), |
| ii 33 | | | 16 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 34 | (59) | | Šamšī-Adad [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/belubanidynasty/shamshiadadiii/index.html] (III), son of Išme-Dagān (II), | | | | brother of Šarma-Adad (II), |
| ii 35 | | | son of Šū-Nīnua (or Kidin-Nīnua), 16 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 36 | (60) | | Aššur-nārārī [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/belubanidynasty/ashurnararii/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Išme-Dagān (II), |
| ii 37 | | | 26 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 38 | (61) | | Puzur-Aššur [/riao/fromsamsiaddutomittanicilent18081364bc/puzurashuriii/index.html]
(III), son of Aššur-nārārī [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/belubanidynasty/ashurnararii/index.html] (I), | | | | ruled [24 years]. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 39 | (62) | | Enlil-nāṣir [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/belubanidynasty/enlilnasiri/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Puzur-Aššur (III), |
| ii 40 | | | 13 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 41 | (63) | | Nūr-ili, | | | | son of Enlil-nāṣir (I), |
| ii 42 | | | 12 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 43 | (64) | | Aššur-šaddûni, | | | | son of Nūr-ili, |
| ii 44 | | | 1 month of days | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 45 | (65) | | Aššur-rabi [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/mittanianhegemony/]
(I), son of Enlil-nāṣir
(I), | | | | Aššur-šaddûni from the throne |
| ii 46 | | | he deposed, he seized the throne, | | | | he ruled x years. |
| | | | | | | |
| ii 47 | (66) | | Aššur-nādin-aḫḫē (I), son of Aššur-rabi (I), | | | | ruled x years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 1 | (67) | | Enlil-nāṣir (II), his brother, | | | | deposed him from the throne (and) |
| iii 2 | | | 6 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 3 | (68) | | Aššur-nārārī (II), | | | | son of Enlil-nāṣir (II), |
| iii 4 | | | 7 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 5 | (69) | | Aššur-bēl-nišēšu [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/mittanianhegemony/ashurbelnisheshu/index.html], | | | | son of Aššur-nārārī (II), |
| iii 6 | | | 9 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 7 | (70) | | Aššur-rêm-nišēšu [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/mittanianhegemony/ashurremnisheshu/index.html], | | | | son of Aššur-bēl-nišēšu, |
| iii 8 | | | 8 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 9 | (71) | | Aššur-nādin-aḫḫē [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/mittanianhegemony/ashurnadinahheii/index.html] (II), | | | | son of Aššur-rêm-nišēšu, |
| iii 10 | | | 10 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 11 | (72) | | Erība-Adad [/riao/ria1/oldassyrianperiod/mittanianhegemony//eribaadadi/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Aššur-bēl-nišēšu, |
| iii 12 | | | 27 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 13 | (73) | | Aššur-uballiṭ [/riao/ria1/kingdomofassyria/ashuruballiti/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Erība-Adad (I), |
| iii 14 | | | 36 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 15 | (74) | | Enlil-nārārī [/riao/ria1/kingdomofassyria/enlilnarari/index.html], son of Aššur-uballiṭ (I), | | | | ruled 36 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 16 | (75) | | Arik-dīn-ili [/riao/ria1/kingdomofassyria/arikdinili/index.html], son of Enlil-nārārī, | | | | ruled 12 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 17 | (76) | | Adad-nārārī [/riao/ria2/adadnararii/index.html] (I), brother, | | | | of Arik-dīn-ili, |
| iii 18 | | | 32 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 19 | (77) | | Shalmaneser [/riao/ria2/shalmaneseri/index.html] (I), son of Adad-nārārī (I), | | | | ruled 30 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 20 | (78) | | Tukultī-Ninurta [/riao/ria2/tukultininurtai/index.html] (I), son of Shalmaneser (I), | | | | ruled [3]7 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 21 | | | Tukultī-Ninurta [/riao/ria2/tukultininurtai/index.html]
(I) was alive(?), | | (79) | | Aššur-nādin-apli [/riao/ria2/ashurnadinapli/index.html], his son, |
| iii 22 | | | seized the throne (and) 3 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 23 | (80) | | Aššur-nārārī (III), | | | | son of Ashurnasirpal (I), |
| iii 24 | | | 6 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 25 | (81) | | Enlil-kudurrī-uṣur, | | | | son of Tukultī-Ninurta (I), |
| iii 26 | | | 5 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 27 | (82) | | Ninurta-apil-Ekur [/riao/ria2/ninurtaapilekur/index.html], | | | | son of Ilu-iḫadda, |
| iii 28 | | | descendant of Erība-Adad (I), | | | | he went to Karduniaš, |
| iii 29 | | | from Karduniaš he went up, | | | | he seized the throne, |
| iii 30 | | | 3 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 31 | (83) | | Aššur-dān [/riao/ria2/ashurdani/index.html] (I), son of Ninurta-apil-Ekur, | | | | ruled 46 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii
32 | (84) | | Ninurta-tukultī-Aššur, | | | | son
of Aššur-dān (I), |
| iii 33 | | | x x | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 34 | (85) | | Mutakkil-Nusku, | | | | his brother, fought with him, |
| iii 35 | | | to Karduniaš |
| | | deported him; |
| iii 36 | | | Mutakkil-Nusku held the
throne, | | | | then he died. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 37 | (86) | | Aššur-rēša-iši [/riao/ria2/ashurreshaishii/index.html] (I), | | | | son of Mutakkil-Nusku, |
| iii 38 | | | 18 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 39 | (87) | | Tiglath-pileser [/riao/ria3/tiglathpileseri/index.html] (I), | | | | son Aššur-rēša-iši (I), |
| iii 40 | | | 39 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 41 | (88) | | Ašarēd-apil-Ekur [/riao/ria3/asharedapilekur/index.html], | | | | son
of Tiglath-pileser (I), |
| iii 42 | | | 2 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 43 | (89) | | Aššur-bēl-kala [/riao/ria3/ashurbelkala/index.html], | | | | son
of Tiglath-pileser (I), |
| iii 44 | | | 18 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iii 45 | (90) | | Erība-Adad [/riao/ria3/eribaadadii/index.html] (II), son of Aššur-bēl-kala, | | | | ruled 2 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 1 | (91) | | Šamšī-Adad [/riao/ria3/shamshiadadiv/index.html] (IV), | | | | son of Tiglath-pileser (I), |
| iv 2 | | | from
Karduniaš | | | | he came up; Erība-Adad(II) |
| iv 3 | | | son of [Ilā-kabk]abī
(prob. error for Aššur-bēl-kala [/riao/ria3/ashurbelkala/index.html]), |
| | | he deposed from the throne; |
| iv 4 | | | he seized the throne (and) | | | | ruled 4 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 5 | (92) | | Ashurnasirpal [/riao/ria3/ashurnasirpali/index.html] (I), son of Šamšī-Adad (IV), | | | | ruled 19 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 6 | (93) | | Shalmaneser [/riao/ria3/shalmaneserii/index.html] (II), | | | | son Ashurnasirpal (I), |
| iv 7 | | | 12 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 8 | (94) | | Aššur-nārārī [/riao/ria3/ashurnarariiv/index.html] (IV), son of Shalmaneser (II), | | | | ruled 6 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 9 | (95) | | Aššur-rabi [/riao/ria3/ashurrabiii/index.html] (II), son of Ashurnasirpal (I), | | | | ruled 41 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 10 | (96) | | Aššur-rēša-iši [/riao/ria3/ashurreshaishiii/index.html] (II), | | | | son Aššur-rabi (II), |
| iv 11 | | | 5 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 12 | (97) | | Tiglath-pileser [/riao/ria3/tiglathpileserii/index.html]
(II), | | | | son of Aššur-rēša-iši (II), |
| iv 13 | | | 32 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 14 | (98) | | Aššur-dān [/riao/ria3/ashurdanii/index.html] (II), | | | | son Tiglath-pileser (II), |
| iv 15 | | | 23 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 16 | (99) | | Adad-nārārī [/riao/ria3/adadnarariii/index.html] (II), | | | | son Aššur-dān (II), |
| iv 17 | | | 21 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 18 | (100) | | Tukultī-Ninurta [/riao/ria3/tukultininurtaii/index.html] (II), son of Adad-nārārī (II), | | | | ruled 7 years. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 19 | (101) | | Ashurnasirpal [/riao/ria4/index.html] (II), | | | | son Tukultī-Ninurta (II), |
| iv 20 | | | 52 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 21 | (102) | | Shalmaneser [/riao/ria5/shalmaneseriii/index.html] (III), | | | | son Ashurnasirpal (II), |
| iv 22 | | | 35 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 23 | (103) | | Šamšī-Adad [/riao/ria5/shamshiadadv/index.html]
(V), | | | | son Shalmaneser (III), |
| iv 24 | | | 13 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 25 | (104) | | Adad-nārārī [/riao/ria5/adadnarariiii/index.html] (III), | | | | son Šamšī-Adad (V), |
| iv 26 | | | 28 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 27 | (105) | | Shalmaneser [/riao/ria5/shalmeneseriv/index.html]
(IV), | | | | son Adad-nārārī (III), |
| iv 28 | | | 10 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 29 | (106) | | Aššur-dān [/riao/ria5/ashurdaniii/index.html] (III), | | | | son Shalmaneser (IV), |
| iv 30 | | | 18 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 31 | (107) | | Aššur-nārārī [/riao/ria5/ashurnarariv/index.html] (V), | | | | son Adad-nārārī (III), |
| iv 32 | | | 10 years | | | | he ruled. |
| | | | | | | |
| iv 33 | | | Copy of Aššur | | | | |
| iv 34 | | | Hand of Kandalānu, scribe of
the temple, | | | | |
| iv 35 | | | which is in Arbela | | | | |
| iv 36 | | | Month Lulubû, 20th day | | | | |
| iv 37 | | | Eponymy of Adad-bēl-ukin (738 BC), | | | | |
| iv 38 | | | the governor of Aššur, | | | | |
| iv 39 | | | in his second eponymy. | | | | |
Selected Bibliography
Gelb, I.J., 'Two Assyrian Kinglists,' JNES 13 (1954), pp. 209-30.
Poebel, A., 'The Assyrian King List from Khorsabad,' JNES 1 (1942), pp. 247-306, 460-92; JNES 2 (1943), pp. 56-90.
Nathan Morello, 'The Khorsabad List', The Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo) Project, The RIAo Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2023 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/kinglists/assyriankinglist/khorsabadlist/]