Palace of Tiglath-piles[er (III), great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of Babylon, king of] Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters (of the world); valiant man who, with the help of (the god) Aššur, his lord, [smashed like pots] all [who were unsubmissive to him], swept over (them) like [the] Deluge, and considered (them) as (mere) ghosts; the king who [marched about] at the command of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, and Marduk, the great gods, [and] exercised authority over lands fr[om the Bi]tter Sea of Bīt-Yakīn, as far as Mount Bikni in the east, up to the Sea of the Setting Sun, as far as Egypt, [from] the horizon to the zenith, and exercised kingship over them.

ruling

From the beginning of my reign until my seventeenth palû, I captured, defeated, (and) plundered the (tribes) Ituʾu, [Rubu]ʾu, Ḫamarānu, Luḫuʾatu, Ḫaṭallu, Rubbû, Rapiqu, Ḫīrānu, Rabi-ilu, Naṣiru, Gulusu, Nabātu, Raḫiqu, Ka[piru], Rummulutu, Adilê, Gibrê, Ubudu, Gurumu, Ḫudadu, Ḫindiru (Ḫindaru), Damunu, Dunanu, Nilqu, Radê, Dai[...]nu, Ubulu, Karmaʾu, Amlatu, Ruʾuʾa, Qabiʾu, Liʾtaʾu, Marusu, Amatu, Ḫagarānu, (and those living in) the cities Dūr-Kurigalzu (and) Adin[ni], the fortresses of Sarragitu, Labbanat, (and) Kār-bēl-mātāti, all of the Arameans on the banks of the Tigris, Euphrates, and Surap[pu] Rivers, as far as the Uqnû River, which is by the shore of the Lower Sea. (10) I annexed to Assyria the Arameans, as many as there were, and I placed a eunuch of mine as provincial governor over them.

I built a city on top of a tell (lit. “a heaped-up ruin mound”) called Ḫumut (and) named it Kār-Aššur. I brought the people of (foreign) lands conquered by me therein.

In Sippar, Nippur, Babylon, Borsippa, Cutha, Kish, Dilbat, and Uruk, cult centers without rival, I offered pure sacrifices to the deities Bēl (Marduk), Zarpanītu, Nabû, Tašmētu, Nergal, (and) Laṣ, the great gods, my lords, and they loved my priestly services.

I exercised authority over the extensive land of Karduniaš (Babylonia) to its full extent and exercised kingship over it.

I overwhelmed the (tribe) Puqudu like a (cast) net, defeated them, (and) carried off much booty from them. I annexed to Assyria that (tribe) Puqudu, the city Laḫīru of Idibirīna, (and) the cities Ḫilimmu (and) Pillatu, which are on the border of the land Elam (and) I placed (them) under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the provincial governor of the city Arrapḫa. I deported (the people of) the land Labdudu, as many as there were, and settled (them) in Assyria.

I ensnared Chaldea in its entirety as with a bird-snare. As for Nabû-ušabši of (the land Bīt)-Šilāni (lit. “son of Šilāni”), I defeated him on the outskirts of the city Sarrabānu, his city. Moreover, I impaled him before the gate of his city, while making (the people of) his land watch. By means of earthworks [and] battering rams, I captured the city Sarrabānu. I carried off 55,000 people, together with their possessions, his booty, his property, his goods, his wife, his sons, his daughters, and his gods. I de[stroyed, devastated, (and) bu]rned [with fire] that city, together with cities in its environs, and turned (them) into mounds of ruins (lit. “mounds and ruins”).

I captured the cities of Tarbaṣu (and) Yaballu. I car[ried off] 30,000 people, together with their possessions, their [pro]perty, their goods, and their gods. I destroyed [t]hose [cities], together with cities in their environs, (making them) like tells after the Deluge.

Zaqiru of (the land Bīt)-Šaʾalli (lit. “son of Šaʾalli”) neglected the loyalty oath (sworn by) the great gods and [conspir]ed with [my enemies]. I personally captured him, together with his nobles, (20) placed them in iron fetters, and took (them) to Assyria. The people of the land Bīt-Šaʾalli became frightened and they made the city Dūr-[Baliḫāya], their royal [city], their fortress. By means of artificial mounds and siege machines, I conquered that city and utterly demolished (it). I carried off 40,500 people, together with their possessions, th[eir] booty, their [property], their goods, (as well as) his (Zaqiru’s) wife, his sons, his daughters, and his gods.

I conquered the city Amlilatu. I carried off (its) people, together with their possessions, its booty, its property, (and) its goods. I swept over the land Bīt-Šaʾalli in its entirety like the Deluge and devastated its settlements. I annexed those lands to Assyria.

I confined Mukīn-zēri of (the land Bīt)-Amukāni (lit. “son of Amukāni”) to Sapê (Šapīya), his royal city. I inflicted a heavy defeat upon him before his city gates. I cut down the orchards (and) musukkannu-trees that were near his (city) wall; I did not leave a single one (standing). I killed date-palms throughout his land by ripping off their (text: “its”) fruit and filling the meadows (with them).

I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire all of his cities. Like tells after the Deluge, I destroyed the lands Bīt-Šilāni, Bīt-Amukāni, and Bīt-Šaʾalli in their entirety, (and) turned (them) into mounds of ruins (lit. “mounds and ruins”).

I received the payment of Balāssu of (the land Bīt)-Dakkūri (lit. “son of Dakkūri”) (and) Nādinu of (the city) Larak: silver, gold, (and) precious stones. (As for) Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan) of (the land Bīt)-Yakīn (lit. “son of Yakīn”), a king of the Sea(land) who had not come before any of the kings, my ancestors, and who had not kissed their feet, fear of the brilliance of (the god) Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed him and he came to the city Sapīya (Šapīya), before me, and kissed my feet. I received as his payment natural, unrefined gold in great quantity, jewelry made of gold, a gold necklace, pearls (lit. “precious stones, produce of the sea”), beams of ebony, ellūtu-wood, ašqulālu-plant(s), amīlānu-plant(s), multi-colored garments, all types of aromatics, oxen, and sheep and goats.

ruling

As with a bird-snare, I ensnared the lands Namri, Bīt-Sangibūti, Bīt-Ḫamban, Sumurzu, (Bīt)-Barrūa, Bīt-Zualzaš, (and) Bīt-Matti, the city Niqqu of the land Tupliaš, the lands Bīt-Taranzāya, Parsua, Bīt-Zatti, (30) Bīt-Abdadāni, Bīt-Kapsi, Bīt-Sangi, (and) Bīt-Urzakki, the cities Bīt-Ištar (and) Zakruti, the lands Gizinikissi (and) Niššāya, the cities Ṣibur (and) Urimzan, the lands Raʾusan, Uparia, Bustus, Ariarma — the land of roosters — Sa[k]sukni, Araquttu, Karzibra, Gukinnana, (and) Bīt-Sagbat, Mount Silḫazu, [which] they call the fortress of the Babylonian(s), Mount Rūa, as far as the salt desert of the lands Ušqaqāna (and) Šikrakki — (the land) of gold — (and) the districts of the mighty Medes to their full extent.

I inflicted a heavy [de]feat upon them. I carried off 60,500 people, together with their possessions, their horses, their mules, their Bactrian camels, their oxen, (and) their sheep and goats, without number. I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire their [cit]ies. I turned (them) into mounds of ruins (lit. “mounds and ruins”).

I annexed to Assyria the lands Namri, Bīt-Sangibūti, Bīt-Ḫamban, Sumurzu, Bīt-Barrūa, Bīt-Zualzaš, (and) (35) [Bīt]-Matti, the city Niqqu of the land Tupliaš, the lands Bīt-Taranzāya, Parsua, Bīt-Zatti, Bīt-Abdadāni, Bīt-Kapsi, Bīt-Sangi, (and) Bīt-Urzakki, (and) the cities Bīt-Ištar (and) Zakruti, (cities) of the mighty Medes.

I rebuilt the cities inside them (those lands), set up the weapon of (the god) Aššur, my lord, therein, (and) brought the people of (foreign) lands conquered by me therein. I placed [...] eunuchs of mine as provincial governors over them.

I erected my royal image in the land Tikrakki, in the cities Bīt-Ištar (and) Ṣibur, in the land Ariarma — the land of roosters — (and) at [Mount S]ilḫazu, which they call the fortress of the Babylonian(s).

[I received] the payme[nt of the Med]es, the people of the land Ellipu, and the city rulers of all of the mountain regions, as far as Mount Bikni — [...], horses, mules, Bactrian camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, without num[ber].

[Iranzu of the land Mann]ea [heard about] the glorious valor of (the god) Aššur, my lord, that I [had accomplished again and again] throughout all of the mountain regions [and (40) the brilliance] of (the god) Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed him. He came to the city Dūr-Tiglath-pileser (“Fort Tiglath-pileser”), which [..., be]fore me, (and) kiss[ed my feet. I received ... hor]ses, mules, oxen, and sheep and goats, military equipment, [...].

[I sent a eu]nuch of mine, Aššur-daʾʾinanni, against the mighty Medes in the ea[st. He took 5,000 horses, people, oxen, and sheep and goats, without number].

ruling

I captured the lands [Ullu]ba (and) Ḫabḫu in their (text: “its”) entirety (and) I annexed (them) to Assyria. [(...) I built a city in the land Ulluba (and) I named it Aššur-iqīša]. Inside (it), I founded [a palace for] my royal [resid]ence. I set up the weapon of (the god) Aššur, my lord, therein, (and) [settled the] people of (foreign) la[nds conquered by me therein. ...].

ruling

[(As for) Sarduri of the land U]rarṭu, Sulumal of the land Melid, Tarḫula[ra of the land Gurgum, ...] Kuštašpi of the land Kummuḫu, [they (Sarduri and allies) ...] to capture and plunder [Assyrian territory ... Be]tween the lands Kištan and Ḫalpi, districts of the land K[ummuḫu, I (utterly) defeated them and ... With the blood of] their [warr]iors [I dyed] the Sinzi River as red as dyed wool. [...] I took their [entire ca]mp away from them. In the midst of [that] bat[tle, I ...] ..., (their) royal beds [...]

Lacuna

Lacuna

I se[t the rest of her (Samsi’s) possessions (and) her tents, her people’s safeguard within her camp], on fire. [Samsi became startled by my mighty weapons and] she [brought camels, she-camels, with their young, to As]syria, before me. I placed [a representative (of mine) ov]er her [and ... 10,000 soldiers ...].

ruling

The people of the cities [Mas]ʾa, Tema, Saba, Ḫayappa, Badanu, (and) [Ḫatte, (and) the (tribes) Idibaʾilu, ..., who are on the border of the west]ern [lands], whom none (of my predecessors) had known about, and whose country is remote, [heard about] the fame of my majesty (and) [my heroic deeds, and (thus) they beseeched my lordship]. (rev. 5´) As one, [they brought] befo[re me gold, sil]ver, camels, she-camels, (and) all types of aromatics as their payment [and they kissed my feet]. I appointed [Id]ibiʾilu as the “gatekeeper” facing Egypt.

In all of the (foreign) lands that ... [... I received the paymen]t of Kuštašpi of the land Kummuḫu, Urik(ki) of the land Que, Sibitti-biʾil of the city [Byblos, Hiram of the land Tyre, Pisīris of the city Carchemish, Ēnī]-il of the land Hamath, Panammû of the city Samʾal, Tarḫulara of the city Gurgum, Sulu[mal of the land Melid, Dadīlu of the city Kaska, U]assurme of the land Tabal, Ušḫitti of the city Tuna, Urballâ of the city Tuḫana, Tuḫam[mi of the city Ištunda, Urimmi of the city Ḫubišna, (rev. 10´) Ma]ttan-biʾil (Mattan-Baʾal) of the city Arvad, Sanīpu of the land Bīt-Ammon, Salāmānu of the land Moab, ...[... of ..., ... of ..., Mi]tinti of the land Ashkelon, Jehoahaz of the land Judah, Qauš-malaka of the land Edom, Muṣ...[... of ..., ... of ..., (and) Ḫa]nūnu of the city Gaza: gold, silver, tin, iron, lead, multi-colored garments, linen garments, the garments of their lands, red-purple wool, [..., all kinds of] costly articles, produce of the sea (and) dry land, commodities of their lands, royal treasures, horses (and) mules broken to the yo[ke, ...].

ruling

[U]assurme of the land Tabal acted as if he were the equal of Assyria and he did not come before me. [I sent] a eunuch of mine, the chief [eunuch, to the land Tabal. ...]. I placed [Ḫu]llî, a commoner (lit. “son of a nobody”) on his royal throne. [I received] 10 talents of gold, 1,000 talents of silver, 2,000 horses, (and) [... mules as his audience gift].

ruling

I sent a eunuch of mine, the chief eunuch, to the city Tyre. [I received] from Metenna of the city Tyre 150 talents of gold (and) [2,000 talents of silver as his audience gift].

ruling

With the keen understanding (and) broad knowledge that the sage of the gods, the prince, the god Nudimmud (Ea), granted to me, I built in Kalḫu a cedar palace, [... for my lordly residence] and a bīt-ḫilāni, a replica of a palace of the land Ḫatti (Syria-Palestine), for my pleasure. I made the dimensions of its site [... large cubits in length (and) sixty large cubits in width] larger than the former palaces of my ancestors [by (re)claiming] (land) from the Tigris River (by filling it in). [...] ... [...].

I cleverly made plans with (the help of) all of the skilled craftsmen and ... [...] ... [...]. Like the base of a mountain, I piled up heavy limestone (blocks to a depth of) twenty large cubits in the raging waters and I [... stopped its] flooding. I put up their terraces, secured their foundations, and raised high their summits. (To a height of) one half nindanu (and) two-thirds of a cubit, [I] constructed rooms of [...] and I made their gates face north.

[I decor]ated (lit. “I established”) (them) with ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, c[eda]r, šur[mēnu]-wood, [burāšu-juniper, and] juniper — (which was) tribute from the kings of the land Ḫatti (Syria-Palestine) (and) from Aramean and Chaldean rulers whom I sub[dued (and) ...] with the power of my heroism — (and) I filled (them) with splendor.

(To a height of) five and one half nindanu (and) four cubits, from the depth of the water to (their) copings, I designed their structure and I made their workmanship more resp[len]dent than the palaces of (foreign) lands.

I roofed them with long beams of cedar, which are as sweet to smell as the scent of ḫašūru-wood, a product of Mount Am[anus], Mount Lebanon, (and) Mount Ammanāna, thus I demonstrated appropriate care (for their roofing). In order to splendidly provide appropriate decorations for the locks [...] ..., I fashioned stones of the stonecutter’s craft and (thus) made (its) gate(s) befitting (a royal palace).

I fastened bands of shiny silver (zaḫalû) and <ešmarû-silver> on double doors of cedar (and) šurmēnu-wood, which bestow (great) pleasure on those who enter them (and) whose fragrance wafts into the heart, and I hung (them) wherever there were gates.

I set up in (its) entrances (statues of) lions, šēdu, (and) lamassu, whose features are very skillfully wrought (and) which are clothed with splendor, (rev. 30´) and I erected (them there) as objects of wonder (for the people). I laid threshold slabs of gypsum (and) parūtu-alabaster at their feet (lit. “beneath them”) and (thus) I brightened the(ir) exit(s).

Moreover, I placed stone images, guardians of the great gods, creatures of the apsû (i.e., fish-men), around (the palace’s) supporting wall, thus I endowed (them) with a terrifying quality.

To put the finishing touch on them (the palatial halls), I arranged knobbed pegs of gold, silver, and bronze around them, and (thus) I made their appearance bright.

For my royal abode, I set up therein a glittering chamber inlaid with precious stones. I named them “(The) Palatial Halls of Joy Which Bear Abundance, Which Bless the King, (and) Which Make Their Builder Long-[Liv]ed.”

I na[m]ed their gates “Gates of Justice Which Give the Correct Judgment for the Rulers of the Four Quarters (of the World), Which O[ff]er the Yield of the Mountains and the Seas, (and) Which Admit the Produce of Mankind Before the King Their Lord.”