CT 53, 037 + 679 (P313452)
Letter, Neo-Assyrian, Nineveh · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | CT 53, 037 + 679 |
|---|---|
| ID | P313452 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Letter |
| Find spot | Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) |
| Coordinates | 36.3582, 43.1621 |
English translation
By ORACC project saao/saa05 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:1] o 1o 1–o 1o 1 | To the king, [my] lo[rd: your servant NN]. Good health t[o the king, my lord!] |
| Obverse [1:3] o 22–o 33 | My messenger permane[ntly (appointed) in the presence of the treasurer] has greeted m[e, saying]: |
| Obverse [3:10] o 44–o 1010 | "You ordered me to sa[y to] the treasurer: '[Wa]it for my messenger; see, I am going to write to the treasurer.' I was in Kipšuna for [x] days, and the treasurer kept waiting for [your] mess[enger], but you [did not send word], nor did your messenger come [...]. |
| Obverse [10:11] o 1111–o 1111 | "Now [then] the peop[le of the country ......] |
| Obverse [12:13] o 1313–o 1313 | '[I] bear [......] |
| Obverse [13:14] o 1414–o 1414 | [te]ll me; if not [......], |
| Obverse [14:15] o 1515–o 1515 | should they do their work [......]?' |
| Obverse [15:20] o 1616–o 2020 | He told her: ['Do not do the work]; leave it until the day [......]. I am going to gather them. Filling [......] they pour [...]; I [am going to ...] and [pour] oil upon their heads.'" |
| Obverse [20:24] o 2121–o 2424 | These were the words [that] he spoke [in my presence]. I [asked him]: "Did you not [open] your mouth and speak [with him]?" He said [...] as [follows]: |
| Obverse [24:27] o 2525–o 2727 | "The beards [of ... and] the whole country have been trim[med. NN] and his brother [have ......] with Iṣi[ye] |
| Obverse [27:28] o 2828–o 2828 | concerning th[ose] matters [...] |
| Obverse [28:30] o 2929– | about which I wrote to the Palace [...] |
| Bottom [0:1] b.e. 30b.e. 30–b.e. 30b.e. 30 | with an interpreter [...]: |
| Bottom [1:2] b.e. 3131–b.e. 3131 | 'Work [......] |
| Bottom [2:4] b.e. 3232– | the king's word [......].' |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1r 1–r 1r 1 | He answ[ered: '......] |
| Reverse [1:2] r 22–r 22 | under the feet [......] |
| Reverse [2:3] r 33–r 33 | 'Now [......] |
| Reverse [3:4] r 44–r 44 | should return, c[ome ......] |
| Reverse [4:5] r 55–r 55 | and tell him: Come [......]! |
| Reverse [5:6] r 66–r 66 | If not, and (if) ...[......] |
| Reverse [6:7] r 77–r 77 | does not listen to ...[......], |
| Reverse [7:8] r 88–r 88 | I am going to put the messenger of the [treasurer in irons]. |
| Reverse [8:9] r 99–r 99 | The messenger [......] |
| Reverse [9:10] r 1010–r 1010 | my messenger like [......].' |
| Reverse [10:11] r 1111–r 1111 | When the messenger of [......] |
| Reverse [11:12] r 1212–r 1212 | [I] had told him: '[......],' |
| Reverse [12:13] r 1313–r 1313 | [he did not set] foot anywhere at all [but said]: |
| Reverse [13:14] r 1414–r 1414 | '[I will bear] the responsibility for [......]. |
| Reverse [14:15] r 1515–r 1515 | And why [......]? |
| Reverse [15:17] r 1616–r 1717 | Just as I previously gave [......], so [I will] now [give ...].'" |
| Reverse [17:25] r 1818–r 2525 | And the things that the people of the country speak with him [these] days! "Why did you do th[is] — kill the sister of your brother and the son of [your] brot[her]? From what you have done, we know well enough that you killed [her], a woman of Habhu; and afterwards you 'pour oil' upon it, saying: 'The [Urarṭia]n killed [her].' An Urarṭian woman may not sit upon the throne!" |
| Reverse [25:27] r 2626–r 2727 | They told [him an unsubs]tantiated rumor: "The king [......] |
| Reverse [27:28] r 2828–r 2828 | We [......] |
| Edge [0:1] e. 1e. 1–e. 1e. 1 | I have [now] sent [my messenger] to the Palace. When [..., may] the king, my lord, [write] to [his servant] whatever he orders. |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| o | ||
| 1 | a-na LUGAL ⸢EN⸣-[ia ARAD-ka {1}x x x x] | |
| 2 | lu DI-mu a-[na LUGAL be-li₂-ia] | |
| 3 | {lu₂v}A—KIN-ia {lu₂v}A—KIN-ia ⸢ša\yd⸣ [IGI {lu₂v}IGI.DUB\m] ⸢ka⸣-a.a-⸢ma⸣-[nu] | |
| 4 | DI-mu iq\d-ṭi₂-ba\t-[ni ma-a at]-ta ṭe₃-e-[mu] | |
| 5 | ta-sa-kan-an-ni\d ma-[a a-na] {lu₂v}IGI.DUB\m qi-[bi] | |
| 6 | ma-a IGI {lu₂v}A—KIN-ia {lu₂v}A—KIN-ia [du]-⸢gul⸣ ma-a a-mur ⸢a⸣-[na-ku] | |
| 7 | ina UGU {lu₂v}IGI.DUB\m a-šap-par ma-a UD-mu ⸢ka⸣-[x x] | |
| 8 | ina {uru}kip-šu₂-na a-na-ku ma-a IGI {lu₂v}⸢A⸣—[KIN-ka] {lu₂v}⸢A⸣—[KIN-ka] | |
| 9 | {lu₂v}IGI.DUB\m i-da\d-gal ma at-ta [la taš-pur] | |
| 10 | la {lu₂v}A—KIN-ka {lu₂v}A—KIN-ka ⸢il-li⸣-ka [x x x x] | |
| 11 | ⸢u₂-ma⸣-[a an-nu-rig] UN-⸢MEŠ\t⸣ [KUR x x x] | |
| 12 | [x x x x x x x]+⸢x ur⸣ [x x x x] | |
| 13 | [a]-⸢na⸣-ši [x x x x x] ⸢x⸣+[x x x x] | |
| 14 | [qi]-bi-a la-aš₂-šu₂-⸢ma⸣ [x x x x x x x x] | |
| 15 | [dul₆]-la-šu₂\d-nu le\d-pu\p-[šu₂ x x x x x x x] | |
| 16 | [a]-na ša\yd-ši-ma iq-[ṭi₂-bi ma-a dul-lu la te-pa-ša₂] | |
| 17 | ⸢ma⸣-a ra-me-a a-di UD-[me x x x x x x] | |
| 18 | u₂-pa-har-šu₂-nu ma-lu-⸢u₂⸣ [x x x x x x] | |
| 19 | i-ta-bu\p-ku a-na-ku [x x x x x x] | |
| 20 | I₃-MEŠ\t ina SAG\t.DU-MEŠ\t-šu₂-nu [a-tab-ba\t-ak] | |
| 21 | an-nu-te šu₂-nu di-bi-šu₂ [ša ina pa-ni-ia] | |
| 22 | id-bu\p-bu\p-ni a-na-ku ⸢as⸣-[sa-ʾa-al-šu₂] | |
| 23 | nu-uk pi-i-ka la ta-[ap-te-e nu-uk is-si-šu₂] | |
| 24 | la ta-da\d-bu\p-bu\p ki-i [an-ni-e x x x] | |
| 25 | iq-ṭi₂-bi ma-a SU₆\m-MEŠ\t [x x x x x x] | |
| 26 | ma-a KUR gab-bi-ša₂ gal-⸢lu⸣-[bu x x x x] | |
| 27 | ŠEŠ-šu₂ TA@v\m {1}i-ṣi-[ie-e x x x x x] | |
| 28 | ina UGU di-ib-bi am-[mu-te x x x x] | |
| 29 | ša\dd ina E₂.GAL aš₂-pur-[an-ni x x x x] | |
| b.e. | ||
| 30 | TA@v\m {lu₂v}tur-gu-ma-[ni x x x x x] | |
| 31 | ma-a dul₆-lu [x x x x x x x x] | |
| 32 | a-bat LUGAL [x x x x x x x x x] | |
| r | ||
| 1 | u₂-sa-⸢pi⸣-[il x x x x x x x x] | |
| 2 | ša\d-pal GIR₃.2 x x x x x x x x] | |
| 3 | ma-a u₂-ma-a ⸢x x⸣+[x x x x x x x] | |
| 4 | li-is-hu-ra ⸢lil⸣-[li-ka x x x x x x] | |
| 5 | liq-ba\t-šu₂ ma-a al-⸢ka⸣ [x x x x x x x] | |
| 6 | la-aš₂-šu₂-ma E₂ ⸢ri⸣ [x x x x x x x] | |
| 7 | ha-nu-me-šu₂ la iš-me [x x x x x x x] | |
| 8 | a-na {lu₂v}A—KIN {lu₂v}A—KIN ša\d {lu₂v}[IGI.DUB\m si-par-ri AN.BAR] | |
| 9 | a-šak\t-kan-šu₂ {lu₂v}A—KIN {lu₂v}A—KIN [x x x x x x x] | |
| 10 | {⸢lu₂v⸣}A—KIN-ia {⸢lu₂v⸣}A—KIN-ia ki-i ⸢x⸣+[x x x x x x x] | |
| 11 | [ki]-⸢i⸣ {lu₂v}A—KIN {lu₂v}A—KIN ša\yd [x x x x x x x] | |
| 12 | [a]-⸢qa⸣-ba\t-šu₂-ni ma-⸢a⸣ [x x x x x x x] | |
| 13 | GIR₃.2-šu₂ a.a-ka-me-ni [x x x x x x x] | |
| 14 | ma-a pu\p-tu-hu ša\dd [x x x x x x x] | |
| 15 | u₃ a-na ana mi-ni [x x x x x x x] | |
| 16 | ki-i ša\yd pa-ni-tu₂ [x x x x x x x x] | |
| 17 | a-di\d-nu-ni u₂-ma-a [ki-i] ⸢an-ni⸣-ma [x x x x] | |
| 18 | u₃ di\d-ib-bi ša\yd ⸢UN⸣-MEŠ\t KUR ina ŠA₃ ⸢UD⸣-[me x x] | |
| 19 | i-du-bu\p i-si-šu₂ ma-a a-ta-a ki-i [an-ni-e] | |
| 20 | te-pu\p-uš {mi₂}NIN—ŠEŠ-ka {mi₂}NIN—ŠEŠ-ka DUMU—⸢ŠEŠ⸣-[ka] DUMU—⸢ŠEŠ⸣-[ka] | |
| 21 | ta-du-uk ma-a TA@v\m ma-ṣi te-pu\p-⸢šu₂\d⸣-[u-ni] | |
| 22 | ma-a nu-u₂-da\d ma-ṣi ki-<$i$> at-ta ⸢x⸣+[x x x] | |
| 23 | ta-du-ku-ni MI₂ {kur}hab-hi u₃ ur-⸢ki⸣-[tu₂] | |
| 24 | ⸢I₃-MEŠ\t⸣ ina UGU ⸢ta-ta⸣-ba\t-ak\d ma-a {kur}[URI-a.a] | |
| 25 | i-du-ak\d-[ši] {mi₂}{kur}URI\dd-tu₂ ina {giš}[GU.ZA] | |
| 26 | la tu-šab [u₃ ša₂]-⸢a⸣-ru\d iq\d-ṭi₂-bu\p-[ni-šu₂] | |
| 27 | ma-a LUGAL [x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 28 | a-ni-nu [x x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 29 | [x x x x x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| e. | ||
| 1 | ina E₂.GAL a-sa-par ki-[i x x x]-a-ni mi-nu ša LUGAL be-li₂ ṭe₃-e-mu | |
| 2 | i-šak\t-ka-nu-ni\d a-⸢na⸣ [ARAD-šu₂ liš-pu]-⸢ra⸣ | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.