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CT 53, 110 + 400 (P313814)

Letter, Neo-Assyrian, Nineveh · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE

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DesignationCT 53, 110 + 400
IDP313814
Museum no.BM —
CollectionBritish Museum, London, UK
LanguageAkkadian
PeriodNeo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
GenreLetter
Find spotNineveh (mod. Kuyunjik)
Coordinates36.3582, 43.1621

English translation

By ORACC project saao/saa15 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)

LineEnglish
Obverse [0:2] o 1o 1–o 22[To the governor, my lord]: your [serva]nt [Nabû-duru-uṣur. Good health to my lord]! The ci[ty of Der and the for]t are we[ll].
Obverse [2:5] o 33–o 55News o[f the king] of E[lam]: m[y messenger] whom I s[ent] to El[am] we[nt to the town Bur]ati. [On the xth day] h[e retur]ned (with this report):
Obverse [5:14] o 66–o 1414"The king of E[la]m has set o[ut]. He has sen[t his messenger t]o Parsumaš, saying: 'Will [...]yâ mobilize? [...] against [...].' Umman-minâ the herald [... and Bu]r-Silâ [are rai]sing pro[visions for the expedition] in Bit-Bunakka. [They have written] to the son of Dal[tâ]: 'The king of Elam is coming, he is go[ing forth to] Bit-Bunakka.' The spearhead of [his] ch[ariotry has] gone [with] the king to Bit-[Bunakka].
Obverse [14:15] o 1515–o 1515"[...] into the pres[ence of ...]
Obverse [15:16] o 1616–o 1616In the repor[t of ......] 25 [...]
Obverse [16:17] o 1717–o 1717If from [......]
Obverse [17:18] o 1818–o 1818within [x] day[s ......]
Obverse [18:19] o 1919–o 1919I sent him [......]
Obverse [19:20] o 2020–o 2020he went out [......]
Obverse [20:21] o 2121–o 2121"betw[een ... he] will as[k ......]
Obverse [21:22] o 2222–o 2222he will spea[k ......] to the city [of ...].
Obverse [22:23] o 2323–o 2323Alternatively, [......] he will com[e ......]
Obverse [23:24] o 2424–o 2424[......] three times [......]
Obverse [24:25] o 2525–o 2525[...... let] them com[e ...]
Obverse [25:26] o 2626–o 2626[...... hor]ses wi[th ...]
Obverse [26:27] o 2727–o 2727[...... Now th]en the messenger [...]
Obverse [27:28] o 2828–o 2828[...... a]ll the time [...]
Obverse [28:29] o 2929–o 2929[......] if in the ri[ver ...]
Obverse [29:34] o 3030–o 3434I[f ......], I shall come, (and) my lord will g[o] to the [ki]ng. If I hear that he is going to Bit-Bun[a]kka, I shall write to my lord. [Let] the 500 soldiers of [...] come and enter [the for]t; [...]...[...] 200 [me]n [...].
Obverse [34:37] o 3535–o 3737Concerning what [my] lor[d wrote to me]: "After [..., inquire and inve]stigate [...], where [...]!" — [I am doing] as [my] lor[d w]rote [to his servant].
Obverse [37:47] o 3838–[Concerning what] my [lord] wrote to [me: "......]. If [the king comes], is there [...] this [...] of bricks?" — I have made [...] there. If I hear that the king is coming to Der, I shall transport them, bring them in, and construct towers with them. Whatever is left over, I shall keep soft with water.
Reverse [4:8] r 55–r 88[Concern]ing what my lord wro[te to me]: "[...] and be confident un[til] we come, [and fear the king]!" — by your gods, [I am] very [confident].
Reverse [8:18] r 99–r 1818[Concerning what my lord wrote to me: "...], if I [am in Me]turna" — until my messenger came from [my] lo[rd's] presence, did he say that the governor is in [Me]turna? I did not raise (any) provisions for the expedition, thinking: "I will send them to my lord." Surely, my lord, within 5 or 6 days my lord will go either to Assyria or to the enemy country, O my lord. Let my lord quickly give orders to Meturna, Zabban and Dur-[Bel-ila'i], and let my messenger quickly fet[ch] (provisions) from there posthaste to my lord!
Reverse [18:20] r 1919–r 2020All is [ve]ry well; the city of Der is happy [indeed]. The [... and] the governor, [my l]ord, can be gla[d].
Reverse [20:26] r 2121–r 2626[Aššur-remann]i, the cavalry commander of the deputy (governor) [of ..., a] servant of [my lord], a [...] dog, came [to me ...], and I [said to him]: "Yo[u are a servant of] my lord; [......]. I am ill; [......] me!"
Reverse [26:27] r 2727–r 2727I (further) said: "[...] from [...] not [...] under the king's protection
Reverse [27:28] r 2828–r 2828[... wro]te to me, in Der
Reverse [28:29] r 2929–r 2929[......] Der
Reverse [29:30] r 3030–r 3030[concerning which my lord] asked me:
Reverse [30:31] r 3131–r 3131"[...... how mu]ch is there?" —
Reverse [31:32] r 3232–r 3232[......] I said [t]o my lord
Reverse [32:33] r 3333–r 3333[...... o]f Aššur-remanni
Edge [0:1] e. 1e. 1–e. 1e. 1[My lord said: "...... will h]it you; form a cohort!" Now why [did] my lord [...] in [...? If .......], call him to account!
Edge [1:3] e. 22–e. 33Perhaps my lord will say: "They wr[ote to me] from the Palace: '[......]'" — [whatever the ...s] of my lord wrote from the Palace, [let] my lord [...] all that there is to check.
Edge [3:5] e. 44–e. 55My lord (can) send [...] to the Palace. [I can give] to [my lord] all those who enter my claws, (and) whoever [...s, I will pa]ss [...]. I (can also) provide cavalry and chariotry who have been in the service of Aššur-remanni. What(ever) [is lacking] from the ca[valry], I shall buy a horse and equip it.

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)

LineATFMachine English (draft)
o
1[a-na {lu₂v}EN.NAM be-li₂-ia] ⸢ARAD⸣-ka\d {1}{d}[PA—BAD₃—PAB]
2[lu DI-mu a-na be-li₂-ia] ⸢DI⸣-mu a-na {⸢urud⸣}[de-ri]
3[DI-mu a-na {uru}HAL].⸢ṢU⸣ ṭe₃-mu ⸢ša\m⸣ [LUGAL]
4{⸢kur⸣}[NIM.MA{ki} {lu₂v}A—KIN]-⸢ia⸣ {lu₂v}A—KIN]-⸢ia⸣ ša\m ina {kur}⸢NIM⸣.[MA{ki]}
5aš₂-[pur-an-ni ina {uru}bu-ra]-⸢a⸣-ti\t it-⸢ta⸣-[lak]
6šu-[tu UD x-KAM₂ is-su]-⸢hur⸣ ma-a LUGAL {kur}[NIM.MA]{⸢ki⸣}
7⸢u₂-tam⸣-[mi-iš {lu₂v}A—KIN-šu₂ {lu₂v}A—KIN-šu₂ a]-na {kur}par-su-ma-aš₂
8⸢i-sap⸣-[ra ma-a x x x]-⸢ia⸣-a i-da-ak\t-ki-i
9ina UGU\d ⸢x⸣+[x x x x x x]+⸢x⸣ ma-a {1}um\y-man—mi-na-a
10{lu₂v}NIGIR₂ [x x x TA {1}⸢bur⸣-si-la-a ina {urud}E₂—bu-⸢nak⸣-ka
11re-eš ZID₂.[DA.KASKAL.2 i-na]-⸢aš₂⸣-ši-iu ma-a ina ⸢UGU⸣
12DUMU {1}dal-[ta-a x x x ma]-⸢a⸣ LUGAL {kur}NIM.MA{ki}
13il\y-la-⸢ka\d⸣ [a-na {uru]}⸢E₂⸣—bu-nak\d-ka\d u₂-[ṣa-a]
14re-eš {giš}[GIGIR-MEŠ-šu₂ TA] LUGAL ina {urud}⸢E₂⸣—[bu-nak-ka]
15it-ta-⸢al⸣-[ku ma-a x x x] me a-na pa-[an x x x]
16i—ṭe₃-⸢en⸣ i—ṭe₃-⸢en⸣ [x x x x x x] 25 [x x x x]
17šum₂\m-ma TA\p [x x x x x x x x x x x x]
18ina ŠA₃-bi UD [x x x x x x x x x x x]
19a-sa-par šu-[x x x x] [x x x x x x x]
20it-tu-⸢ṣi⸣ [x x x x] i-⸢x⸣+[x x x x x x]
21ma-a bir-⸢ti\t⸣ [x x x i]-ša₂-ʾa-⸢al⸣ [x x x x x]
22i-da-bu-[ub x x x x] a-na {urud}[x x x x x]
23u₂\m-la-a [x x x x x] il\y-la-⸢ka\d⸣ [x x x x x]
24⸢x x⸣ [x x x x x x]-ra 03-šu₂ [x x x x x]
25[x x x x x x x x] ⸢lil⸣-lik-u₂\m-⸢ni⸣ [x x x x]
26[x x x x x x {anše}KUR].RA-MEŠ\m i-⸢si⸣-[x x x x]
27[x x x x x x an-nu]-⸢rig⸣ {lu₂v}A—KIN-[x x x x]+⸢x⸣
28[x x x x x x am]—⸢mar⸣ UD-me-šu₂ [x x x x]+⸢x⸣
29⸢x⸣+[x x x x x x x] ma-a šum₂\m-ma ina ⸢ID₂⸣ [x x]
30šum₂\m-[ma x x x a-na]-ku al-la-ka\d a-na UGU\d ⸢LUGAL⸣ be-li₂
31il-⸢la-ka šum₂\m⸣-ma a-se-me ma-a a-na {⸢uru}E₂—bu-nak⸣-ka
32il-⸢la-ak⸣ a-na be-li₂-ia₂ a-šap-pa-ra {lu₂v}ERIM-MEŠ\m 05 me
33ša ⸢x⸣ [x] ⸢lil⸣-lik-u-⸢ni⸣ [ina {uru}HAL].⸢ṢU⸣ le-ru-bu
34⸢i⸣-[x x x] ⸢u₂⸣ ri [x x x x {lu₂v}ERIM]-MEŠ\m 02 me
35[x x x x] ša\m be-[li₂ iš-pur-an-ni] ⸢ma⸣-a ⸢ki⸣-ma
36[x x x]-⸢ṣu⸣-ṣu\d [x x x x x x] a-a-ka
37[x x x] a-ki ša be-[li₂ a-na ARAD-šu₂ iš]-pur-an-ni
38[ep-pa-aš₂ ša be]-⸢li₂ iš-pur-an⸣-[ni ma-a]
b.e.
39[x x x x x]-⸢an-ni⸣ ma-a šum₂\m-ma
40[x x x x x] ⸢SIG₄⸣-HI.A-MEŠ ha-an-⸢ni-u₂⸣
41[x x x x x] ⸢dan⸣ i-ba-aš₂-ši-i
r
1[x x x ina] ⸢ŠA₃-bi⸣ e-tap-aš₂ šum₂\m-ma a-se-me
2⸢ma⸣-a LUGAL ina {urud}de-ri ⸢il⸣-la-ka\d a-za-bil u₂\m-še-rab
3{⸢uru⸣}i-si-ta-a-te ina ŠA₃-bi a-ra-ṣi-bi am—mar
4⸢ša⸣ ta-ri-ha-an-ni A-MEŠ ina ŠA₃-bi a-šak\t-kan
5⸢ša⸣ be-li₂ iš-⸢pur⸣-[an-ni ma-a] a-⸢du⸣ [E₂] ⸢ni-lak⸣-an-ni
6⸢ma⸣-a ⸢x⸣+[x x x x lu] ⸢ra⸣-ah-ṣa-a-ka\d TA\p pa-an
7[LUGAL lu pal-ha-a]-⸢ka⸣ DINGIR-MEŠ\m-e-ka\d šum₂\m-ma a—dan-niš
8[la ra-ah-ṣa-ku-u-ni x x] il [x x]+⸢x⸣ ma ⸢x⸣
9[x x x x x x]+⸢x⸣ šum₂\m-ma a-⸢na⸣-[ku ina {uru}A]-⸢MEŠ⸣—dur-na
10a-⸢du E₂ {lu₂v⸣}A—KIN-ia {lu₂v⸣}A—KIN-ia TA\p pa-an be-[li₂-ia₂] ⸢il⸣-lik-an-ni
11iq-ti\t-bi-i ma-a {lu₂v}EN.NAM ina {⸢uru⸣}[A-MEŠ]—tur-na
12re-eš ZID₂.DA.KASKAL.2 ⸢la⸣ aš₂-ši mu-uk\tdp a-na be-li₂-ia₂ lu-še-bi-la
13pi-iq-ta-at-ti\t be-li₂ a-du\d UD-mu-MEŠ\m 05 06
14be-li₂ šum₂\m-ma a-na KUR—aš-šur{ki}
15šum₂\m-ma a-na {kur}na-kir₃ {kur}na-kir₃ be-li₂ il\y-lak
16ina {urud}A-MEŠ—dur-na ina {uru}zab-ban ina {urud}BAD₃—[EN—DINGIR-a.a]
17ṭe₃-e-mu be-li₂ liš\t-kun {uru}[x x x]
18{lu₂v}A—KIN-ia {lu₂v}A—KIN-ia <$ina ŠA₃-bi$> ar₂-hiš ina kal-li\tt-i li\tt-in-[tu-uh]
19a-du pa-an be-li₂-ia₂ DI-mu ⸢a⸣—[dan-niš] ŠA₃-bi {urud}de-⸢ri⸣ [a—dan-niš]
20DUG₃.GA ŠA₃-bi [x]+⸢x ri x⸣+[x ša] {lu₂v}EN.NAM be-⸢li₂⸣-[ia₂]
21lu-u₂\m DUG₃.⸢GA⸣ {1}aš-šur—rem₂-an]-⸢ni⸣ {lu₂v}GAL—⸢BAD⸣-[HAL] {lu₂v}GAL—⸢BAD⸣-[HAL]
22{lu₂v}02-i ⸢x⸣+[x x x x x {lu₂v]}ARAD\p ša [be-li₂-ia₂]
23UR.KU a-[x x x x ina pa-ni-ia] ⸢it⸣-tal-ka\d
24a-na-ku [aq-ti-ba-aš₂-šu₂ mu-uk\tdp ARAD ša] ⸢be⸣-li₂-ia₂ at-[ta]
25mu-uk\tdp [x x x x x x x mu]-⸢uk\tdp⸣ mar-ṣa-⸢ak⸣
26mu-⸢uk\tdp⸣ [x x x x x x x x]-man-ni mu-uk\tdp [o]
27TA\p ⸢x⸣+[x x x x x x x x x] ina GIŠ.MI ša ⸢MAN⸣
28la [x x x x x x x iš]-⸢pur⸣-an-ni ina {urud}de-⸢ri⸣
29ib [x x x x x x x x] {⸢uru⸣}de-ri
30⸢il⸣-[x x x x x x x x] ⸢iš⸣-al-an-ni
31⸢ma⸣ [x x x x x x x x x]-ṣi i-ba-aš₂-ši
32[x x x x x x x a]-⸢na⸣ be-li₂-ia₂ aq\t-ti\t-bi
33[x x x x x x x x x] ⸢ša⸣ {1}aš-šur—rem₂-an-ni
e.
1[x x x x x x x x i]-⸢mah⸣-ha-aṣ\tdp-ka\d ma-a ki-ṣir ku-ṣur u₂\m-ma-a a-na mi₃-ni be-li₂ ina ⸢x⸣+[x x x]
2[x x x x x x x x x]-⸢an⸣-ni ina ŠU.2-šu₂ ba-i i—su-ru be-li₂ i-qab-bi ma-a TA\p E₂.GAL i-sap-[ru-u-ni]
3[ma-a x x x x x x x]+⸢x⸣ ša\m be-li₂-ia TA\p E₂.GAL iš-pur-u-ni-ni be-li₂ am—mar sa-na-⸢qi⸣ [x x x]
4{⸢lu₂v⸣}[x x x x x x a-na] E₂.GAL be-li₂ i-šap-par am—mar ina ṣu-pur-ia e-rab-u-ni a-na [be-li₂-ia₂ ad-dan]
5am—mar ⸢x x u₂⸣ [x x x x]-⸢ti\t⸣-iq {lu₂v}ša—BAD-HAL-lum {lu₂v}GIGIR ša pa-an {1}aš-šur—rem₂-an-ni i-zi-[zu-u-ni]
6ad-dan mi-ni ina {⸢anše⸣}[x x x x x] a-na-ku {anše}KUR.RA a-laq-qi u₂-ša₂-aṣ-bat

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Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.