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K 03455 + K 05660 + K 09937 + K 17525 + K 17648 + K 18029 + K 18117 + K 18309 + K 18440 (P395027)

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

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DesignationK 03455 + K 05660 + K 09937 + K 17525 + K 17648 + K 18029 + K 18117 + K 18309 + K 18440
IDP395027
Museum no.BM —
CollectionBritish Museum, London, UK
LanguageAkkadian
PeriodNeo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
GenreRoyal Ritual
Find spotNineveh (mod. Kuyunjik)
Coordinates36.3582, 43.1621

English translation

By ORACC project saao/saa20 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)

LineEnglish
Obverse Column i [0:1] o i 1'1'–o i 1'1'[...] Ištar [......]
Obverse Column i [1:2] o i 2'2'–o i 2'2'[He burns] female kids as on the 6t[h day].
Obverse Column i [2:6] o i 3'3'–o i 6'6'[Hav]ing finished his ritual, the k[ing retires] to the [side]room (and) removes the jewellery. He comes out and [prostrates himself] before Ištar. They lay down [the ...]... [He kisses] the ground at the right and left of Ištar. Using a lance, he giv[es ...] before Nikkal, [...].
Obverse Column i [6:13] o i 7'7'–o i 13'13'The king comes out, [...s] under [..., and sits down] on the couch before the left-hand door. They [place] a table before the king. One cupbearer steps to the right of the king, p[laces an a]rzallu-implement before the king, and deploys the ... device. The singer [intones], “Aw[e-inspiring] house.” [They strew salt] on the ... device before the standard.
Obverse Column i [13:20] o i 14'14'–o i 20'20'The priest goes, [brings] the sīru into the presence of Ištar, [places] two Anzû-birds between his shoulders, and [draws] the curtain which is before the Equ house. The temple scribe and the priest [of Aššur] acco[mpany] the sīru into the presence of Ištar. The sīru recites a litany before Ištar of [...] and before Ištar of the Equ house.
Obverse Column i [20:27] o i 21'21'–The temple scribe and the priest of [Aššur] give the sīru beer to dr[in]k from a lion’s head (rhyton). The priest of Aššur takes the hand of the sīru. The chief singer and the singers come and go seven times back and forth before the sīru. The king sees the sīru, sets off, prays humbly [...]
Reverse Column iv [0:2] r iv 1r iv 1–r iv 22He places cuts of meat and combustibles on the censers and throws in in[c]ense thrice. He burns honey and oil and performs his libations. The k[in]g appears (to the public).
Reverse Column iv [2:7] r iv 33–r iv 77He goes and loads the brazier, returns and provides hot cooked meat. He comes back and increases the heat of the brazier. He swings the pur[ifi]cation device, performs libations on the brazier, and sacrifices two bulls. From one of them, they push its heart back inside it for the soup, [fr]om the other he provides cooked meat.
Reverse Column iv [7:12] r iv 88–r iv 1212[The ki]ng put[s on] the jewellery in the side room, bur[ns] female kids, leaves [...] aside, throws balussu. He finishes his [liba]tions [and goes] to the mas[h tubs. He ...s the ma]sh tubs with a gold[en] cup, leaves [the ...] and goes to the pipes.
Reverse Column iv [12:22] r iv 1313–r iv 2222He goes [to] the area of the censer, fills the vat, places a kamanu-[ca]ke on the table and makes it dance. He strews [s]alt and swings the purification device. [He g]oes (ahead), swings the purification device on the censer, gives incense [thrice], and opens [th]e vat in race. [The sin]ger intones, “Ištar, queen of heaven.” (When) he reaches the refrain, he swings [the purif]ication device on the censer, gives [in]cense [thrice] and finishes the libations of the vat. He pours [honey], oil, beer, wine, and milk.
Reverse Column iv [22:27] r iv 2323–r iv 2727The king appears and steps on the [st]and. They put the bladder in the king’s hand. The singer intones, “To the Amorite (goddess).” [(When) the ...]s of the Amorite (goddess) arrive, [the king] makes [a kamanu-cake] dance on the table.
Reverse Column iv [27:30] r iv 2828–r iv 3030[The king appears and] steps on the stand. [(When) the song] reaches (its end), he swings the purification device [on the censer],
Reverse Column iv [30:31] r iv 3131–r iv 3131[......] gives incense [thri]ce,
Reverse Column iv [31:33] r iv 3232–r iv 3333[...... bu]rn[s ho]ney and oil, [and perfor]ms [his libations]. The king app[ears]
Reverse Column iv [33:35] r iv 3434–r iv 3535[...... his j]ewellery [......]

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 i
1'[x x x] x {⸢d}15 x⸣ [x x x x x x]
2'{[udu]}{mi₂}AŠ₂.QAR-MEŠ ki-i ⸢ša⸣ UD 06-KAM₂⸣ [i-qal-lu]
3'[ki]-ma dul-lu-šu₂ ug-dam-mir ⸢LUGAL⸣ a-na E₂—[ŠU.2 E₂—[ŠU.2 i-na-šar]
4'[du]-ma-qi₂ ul-la u₂-ṣa-a ina IGI {d}15 [x x x x]
5'[x] x-⸢ta⸣-ku-u-ni i-kar-ru-ru 15 150 ša₂ {d}15 kaq-qu-⸢ru⸣ [i-na-šiq x x]
6'⸢ina⸣ IGI {d}NIN.GAL ina ŠA₃ a-rik-ti SUM-⸢an⸣ [x x x x]
7'LUGAL u₂-ṣa-a ina ša₂-⸢pal⸣ [x x x x]
8'[ina] ⸢IGI⸣ {giš}IG ša KAB ina UGU {giš}ne₂-mat-⸢ti⸣ [uš-šab]
9'{⸢giš⸣}BANŠUR ina IGI LUGAL ⸢i⸣-[šak-ku-nu]
10'01-⸢en⸣ DUMU—KAŠ.LUL DUMU—KAŠ.LUL ina ZAG LUGAL ⸢iz⸣-[za-az]
11'⸢ar⸣-za-lu ina pu-ut LUGAL ⸢i⸣-[šak-kan]
12'[ša]—šal-pu-te u₂-šal-pat {lu₂}NAR E₂ ⸢ra⸣-[aš₂-bu i-za-mur]
13'[MUN] ina UGU ša—šal-pu-te ina IGI {d}URI₃.⸢GAL⸣ [i-kar-ru-ru]
14'{lu₂}SANGA il-lak {lu₂}si-i-ru ina IGI {d}15 [u₂-še-rab]
15'02 an-ze-e bir-ti MAŠ.QA-MEŠ-⸢šu₂⸣ [i-šak-kan]
16'pa-rik-tu ša₂ pa-an E₂—⸢e⸣-[qi i-par-rik]
17'{lu₂}A.BA E₂—DINGIR E₂—DINGIR {lu₂}SANGA [ša {d}aš-šur]
18'{lu₂}si-i-ru ina IGI {d}15 u₂-[še-ru-bu]
19'{lu₂}si-i-ru naq-bi-tu₂ ina IGI {d}15 ⸢ša⸣ [x x x]
20'ina IGI {d}15 ša E₂—e-qi i-⸢qab⸣-[bi]
21'{lu₂}A.BA E₂—DINGIR E₂—DINGIR {lu₂}SANGA ša {d}[aš-šur]
22'{lu₂}si-i-ru ina SAG.DU UR.MAH KAŠ-MEŠ i-ša₂-⸢qi⸣-u₂
23'{lu₂}SANGA ša {d}aš-šur ŠU.2 {lu₂}si-i-ri iṣ-ṣab-bat
24'{lu₂}GAL—NAR {lu₂}GAL—NAR {lu₂}NAR.GAL-MEŠ ina pa-na-at {lu₂}si-i-ri
25'a-di 07-šu₂ il-lu-ku il-lak-u-ni
26'LUGAL a-na {lu₂}si-i-ri em-mar u₂-nam-maš ⸢KIR₄⸣-šu₂ i-⸢lab⸣-bi-in
r iv
1ni-is-hu šar-pu ina še-ha-a-ti i-šak-kan 03-šu₂ {šem}⸢en⸣-di id-⸢dan⸣
2LAL₃-MEŠ I₃-MEŠ i-šar-rap ma-qe-e u₂-gam-mar ⸢LUGAL⸣ in-nam-mar
3il-lak KI.NE i-ṣi-an i-sah-hu-ra {uzu}sil₂-qu ⸢ha⸣-an-ṭu ep-pal
4il-la-ka KI.NE u₂-ša₂-tar ša—te-⸢li⸣-si u₂-še-taq
5ma-qe-e ina UGU KI.NE u₂-gam-mar 02 GUD.NITA₂-MEŠ i-na-sah
6⸢ina⸣ ŠA₃ 01-en ŠA₃-šu₂ ina be₂-ta-nu-uš-šu₂ i-da-ʾi-i-pu a-na ⸢a⸣-ku-si
7[ina] ⸢ŠA₃⸣ 01-en-ma {uzu}⸢sil⸣-qu ep-pal
8⸢LUGAL⸣ ina E₂—ŠU.2 E₂—ŠU.2 du-ma-qi₂ i-na-aš₂-ši {udu}{mi₂}AŠ₂.QAR-MEŠ ⸢GIBIL₂⸣
9[x x] x-ha-a-ti u₂-ram-ma ba-lu-su i-kar-ra-⸢ar⸣
10[ma]-⸢qe⸣-e-šu₂ u₂-gam-mar ina UGU na-zi-a-ti il-lak
11[na]-⸢zi⸣-a-ti ina kap-pi KUG.GI u₂-ta-ra
12⸢u₂⸣-ra-am-ma ina ra-ṭa-a-ti ⸢il⸣-la-ka
13[ina] ⸢kaq⸣-qar še-eh-te il-lak {dug}ha-ri-u₂ u₂-mal-la
14{[ninda]}ka-ma-nu ina UGU {giš}BANŠUR i-šak-kan u₂-šar-qa-ad
15⸢MUN⸣ i-kar-ra-ar ša—te-li-si u₂-še-taq
16[il]-⸢lak⸣ ina še-eh-te ša—te-li-si u₂-še-taq
1703-šu₂] {šem}en-di i-da-an
18{[dug}ha]-ri-u₂ ina li-is-ni i-pat-ti
19{[lu₂]}⸢NAR⸣ {d}15 be-let AN-e i-za-am-mur
20[zu]-⸢ma⸣-ru i-kaš-ša₂-da
21[ša]—⸢te⸣-li-si ina še-eh-te u₂-še-taq
2203-šu₂] {⸢šem⸣}en-di SUM-an ma-qe-e ša ha-ri-e u₂-gam-mar
23[LAL₃-MEŠ] ⸢I₃⸣ KAŠ GEŠTIN GA BAL-qi₂ LUGAL in-nam-mar
24[ina ma-za]-si iz-za-az ⸢ŠA₃⸣-hu ina ŠU.2 LUGAL i-šak-ku-nu
25{[lu₂]}⸢NAR⸣ a-na {d}a-mur-ri-te i-za-am-mur
26[x x]-⸢a⸣-ti ša₂ {d}⸢a⸣-mur-ri-te i-kaš-ša₂-da-ni
27[LUGAL {ninda}ka-ma-nu] ina UGU {giš}⸢BANŠUR⸣ u₂-šar-qa-ad
28[LUGAL in-nam-mar] ina ma-za-si iz-za-az
29[x x x x x x x x] ⸢i⸣-kaš-ša₂-da
30[x x x ina še-eh-te] ⸢ša⸣—te-li-⸢si⸣ u₂-še-taq
31[x x x x x x x 03-šu₂ {šem}⸢en-di⸣ id-dan
32[x x x x x x x x] ⸢LAL₃⸣-MEŠ I₃-MEŠ i-[šar]-⸢rap⸣
33[ma-qe-e-šu₂ u₂-gam]-⸢mar⸣ LUGAL in-⸢nam⸣-[mar]
34[x x x x x x x x x] ⸢du⸣-ma-qi₂ x [x]
35[x x x x x x x x x] x šu x [x x]

Sources & licences

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