Esarhaddon 008 (Q003237)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Kuyunjik (Nineveh) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Esarhaddon 008 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q003237 |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Royal Inscription |
| Find spot | Kuyunjik (Nineveh) |
| Coordinates | 36.3587, 43.1519 |
English translation
By ORACC project rinap/rinap4 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse Column i [0:5] i' 1'1'–i' 5'5' | [...] ... [...] I se[nt my officials, the gover]nors [of the boundary areas of their land, with th]em and they trampled [the people living in] those [cities (and) made (them) b]ow down at their feet. I imposed [the tribute (and) paym]ent of my lordship [upon] them. |
| Obverse Column i [5:12] i' 6'6'–i' 12'12' | [(As for) the land Pa]tušarra, a district in the [area] of the salt desert, [which is in the midst of the land of the] distant [Med]es, borders Mount Bikni, the lapis lazuli mountain, (and) upon the soil of whose land none [of the kings], my [ancestors], had walked — I carried off to Assyria [Šidir-par]na (and) E-parna, mighty chieftains, (i′ 10′) [who were not submissive] to (my) yoke, together with their people, [their riding horses], oxen, sheep and goats, (and) Bactrian camels, [their he]avy [plunder]. |
| Obverse Column i [12:25] i' 13'13'–i' 25'25' | [In] my [...]th campaign, (as for) the land Bāzu, a district in a remote place, [a forgotten place of] dry land, saline ground, a place of thirst, (i′ 15′) [one hundred and twenty leagues] of desert, thistles, and gazelle-tooth stones, [where sn]akes and scorpions fill [the plain] like ants — I left [Mount] Ḫazû, the mountain of saggilmud-stone, [twenty leagues behind me and crossed over to] that district to which [no kin]g before me [had gone] since earliest days. By the command of the god Aššur, my lord, (i′ 20′) I marched [trium]phantly [in its midst. I defeated] Kīsu, king of the land Ḫaldisu (Ḫandasu), [Akbaru, king of] the city Ilpiʾatu (Alpiyana), Mansāku, king of the land Magalānu, [Iapaʾ, queen of] the land Diḫrānu, Ḫabīsu, ki[ng of the la]nd Qa[dabaʾ (Qatabuʾ), Niḫaru, king of the city Gaʾuani], Baslu, queen [of the city Iḫilu, (and) Ḫabaziru, king of the city Pudaʾ (Padê), eight kings] from [that] district [...] ... [...] |
| Obverse Column ii [0:15] ii' 1'1'–ii' 15'15' | before ... [...] on the third day, in the evening [...] the festival of Erua, (that is) Zarpa[nītu], I prayed to the [gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš], Adad, Bēl, Bēltīya, Nabû, [Ištar of Nineveh], (ii′ 5′) Ištar of Arbela, and Guše[a, the gods, my helpers], and they heard my prayers. [I raged like] a lion, put on (my) coat of mail, (and) [put on (my head)] a helmet appropriate for ba[ttle]. I held in my hands the mighty bow (and) the [strong] arrow, which the god Aššur, king of the gods, placed [in my] hands. (ii′ 10′) Like a furious eagle, my wings were spread before [my army] (and) I was marching like the flood. [The merci]less arrow (bestowed) by the god Aššur shot out angrily (and) furiously [...]. The gods Šarur (and) Šargaz were marching at [my side. By] the command of the god Aššur, the king of the gods, my lord, I prayed to the great gods and they heard my prayers (and) [...]. |
| Obverse Column ii [15:28] ii' 16'16'–ii' 28'28' | I, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, the center of my army, the army of [...]. I was following their great divinity. With their [great] help, [I blew] between them like the onslaught of a raging storm, dispersed their concentrated troops, [overwhelm]ed [his] troops, [..., (ii′ 20′) the lead]ers of his army, his brothers, his governors, (and) [his] third-[men from] the city Išḫupri to Memphis, [a distance of fifteen days] ma[rch]. By the command of [the god Aššur, every day], without ceasing, I set up (my) order of battle for combat [...]. I slaughtered their [...] like sheep [and goats. ...] (ii′ 25′) who [had fled] from my fierce weapons [...] they came out and before the gate of [...] ... Taharqa, the king of [Kush, ...] to save his servants [...] |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| i' | ||
| 1' | [...] x (x) [...] | |
| 2' | [... {lu₂}šu-ut] ⸢SAG⸣.MEŠ-⸢ia⸣ {[lu₂}NAM.MEŠ ša₂ pa-a]-⸢ṭi⸣ | |
| 3' | [KUR-šu-un it]-⸢ti-šu₂⸣-nu u₂-⸢ma⸣-[ʾe-er]-ma | |
| 4' | [UN.MEŠ a-ši-bu-te URU.MEŠ] ⸢ša₂⸣-tu-nu ik-bu-⸢su⸣ [u₂]-⸢šak⸣-ni-šu₂ GIR₃.II-šu₂-⸢un⸣ | |
| 5' | [GUN man]-⸢da-tu₂⸣ be-lu-te-ia₂ u₂-kin ⸢ṣe⸣-[ru-uš]-šu₂-un | |
| 6' | {[kur}pa]-tu-⸢uš⸣-ar-ri na-gu-u ša₂ ⸢i⸣-[te]-⸢e⸣ E₂.MUN E₂.MUN | |
| 7' | [ša₂ qe₂-reb {kur}ma-da]-⸢a⸣-a ⸢SU₃⸣.MEŠ ša₂ pa-a-ṭi {kur}bi-ik-ni šad-⸢di⸣ {na₄}ZA.GIN₃ | |
| 8' | [ša ina LUGAL.MEŠ AD].⸢MEŠ⸣-ia mam₂-ma la ik-bu-su KI-tim ⸢KUR⸣-šu-un | |
| 9' | {[m}ši-dir-pa]-⸢ar⸣-na {m}e-pa-ar-na {lu₂}EN.URU.[MEŠ] {lu₂}EN.URU.[MEŠ] ⸢dan⸣-nu-te | |
| 10' | [ša₂ la kit-nu-šu₂] ⸢a⸣-na ni-i-ri ša₂-a-šu₂-nu a-di ⸢UN.MEŠ⸣-šu₂-nu | |
| 11' | [ANŠE.KUR.RA.MEŠ ru-ku-bi]-⸢šu₂⸣-nu GU₄.MEŠ ṣe-e-ni {anše}⸢u₂⸣-du-ri | |
| 12' | [šal-lat-sun₂ ka]-bit-tu aš₂-lu-la a-na qe₂-reb ⸢KUR aš⸣-šur{ki} | |
| 13' | [ina x x] ⸢ger⸣-ri-ia {kur}ba-a-zu na-gu-u ša₂ a-⸢šar-šu₂⸣ ru-u-qu | |
| 14' | [mi-šit] ⸢na⸣-ba-li qaq-qar MUN a-šar ṣu-ma-a-me | |
| 15' | 1 ME 20 KASKAL].⸢GID₂⸣ qaq-qar ba-ṣi pu-qut-te u₃ {na₄}⸢ZU₂.MAŠ⸣.DA₃ {na₄}⸢ZU₂.MAŠ⸣.DA₃ | |
| 16' | [a-šar] ⸢MUŠ⸣ u GIR₂.TAB ki-ma kul-ba-bi ma-⸢lu⸣-[u A].⸢GAR₃⸣ | |
| 17' | 20 KASKAL.GID₂ {kur]}ḫa-zu-u šad-di {na₄}SAG.GIL.MUD ana EGIR-⸢ia₂ u₂⸣-maš-šir-ma | |
| 18' | [e-ti₇-iq] na-gu-u šu-a-tu₂ ša₂ ul-tu u₄-me ⸢ul-lu⸣-ti | |
| 19' | [la il-li-ku] ⸢LUGAL⸣ pa-ni maḫ-ri-ia₂ ina qi₂-bit {d}aš-šur EN-ia | |
| 20' | [ina qe₂-reb-e-šu₂ šal]-ṭa-niš at-tal-lak {m}ki-i-su MAN {kur}⸢ḫal-di⸣-su | |
| 21' | {[m}ak-ba-ru MAN] {uru}il-pi-a-tu₂ {m}ma-an-sa-ku MAN {kur}⸢ma-gal⸣-a-⸢ni⸣ | |
| 22' | {[f}ia-pa-aʾ šar]-⸢rat {kur}di⸣-iḫ-ra-a-ni {m}ḫa-bi-su ⸢MAN {kur}qa⸣-[da-ba-aʾ] | |
| 23' | {[m}ni-ḫa-ru LUGAL {uru}ga-aʾ-u-a-ni] {⸢f⸣}ba-as-lu šar-⸢rat {uru⸣}[i-ḫi-lum] | |
| 24' | {[m}ḫa-ba-zi-ru LUGAL {uru}pu-da-aʾ 8 LUGAL.MEŠ-ni] ⸢ša₂⸣ qe₂-reb na-ge-⸢e⸣ [šu-a-tu₂ a-duk] | |
| 25' | [...] x x x [...] | |
| ii' | ||
| 1' | pa-an x (x) [...] | |
| 2' | UD.3.KAM nu-⸢bat-tu₂⸣ [...] | |
| 3' | i-sin-ni {d}A.EDIN {d}⸢zar-pa⸣-[ni-tum AN.ŠAR₂ {d}30 {d}UTU] | |
| 4' | {d}IŠKUR {d}EN {d}GAŠAN-ia₅ {d}⸢AG {d⸣}15 ša₂ NINA{ki]} | |
| 5' | {d}15 ša₂ {uru}LIMMU₂-DINGIR ⸢u₃⸣ {d}⸢gu-še⸣-[a DINGIR.MEŠ ti-ik-li-ia] | |
| 6' | qa-ti aš₂-ši-ma iš-mu-u su-up-pi-ia₂ lab-⸢bi-iš⸣ [an-na-dir-ma] | |
| 7' | at-tal-bi-iš si-ri-ia-am ḫul₂-ia-am si-mat ⸢ṣi⸣-[il-ti a-pi-ra] | |
| 8' | at-muḫ rit-tu-u-a {giš}PAN dan-na-tu₂ mul-mul-⸢lu⸣ [geš-ru] | |
| 9' | ša₂ {d}aš-šur MAN DINGIR.MEŠ u₂-mal-lu-u₂ qa-[tu-u-a] | |
| 10' | GIM TI₈{mušen} na-ad-ri pe-ta a-gap-pa-a meḫ-ret {[lu₂}ERIM-ia] | |
| 11' | a-bu-ba-niš al-lak {giš}šil-ta-ḫi AN.ŠAR₂ la [pa-du-u] | |
| 12' | ez-zi-iš šam-riš it-ta-ṣi [...] | |
| 13' | {⸢d⸣}šar₂-ur₄ {d}šar₂-gaz il-la-ku ina ⸢i⸣-[di-ia] | |
| 14' | ⸢ina qi₂-bit {d⸣}aš-šur MAN DINGIR.MEŠ EN-ia₂ DINGIR.MEŠ ⸢GAL⸣.[MEŠ] | |
| 15' | ⸢am-ḫur-šu₂-nu-te⸣-ma iš-mu-u ⸢su-up-pi-ia₂⸣ x [x (x)] | |
| 16' | ana-ku {m}aš-šur-PAP-AŠ MAN KUR AŠ a-bu-nat ERIM-ni-ia ERIM x [...] | |
| 17' | ar-ki DINGIR-ti-šu₂-nu GAL-tim al-lak ina tukul-ti-⸢šu₂-nu⸣ [GAL.MEŠ] | |
| 18' | GIM ez-zi ti-ib me-ḫi-i ina bi-ri-šu₂-nu [a-zi-iq] | |
| 19' | ⸢el-lat⸣-su-nu ka-ṣir-tu₂ u₂-par-ri-ir {lu₂}⸢ERIM⸣-[šu₂ ...] | |
| 20' | [a-lik] ⸢pa⸣-an ERIM-šu₂ ŠEŠ.MEŠ-šu₂ {lu₂}NAM.MEŠ-šu₂ {lu₂}3.[U₅.MEŠ-šu₂] | |
| 21' | [ul-tu] {⸢uru⸣}iš-ḫu-up-ri a-di {uru}me-em-pi ⸢ma⸣-[lak 15 u₄-me] | |
| 22' | [qaq-qa-ri as]-ḫup se-de-ra mit-ḫa-ṣu-tu₂ ina qi₂-bit {[d}aš-šur] | |
| 23' | [u₄-me-šam-ma] ⸢la⸣ na-par-ka-a aš₂-tak-ka-na [...] | |
| 24' | [...] x-šu₂-nu u₂-ṭa-bi-iḫ GIM ṣe-e-[ni ...] | |
| 25' | [...] ⸢ša₂⸣ ina {giš}TUKUL.MEŠ-ia ez-zu-te x [...] | |
| 26' | [...] ⸢u₂⸣-ṣu-nim-ma ina IGI KA₂ x [...] | |
| 27' | [...] x {m}tar-qu-u ⸢MAN {kur⸣}[ku-u-si] | |
| 28' | [...] ⸢šu⸣-zu-ub {lu₂}ARAD.MEŠ-⸢šu₂⸣ [...] | |
Sources & licences
- 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.