Esarhaddon 012 (Q003241)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Kuyunjik (Nineveh) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Esarhaddon 012 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q003241 |
| 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/scores · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:11] 11–1111 | Esarhaddon, [...] ki[ng, ... king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad], pious prince, humble, [... who knows how to revere all of the gods and goddesses], of fine intellect, ... [...] who from [his] you[th ...] (5) whom [...] to renew [...] the one who (re)constructed the temple of the god Aššur, [...] respectful king, the one who complet[ed ...]; son of Sennacherib, ki[ng of ...] the images of the gods Sîn, Ninga[l, ...] m[a]de and ... [...] the cella, [which] he did not bui[ld] as their lordly living quarters, [...] — |
| Obverse [11:23] 1212–2323 | I, Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, [...] the temple of the gods [S]în, Ningal, Šamaš, (and) Aya [...] in the citadel of (the city of) Nineveh as residenc[e of ...]. (15) In a favorable month, on a propitious day, I laid its foundations upon that terrace with limestone, [strong] stone from the mountains, [...]. I built (and) [completed] that temple in its entirety. [...]. I roof[ed it] with magnificent cedar beams [... (and) I fastened bands of silver and copper on] doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet, [and installed (them) in its gates. (20) I ...] whatever utensils were needed for the temple, whether silver (or) go[ld ...]. When I had completed that temple (and) br[ought its construction to an end ...] the gods Sîn, Ningal, Šamaš, (and) Aya, the great gods, [...] monthly, without ceasing. |
| Obverse [23:31] 2424–3131 | Thereupon, may the gods Sîn (and) Šamaš, the great lords, ... [...] me — Esarhaddon, the king, favor[ite ...]; in the(ir) appearance at the height of heaven and (in) the month Nisannu (I), [...] good omen(s) concerning the lengthening of (my) days ... [...]; (and) by [their immutable] command discuss with one another (my) reaching extreme old age, the abundance of (my) offspring, the incr[ease of my progeny, ...]. (30) May they kill [my enemies], flatten my enemies, cut down [my] foes, (and) allow me to stand [over] my enemies [in victory (and) triumph so that I may rule (and) govern] wherever [my] hea[rt wishes]. |
| Obverse [31:37] 3232–3737 | [In future days, may] one of the kings, my descendants, [whom the gods Sîn (and) Šamaš select and] na[me to rul]e the land and people, [renovate the dilapidated section(s) of these shrines when] they [become ol]d and dilapidated, [read an inscript]ion written in my name, [and may he anoint (it) with oil, make an offering, write] my name with his name, [(and) return (it) to its place. (Then) may] the gods Sîn and Šamaš [order good things for him] mont[hly, without ceasing]. |
| Obverse [37:38] 3838–3838 | Month [...]. |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | {m}aš-šur-ŠEŠ-SUM.NA ⸢LUGAL⸣ [... LUGAL ŠU₂ LUGAL KUR aš-šur{ki} GIR₃.NITA₂ KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} LUGAL KUR EME.GI₇ u URI{ki]} | |
| 2 | NUN na-aʾ-du aš₂-ru [... ša pa-laḫ DINGIR.MEŠ u {d}iš-ta-ri ka-la-ma i-du-u₂] | |
| 3 | lib₃-bu rap-šu₂ ma-[...] | |
| 4 | ša ul-tu ṣe-[ḫe-ri-šu₂ ...] | |
| 5 | ša a-na ud-du-⸢uš⸣ [...] | |
| 6 | ba-nu-u₂ E₂ {d}aš-⸢šur⸣ [...] | |
| 7 | LUGAL šaḫ-tu mu-šak-⸢li⸣-[il ...] | |
| 8 | DUMU {m}{d}30ŠEŠ.MEŠ-SU ⸢LUGAL⸣ [...] | |
| 9 | ṣa-lam {d}30 {⸢d⸣}nin-⸢gal⸣ [...] | |
| 10 | e-⸢pu-šu-ma⸣ u₂-[...] | |
| 11 | ku-um-⸢mu ša⸣ maš-tak be-lu-ti-šu₂-nu la e-pu-⸢šu₂⸣ [...] | |
| 12 | a-na-[ku] {⸢m⸣}AN.ŠAR₂-ŠEŠ-SUM.NA LUGAL ŠU₂ LUGAL KUR aš-šur{ki} x [...] | |
| 13 | E₂ {⸢d}30 {d}nin-gal {d}UTU {d}a-a [...] | |
| 14 | ina qe₂-reb MURUB₄ URU ša₂ NINA{ki} a-na mu-⸢šab⸣ [...] | |
| 15 | ina ITI šal-⸢me⸣ u₄-me še-me-e ina {na₄}pi-i-li NA₄ KUR-i [dan-ni ...] | |
| 16 | ṣe-er tam-le-e šu-a-tu uš-ši-šu₂ ⸢ad⸣-di [...] | |
| 17 | E₂ šu-a-tu₂ a-na si-ḫir-ti-šu₂ ar-ṣip [u₂-šak-lil ...] | |
| 18 | GIŠ.UR₃.MEŠ {giš}EREN MAḪ.MEŠ u₂-šat-⸢ri⸣-[ṣa UGU-šu₂ ...] | |
| 19 | {giš}IG.MEŠ {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ ša₂ e-re-es-si-na ṭa-a-ba x [...] | |
| 20 | mim-ma u₂-na-a-ti ⸢ḫi⸣-šiḫ-ti E₂ ša₂ KU₃.BABBAR ⸢KU₃⸣.[GI ...] | |
| 21 | ul-tu E₂ šu-a-tu u₂-⸢šak-li-lu u₂⸣-[qat-tu-u ag-mu-ra ši-pir-šu₂ ...] | |
| 22 | {d}30 {d}nin-gal {d}UTU {d}a-a DINGIR.MEŠ ⸢GAL⸣.[MEŠ ...] | |
| 23 | ITI-šam-ma la na-par-ka-⸢a⸣ [...] | |
| 24 | a-na šat-ti {d}30 {d}UTU EN.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ x [...] | |
| 25 | ia-a-ti {m}⸢AN⸣.ŠAR₂-⸢ŠEŠ⸣-SUM.NA ⸢LUGAL mi-gi⸣-[ir ...] | |
| 26 | ina ta-mar-ti e-lat AN-e u₃ {iti}⸢BARA₂⸣ [...] | |
| 27 | it-tu da-mi₃-iq-tu ša a-rak u₄-me x [...] | |
| 28 | ka-šid lit-tu-ti šu-muḫ pe-er-ʾi šum-⸢dul⸣ [na-an-na-bi ...] | |
| 29 | li-tap-pa-lu a-ḫa-meš i-na ṣi-it pi-i-[šu₂-nu la šu-un-ne₂-e {lu₂}KUR₂.MEŠ-ia] ⸢li⸣-ne₂-ru | |
| 30 | a-a-be₂-e-a lis-ki-pu li-šam-qi₂-tu ga-re-[e-ia ina li-i-ti ki-šit-ti ŠU.II ṣe]-⸢er⸣ {lu₂}KUR₂.MEŠ-ia | |
| 31 | li-⸢ša₂-zi-zu⸣-ni-ma e-ma ⸢lib₃⸣-[bi i-qab-bu-u la-be-el la-aš₂-pur] | |
| 32 | [a-na EGIR u₄-me] i-na LUGAL.MEŠ DUMU.MEŠ-e-[a ša₂ {d}30 {d}UTU ut-tu-šu-u₂-ma] | |
| 33 | [a-na be]-⸢lut⸣ KUR u₃ UN.MEŠ i-nam-⸢bu⸣-[u zi-kir-šu₂ e-nu-ma eš-re-e-ti ša-ti-na] | |
| 34 | [i-lab]-⸢bi-ra⸣-ma en-na-⸢ḫa⸣ [an-ḫu-us-si-na lu-ud-diš] | |
| 35 | [MU].⸢SAR⸣-u₂ ši-ṭir MU-ia [li-mur-ma I₃.GIŠ lip-šu-uš {udu}SISKUR BAL-qi₂] | |
| 36 | ⸢šu⸣-mi₃ it-ti šu-me-šu₂ [liš-ṭur a-na aš₂-ri-šu₂ li-ter] | |
| 37 | {d}30 u {d}UTU ITI-šam-[ma la na-par-ka-a liq-bu-u SIG₅.MEŠ-šu₂] | |
| 38 | {iti}[...] |
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.