Esarhaddon 034 (Q003263)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Kuyunjik (Nineveh) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Esarhaddon 034 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q003263 |
| 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 [0:6] o 1'1'–o 6'6' | [...] ... [...] I [divided] that [land] in two, [and placed two of my officials over them as governors. I settled [in i]t [... I placed] Bi-ilu [in the city Uppumu ... (and)] Bēl-iddina in the city Kullimeri. I restored (it) to Assyrian territory (and) [reorganized that province. I imposed the tribute (and)] payment of my lordship [yearly, without ceasing upon them]. |
| Obverse [6:12] o 7'7'–o 12'12' | In my tenth campaign, the god Aš[šur ...] had me take [... (and) made me set out] to [Magan and Meluḫḫa, which are called] Kush and Egypt in (their) native tongue. I mustered the vast troops of the god Aššur, who are in [...]. (10′) In Nisannu (I), the first month, I set out from my city, Aššur, (and) crossed the Tigris (and) Euphrates Rivers when they were at flood level, (and) marched over difficult mountains like a wild bull. |
| Obverse [12:19] o 13'13'–o 19'19' | In the course of my campaign, I set up fortifications against Baʾalu, the king of Tyre, who trusted in his friend Taharqa, the king of Kush, threw off the yoke of the god Aššur, my lord, and kept answering (me) with insolence. I cut off the supply of food and water that sustained their lives. (15′) I removed my camp from (this so-called) ‘Egypt’ and headed straight for Meluḫḫa, (covering) a distance of thirty leagues from the city Aphek, which is in the region of Samaria, to the city Raphia (Rapiḫu), which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, a place that has no river(s). By means of ropes, chains, (and) sweeps, I provided water for (my) troops drawn from wells. |
| Reverse [0:8] r 1r 1–r 88 | In accordance with the command of the god Aššur, my lord, it occurred to me and my heart [prompted me] (and thus) I col[lected] camels from all of the Arab kings [and lo]aded them with [water skins (and water containers)]. I advanced twenty leagues distance, a journey of fifteen days, over [difficult] sand dunes, [where (one is always) thirsty]. I went four leagues distance (through terrain full of) alum, muṣu-stones, (and) [...]. (rev. 5) I trampled over four leagues distance, a journey of two days, (through terrain full of) two-headed snakes ... [... whose venom] is deadly and I crossed over four leagues distance, a journey of two [days] (through terrain full of) [(...)] flying green [dragonflies. ...] four leagues distance, a journey of two d[ays ...] ... I advanced sixteen leagues distance, a journey of eight days [...] ... very much. |
| Reverse [8:19] r 99–r 1919 | The god Marduk, the great lord, came to my aid [...] (rev. 10) he revived my troops. Twenty days (and) seven [...] of the border of Egy[pt], I stayed overnight. [...] from the city Mig[do]l to Me[mphis ...] I advanced a distance of forty leagues [...] that terrain is like [gazelle]-to[oth] stone [...] (rev. 15) like the head of an arrow [...] blood and gore ... [...] a dangerous enemy, together with [...] to the city Isḫup[ri ...] ... [...] |
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' | [...] x x [...] | |
| 2' | [ma-a-tu] ⸢šu₂-a-tu₂ a⸣-di 2šu₂ ⸢a⸣-[zu-uz-ma 2 {lu₂}šu-ut SAG-ia a-na {lu₂}NAM-u₂-te UGU-šu₂-nu aš₂-kun ...] | |
| 3' | [ina lib₃]-⸢bi⸣ u₂-še-šib {m}bi-ʾi-⸢lu⸣ [i-na {uru}up-pu-me ...] | |
| 4' | {m}⸢EN⸣-AŠ i-na {uru}kul-li-im-me-ri [...] | |
| 5' | a-na mi-ṣir KUR aš-šur{ki} u₂-⸢ter⸣ [na-gu-u₂ šu-a-tu₂ a-na eš-šu-te aṣ-bat GUN] | |
| 6' | man-da-at-ti EN-ti-ia [šat-ti-šam la na-par-ka-a e-mid-su-nu-ti] | |
| 7' | ina 10e KASKAL-⸢ia⸣ AN.⸢ŠAR₂⸣ [...] | |
| 8' | u₂-ša₂-⸢aṣ⸣-bi-ta pa-nu-u-a a-na {⸢kur}ma₂-gan-na⸣ [u₃ {kur}me-luḫ-ḫa] | |
| 9' | ⸢ša₂⸣ ina ⸢pi⸣-i UN.MEŠ {kur}ku-u-si u₃ {kur}mu-ṣur ⸢i⸣-[nam-bu-u₂ u₂-ša₂-aš₂-kin še-pu-u-a] | |
| 10' | ⸢ad⸣-ke-⸢e⸣-ma ERIM.ḪI.A.MEŠ AN.ŠAR₂ gap-ša₂-a-ti ša₂ qe₂-⸢reb⸣ [...] | |
| 11' | ⸢ina {iti}BARA₂⸣ ITI reš-tu-u ul-tu₂ URU-ia aš-šur ⸢at-tu⸣-muš {id₂}IDIGNA {id₂}BURANUN{ki} ina mi-li-⸢ši-na e-te-bir⸣ | |
| 12' | ⸢KUR.MEŠ⸣ mar-ṣu-u₂-ti ri-⸢ma⸣-niš aš₂-tam-di-iḫ | |
| 13' | ⸢ina me-ti⸣-iq KASKAL.II-ia UGU {m}ba-ʾa-⸢lu⸣ MAN {kur}ṣur-⸢ri⸣ ša₂ a-na {m}tar-qu-u MAN {kur}ku-u-si ib-ri-šu₂ it-tak-lu-⸢ma⸣ | |
| 14' | {giš}ŠUDUN AN.ŠAR₂ EN-ia is-lu-u ⸢e⸣-tap-pa-lu me-re-eḫ-⸢tu⸣ | |
| 15' | {⸢uru⸣}ḪAL.⸢ṢU.MEŠ⸣ UGU-šu₂ u₂-rak-kis-ma a-ka-lu u₃ mu-⸢u₂⸣ ba-laṭ ZI-ti₃-šu₂-un ak-la | |
| 16' | ul-tu₂ {kur}mu-⸢ṣur⸣ KARAŠ ad-ke-e-ma a-na {⸢kur⸣}me-luḫ-ḫa ⸢uš⸣-te-še-ra ḫar-ra-nu | |
| 17' | 30 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ul-tu₂ {uru}ap-qu ša₂ pa-ṭi {kur}sa-me-⸢ri⸣-[na] a-di {uru}ra-pi-ḫi | |
| 18' | a-na i-te-e na-ḫal {kur}mu-ṣur a-šar ID₂ la i-šu-u ina ⸢eb-li⸣ ḫar-ḫar-ri kal-kal-tu₂ | |
| 19' | A.MEŠ PU₂ ina di-lu-u₂-ti ERIM.ḪI.A u₂-ša₂-aš₂-qi₂ | |
| r | ||
| 1 | ki-⸢i⸣ qi₂-bit AN.ŠAR₂ EN-ia ina GEŠTU.II.MEŠ-ia ib-ši-ma [uš-ta-bi-la] ⸢ka⸣-bat-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 2 | ANŠE.gam-mal-li ša₂ LUGAL.MEŠ {kur}a-ri-bi ka-li-šu₂-un ⸢ad⸣-[ke-e-ma {kuš}na-a-di {(kuš}ḫi-in-ti) e]-⸢mid⸣-su-nu-ti | |
| 3 | 20 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ma-lak 15 u₄-me ina ši-pik ⸢ba⸣-[ṣi KAL.MEŠ a-šar ṣu-ma-a-me] ar-de | |
| 4 | 4 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ina {na₄}gab-e mu-ṣa [...] al-lik | |
| 5 | 4 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ma-lak 2 u₄-me MUŠ 2 SAG.DU.MEŠ x [... ša i-mat-su]-⸢un⸣ mu-tu₂-ma | |
| 6 | ad-da-iš-ma e-ti₇-iq 4 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ma-lak 2 [u₄-me (...)] ⸢MUŠ.MEŠ⸣ SIG₇.MEŠ | |
| 7 | ša₂ ṣu-ub-bu-bu a-gap₂-pi 4 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ma-lak 2 ⸢u₄⸣-[me ...] x-li-ti | |
| 8 | 16 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qar ma-lak 8 u₄-me ar-de [...] x ma-⸢a-diš⸣ | |
| 9 | {⸢d⸣}AMAR.UTU EN GAL-u₂ re-ṣu-ti il-⸢lik⸣ [...] | |
| 10 | ⸢u₂-bal⸣-liṭ ZI-⸢ti₃⸣ ERIM.ḪI.A-ia 20 u₄-me 7 [...] | |
| 11 | ša mi₃-⸢ṣir {kur}mu-ṣur aš₂-ta-kan⸣ nu-bat-⸢ti⸣ [...] | |
| 12 | ⸢ul⸣-tu₂ {uru}ma-⸢ag⸣-[da]-⸢li a-di {uru}me⸣-[em-pi ...] | |
| 13 | mi-ši-iḫ-ti 40 KASKAL.GID₂ ⸢qaq-qar⸣ ar-⸢de⸣ [...] | |
| 14 | qaq-qa-ru šu₂-a-tu₂ ki-ma {na₄}⸢ZU₂⸣.[MAŠ.DA₃ {na₄}⸢ZU₂⸣.[MAŠ.DA₃ ...] | |
| 15 | ki-ma ṣip-ri {giš}šil-ta-⸢ḫi⸣ [...] | |
| 16 | da-mu u šar-ku ⸢el⸣-[...] | |
| 17 | {lu₂}KUR₂ ak-ṣi a-⸢di⸣ [...] | |
| 18 | ⸢a-na⸣ {uru}is-ḫup-[ri ...] | |
| 19 | [...] x (x) AN [...] | |
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.