Sennacherib 008 (Q003482)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Kuyunjik (Nineveh) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Sennacherib 008 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q003482 |
| 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/rinap3 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:3] 11–33 | [Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, unrivalled king], pious [shep]herd who reveres the great gods, [guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the wea]k, (and) strives after good deeds, [perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that con]trols the insubmissive, (and) the one who strikes enemies with lightning: |
| Obverse [3:4] 44–44 | [The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and] made my weapons greater [than (those of) all who sit on (royal) da]ises. |
| Obverse [4:6] 55–66 | [On my first campaign], I brought about [the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), together with the troops of (the land) Ela]m, his allies, in the plain of Kish. [In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and (thereby) saved his life. I] seized [the chariots, horses, wagons, (and) mules] that he had abandoned in the thick of battle. |
| Obverse [6:8] 77–88 | [I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and] brought out [gold, silver, gold (and) silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of] possessions (and) property, a substan[tial] treasure, (together with) [his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were], (and) his palace [attendan]ts, and [I counted] (them) as booty. |
| Obverse [8:10] 99–1010 | [With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord], I surrounded, conquered, (and) plunder[ed 89 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 620 small(er) settlements in their environs]. (10) I brought out [the auxiliary forces of the Arameans (and) Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, (and) Sippar, together with] the guilty [citizens], and [I counted (them) as] bo[oty]. |
| Obverse [10:11] 1111–1111 | [I placed Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî, on his royal throne (and) entrusted him with the people of Akkad. I ap]pointed [my eunuchs to be governors over all of the districts of Chaldea] and [I imposed] the yoke of my lordship [upon them]. |
| Obverse [11:14] 1212–1414 | [On my return march, I defeated] all together [the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu (Malaḫu), Gurumu], Ubulu, [Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, (and) Liʾtaʾu, in]submissive [Arameans. I carried] off into [Assyria a substantial booty (consisting of) 208,000 people, young (and) old, male and female, 7,200 horses (and) mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, (and) 600,600 sheep and goats]. |
| Obverse [14:15] 1515–1515 | [In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial aud]ience gift [from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu (Ḫarutu): gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats]. |
| Obverse [16:17] 1'1'–1'1' | [To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed] (them) over [to them]. |
| Obverse [17:19] 2'2'–3'3' | [To make (these) planted areas luxuriant, I cut with picks a canal] st[raight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River (and) ma]de (it) gush through [feeder canals into those gardens]. |
| Obverse [19:22] 4'4'–6'6' | [By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in (those) gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, (and) all kinds of trees gr]ew tall and sent [out shoots. (5´) I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for (those) gardens and had a canebrake planted (in it). I let loose] in i[t herons, wild boa]rs (lit. “[pigs of the ree]ds”), (and) roe deer. [The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, heron(s) whose home(s) are far away, made nest(s) and wild boars (and) roe deer] ga[ve birth] in abundance. |
| Obverse [22:23] 7'7'–7'7' | [I cut down musukkannu-trees (and) cypress trees grown in the orchards (and) marsh reeds from the swamps and] I us[ed (them) in the work required] (to build) my [lor]dly [palatial halls]. |
| Obverse [23:24] 8'8'–8'8' | [... At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched] (and) I wa[tered] their insides with [sw]eet [wine]. |
| Obverse [24:26] 9'9'–10'10' | [Nineveh, the site of whose circumference had been 9,300 cubits since former times (and) for which no earl]ier ruler [had had an inner or outer wall built — (10´) I added 12,515 (cubits) in the plain around the city to (its) previous measurement and] (thus) established its dimensions [as 21,815 lar]ge [cubits]. |
| Obverse [26:27] 11'11'–11'11' | [I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, (which means) “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made (it) 40 bricks thick]. I raised its superstructure [180 cou]rses of brick high. |
| Obverse [27:29] 12'12'–13'13' | [I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, (which means) “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then I dug down forty-five nindanu and made (it) reach] the water table. [I bound together strong mountain stone in the water below and above] I expertly carried out its construction [with large limestone (blocks) up to its copings]. |
| Obverse [29:30] 14'14'–14'14' | [I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares, making (them) as bright as day]. I had [an inner (and) outer wall] built and I raised (them) as high as mountain(s). |
| Obverse [30:31] 15'15'–15'15' | [So that there would be outflow from the Ḫusur River in the city (and) the passage of water upstream and downstream], I built aqueducts beneath it (the city wall) [with baked bricks, ...]. |
| Obverse [31:32] 16'16'–16'16' | I had a bridge constructed [opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot]. |
| Obverse [32:34] 17'17'–18'18' | [I had an inscribed object made and] had [all the mighty victories that I] achieved [over all of (my) enemies with the support of (the god) Aššur, the great lord, my lord], and all of my (other) achievements inscribed thereon. [With inscribed objects of earlier rulers, my ancestors], I deposited (it) for ever after [in the wall of Nineveh, my capital city, for the kings], my [descendant]s. |
| Obverse [34:36] 19'19'–20'20' | [In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate their dilapidated section(s) when] these inner and outer walls become old and dilapidated. (20´) [May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint (it) with oil, make an offering], (and) return (it) [to its place]. The god Aššur will (then) hear his prayers. |
| Obverse [36:37] 21'21'–21'21' | [The line count of the inscription is ... (lines). ... eponymy of] Bēl-šarrāni (699). |
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}{d}EN.ZU-ŠEŠ.MEŠ-eri-ba LUGAL GAL-u₂ LUGAL dan-nu LUGAL kiš-ša₂-ti LUGAL KUR aš-šur{ki} LUGAL la ša₂-na-an RE].E₂.UM ⸢mut-nen⸣-nu-u₂ pa-liḫ DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ | |
| 2 | [na-ṣir kit-ti ra-ʾi-im mi-ša₂-ri e-piš u₂-sa-a-ti a-lik tap-pu-ut a-ki]-⸢i⸣ sa-ḫi-ru dam-qa-a-ti | |
| 3 | [eṭ-lu git₂-ma-lum zi-ka-ru qar-du a-ša₂-red kal ma-al-ki rap-pu la-ʾi]-⸢iṭ⸣ la ma-gi-ri mu-šab-ri-qu za-ma-a-ni | |
| 4 | {[d}aš-šur KUR-u₂ GAL-u₂ LUGAL-ut la ša₂-na-an u₂-šat-li-ma-an-ni-ma UGU gi-mir a-šib pa]-⸢rak⸣-ki u₂-šar-ba-a {giš}TUKUL.MEŠ-ia | |
| 5 | [i-na maḫ-re-e ger-ri-ia ša {m}{d}AMAR.UTU-IBILA-SUM.NA LUGAL {kur}kar₂-dun-ia-aš₂ a-di ERIM.ḪI.A ELAM].⸢MA⸣{ki} re-ṣi-šu₂ i-na ta-mir-ti kiš{ki} aš₂-ta-⸢kan⸣ [BAD₅.BAD₅-šu] | |
| 6 | [i-na MURUB₄ tam-ḫa-ri šu-a-tu e-zib KARAŠ-su e-diš ip-par-šid-ma na-piš-tuš e-ṭi₂-ir {giš}GIGIR.MEŠ ANŠE.KUR.RA.MEŠ {giš}ṣu-um-bi ANŠE.KUNGA.MEŠ] ⸢ša⸣ ina qit-ru-ub ta-ḫa-zi u₂-maš-ši-ru ik-šu-da [ŠU.II-a-a] | |
| 7 | [a-na E₂.GAL-šu ša qe₂-reb KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} ḫa-diš e-ru-um-ma ap-te-e-ma E₂ ni-ṣir-ti-šu₂ KU₃.GI KU₃.BABBAR u₂-nu-ut KU₃.GI KU₃.BABBAR NA₄ a-qar-tu mim-ma šum-šu₂] NIG₂.ŠU NIG₂.GA ni-ṣir-tu ka-bit-[tu] | |
| 8 | [DAM-su {munus}UN.MEŠ E₂.GAL.MEŠ-šu₂ {lu₂}TIRUM.MEŠ {lu₂}man-za-az pa-ni si-ḫir-ti um-ma-a-ni ma-la ba-šu-u₂ mut-tab-bi-lu]-tu₂ E₂.GAL-uš u₂-še-ṣa-am-ma šal-la-tiš [am-nu] | |
| 9 | [i-na e-muq {d}aš-šur EN-ia 89 URU.MEŠ-šu₂ dan-nu-ti E₂ BAD₃.MEŠ ša {kur}kal-di u₃ 6 ME 20 URU.MEŠ TUR.MEŠ ša li-me-ti-šu₂-nu] ⸢al⸣-me KUR-ud aš₂-lu-la šal-la-[su-un] | |
| 10 | {[lu₂}ur₂-bi {lu₂}a-ra-mu {lu₂}kal-du ša qe₂-reb UNUG{ki} NIBRU{ki} kiš{ki} ḫur-sag-kalam-ma{ki} GU₂.DU₈.A{ki} ZIMBIR{ki} EN DUMU.MEŠ URU] ⸢EN⸣ ḫi-iṭ-ṭi u₂-še-ṣa-am-ma šal-[la-tiš am-nu] | |
| 11 | {[m}EN-DU₃ DUMU {lu₂}GAL-DU₃ {lu₂}GAL-DU₃ i-na {giš}GU.ZA LUGAL-ti-šu₂ u₂-še-šib UN.MEŠ KUR URI{ki} u₂-šad-gil pa-nu-uš-šu₂ UGU gi-mir na-ge-e {kur}kal-di {lu₂}šu-ut SAG.MEŠ-ia a-na {lu₂}NAM-ti aš₂]-kun-ma ni-ir be-lu-ti-ia [e-mid-su-nu-ti] | |
| 12 | [i-na ta-a-a-ar-ti-ia {lu₂}tu-uʾ-mu-na {lu₂}ri-ḫi-ḫu {lu₂}ia-daq-qu {lu₂}u₂-bu-du {lu₂}gib-re-e {lu₂}ma-li-ḫu {lu₂}gu-ru-mu] {lu₂}u₂-⸢bu⸣-lum {⸢lu₂⸣}[da-mu-nu] | |
| 13 | {[lu₂}gam-bu-lum {lu₂}ḫi-in-da-ru {lu₂}ru-ʾu-u-a {lu₂}pu-qu-du {lu₂}ḫa-am-ra-nu {lu₂}ḫa-ga-ra-nu {lu₂}na-ba-tu {lu₂}li-iʾ-ta-a-u₂ {lu₂}a-ra-mu la] ⸢kan⸣-šu₂-⸢ti mit-ḫa-riš⸣ [ak-šud{ud]} | |
| 14 | 2 ME 8 LIM UN.MEŠ TUR GAL NITA u MUNUS 7 LIM 2 ME ANŠE.KUR.RA.MEŠ ANŠE.KUNGA.MEŠ 11 LIM 73 ANŠE.MEŠ 5 LIM 2 ME 30 ANŠE.GAM.MAL.MEŠ 80 LIM 1 ME GU₄.MEŠ 6 ME LIM 6 ME US₅.UDU.ḪI.A šal-la-tu ka-bit-tu aš₂-lu]-la a-na qe₂-[reb KUR aš-šur{ki]} | |
| 15 | [i-na me-ti-iq ger-ri-ia ša {m}{d}AG-EN-MU.MEŠ {lu₂}qi₂-pi {uru}ḫa-ra-ra-te KU₃.GI KU₃.BABBAR {giš}mu-suk-kan-ni GAL.MEŠ ANŠE.MEŠ ANŠE.GAM.MAL.MEŠ GU₄.MEŠ u₃ US₅.UDU.ḪI.A ta]-mar-ta-šu₂ [ka-bit-tu₂ am-ḫur] | |
| 16 | [...] x [...] | |
| 1' | [aš₂-šu₂ za-qa-ap ṣip-pa-a-ti A.ŠA₃ ta-mir-ti e-le-en URU NIGIDAMIN.TA.AM₃ a-na DUMU.MEŠ NINA{ki} pil-ku u₂-pal-lik-ma u₂-šad]-⸢gi-la⸣ [pa-nu-uš-šu₂-un] | |
| 2' | [a-na miṭ-ra-a-ti šum-mu-ḫi ul-tu pa-a-ṭi {uru}ki-si-ri a-di ta-mir-ti NINA{ki} KUR-a u₃ bi-ru-tu₂ ina ak-kul-la-a-ti u₂-šat-tir]-ma u₂-[še-šir {id₂}ḫar-ru] | |
| 3' | 1 1/2 KASKAL.GID₂ qaq-qa-ru ul-tu qe₂-reb {id₂}ḫu-su-ur ma-a-me da-ru-u₂-ti a-šar-ša₂ u₂-šar-da-a qe₂-reb ṣip-pa-a-ti ša₂-ti-na u₂]-šaḫ-bi-ba [pat-ti-iš] | |
| 4' | [i-na ṭe₃-em DINGIR-ma qe₂-reb {giš}KIRI₆.MEŠ {giš}GEŠTIN gi-mir GURUN {giš}se-er-du u₃ ŠIM.ḪI.A ma-gal iš-mu-ḫu {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ {giš}MES.MA₂.KAN.NA nap-ḫar GIŠ.MEŠ i]-⸢ši⸣-ḫu-ma u₂-ṣar-⸢ri⸣-[šu₂ pa-pa-al-lum] | |
| 5' | [a-na šup-šu-uḫ a-lak-ti A.MEŠ ša {giš}KIRI₆.MEŠ a-gam-mu u₂-šab-ši-ma ṣu-ṣu-u₂ u₂-ša₂-as-ti-il IGIRA₂{mušen.}MEŠ ŠAḪ.MEŠ {giš]}⸢GI⸣ a-lap qi₂-ši i-⸢na lib₃⸣-[bi u₂-maš-šir] | |
| 6' | [ap-pa-ra-a-ti ma-gal i-ši-ra MUŠEN AN-e IGIRA₂{mušen} ša a-šar-šu₂ ru-u₂-qu qin-na iq-nun-ma ŠAḪ.MEŠ {giš}GI a-lap qi₂-ši] ⸢u₂⸣-rap-pi-šu ⸢ta⸣-[lit-tu] | |
| 7' | {[giš}MES.MA₂.KAN.NA {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ tar-bit ṣip-pa-a-ti GI AMBAR.MEŠ ša qe₂-reb {id₂}a-gam-me ak-šiṭ-ma a-na šip-ri ḫi-šiḫ-ti E₂.GAL.MEŠ be]-⸢lu⸣-ti-ia lu ⸢DU₃⸣-[uš] | |
| 8' | [... i-na taš-ri-it E₂.GAL ša ba-ḫu-la-te KUR-ia u₂-ša₂-aš₂-qa-a muḫ-ḫa-šu₂-un GEŠTIN du]-⸢uš⸣-šu-pu ṣur-ra-šu₂-un am-[kir] | |
| 9' | [NINA{ki} ša ul-tu u₄-mu pa-ni 9 LIM 3 ME i-na 1.KUŠ₃ šu-bat li-me-ti-šu₂ BAD₃ u₃ BAD₃.ŠUL.ḪI ul u₂-še-pi-šu a-li-kut] ⸢maḫ⸣-ri ma-al-⸢ki⸣ | |
| 10' | 12 LIM 5 ME 15 a-šar ta-mir-ti li-mit URU ṣe-er me-ši-iḫ-ti maḫ-ri-ti u₂-rad-di-ma 21 LIM 8 ME 15 i-na AS₄.LUM GAL]-ti u₂-kin min₃-da-⸢tuš⸣ | |
| 11' | [ša BAD₃-šu₂ GAL-i bad₃-ni₂-gal-bi-lu₂-kur₂-ra-šu₂-šu₂ du-u₂-ru ša nam-ri-ru-šu₂ na-ki-ri saḫ-pu ṣe-er {na₄}pi-i-li tem-me-en-šu₂ ad-di-ma 40 SIG₄ u₂-kab-bir i-na 1 ME 80 ti]-⸢ib⸣-ki ul-la-a re-še₂₀-e-šu₂ | |
| 12' | [ša₂ šal-ḫi-i bad₃-nig₂-erim₂-ḫu-luḫ-ḫa mu-gal-lit za-ma-a-ni uš-še-šu₂ ap-te-ma 45 NINDA u₂-šap-pil-ma u₂-ša₂-ak-šid] A.MEŠ nag-bi | |
| 13' | [qe₂-reb ma-a-me šap-la-a-nu NA₄ KUR-i dan-nu ak-si-ma e-la-niš a-di pa-as₂-qi₂-šu₂ ina {na₄}pi-i-li GAL.MEŠ] u₂-nak-⸢kil⸣ ši-pir-šu₂ | |
| 14' | [ša NINA{ki} URU be-lu-ti-ia šu-bat-su uš-rab-bi re-ba-te-šu u₂-ša₂-an-dil-ma u₂-nam-mir GIM u₄-mi BAD₃ šal-ḫu-u₂] ⸢u₂⸣-še-piš-ma u₂-⸢zaq⸣-qir ḫur-ša₂-a-niš | |
| 15' | [aš₂-šu₂ mu-ṣe-e {id₂}ḫu-su-ur qe₂-reb URU ma-lak A.MEŠ e-liš u₃ šap-liš i-na SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA KI-i-ri ma-ši-i] ti-tur-ri ab-ta-ni ša₂-pal-šu₂ | |
| 16' | [ina me₂-eḫ-ret KA₂.GAL MURUB₄ URU i-na a-gur₂-ri {na₄}pi-i-li pe-ṣe-e a-na me-ti-iq {giš}GIGIR be-lu-ti-ia] u₂-še-piš ti-tur-ru | |
| 17' | [MU.SAR-a u₂-še-piš-ma li-i-tu₂ u₃ da-na-nu ša i-na tukul-ti aš-šur EN GAL EN-ia UGU kul-lat na-ki-ri aš₂-tak]-⸢ka⸣-nu u₃ mim-ma e-piš-ti ŠU.II-ia u₂-ša₂-aš₂-ṭir qe₂-reb-šu₂ | |
| 18' | [it-ti MU.SAR-e ša mal-ki a-li-kut maḫ-ri AD.MEŠ-ia ina BAD₃ ša₂ NINA{ki} URU be-lu-ti-ia a-na LUGAL.MEŠ DUMU].MEŠ-ia e-zib aḫ-ra-taš | |
| 19' | [a-na ar-kat₃ u₄-me i-na LUGAL.MEŠ-ni DUMU.MEŠ-ia ša {d}aš-šur a-na RE.E₂.UM-ut KUR u₃ UN.MEŠ i-nam-bu-u zi-kir-šu e-nu-ma] BAD₃ u BAD₃.ŠUL.ḪI ša₂-tu-nu i-lab-bi-ru-ma en-na-ḫu | |
| 20' | [an-ḫu-su-nu lu-ud-diš MU.SAR-a ši-ṭir šu-mi-ia li-mur-ma I₃.GIŠ lip-šu-uš {udu}SISKUR liq-qi₂ a-na aš₂-ri-šu₂] ⸢li⸣-ter {d}aš-šur ik-ri-bi-šu₂ i-⸢šem⸣-me | |
| 21' | [x x (x x).TA.AM₃ MU.DIDLI MU.SAR-e ... li-mu {m}{d]}EN-LUGAL-an-ni |
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.