Sennacherib 040 (Q003514)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Kuyunjik (Nineveh) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Sennacherib 040 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q003514 |
| 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 [0:1] 1'1'–1'1' | [I ra]ised its superstructure [in its entirety 190 courses of brick]. I en[larged] the structure of the palace [to 700 large cubits along (its) longer side and 440 large cubits along (its) shorter side and (thus) I made its site bigger]. |
| Obverse [1:4] 2'2'–4'4' | I built [palatial halls of breccia, alabaster], elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, [musukkannu]-wood, [cedar, cypress, juniper, (and) elammaku-wood] there[on as my lo]rdly [residence]; (then) I had a port[ico, a replica of a Hittite palace], constructed [opposite (its) gates]. |
| Obverse [4:5] 5'5'–5'5' | I [roofed them (the palatial halls) with] beams of ced[ar] (and) cypress. I fastened [ba]nds of silver and copper [on doors of white cedar] (and) cypress [and I installed (them) in their gates]. |
| Obverse [5:9] 6'6'–9'9' | [In] their [corri]dors, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed [apotropaic figures of alabaster (and) elephant ivory], whose hands are folded, [who are laden with] pride (and) [allure], (and) who are filled with [exuberanc]e, and (thus) I made (them) [an object of wond]er. |
| Obverse [9:10] 10'10'–10'10' | I [decorated] them with silver (and) copper knobbed nails. [...] |
| Obverse [10:19] 1''1''–9''9'' | [So that the construction of] my [pal]ace [might be carried out corre]ctly and that [my handi]work be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service (and) who selected me (lit. “who called my name”), revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range. |
| Obverse [19:22] 10''10''–12''12'' | <In> the uplands of Mount Ammanāna (northern Anti-Lebanon), they (Aššur and Ištar) disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive (even) for the pommel of a sword. |
| Obverse [22:27] 13''13''–17''17'' | Moreover, [bre]ccia, as much as is needed (for making) burzigallu-bowls, (a stone) that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ (“Dargilâ Village”). |
| Obverse [27:38] 18''18''–28''28'' | Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and (then) I created bull colossi (and) sphinxes of alabaster, and slabs of alabaster, as well as magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut (them) free on both sides from their mountains, and (then), for the construction of my palace, I had (them) dragged into Nineveh. |
| Obverse [38:40] 29''29''–30''30'' | (As for) the white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, I had (it) made into bull [colossi] and s[phinxes], and (then) I made their appearance(s) resplendent. |
| Obverse [40:44] 31''31''–34''34'' | By divine wi[ll] (and) with [my] (own) know[ledge], I created clay mold(s) of tre[e trunks] and date palm(s), (of) twelve raging lions, as well as (of) twelve [magnificent] bull colossi (and) twenty-two sphinxes with perfect form(s), and I poured copper into it. I perfe[cted] their form(s). |
| Obverse [44:46] 35''35''–36''36'' | I made bull colossi of alabaster and copper, two of which [were overlaid with za]ḫalû-silver, (together with) bull colossi (and) sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my lordly palatial halls. |
| Obverse [46:50] 37''37''–40''40'' | Sphinxes of alabaster and cast urudû-copper with inlays of shining silver, sphinxes of cast ...-metal, as well as twelve raging bronze lions who are endowed with radiance: I erected over them magnificent copper columns (and) large cedar columns, as well as columns of ebony, cypress, daprānu-juniper, (and) tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold, silver, and copper inlays, and (then) I positioned cross-beams (upon them) as a cornice for their gates. |
| Obverse [50:51] 41''41''–41''41'' | I surrounded their (the palace rooms’) lower courses with slabs of breccia (and) alabaster, and large limestone slabs. |
| Obverse [51:53] 42''42''–43''43'' | In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palm(s) placed over wells. |
| Obverse [53:56] 44''44''–46''46'' | Moreover, for Tašmētu-šarrat, the palace lady, my beloved spouse, whose form the goddess Bēlet-ilī made more perfect than (that of) all (other) women: I had a palatial hall for lovemaking, happiness, and exultation built, and (then) I stationed sphinxes of white limestone in its gates. |
| Obverse [56:60] 47''47''–50''50'' | By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may we both live long and be satisfied with (our) prosperity in these palatial halls in good health and happiness. May the good šēdu (and) the good lamassu surround these palatial halls forever and ever. May they never leave them. |
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' | [ul]-la-a re-ši-šu [a-na 7 ME i-na AS₄.LUM GAL-ti UŠ u₃ 4 ME 40 i-na AS₄.LUM GAL-ti SAG.KI] | |
| 2' | ši-kit-ti E₂.GAL ⸢u₂⸣-[ter-ma šu-bat-sa uš-rab-bi E₂.GAL {na₄}DUR₂.MI.NA.BAN₃.DA {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL] | |
| 3' | ZU₂ AM.SI {⸢giš}ESI⸣ {giš}TUG₂ {giš}[MES.MA₂.KAN.NA {giš}EREN {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ {šim}LI {giš}e-lam-ma-ku a-na mu-šab be]-lu-ti-[ia] | |
| 4' | ab-ta-ni qe₂-reb-[šu₂] E₂ ap-[pa-a-ti tam-šil E₂.GAL {kur}ḫa-at-ti me₂-eḫ-ret ba-ba-a-ti] u₂-še-⸢piš⸣ | |
| 5' | ⸢GIŠ⸣.UR₃.MEŠ {giš}ere-[IGI] {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ u₂-[šat-ri-ṣa e-li-šin {giš}IG.MEŠ {giš}li-ia-ri] {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ | |
| 6' | [me]-ser KU₃.BABBAR u₃ URUDU u₂-rak-kis-[ma u₂-rat-ta-a ba-bi-šin i-na ba-rak]-ka-ni-šin | |
| 7' | ap-ti bi-ir-ri u₂-pat-ta-a {[d}LAMMA.MEŠ {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL ZU₂ AM.SI] | |
| 8' | ša kit-mu-sa rit-ta-šin bal-tu [ku-uz-bu ḫi-it-lu-pa lu-le]-e | |
| 9' | ma-la-a i-na KA₂.MEŠ-ši-in ul-ziz-ma [a-na tab-ra-a]-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 10' | u₂-ša₂-lik sik-kat₃ kar-ri kas-pi u₃ URUDU qe₂-reb-⸢šin u₂⸣-[šal-me ...] | |
| 1'' | [aš₂-šu₂ šip-ri E₂].GAL-ia | |
| 2'' | [šu-te-šu₂]-⸢ri⸣ u₃ li-pit | |
| 3'' | [ŠU.II-ia] ⸢šul⸣-lu-me i-na u₄-me-šu₂-ma | |
| 4'' | {d}aš-šur u₃ {d}iš-tar ra-ʾi-mu | |
| 5'' | {lu₂}SANGA-ti-ia na-bu-u₂ MU-ia giš-maḫ-ḫi | |
| 6'' | {giš}ere-IGI ša ul-tu UD.MEŠ ru-qu-u₂-ti | |
| 7'' | i-ši-ḫu-ma ik-bi-ru ma-gal <i-na> qe₂-reb {kur}si-ra-ra | |
| 8'' | šad-di-i i-na pu-uz-ri na-an-zu-zu | |
| 9'' | u₂-šak-li-mu-in-ni ṣi-⸢i⸣-su-un | |
| 10'' | ša {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL ša i-na tar-ṣi LUGAL.MEŠ | |
| 11'' | AD.MEŠ-ia a-na kar-ri nam-ṣa-ri šu-qu-ru | |
| 12'' | <ina> sa-pan {kur}am-ma-na-na u₂-šap-tu₂-ni pa-⸢ni⸣-[šu] | |
| 13'' | u₃ {na₄}[DUR₂.MI].NA.BAN₃.DA | |
| 14'' | ma-la {dug}bur-⸢zi⸣-gal-li | |
| 15'' | ša la in-nam-ru ma-ti-ma | |
| 16'' | i-na {uru}kap-ri-da-ar-gi-la-a | |
| 17'' | u₂-kal-li-im ra-ma-nu-uš | |
| 18'' | i-te-e {uru}ni-na-a | |
| 19'' | i-na er-ṣe-et {uru}ba-la-ṭa-a-a | |
| 20'' | ki-i ṭe₃-em DINGIR-ma {na₄}pi-i-lu | |
| 21'' | pe-ṣu-u₂ a-na mu-ʾu-de-e | |
| 22'' | in-na-mir-ma {d}ALAD.{d}LAMMA.MEŠ | |
| 23'' | {munus}AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-ti {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL | |
| 24'' | u₃ KUN₄.MEŠ {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL a-di KUN₄.MEŠ | |
| 25'' | {na₄}DUR₂.MI.NA.BAN₃.DA ṣi-ra-a-ti | |
| 26'' | ab-ni ki-lal-la-an i-na šad-di-šu-un | |
| 27'' | ab-tuq-ma a-na šip-ri E₂.GAL-ia | |
| 28'' | u₂-šal-di-da qe₂-reb {uru}ni-na-a | |
| 29'' | {na₄}pi-i-lu pe-ṣu-u₂ ša i-na | |
| 30'' | er-ṣe-et {uru}ba-la-ṭa-a-a in-nam-ru a-na {d}ALAD.{d}[LAMMA.MEŠ] u₃ {munus}[AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-te] | |
| 31'' | u₂-še-piš-ma nab-ni-ta-šu-un u₂-šar-ri-iḫ ki-i ṭe₃-[em] ⸢DINGIR⸣-ma ša ⸢giš⸣-[maḫ-ḫi] | |
| 32'' | u₃ a-la-mit-ta 12 UR.MAḪ.MEŠ ne₂-ʾi-ru-ti a-di 12 {d}ALAD.{d}LAMMA.MEŠ [MAḪ.MEŠ] | |
| 33'' | 22 {munus}AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-ti ša šuk-lu-lu gat-ta-šu-un ⸢i⸣-na [me]-reš ka-[bat-ti-ia] | |
| 34'' | zi-iʾ-pi ṭi-iṭ-ṭi ab-ni-ma e-ra-a qe₂-reb-šu aš₂-tap-⸢pa⸣-ka u₂-⸢šak⸣-[li-la] | |
| 35'' | nab-ni-su-un {d}ALAD.{d}LAMMA.MEŠ {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL u₃ URUDU ša 2 i-na lib₃-bi [za]-ḫa-lu-u₂ [lit-bu-šu₂] | |
| 36'' | {d}ALAD.{d}LAMMA.MEŠ {munus}AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-ti {na₄}pi-i-li pe-ṣe-e ša E₂.GAL.MEŠ be-lu-ti-⸢ia⸣ | |
| 37'' | u₂-ša₂-aṣ-bi-ta SI.GAR-ši-in {munus}AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-ti {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL u₃ pi-ti-iq u₂-ru-de-e | |
| 38'' | iḫ-ze-et kas-pi eb-bi {munus}AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-ti pi-ti-iq GU.AN.NA a-di 12 UR.MAḪ.MEŠ ZABAR | |
| 39'' | ne₂-ʾi-ru-ti ša ra-mu-u₂ nam-ri-ir-ri tim-me URUDU MAḪ.MEŠ tim-me {giš}ere-IGI GAL.MEŠ a-di | |
| 40'' | tim-me {giš}ESI {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ {giš}dup-ra-ni {giš}ta-ti-du iḫ-ze-et pa-šal-li kas-pi u₃ URUDU ṣe-ru-uš-šu₂-un | |
| 41'' | ul-ziz-ma dap₂-pi ku-lul KA₂.MEŠ-šin e-mid KUN₄.MEŠ {na₄}DUR₂.MI.NA.BAN₃.DA {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL u₃ KUN₄.MEŠ | |
| 42'' | {na₄}pi-i-li GAL.MEŠ u₂-ša₂-as-ḫi-ra a-sur-ru-šin aš₂-šu u₄-mi-šam-ma A.MEŠ di-lu-u₂-ti da-lum | |
| 43'' | eb-li gu-ḫaṣ-ṣa-a-ti ZABAR u₃ ḫar-ḫa-ri ZABAR u₂-še-piš-ma ki-mu-u₂ ma-ka-a-ti giš-maḫ-ḫi u₃ | |
| 44'' | a-la-mit-ta ṣe-er PU₂.MEŠ uš-ziz u₃ a-na {f}{d}taš-me-tum-šar-⸢rat⸣ MUNUS.E₂.GAL MUNUS.E₂.GAL ḫi-ir-tu na-ram-ti-ia | |
| 45'' | ša {d}be-let-DINGIR.MEŠ UGU gi-mir MUNUS.MEŠ u₂-šak-li-la nab-ni-sa E₂.GAL ru-ʾa-a-me ḫi-da-a-ti | |
| 46'' | u₃ ri-ša₂-a-ti u₂-še-piš-ma {munus}AB₂.ZA.ZA-a-ti {na₄}pi-i-li pe-ṣi-i ina KA₂.MEŠ-ša₂ ul-ziz | |
| 47'' | i-na qi₂-bit {d}aš-šur AD DINGIR.MEŠ u₃ {d}iš-tar šar-ra-ti i-na ṭu-ub UZU u₃ ḫu-ud lib₃-bi | |
| 48'' | qe₂-reb E₂.GAL.MEŠ ši-na-a-ti ki-lal-la-an UD.MEŠ nu-ša₂-ri-ka ni-iš-ba-a | |
| 49'' | bu-ʾa-a-ri {d}ALAD dum-qi₂ {d}LAMMA dum-qi₂ i-da-at E₂.GAL.MEŠ ša₂-ti-na | |
| 50'' | da-a-riš lit-tas-ḫa-ru a-a ip-par-ku-u₂ i-da-a-ši-in |
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.