Sennacherib 136 (Q003941)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Kuyunjik (Nineveh) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Sennacherib 136 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q003941 |
| 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 Column i [0:9] o i 1o i 1–o i 99 | Sennacherib, [great] king, [strong king], king of the world, king of Assyria, king of [the four quarters (of the world)], capable shepherd, favorite of the [great] gods, guardian of truth who loves jus[tice], renders assistance, goes to the aid of the w[eak], (and) strives after good de[eds], perfect man, virile warr[ior], foremost of all rul[ers], the bridle that controls the insub[missive], (and) the one who strikes en[emies] with lightning: |
| Obverse Column i [9:16] o i 1010–o i 1616 | The god Aššur, the [great] mountain, gran[ted to me] unrivalled sovereignty [and] made [my] w[eapons] greater than (those of) all who sit on [(royal) daises. He made] all of the black-headed (people) from the Upp[er] Sea [of the Setting Sun] to the Low[er] Sea [of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet]. Thus [did] recalcitr[ant] rulers [come to fear battle with me]. |
| Reverse Column i [0:5] r i' 1'1'–r i' 5'5' | ... [...] I rai[sed as high as a mountain. ...] In order to [prevent its foundations from being weakened] by rain [(and ...)], I had a supporting wall built [(along)] the circumference of the wall of the city [...] (and) ... [...]. |
| Reverse Column i [5:8] r i' 6'6'–r i' 8'8' | [I enlarged the site] of the citadel and Nineveh, [my] c[apital c]ity. I broade[ned] their squares [and] brought light into [the alleys and] streets, ma[king (them) as bright as day]. |
| Reverse Column i [8:10] r i' 9'9'–r i' 10'10' | I had [a bridge] con[structed] opposite the Citadel Gate with paving ston[es of white limestone] for the passage of my lordly chariot. |
| Reverse Column i [10:16] r i' 11'11'–r i' 16'16' | I fashioned an inscribed object and had all the mighty victories [that] I achi[eved (...)] over all of (my) enemies [and] all of my (other) achievements inscrib[ed thereon]. With inscribed objects of earl[ier] rulers, [my ancestors], I de[pos]ited (it) for [ever after] in the citadel wall of Nineveh, [my] ca[pital] city, for the kings, my descendants. |
| Reverse Column i [16:22] r i' 17'17'–r i' 22'22' | At any time (in the future), may one of my descen[dants] (lit. “[future] children”), whom (the god) Aššur [names] for the lordship of the land and [people, renovate its dilapidated section(s)] when that wall becomes o[ld and dilapidated]. May he fin[d] an inscribed object bearing my name, [anoint (it) with oil], make an offering, (and) [return (it)] to [its] pla[ce]. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar [will (then) hear his] pray[ers]. |
| Reverse Column i [22:24] r i' 23'23'–r i' 24'24' | That which is upon the inscribed object that [...]; belonging to Senn[acherib ...]. |
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 i | ||
| 1 | {[m]}{⸢d⸣}EN.ZU-ŠEŠ.MEŠ-SU ⸢LUGAL⸣ [GAL-u₂] | |
| 2 | [LUGAL dan-nu] ⸢LUGAL⸣ ŠU₂ LUGAL KUR aš-šur{ki} | |
| 3 | LUGAL [kib-rat LIMMU₂-tim] RE.E₂.UM it-pe-šu₂ | |
| 4 | mi-gir DINGIR.MEŠ [GAL.MEŠ] na-ṣir kit-ti | |
| 5 | ra-ʾi-im ⸢mi⸣-[ša₂-ri] e-piš u₂-sa-a-ti | |
| 6 | a-lik tap-pu-ti ⸢a⸣-[ki-i] sa-ḫi-ru dam-qa-[a-ti] | |
| 7 | eṭ-lu git₂-ma-lum zi-ka-ru ⸢qar⸣-[du] | |
| 8 | a-ša₂-red kal ma-⸢al⸣-[ki] rap-pu la-ʾi-iṭ | |
| 9 | la ma-[gi-ri] mu-šab-ri-qu za-[ma-a-ni] | |
| 10 | {d}aš-šur ša₂-du-u₂ [GAL-u₂] LUGAL-ut la ša₂-na-an | |
| 11 | u₂-šat-⸢li⸣-[ma-an-ni-ma] UGU gi-mir | |
| 12 | a-šib [pa-rak-ki] u₂-šar-ba-a {⸢giš⸣}[TUKUL.MEŠ-ia] | |
| 13 | ul-tu A.AB.BA e-le-ni-[ti ša ša₂-lam {d}UTU-ši] | |
| 14 | a-di A.AB.BA šap-li-[ti ša ṣi-it {d}UTU-ši] | |
| 15 | gim-ri ṣal-mat SAG.DU [u₂-šak-niš še-pu-u₂-a] | |
| 16 | u₃ mal-ki šep-ṣu-[ti e-du-ru ta-ḫa-zi] | |
| r i' | ||
| 1' | x (x) [...] | |
| 2' | ⸢u₂-zaq⸣-[qir ḫur-ša₂-niš ...] | |
| 3' | aš₂-šu₂ ina ra-a-⸢di⸣ [(...) iš-de-e-šu₂ la e-ne₂-še (ana)] | |
| 4' | li-me-et BAD₃ ⸢URU⸣ [...] | |
| 5' | ki-su-u u₂-še-pi-ša₂ u₂-[...] | |
| 6' | ša₂ MURUB₄ URU u NINA{⸢ki} URU be⸣-[lu-ti-ia šu-bat-su-nu uš-rab-bi] | |
| 7' | re-ba-ti-šu₂-un u₂-ša₂-an-⸢dil⸣-[ma bi-re-e-ti u₃] | |
| 8' | su-qa-a-ti uš-par-di-ma ⸢u₂⸣-[nam-mir GIM u₄-me] | |
| 9' | ina me₂-eḫ-ret ⸢KA₂.GAL⸣ MURUB₄ URU ina a-⸢gur₂⸣-[ri {na₄}pi-i-li pe-ṣe-e] | |
| 10' | a-na me-ti-iq {giš}GIGIR EN-ti-ia u₂-⸢še⸣-[piš ti-tur-ru] | |
| 11' | MU.SAR-a ab-ni-ma li-i-tu₂ u da-na-nu [ša (...)] | |
| 12' | UGU kul-lat na-ki-ri aš₂-tak-[ka-nu u₃] | |
| 13' | mim-ma e-piš-<ti> ⸢ŠU.II-ia⸣ u₂-ša₂-aš₂-⸢ṭir⸣ [qe₂-reb-šu₂] | |
| 14' | it-ti MU.⸢SAR-e ša₂ mal⸣-ki a-li-kut ⸢maḫ⸣-[ri AD.MEŠ-ia] | |
| 15' | ina BAD₃ MURUB₄ URU ša₂ NINA{ki} URU be-[lu-ti-ia] | |
| 16' | a-na LUGAL.MEŠ DUMU.MEŠ-ia e-⸢zib⸣ aḫ-[ra-taš] | |
| 17' | ma-ti-ma ina DUMU.⸢MEŠ⸣-ia [ar-ku-ti] | |
| 18' | ša₂ AN.ŠAR₂ a-na be-lut KUR u [UN.MEŠ i-nam-bu-u zi-kir-šu] | |
| 19' | e-nu-ma BAD₃ šu₂-a-tu₂ i-lab-bi-⸢ru⸣-[ma en-na-ḫu an-ḫu-us-su lu-ud-diš] | |
| 20' | MU.SAR-u ši-ṭir MU-ia li-⸢mur⸣-[ma I₃.GIŠ lip-šu-uš] | |
| 21' | {udu}SISKUR liq-qi₂ a-na aš₂-⸢ri⸣-[šu₂ li-ter] | |
| 22' | {d}aš-šur u {d}iš-tar ik-ri-[bi-šu i-šem-mu-u] | |
| 23' | ša UGU ⸢MU.SAR-e ša₂⸣ [...] | |
| 24' | ša₂ {m}{d}30-[PAP.MEŠ-SU ...] | |
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.