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Nabonidus 47 (Q005444)

Royal Inscription, Neo-Babylonian, Harran · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE

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DesignationNabonidus 47
IDQ005444
CollectionUrfa Museum, Urfa, Turkey
LanguageAkkadian
PeriodNeo-Babylonian · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE
GenreRoyal Inscription
Find spotHarran
Coordinates36.8634, 39.0309

English translation

By ORACC project ribo/babylon7 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)

LineEnglish
Obverse Column i [0:6] i 1i 1–i 66The great deed of the god Sîn, which none of the gods and goddess(es) knew, which since distant days had not descended (from heaven) into the land, and (which) the people of the land had <not> seen, written down on a (clay) tablet, nor deposited for eternity, (that) you, the god Sîn, lord of the god(s) and goddess(es) who reside in heaven, have come (down) from heaven in the time of Nabonidus, king of Babylon.
Obverse Column i [6:10] i 77–i 1010I am Nabonidus, an only son who has no one, in whose heart (lit. “my heart”) (the thought of) being king did not exist — the gods and goddess(es) (however) prayed for me and (therefore) the god Sîn called me to be king.
Obverse Column i [10:13] i 1111–i 1313During the night, he showed m[e] a dream, saying: “Quickly, build Eḫulḫul, the temple of the god Sîn of the city Ḫarrān. I will place all of the lands into your hands.”
Obverse Column i [13:18] i 1414–i 1818The people, the citizens of Babylon, Borsippa, Nippur, Ur, Uruk, (and) Larsa, the priests, (and) the people of the cult centers of the land of Akkad neglected his great divinity, disregarded (it), and sinned (against it). They did not know about the great anger of the king of the gods, the god Nannāru.
Obverse Column i [18:21] i 1919–i 2121They forgot their cultic rites and were speaking lies and untruths. They were eating one another like dogs, (and) created diʾu-disease and famine among them. He (Sîn) reduced the people of the land.
Obverse Column i [21:26] i 2222–i 2626Moreover, I — he (Sîn) took me far away from my city Babylon and, for ten years, I walked the road between the cities Tēmā, Dadānu, Padakku, Ḫibrā, Yadīḫu, and (then) as far Yatribu. I did not enter my city, Babylon.
Obverse Column i [26:30] i 2727–i 3030By the word of the god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of lords, whose — the god Sin’s, the god Nannāru’s — command the gods and goddess(es) residing in heaven carry out in full, the deities Šamaš, Ištar, Adad, and Nergal appointed me a guard for (my) well-being and (my) life.
Obverse Column i [30:37] i 3131–i 3737In that year, in the months Nisannu (I) and Tašrītu (VII), the people of the lands of Akkad and Ḫatti took away for me the yield(s) of the mountains and sea(s), and, by the command of the god Sîn, the god Adad, the canal inspector of heaven and earth, gave them rainwater to drink during the scorching summer heat of the months Simānu (III), Duʾūzu (IV), Abu (V), Ulūlu (VI), (and) Tašrītu (VII), during these months, during all of those years, without ceasing. Their property and goods entered my presence intact.
Obverse Column i [37:44] i 3838–i 4444By the command of the god Sîn and the goddess Ištar, the lady of battle without whom hostility and peace do not exist in the land and no war is fought, she (Ištar) laid her hand over them, and (then) the kings of the lands Egypt, Media, (and) Arabia, and all of the hostile kings sent (their envoys) into my presence for (establishing) goodwill and peace.
Obverse Column i [44:51] i 4545–The people of Arabia, who ... [...] weapon(s) [...] of the land of Akkad [...] ... for robbing and taking away the possessions that they had available, but, by the word of the god Sîn, the god Nergal broke their weapons and they bowed down at my feet.
Obverse Column ii [2:10] ii 33–ii 1010The god Šamaš, the lord of command(s) without whom no mouth is opened and no mouth is closed, the one who fully carries out the command(s) of the god Nannāru, the father who created him, made the people of the lands of Akkad and Ḫatti, whom he had placed in my hands, have common cause with and a loyal heart towards me so that they can fulfill (their) duties to m[e] (and) fully carry out (all of) my commands in the remote mountains region(s and on) the obstructed road(s) that I marched on for ten years.
Obverse Column ii [10:25] ii 1111–ii 2525The appointed time arrived and the days that the king of the god(s), the god Nannāru, had commanded had elapsed. In the month Tašrītu (VII), (on) the seventeenth day, whose interpretation is “the day the god Sîn is favorable,” the god Sîn, the lord of the gods, whose name on the first day is “the weapon of the god Anu,” you (who) touch the sky and break the earth, the one who has gathered (to himself all of) the divine offices of highest rank, the one who has collected (all of) the divine offices of supreme power, the one who has taken (for himself all of) the divine offices of the role of the god Ea, who grasps in his hands the totality of all of the divine offices of heaven, the Enlil of the gods, the king of kings, the lord of lords, who does not retract his command(s) (and) does not say his word(s) twice, the reverence of whose great divinity fills heaven and earth (and) covers heaven and earth like his appearance — what can be done without you?
Obverse Column ii [25:31] ii 2626–ii 3131(As for) the land where your heart desired to reside, you placed reverence for your great divinity inside it so that its foundations are firmly established until distant days. (As for) the land that your heart desired to destroy, you withdrew your reverence from inside it (and) abandoned it until distant days.
Obverse Column ii [31:39] ii 3232–ii 3939(You,) whose pronouncement(s) all of the gods and goddess(es) who reside in heaven honor (and) who fully carry out the command(s) of the god Nannāru, the father who created them, the one who has collected (all of) the divine offices of heaven and earth, without whose exalted command, which he speaks in heaven daily, no land is founded and no light in the land comes comes into existence —
Obverse Column ii [39:42] ii 4040–ii 4242The gods were quivering like reed(s), the Anunnakū gods, who (...) in front of the command(s) of his great divinity, which cannot be changed, were trembling, ... mountain(s)
Obverse Column iii [0:5] iii 0iii 0–iii 44(my) path did not stop with the diviner or the dream-interpreter. I laid down and, during the night, (my) dream was frightening, until the word of the god ... The year elapsed. (When) the appointed time that the god Nannāru had commanded arrived, [...] from the city Tēmā.
Obverse Column iii [5:11] iii 55–iii 1010(As for the citizens of) Babylon, the city of [my] lordly maje[sty], they saw [my ...] and ... [...] as a greeting-[gift] and a gift, they came up into my presence. The kings (living) nearby came up to me and kissed my feet. Moreover, the (kings) living far away heard (about it and) became frightened of his great divinity.
Obverse Column iii [11:13] iii 1111–iii 1212The gods and goddesses who had cut themselves off and gone far away, turned favorably to me and said laudatory word(s) about me. My favorable omen(s) were placed in the mouth of the diviner.
Obverse Column iii [13:17] iii 1313–iii 1616In the distant mountains, I constantly led my people in wealth, abundance, and prosperity, and I took the road (back) to my land in safety. I constantly observed the word(s) of his great divinity and I was not lazy, negligent, (or) careless.
Obverse Column iii [17:20] iii 1717–iii 1919I mustered the people of the land of Akkad and Ḫatti, from the border of Egypt (and) the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, which the god Sîn, king of the gods, had placed into my hands.
Obverse Column iii [20:25] iii 2020–iii 2424I built Eḫulḫul, the temple of the god Sîn, anew (and) completed its construction. I took the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna by the hand, (leading them out) of Šuanna (Babylon), the city of my royal majesty, and I had (them) enter (and) reside on their eternal dais(es) during joyous celebrations.
Obverse Column iii [25:28] iii 2525–iii 2727I offered sumptuous offerings before them (and) presented (them) with my gifts. I filled Eḫulḫul with joy and made the heart(s) of his people rejoice.
Obverse Column iii [28:32] iii 2828–iii 3131I fully carried out the command(s) of the god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of lords, the one who resides in heaven, whose name in heaven is “the god of gods,” who surpasses the deities Šamaš — whose name is (also) Nusku — Ištar, Adad, and Nergal, who fully carry out the command(s) of the god Nannāru, who surpasses them.
Obverse Column iii [32:34] iii 3232–iii 3333Whenever I put on my weapons and set my eyes on doing battle, (it was) to fully carry out the command(s) of the god Nannāru.
Obverse Column iii [34:39] iii 3434–iii 3838Whoever you are, whom the god Sîn names to be king and (then) calls you “my son,” [...] the sanctuary of the god Sîn, the one who resides in heaven, wh[ose] com[mand(s) cannot be chan]ged and whose word(s) are not said twice,

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)

LineATFMachine English (draft)
i
1i-piš-ti {d}30 GAL-ti ša₂ DINGIR.MEŠ u₃ {d}IŠ.TAR
2ma-am-ma-an NU ZU-šu₂ ša₂ ul-tu u₄-mu ru-qu-tu
3a-na KUR la tu-ri-du u UN.MEŠ KUR <la> ip-pal-su-ma
4i-na ṭup-pi la iš-ṭu-ru-ma la iš-tak-ka-nu
5a-na u₄-mu ṣa-a-ti {d}30 EN DINGIR.MEŠ u {d}INANNA a-ši-bu-tu₂
6ša₂ AN-e ša₂ ina pa-ni {m}{d}MUATI-NI₂.TUKU LUGAL TIN.TIR{ki}
7ul-tu AN-e tal-li-ku a-na-ku {m}{d}MUATI-I
8DUMU e-du ša₂ mam-ma-an la i-šu-u₂ ša₂ LUGAL-u-tu₂
9ina lib₃-bi-ia la tab-šu-u₂ DINGIR.MEŠ u {d}INANNA a-na UGU;-
10⸢ia⸣ u₂-ṣal-lu-u₂ u₃ {d}30 a-na LUGAL-u₂-ti
11⸢im⸣-ba-an-ni ina ša₂-at mu-ši MAŠ₂.GI₆ u₂-šab-ra-an-⸢ni⸣
12um-ma e₂-hul₂-hul₂ E₂ {d}30 ša₂ {uru}KASKAL ha-an-ṭiš
13e-pu-uš KUR.KUR.MEŠ ka-la-ši-na a-na ŠU.II-ka
14lu-mal₂-la UN.MEŠ DUMU.MEŠ TIN.TIR{ki} bar₂-sipa{ki}
15NIBRU{ki} uri₂{ki} UNUG{ki} larsa{ki} {lu₂}SANGA.MEŠ
16UN.MEŠ ma-ha-zi KUR-URI{ki} a-na DINGIR-u₂-ti-šu
17GAL-ti ih-ṭu-ʾi-i-ma i-še-ti u u₂-gal-li-lu
18la i-du-u e-ze-es-su GAL-tu₂ ša₂ LUGAL DINGIR.MEŠ {d}ŠEŠ.KI-ri
19par-ṣi-šu₂-nu im-šu-ʾi-i-ma i-dab-bu-bu sur-ra-a-tu₂
20u la ki-na-a-tu₂ ki-ma UR.GI₇ it-ta-nak-ka-lu
21a-ha-miš₂ di-ʾu u SU.GU₇-u₂ ina lib₃-bi-šu₂-nu
22u₂-šab-šu-u₂ u₂-ṣa-ah-hi-ir UN.MEŠ KUR u ana-ku
23ul-tu URU-ia TIN.TIR{ki} u₂-še-ri-qa-an-ni-ma
24u₂-ru-uh {uru}te-ma-a {uru}da-da-nu {uru}pa-dak-ku
25{uru}hi-ib-ra-a {uru}ia₂-di-hu u a-di {uru}ia₂-at-ri-bu
2610 MU.AN.NA.MEŠ at-tal-⸢la-ku⸣ qe₂-reb-šu₂-un a-na
27URU-ia TIN.TIR{ki} la e-ru-ub ina a-mat {d}30
28LUGAL DINGIR.MEŠ EN EN.EN ša₂ DINGIR.MEŠ u {d}INANNA a-ši-bu-ti
29ša₂ AN-e u₂-šal-lim-u qi₂-bit {d}30 {d}ŠEŠ.KI-ri
30{d}UTU {d}INANNA {d}IŠKUR u {d}U.GUR EN.NUN-ti₃ šu-lum u TIN
31⸢ip⸣-qi₂-du it-ti-ia ina MU ša₂-a-šu₂ ina {iti}BARA₂
32u {iti}DU₆ UN.MEŠ KUR-URI{ki} u {kur}hat-ti hi-ṣib KUR-i
33u tam-tim i-leq-qu-nim-ma ina dan-na-tu₂ um-ma-a-tu₂
34{iti}SIG₄ {iti}ŠU {iti}NE {iti}KIN {iti}DU₆ ina ITI.MEŠ an-nu-tu₂
35ina kal MU.AN.NA.MEŠ an-na-a-ti la ba-ṭa-a-lu
36ina qi₂-bit {d}30 {d}IŠKUR GU₂.GAL AN-e u KI-tim A.MEŠ
37ŠEG₃ i-ša₂-aq-qi₂-šu-nu-ti NIG₂.MEŠ-šu₂-nu u bu-ša₂-šu₂-nu
38ina šu-lum ir-ru-bu-nu a-na mah-ri-ia₂ ina a-mat
39{d}30 u {d}INANNA be-let ME₃ ša₂ nu-kur₂-ti u su-lum-mu-u₂
40ina ba-li-šu ina KUR la ib-ba-aš₂-šu-u u₃ kak-ku
41la in-ne₂-ep-pu-šu ŠU.II-su ⸢ana₃ muh⸣-hi-šu₂-nu
42ta-ap-ri-ik-ma LUGAL {kur}mi-ṣir {⸢kur⸣}ma-da-a-a
43{kur}a-ra-bi u nap-har LUGAL.MEŠ na-ki-ru-tu₂ a-na
44su-lum-mu-u₂ u ṭu-ub-ba-a-ti ⸢i-šap⸣-pa-ru-nu
45a-na mah-ri-⸢ia UN⸣.MEŠ {⸢kur}a-ra-bi ša₂ {giš}TUKUL⸣
46iš gal [...] ⸢ša₂ KUR-ak-ka-di-i{ki⸣}
47[...] x x a-na
48⸢ha-ba-ti u la-qe₂-e⸣ ša₂ bu-še-e iz-zi-⸢zu-ma⸣
ii
1i-na a-mat {d}30 {d}U.GUR kak-ki-šu-nu
2u₂-šab-bir-ma nap-har-šu₂-nu ik-nu-šu₂ a-na GIR₃.II-a
3{d}UTU EN ur-ti ša₂ ina ba-li-šu₂ pu-u₂
4la ip-pat₂-tu-u₂ u pu-u la uk-ta-at-ta-mu
5mu-šal-lim qi₂-bit {d}ŠEŠ.KI-ri AD ⸢ba-ni-šu₂⸣
6UN.MEŠ KUR-URI{ki} u {kur}hat-ti ša₂ u₂-mal₂-lu-u
7ŠU.II-u₂-a pu-u₂ u lib₃-bi ki-nim ⸢it-ti-ia⸣
8iš-kun-šu₂-nu-ti-ma i-na-aṣ-ṣa-ru EN.NUN-⸢ti₃⸣
9u₂-šal-la-mu qi₂-bi-ti ina pi-rik KUR-i.MEŠ
10ne₂-su-ti ur-hu pa-rik-tu₂ ša₂ at-tal-la-ku
1110 MU.AN.NA.MEŠ ik-šu-dam-ma a-dan-nu
12im-lu-u u₄-mu ša₂ iq-bu-u LUGAL DINGIR {d}ŠEŠ.KI-ri
13ina {iti}DU₆ UD.17.KAM u₄-mu {d}30 im-ma-ag-gar₃
14pi-šir₃-šu₂ {d}30 EN ša₂ DINGIR.MEŠ ša₂ ina UD.1.KAM
15TUKUL {d}a-nim zi-kir-šu AN-e ta-lap-pa-tu₂
16u KI-tim ta-he-ep-pu-u₂ ha-mi-im GARZA
17{d}a-nu₃-u₂-tu₂ mu-gam-mi-ir GARZA {⸢d}EN.LIL₂⸣-u₂-tu₂
18le-qu-u₂ pa-ra-aṣ {d}e₂-a-u₂-ti
19ša₂ nap-har gi-mi-ir pa-ra-aṣ AN-e ina ŠU.II-šu₂
20tam-hu {d}EN.LIL₂ DINGIR.MEŠ LUGAL LUGAL.LUGAL EN EN.EN
21ša₂ a-na qi₂-bi-ti-šu la i-tur-ru
22⸢u₃⸣ a-mat-su la ta-qab-bu-⸢u₂⸣ 2-šu₂
23ša₂ pu-luh-ti DINGIR-ti-šu₂ GAL-ti AN-e
24u KI-tim ma-lu-u₂ ki-ma zi-mi-šu₂ AN-e
25u KI-tim sah-pu ša₂ la ka-a-šu man-nu
26mi-na-a ip-pu-uš KUR ša₂ lib₃-bi-ka a-šab-šu₂
27ub-lu pu-luh-tu₂ DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-ti ina lib₃-bi-šu₂
28ta-šak-kan-ma a-na u₄-mu ru-qu-ti
29SUHUŠ.MEŠ-šu₂ i-ku-un-nu KUR ša₂ lib₃-ba-ka
30ha-pu-šu₂ ub-lu pu-luh-ta-ka ul-tu
31lib₃-bi-šu₂ ta-ne₂-es-se-e-mu ta-na-an-di-iš
32a-na u₄-mu SU₃.MEŠ ša₂ nap-har DINGIR.MEŠ u {d}15
33a-ši-bu-⸢ti⸣ ša₂ AN-e i-na-aṣ-ṣa-ru
34ṣi-it pi-i-šu₂ u₂-šal-la-mu qi₂-bi-ti
35{d}ŠEŠ.KI-⸢ri⸣ AD ba-ni-šu₂-un mu-ga-mi-ir
36GARZA AN-e u KI-tim ša₂ a-bal qi₂-bi-ti-šu₂
37ṣir-tu₂ ša₂ u₄-mi-šam-ma ina ša₂-ma-mi
38i-qab-bu-u KUR la ta-an-na-du-u
39u nu-ur₂ ina KUR la ib-ba-aš₂-šu-u₂
40⸢DINGIR⸣.MEŠ GIM GI i-šub-bu i-na-ar-ru-ṭu
41{d}a-nun-na-ki ša₂ la-pa-ni qi₂-bit DINGIR-ti-šu₂
42⸢GAL-ti⸣ ša₂ la ⸢in⸣-nen-nu-⸢u⸣ x x ⸢KUR-i⸣
iii
0⸢it-ti {lu₂}HAL u⸣
1{lu₂}ENSI a-lak-tu₂ ul par-sat ⸢at⸣-til-ma
2ina šat mu-ši MAŠ₂.GI₆ par₂-da-at a-di a-mat {d}x x x
3⸢im⸣-li MU ik-šu-du a-dan-nu ša₂ [iq-bu-u₂ {d}ŠEŠ.KI]-⸢ri⸣
4ul-tu {uru}te-ma-a u₂-[...]
5TIN.TIR{ki} URU be-lu-[ti-ia x x-u₂-a]
6⸢i-mu-ru-ma⸣ x x x
7[...] ana₃ šul-ma-[nu] u kad₂-ra-a
8⸢il-lu-u⸣ a-na ⸢mah-ri-ia₂⸣ LUGAL.MEŠ qer-bu-tu₂
9il-lu-nim-ma u-na-aš₂-ša₂-⸢qu GIR₃.II-a⸣
10u ru-qu-tu₂ iš-mu-u ip-la-hu DINGIR-ut-su GAL-
11tu₂ DINGIR.MEŠ u {d}⸢IŠ.TAR⸣ ša₂ ip-par-du-ma i-re-qa
12is-sah-ru-nim-ma i-qab-bu-⸢u₂⸣ ba-ni-ti
13ina ⸢pi-i⸣ {lu₂}HAL iš-ša₂-kin UZU dum-qi₂-ia₂ ina nu-uh-šu₂
14ṭuh-du u HE₂.GAL₂-la UN.MEŠ-ia₂ ina KUR-i.MEŠ ne₂-su-ti
15ar-te-ed-dam-ma ina ša₂-lim-ti aṣ-bat u₂-ru-uh
16ma-ti-ia a-mat DINGIR-ti-šu₂ GAL-⸢tu₂⸣ at-taṣ-ṣa-ar-ma
17la e-gi la a-šit a-hi la ad-du ⸢u₂⸣-šad-kam-ma
18UN.MEŠ KUR-URI{ki} u {kur}hat-ti ul-tu pa-aṭ {kur}mi-ṣir
19tam-tim e-lit a-di tam-tim šap-lit ša₂ {d}30 LUGAL DINGIR
20u₂-mal₂-lu-u ŠU.II-u₂-a e₂-hul₂-hul₂ E₂ {d}30 eš-šiš
21e-pu-uš u₂-šak-lil ši-pir-šu₂ ŠU.II {d}30
22{d}nin-gal {d}nusku u {d}sa-dar₃-nun-na ul-tu
23šu-an-na URU LUGAL-u₂-ti-ia₂ a-ṣa-bat-ma ina hi-da-a-tu₂
24u ri-ša₂-a-tu₂ ⸢u₂⸣-še-rib ⸢u₂⸣-še-šib BARA₂ da-ri-a-tu₂
25ni-qu-u taš-<ri>-ih-tu₂ ma-har-šu₂-nu aq-qi₂-ma
26u₂-šar-ri-hi kad₂-ra-a e₂-hul₂-hul₂ reš-⸢tu₂⸣
27u₂-mal₂-li-ma u-ša₂-li-iṣ lib₃-bi UN.MEŠ-šu₂
28⸢u₂⸣-šal-lim qi₂-bi-ti {d}30 LUGAL DINGIR ⸢EN EN.EN⸣
29a-šib ša₂-ma-mu ša₂ DINGIR ša₂ DINGIR.MEŠ ina AN-e zi-kir-šu₂ ⸢šu⸣-tuq
30{d}UTU ša₂ ni-bu-šu₂ {d}nusku {d}INANNA {d}IŠKUR u {d}U.GUR
31ša₂ ⸢u₂⸣-šal-lim-uʾ qi₂-bit {d}ŠEŠ.KI-ri
32šu-tuq-šu₂-nu e-ma {giš}TUKUL.MEŠ-ia₂ an-na-di-⸢iq⸣-ma
33a-na e-peš ⸢ta-ha-zi⸣ IGI-ia₂ aš₂-⸢kun-ma⸣
34a-na šul-lu-mu qi₂-bit {d}ŠEŠ.KI-ri man-nu at-ta
35ša₂ {d}30 a-na ⸢LUGAL-u-ti⸣ i-nam-bu-ka-ma
36DUMU-⸢u₂-ia-a⸣-ma i-qab-bu-ka aš-rat {d}30
37⸢a-šib ša₂-ma-me ša₂ qi₂⸣-[bit-su la in]-⸢nen⸣-nu-u₂
38⸢u a-mat⸣-su la ta-[qab-bu]-⸢u 2-šu₂

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