Nebuchadnezzar II 022 (Q005493)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Babylonian, Babylon · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE
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| Designation | Nebuchadnezzar II 022 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q005493 |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Babylonian · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE |
| Genre | Royal Inscription |
| Find spot | Babylon |
| Coordinates | 32.5350, 44.4258 |
English translation
By ORACC project ribo/babylon7 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse Column i [0:8] i 1'1'–i 8'8' | [...] Nēmetti-[Enlil ... that Nabopol]assar, king of Babylon, the father who had engendered me, [...] that their foundation(s) had not been put in good order; [...] its moat embankment(s) [...]; (that) he built [the embankment of the Araḫtu River with bit]umen and baked brick [from the gate of the goddess Iš]tar to the gate of the god Uraš and constructed [piers of baked brick on the other side of the] Euphrates [River], but [he did not complete the] rest; |
| Obverse Column i [8:15] i 9'9'–i 15'15' | [that which in the distant past] no [king among] the (former) king(s) had built [(and) that which no king of the past] had done, (he did); [for the protection of] Babylon, he surrounded [the eastern side of] Babylon [with a fortification wall over a stretch of 4,000 cubits ar]ound Babylon [from the bank of the Euphrates River upstream on the city] to the bank of the Euphrates River downstream of the city, [dug its canal, and] built its embankment wall(s) [with bitumen] and baked brick — |
| Obverse Column i [15:19] i 16'16'–i 19'19' | [As for me, his first]-born [son], the beloved of his heart, [with the wisdom that the gods Ea and Marduk had gran]ted me, [to ... I ...] ... [everything that the father who had engendered me had done], and [I] completed [Imgur-Enlil and Nēmetti-Enlil, the walls ...]. |
| Obverse Column i [19:21] i 20'20'–i 21'21' | (No translation possible) |
| Obverse Column ii [0:5] ii 1ii 1–ii 55 | [On the outs]ki[rts of Imgur-Enlil, beside the embankment that my father had constructed, I built] a strong, [twenty-one-baked-brick-(thick)] embankment with [bi]tumen and baked bri[ck] and adjoin[ed (it)] to the embankment that my father had constructed. I secu[red] its foundation on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld [and] raised its superstructure as high as a mountain. |
| Obverse Column ii [5:8] ii 66–ii 88 | On the other bank, (on) the western (side), I surroun[ded] the wall of Babylon with an embankment of baked bricks. Beside the embankment of the Araḫtu (River) that my father had bu[ilt, I built] a strong embankment like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick. |
| Obverse Column ii [8:17] ii 99–ii 1717 | (As for) the wall that the father who had engendered me had built beside the wall for the protection of [the city, but whose] cons[truction he had not] completed, I co[mp]let[ed (it) and ra]ised [its] sup[erstructure]. I dug out its moat and [reached the water] table. [I built] strong [emba]nkments (for a stretch of) forty-three cu[bits and] a[djoined (it)] to the emb[ankment that (my) fat]her had co[nstructed]. |
| Obverse Column ii [17:20] ii 1818–ii 2020 | [I built] a fortified wall with bitumen and baked brick [and] construc[ted] its broad gates. I fitted th[em] with doors (made) of cedar with a facing of bronze. |
| Obverse Column ii [20:26] ii 2121–ii 2626 | At that time, I constantly stove (to do things) to strengthen the protection of Babylon. (At) a distance of 360 cubits along the outskirts of Nēmetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, from the bank of the Euphrates River up to the left door-jamb of the gate of the goddess Ištar, I built two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick, (and) a wall like a mountain. |
| Obverse Column ii [26:32] ii 2727–ii 3232 | I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of it, I built a large kummu-building as the residence of my royal majesty with bitumen and baked brick to a great height. I added (it) to the palace <that> is inside the city and (thereby) made the seat of my lordly majesty resplendent. |
| Obverse Column ii [32:38] ii 3333–ii 3838 | For a second time, from the [rig]ht door-[jamb of] the gate of the goddess Ištar to the lower enclosure Nēmetti-Enlil, which faces East, 360 cubits from the outskirts of Nēmetti-Enlil, [I built] fortified wall like a mountain, with bitumen and baked brick. I skillfully the strengthen (Babylon’s) protection and es[tablished] the city of Babylon as a fortress. |
| Obverse Column ii [38:46] ii 3939–ii 4646 | O Marduk, great lord, lo[ok upon] my handiwork with [favor and ple]asure and may good things about me be s[et upon your] lips. B[y your holy command, which] cannot be alter[ed, proclaim] the prolonga[tion of] my [da]ys (and) command [my] (attainment of) very ol[d age]. May eve[ry]thing that [I] have built [endure and] stay in good repair forever so that [I may be sated with its] luxuriousness. By your true command, which cannot [be overturned], may I not have enemies [nor acquire] (any) troublemaker(s). |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| i | ||
| 1' | [...] [...] | |
| 2' | [...] [...] | |
| 3' | [...] [...] | |
| 4' | [...] [...] | |
| 5' | [e₂-sag-il₂ az]-⸢nu-un-ma⸣ [ša-aš-ši-iš u₂-ša-pa-a ša-ru-ru-u₂]-⸢ša⸣ | |
| 6' | [e₂-zi-da u₂-ša]-⸢ak-li-il⸣-[ma ki-ma ši-ṭe-er-ti₃ ša-ma-mi u₂]-⸢ba-an-nim⸣ | |
| 7' | [im-gu-ur₂-{d}EN.LIL₂ u₃] ⸢ne₂⸣-me₂-et-⸢ti-{d⸣}[EN.LIL₂ BAD₃ GAL.GAL ša KA₂.DINGIR].⸢RA{ki⸣} | |
| 8' | [ša {d}na-bi-um-IBILA]-u₂-ṣu-ur₂ šar KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} a-bi ba-nu-u₂-a | |
| 9' | [i-pu-šu]-⸢ma⸣ uš-te-ši-ru te-me-en-šu-un | |
| 10' | 14 a-gur-ri] ka-a-ri hi-ri-ti-šu | |
| 11' | [i-na ku-up-ru u₃ a-gur]-⸢ri⸣ URU{ki} a-na ki-da₄-a-nim u₂-ša-al-mu-u₂ | |
| 12' | [iš-tu KA₂.GAL-{d}iš]-ta-ar a-di KA₂.GAL-{d}uraš | |
| 13' | [ka-a-ri {id₂}a-ra-ah-tim i-na ku]-⸢up⸣-ri u₃ a-gur-ri ik-ṣu₂-ru-ma | |
| 14' | [ma-ka-a-ti a-gur-ri a-ba-ar-ti₃ {id₂]}⸢BURANUN⸣{ki} u₂-ra-ak-ki-is-ma | |
| 15' | [la u₂-ša-ak-li-lu] si₃-it-ta-a-tim | |
| 16' | [ša ul-tu u₂-ul-lu LUGAL i]-⸢na⸣ LUGAL la ib-nu-u₃ | |
| 17' | [LUGAL ša ma-ah-ri la] i-pu₂-šu | |
| 18' | [a-na ni-ṣi-ir-ti₃] KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} | |
| 19' | 4 LIM KUŠ₃ qa₂-qa₂-ri i]-⸢ta⸣-a-at KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} | |
| 20' | [ul-tu GU₂ {id₂}BURANUN{ki} e-la-an URU{ki]} a-di GU₂ {id₂}BURANUN{ki} ša-ap-la-an URU{ki} | |
| 21' | [BAD₃ da-num₂ BAL.RI {d}UTU.E₃.A] ⸢KA₂⸣.DINGIR.RA{ki} u₂-ša-al-mu-u₃ | |
| 22' | [hi-ri-su ih-ru-u₂-ma i-na ku-up-ri] u₃ a-gur-ri ik-ṣu₂-ru ki-bi-ir-šu | |
| 23' | [ia-ti a-pi₂-il-šu re-e]-⸢eš⸣-ta-a na-ra-am li-ib-bi-šu | |
| 24' | [i-na ne-me₂-qi₂ ša {d}e₂-a u₃ {d}AMAR.UTU u₂-ša-at]-li-mu-nim | |
| 25' | [mi-im-mu-u₃ a-bi ba-nu-u₂-a i-te-ep-pu-šu a-na ...]-eʾ-e-ma | |
| 26' | [im-gu-ur₂-{d}EN.LIL₂ u₃ ne₂-me₂-et-ti-{d}EN.LIL₂ BAD₃.MEŠ ... u₂]-⸢ša⸣-ak-li-il | |
| 27' | [...] | |
| 28' | [...] x x-tim | |
| 29' | [...] x x x x | |
| 1'' | ri-i-mu URUDU ⸢e⸣-ek-du-u₂-tim u₃ MUŠ.HUŠ še-zu-zu-u₂-tim | |
| 2'' | x x x x x x x [...] x x x x x x i-na si₃-ip-⸢pe-ši-na⸣ uš-zi-iz | |
| ii | ||
| 1 | [a-na ki-da₄]-a-[nim im-gu-ur₂-{d}EN].⸢LIL₂⸣ [i-ta-a-at] ka-a-ri a-bi ik-ṣu₂-ru | |
| 2 | 21 a-gur-ri] ka-a-ri da-num₂ i-⸢na⸣ [ku]-up-ri u₃ a-gur-ri ab-ni-ma | |
| 3 | it-ti ka-a-ri a-bi ik-ṣu₂-ru e-se₃-ni-iq-ma | |
| 4 | i-ši-id-su i-na i-ra-at ki-gal-lim u₂-ša-ar-ši-id-ma | |
| 5 | re-e-ši-šu u₂-za-aq-qi₂-ir hu-ur₂-sa-ni-iš | |
| 6 | ka-a-ri a-gur-ri BAL.RI {d}UTU.ŠU₂.A BAD₃ KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} u₂-ša-al-mu | |
| 7 | i-ta-a-at ka-a-ri {id₂}a-ra-ah-tim ša a-bi i-pu₂-šu | |
| 8 | ka-a-ri da-num₂ i-na ku-up-ri u₃ a-gur-ru ša-da-ni-iš ab-nim | |
| 9 | [BAD₃ ša] i-ta-[a-at BAD₃] | |
| 10 | a-na ni-ṣi-ir-ti₃ URU{ki} | |
| 11 | [a-bi] ba-nu-u₂-a i-pu₂-šu-ma | |
| 12 | [la u₂]-⸢ša⸣-ak-li-lu ši-pi₂-ir-šu-un | |
| 13 | u₂-ša-[ak]-li-il-ma | |
| 14 | [u₂]-ul-la-a ⸢re⸣-e-ši-šu | |
| 15 | hi-ri-su ah-re-e-ma šu-pu₂-⸢ul me₂⸣-e ak-šu-ud | |
| 16 | 43 ⸢am⸣-[ma-at ka]-a-ri da-nu₄-⸢tim⸣ ab-ni-ma | |
| 17 | it-ti ⸢ka⸣-[ri a-ba]-am ⸢ik⸣-[ṣu₂-ru] e-[se₃-ni-iq-ma] | |
| 18 | BAD₃ da-num₂ i-na ku-up-ri u₃ a-gur-ri [ab-ni-ma] | |
| 19 | KA₂.GAL.KA₂.GAL-šu ša-ad-la-a-tim u₂-ra-ak-⸢ki⸣-[is-ma] | |
| 20 | {giš}IG.{giš}IG {giš}EREN.{giš}EREN ta-ah-lu-up-ti₃ ZABAR e-er-te-et-ti-⸢ši⸣-[na-a-ti] | |
| 21 | i₃-nu-mi-šu ma-aṣ-ṣa-ar-ti₃ KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} ⸢du-un⸣-nu-nim aš-⸢te-eʾ-e⸣-[ma] | |
| 22 | 3 ME 60-šu am-ma-at qa₂-qa₂-ri i-ta-a-at ne₂-me₂-et-ti-{d}EN.LIL₂ | |
| 23 | ša-al-he-e KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} a-na ki-da-⸢a⸣-[nim] | |
| 24 | iš-tu GU₂ {id₂}BURANUN{ki} a-di si₃-⸢ip⸣-pi šu-me-⸢lu⸣ ša KA₂.GAL-{d}iš-ta-ar | |
| 25 | 2 ka-a-ri ⸢da⸣-nu₄-tim ⸢i⸣-na ku-up-ri u₃ a-gur-ri | |
| 26 | BAD₃ ša-da-ni-iš ab-ni-⸢ma⸣ | |
| 27 | i-na be₂-e-ri-šu-nu pi₂-ti-iq a-gur-ri e-ep-ti-iq-ma | |
| 28 | i-na re-e-ši-šu ku-um-mu ra-ba-⸢a⸣ | |
| 29 | a-na šu-ba-at šar-ru-ti-ia | |
| 30 | i-na ku-up-ri u₃ a-gur-ri ša-⸢qi₂-iš e-pu₂-uš-ma⸣ | |
| 31 | it-ti E₂.GAL <ša> qe₂-re-⸢eb⸣ URU{ki} ⸢u₂-ra-ad-di-ma⸣ | |
| 32 | u₂-ša-pa-a šu-ba-at ⸢be₂⸣-e-lu-ti | |
| 33 | aš-ni-ma iš-tu ⸢si₃⸣-ip-pu [i-mi]-it-ti ša KA₂.GAL-{d}iš-ta-ar | |
| 34 | a-di tu-ur₂-ri ša-ap-li-i ša ne₂-me₂-et-ti-{d}EN.LIL₂ ša ti-ib {im}KUR.RA | |
| 35 | 3 ME 60-šu am-ma-at pu-u₂-tim iš-tu ne₂-me₂-et-ti-{d}EN.LIL₂ a-na ki-da-a-nim | |
| 36 | BAD₃ da-num₂ i-na ku-up-ri u₃ a-gur-ri ša-da-ni-iš ab-⸢nim⸣ | |
| 37 | ma-aṣ-ṣa-ar-tim na-ak-li-iš u₂-da-an-ni-in-⸢ma⸣ | |
| 38 | URU{ki} KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} a-na ni-ṣi-ir-tim aš₂-ku-un | |
| 39 | {d}AMAR.UTU EN GAL li-pi₂-it qa₂-ti-ia a-na da-mi-iq-tim ha-di-iš na-ap-li-is-ma | |
| 40 | da-am-qa₂-tu-u₂-a li-iš-ša-ak-na ša-ap-tu-uk-ka | |
| 41 | i-na pi₂-i-ka el-lu ša la na-ka-ri | |
| 42 | i-bi₂ a-ra-ku u₄-mi-ia qi₂-bi₂ li-it-tu-u₂-ti | |
| 43 | mi-im-mu-u₃ e-te-ep-pu-šu li-ku-un-ma | |
| 44 | ga-du u₂-ul-lu li-bu-ur₂-ma la-la-a-šu lu-uš-bi | |
| 45 | i-na qi₂-bi₂-ti-ka ki-it-ti ša la šu-pe₂-e-lu | |
| 46 | a-a i-ši na-ki-ri mu-ga-al-li-ta a-a ar-⸢ši⸣ | |
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.