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Nebuchadnezzar II 031 (Q005502)

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

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DesignationNebuchadnezzar II 031
IDQ005502
CollectionBritish Museum, London, UK
LanguageAkkadian
PeriodNeo-Babylonian · c. 626 BCE–539 BCE
GenreRoyal Inscription
Find spotBabylon
Coordinates32.5434, 44.4222

English translation

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

LineEnglish
Obverse Column i [0:10] i 1i 1–i 1010Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, pious prince, favorite of the god Marduk, exalted ruler who is the beloved of the god Nabû, the indefatigable governor who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who is always submissive to the gods Nabû and Marduk, his lords, and acts as their servant, the pious (and) devout one selected by the steadfast heart(s) of the great gods, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.
Obverse Column i [10:15] i 1111–i 1515When the god Marduk, the great lord, steadfastly named me and magnificently commissioned me to keep the land in good order, shepherd the people, provide for the cult centers, (and) renovate sanctuaries, I paid reverent attention to the god Marduk, my lord.
Obverse Column i [15:32] i 1616–i 3232(As for) Babylon, his (Marduk’s) exalted cult center, a city worthy of his praise, I completed Imgur-Enlil (and) Nēmetti-Enlil, its great walls. I stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mušḫuššu-dragons in the door-jambs of its gates. (I did something) that no king of the past had done: The father who engendered me twice surrounded the city with moat embankment(s) using bitumen and baked brick, (but), as for me, I built with bitumen and baked brick a strong embankment three times, (each) one beside the other and I adjoined (them) to the embankments that my father had constructed. I secured their (lit. “its”) foundation(s) on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld and raised their (lit. “its”) superstructures as high as mountain(s).
Obverse Column i [32:45] i 3333–i 4545On the other bank, (on) the western (side), I surrounded the wall of Babylon with an embankment of baked bricks. (As for) the embankment of the Araḫtu (River) that the father who had engendered (me) had constructed with bitumen and baked brick and constructed piers of baked brick on the other side of the Euphrates River, but he did not complete the rest, as for me, his first-born son, the beloved of his heart, I built the embankment of the Araḫtu (River) and reinforced (it) with the embankment that (my) father had constructed.
Obverse Column i [45:52] i 4646–i 5252In Esagil, the awe-inspiring shrine, the palace of heaven and earth, the residence of festiveness, I clad Eumuša, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, Kaḫilisu, the residence of the goddess Zarpanītu, (and) Ezida, the residence of the god Lugaldimmerankia, with bright gold and made (them) shine like daylight.
Obverse Column i [52:54] i 5353–i 5454(As for) Etemenanki, the ziqqurrat of Babylon, I built (it) anew.
Obverse Column i [54:62] i 5555–(As for) Ezida, the true house, the beloved of the god Nabû, I built (it) anew in Borsippa and with gold and stones I made (it) shine like the stars (lit. “writings”) of the heavens. I clad (beams of) hard cedar with gold and (then) I had (them) stretched out three deep as the roof of Emaḫtila, the cella of the god Nabû.
Obverse Column ii [5:11] ii 66–ii 1111(As for) Emaḫ, the temple of the goddess Ninḫursag inside Ka-dingirra, Eniggidrukalamasuma, the temple of the god Nabû of the ḫarû, Enamḫe, the temple of the god Adad inside Kumari, (and) Ekitušgarza, the temple of the goddess Nineanna in the outer corners of the city wall, I built (them) anew in Babylon and raised their superstructure(s).
Obverse Column ii [11:21] ii 1212–ii 2121(I did something) that no king of the past had done: 4,000 cubits distance outside the city, far away, (too far away) to approach (lit. “not to approach”), I surrounded the eastern bank of Babylon with a fortified wall. I dug out its moat and reached the water table. I built its embankment(s) with bitumen (and) baked brick and (then) I adjoined (it) to the embankments that (my) father had constructed. On its embankment, I built a fortified wall like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.
Obverse Column ii [21:27] ii 2222–ii 2727(As for) Ṭābi-supūršu, the wall of Borsippa, I built (it) anew. (As for) its moat embankment(s), I surrounded the outskirts of the city using bitumen and baked brick. For the god Mār-bīti, the one who breaks the weapon(s) of my enemy, I built his temple anew in Borsippa
Obverse Column ii [27:38] ii 2828–ii 3838(As for) Ebabbar, the temple the god Šamaš of Sippar, Edurgina, the temple of the god Bēl-ṣarbi of Bāṣ, E-ibbi-Anum, the temple of the god Uraš of Dilbat, Eanna, the temple of the goddess Ištar of Uruk, Ebabbar, the temple the god Šamaš of Larsa, (and) Ekišnugal, the temple of the god Sîn of Ur, the sanctuaries of the great gods, I built (them) anew and completed their structure(s).
Obverse Column ii [38:48] ii 3939–ii 4848I did the utmost regarding the provisioning Esagil and Ezida (and) the renovation of Babylon (and) Borsippa, which I had done to surpass (all) that (had been done) in the past. (With regard to) providing for the sanctuaries of the great gods, more than the kings, my ancestors, had written about, I wrote down all of my splendid deeds on foundation document(s) and I deposited (them) for ever after.
Obverse Column ii [48:53] ii 4949–ii 5353May the learned repeatedly read all of the deeds that I had had written down on foundation document(s) and always remember the praise of the gods.
Obverse Column ii [53:60] ii 5454–(As for) the construction in the cult centers of the gods and goddesses that the great lord, the god Marduk, had commissioned and (my) heart prompted me (to do), reverently, I worked on it without interruption (and) I completed its work.
Obverse Column iii [4:17] iii 55–iii 1717At that time, for the goddess Ninkarrak, the lady who loves me, safeguards my life, (and) preserves the well-being of my descendants, (with regard to) Eḫursagsikilla, her temple which is inside of Babylon that had turned into ruins in the past, (I did something) that no king of the past had done: I examined (and) checked the original foundation(s) and (then) I discovered three small bricks of one cubit by three fingers — the measurement(s) of (all) three of three — rising out of its foundation, and I became anxious (and) afraid because its emplacement of the temple was not suitable to be the residence of the goddess Ninkarrak, my lady.
Obverse Column iii [17:30] iii 1818–iii 3030I strove to reinforce the wall of that temple, build (it) with bitumen and baked bri[ck], (and) to make (that) temple suitable as a residence of the goddess Ninkarrak. On the (very) day that I asked through divination (about) [m]aking three (layers of) baked bric[k], each measuring sixteen fingers, (and) half (a layer) of baked bri[ck] (as) a tubal[û]-structure, (and) building with bitumen and baked bri[ck], the gods Šamaš and Adad had a firm ‘yes’ placed in my extispicy.
Obverse Column iii [30:37] iii 3131–iii 3737I firmly placed on its foundation three (layers of) baked brick, each measuring sixteen fingers, and half (a layer) of baked brick (as) a tubal[û]-structure. I built (that) temple like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.
Obverse Column iii [37:52] iii 3838–iii 5252O Ninkarrak, exalted lady, when you enter Eḫursagsikilla, the temple of your joy, with pleasure, may good things about me be placed on your lips. Prolong my days (and) increase my years. May a long life (and) the attainment of very old age be placed in your mouth. Ensure well-being for my life, make [my] extis[pic(ies)] favorable, protect my body, (and) firmly establish my descendants. In the presence of the god Marduk, king of heaven and earth, you should indeed constantly speak about cutting down my enemies and flattening the land(s) of my enem(ies).

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
1{d}na-bi-um-ku-dur₂-ri-u₂-ṣu-ur₂ šar ba-bi-lam{ki}
2[ru]-⸢ba⸣-a-am na-a-⸢dam⸣ mi-gi-ir₄ {d}AMAR.UTU
3⸢iš-ša⸣-ak-ku ṣi-i-⸢ri na-ra-am⸣ {d}na-bi-um
4ša-ak-ka-na-ku la a-ne-ha
5⸢za-ni-in⸣ e₂-sag-il₂ u₃ e₂-zi-da
6ša a-na {d}na-bi-um u₃ {d}AMAR.UTU EN.MEŠ-šu
7ki-⸢it-nu-šu⸣-ma ip-pu-šu re-e-šu-su-un
8na-a-dam mu-uš-te-mi-qu i-tu-ti ku-un ŠA₃ DINGIR GAL.GAL
9IBILA a-ša-re-du ša {d}AG-IBILA-u₂-ṣu-ur₂
10šar ⸢ba⸣-bi-lam{ki} a-na-ku
11i₃-nu-um {d}AMAR.UTU EN ra-⸢bi₂⸣-u₃ ki-ni-iš ib-ba-an-ni-ma
12MA.DA šu-⸢te⸣-šu-ru ni-šim re-e-a-am
13za-na-an ma-ha-zi ud-du-šu eš-re-e-tim
14ra-bi-iš u₂-ma-ʾe-er-an-ni
15a-na-ku a-na {d}AMAR.UTU EN-ia pa-al-hi-iš u₂-ta-qu
16ba-bi-⸢lam⸣{ki} ma-ha-za-šu ṣi-i-ri URU{ki} ta-na-da-a-tu-šu
17im-⸢gu⸣-ur₂-{d}⸢EN.LIL₂⸣ ne₂-me₂-et-ti-{d}EN.LIL₂
18BAD₃.BAD₃-šu GAL.GAL u₂-ša-ak-li-il
19⸢a⸣-na si₃-ip-pe KA₂.GAL.KA₂.GAL-šu
20⸢AM⸣.AM URUDU e-ek-du-u₂-tim
21⸢u₃⸣ MUŠ.HUŠ.MUŠ.HUŠ še-zu-zu-u₂-tim
22u₂-uš-zi-iz
23ša šar ma-ah-ri-im la i-pu₂-šu
24ka-a-ri hi-ri-ti-šu
25i-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA
26a-di₃ ši-ni-šu a-ba-am a-li-du₂ URU{ki} u₂-ša-al-<ma>-am
27ia-ti ka-a-ri da-num₂ a-di₃ še-la-ši-šu
28iš-te₉-en i-ti ša-ni-i
29i-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.⸢UR₃.RA ab⸣-ni-ma
30it-ti ka-a-ri a-ba-am ik-ṣu₂-ru e-se₃-ni-iq-ma
31i-⸢ši⸣-su i-na i-ra-at KI.GAL u₂-ša-ar-ši-id-ma
32re-ši-šu ša-da-ni-iš u₂-za-aq-qi₂-ir₄
33ka-a-ri SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA BAL.RI {d}UTU.ŠU₂.A {d}UTU.ŠU₂.A
34⸢BAD₃⸣ ba-bi-lam{ki} u₂-ša-al-ma-am
35⸢ka⸣-a-ri a-ra-ah-tim
36⸢i-na⸣ ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA
37⸢a-ba⸣-am a-li-du₂ ik-ṣu₂-ur₂-ma
38ma-ka-a-at SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA
39a-ba-ar-ti {id₂}BURANUN{ki} u₂-ra-ak-ki-is-ma
40⸢la u₂⸣-ša-ak-li-il si₃-it-ta-a-tim
41⸢ia⸣-ti a-pi₂-il-šu re-e-eš-ta-a-am
42na-ra-am li-ib-bi-šu
43ka-a-ri a-ra-ah-tim
44i-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.<AL>.UR₃.RA ab-ni-ma
45it-⸢ti ka-a⸣-ri a-ba-am ik-ṣu₂-ur₂-ru u₂-da-an-ni-in
46i-na e₂-⸢sag-il₂⸣ ki-iṣ-ṣi₂ ra-aš-ba-am
47E₂.GAL ša-me₂-e u₃ er-ṣe₂-tim šu-ba-at ta-ši-la-a-tim
48e₂-umuš-a pa-pa-ha {d}EN.LIL₂ DINGIR.DINGIR {d}AMAR.UTU
49ka₂-hi-li-su₃ šu-ba-at {d}zar-pa-ni-tum
50e₂-zi-da šu-ba-at {d}lugal-dim₃-me-er-an-ki-a
51KU₃.GI na-am-ru u₂-ša-al-bi-iš-ma
52u₂-na-am-mi-ir₄ ki-ma u₄-um
53e₂-temen-an-ki zi-qu₂-ra-at ba-bi-lam{ki}
54⸢e-eš-še⸣-eš₁₅ e-pu₂-uš
55⸢e₂⸣-zi-da E₂ ki-i-nim ⸢na⸣-ra-am {d}na-bi-um
56i-na ba-ar-si₂-pa₃{ki} e-eš-še-eš₁₅ ab-ni-ma
ii
1i-na KU₃.GI u₃ ni-si₃-iq-ti₃ NA₄.NA₄
2ki-ma ši-⸢ṭe⸣-er₄-ti ša-ma-mi u₂-ba-an-nim
3e-re-nim ⸢da-nu₄⸣-tim KU₃.GI u₂-ša-al-bi-iš-ma
4a-na ṣu-lu-⸢ul⸣ e₂-mah-til-la pa-pa-ha {d}na-bi-um
5pa-nim še-lal-ti-šu-nu u₂-ša-at-ri-iṣ
6e₂-mah E₂ {d}nin-hur-sag-ga lib₃-ba ka₂-dingir-ra{ki}
7e₂-nig₂-gidru-kalam-ma-sum-ma E₂ {d}na-bi-um ša ha-re-e
8e₂-nam-he₂ E₂ {d}IŠKUR lib₃-ba ku-ma-ri{ki}
9e₂-ki-tuš-garza E₂ {d}NIN-e₂-an-na ša tu-ub-qa₂-at BAD₃
10i-na ba-bi-lam{ki} e-eš-še-eš₁₅ ab-ni-ma
11u₂-ul-la-a-am re-e-ša-ši-in
12ša ma-na-ma šar ma-ah-ri la i-pu₂-šu
134 LIM KUŠ₃ qa₂-qa₂-ra-am i-ta-a-at URU{ki}
14ne₂-si₃-iš la ⸢ṭa⸣-he-e
15BAD₃ da-num₂ BAL.RI {d}UTU.E₃ {d}UTU.E₃ ba-bi-lam{ki}
16u₂-ša-as₃-hi-ir
17hi-ri-su ah-re-e-ma šu-pu-ul me₂-e ak-šu-ud
18ki-bi-ir-šu i-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA ab-ni-ma
19it-ti ka-a-ri a-ba-am ik-ṣu₂-ur₂-ru e-se₃-ni-iq-ma
20BAD₃ ⸢da-num₂ i⸣-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA
21i-na ki-ša-di-ša ša-da-ni-iš ab-nim
22ṭa-a-bi-su-pu-ur₂-šu BAD₃ ba-ar-si₂-pa₃{ki}
23e-eš-še-eš₁₅ e-pu₂-uš
24ka-a-ri hi-ri-ti-šu i-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA
25URU{ki} a-na ki-da-nim u₂-ša-as₃-hi-ir
26a-na {d}DUMU-E₂ EN mu-⸢ša⸣-ab-bi-ir {giš}TUKUL ⸢na-ki-ri⸣-ia
27⸢E₂-su⸣ i-na ba-ar-si₂-pa₃{ki} e-eš-še-eš₁₅ e-pu₂-uš
28e₂-babbar-ra E₂ {d}UTU ša ZIMBIR{ki}
29e₂-dur₂-gi-na E₂ {d}LUGAL-{giš}ASAL₂
30ša {uru}ba-aṣ
31e₂-i-bi₂-{d}a-num E₂ {d}uraš
32ša dil-bat{ki}
33e₂-an-na E₂ {d}iš-tar ša UNUG{ki}
34e₂-babbar-ra E₂ {d}UTU ša larsa{ki}
35e₂-kiš-nu-gal₂ E₂ {d}EN.ZU ša uri₂{ki}
36e-eš-re-e-ti DINGIR GAL.GAL
37e-eš-še-eš₁₅ e-pu₂-uš-ma
38u₂-ša-ak-li-il ši-pi₂-ir-ši-in
39zi-in-na-a-at e₂-sag-il₂ e₂-zi-da
40te-di-iš-ti ba-bi-lam{ki} ba-ar-si₂-pa₃{ki}
41ša e-li ša ma-ah-ri-im
42u₂-ša-ti-qu-ma
43aš-ku-nim a-na re-e-eš-e-tim
44ka-la e-ep₂-še-e-ti-ia šu-qu-ra-a-tim
45za-na-an e-eš-re-e-ti DINGIR GAL.GAL
46ša e-li LUGAL.LUGAL ⸢a⸣-be₂-e-a u₂-ša-ṭi₃-ru
47i-na {na₄}NA.RU₂.A aš-ṭu₂-ur₂-ma
48u₂-ki-in ah-ra-ta-aš
49ka-la e-ep₂-še-e-ti-ia
50ša i-na {na₄}NA.RU₂.A aš-ṭu₂-ru
51mu-da-a-am li-ta-am-ma-ar-ma
52ta-ni-it-ti i₃-li₂
53li-ih-ta-as-sa-as
54e-pe₂-šu ma-ha-zi DINGIR.DINGIR u₃ {d}IŠ.TAR
55ša EN ra-bi₂-u₃ {d}AMAR.UTU
iii
1ia-ti u₂-ma-ra-an-ni-ma
2u₂-ša-ad-ka-an-ni li-ib-ba-am
3pa-al-hi-iš la a-ba-aṭ-ṭi-il-⸢šu⸣
4u₂-ša-al-la-am ši-pi₂-ir-⸢ša⸣
5i₃-nu-mi-šu a-na {d}nin-kar-ra-ak-⸢a⸣
6be-el-ti ra-aʾ-im-ti-⸢ia⸣
7na-ṣi-ra-at na-pi₂-iš-ti-⸢ia⸣
8⸢mu-ša⸣-al-li-ma-at pe₂-re₂-ʾi-⸢ia⸣
9e₂-hur-⸢sag⸣-sikil-la E₂-sa ša qe₂-re-eb ba-bi-lam{⸢ki⸣}
10ša iš-tu pa-nim in-na-mu-ma
11la i-pu₂-šu šar ma-ah-ri-im
12te-me-en-šu la-bi₂-ri a-hi-iṭ ab-re-e-⸢ma⸣
133 SIG₄.HI.A ṣa-hi-ir₄-tim 1.KUŠ₃ 3 ŠU.⸢SI⸣
14mi-in-da-a-ti₃ še-lal-ti-ši-na ni-iš uš-⸢še-šu⸣
15ap-pa-li-is-ma ak-ku-ud ap-la-ah-ma
16E₂ a-na a-ša-ba {d}nin-kar-ra-ak-a be-el-⸢ti-ia⸣
17la u₂-us-su-um ši-ki-in-ša
18i-ga-ar E₂ šu-a-ti a-na du-un-nu-nim
19e-pe₂-šu ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.⸢UR₃⸣.[RA]
20E₂ ša a-na a-ša-ba {d}nin-kar-ra-⸢ak⸣-[a]
21u₂-us-su-um aš-te-eʾ-⸢u₂⸣
22⸢i-na u₄-um ša-ʾa⸣-al a₃-ar-ka-tim
23⸢e-pe₂-šu⸣ 3 SIG₄.AL.UR₃.[RA]
24ša 16 ŠU.SI.TA.AM₃ mi-in-da-a-⸢tim⸣
25⸢mi⸣-ši-il SIG₄.AL.⸢UR₃⸣.[RA]
26tu-ba-lu-[u₃]
27e-pe₂-šu ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.⸢AL⸣.[UR₃.RA]
28{d}UTU u₃ {d}⸢IŠKUR⸣
29an-na ki-i-⸢num⸣
30u₂-ša-aš-ki-nim i-na te-er₄-ti-⸢ia⸣
313 SIG₄.AL.UR₃.⸢RA⸣
32ša 16 ŠU.SI.TA.AM₃
33u₃ mi-ši-il SIG₄.AL.UR₃.⸢RA⸣
34tu-ba-lu-u₃
35e-li te-me-en-ni-šu u₂-ki-in-ma
36E₂ i-na ESIR.UD.DU.A u₃ SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA
37ša-da-ni-iš e-er₄-ti
38{d}nin-kar-ra-ak-a be-el-ti ṣi-ir-ti
39a-na e₂-hur-sag-sikil-la E₂ hi-da-ti-ki
40ha-di-iš i-na e-re-bi-ki
41da-am-qa₂-tu-u₂-⸢a⸣
42li-iš-ša-ak-na ša-ap-tu-uk-ki
43u₂-ri-ki u₄-um-u₂-a šu-mi-di ša-na-tu-u₂-a
44ba-la-ṭam a₃-ar-ka še-be₂-e li-it-tu-ti-ia
45li-iš-ša-ki-in i-na pi-ki
46šu-ul-li-im na-pi₂-iš-ti ṭi-ib-bi {uzu}⸢UR₅⸣.[UŠ₂-ia]
47u₂-ṣu-ur₂ še-e-ri-ia ki-in-ni pe₂-er-ʾi-⸢ia⸣
48⸢lu⸣-u šu-um-qu₃-tu na-ki-ri-⸢ia⸣
49u₃ sa-pa-ni₇ MA.DA a-a-bi-ia
50i-na ma-ha-ar {d}AMAR.UTU LUGAL ša-me₂-e u₃ er-ṣe₂-tim
51qi₂-bi₂-i
52sa-at-ta-ak-ka

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