Ashurbanipal 254 (Q008343)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Birs Nimrud (Borsippa) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Ashurbanipal 254 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q008343 |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Royal Inscription |
| Find spot | Birs Nimrud (Borsippa) |
| Coordinates | 32.3907, 44.3448 |
English translation
By ORACC project rinap/rinap5 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:22] 11–2222 | I, Ashurbanipal, great [kin]g, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), king of kings, ruler who has no rival, who by the command of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, (5) and Marduk rules from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea and has subjugated all rulers, [who provi]des for Esagil, the palace of the gods — [who]se [doorbo]lt I made glisten like the stars (lit. “writing”) of the firmament — who repaired the damaged parts (10) of all their sanctuaries, (who) established (my) protection over all cult centers, the one who[se] deeds are pleasing to all the gods (and) whose shepherdship is sweet to the black-headed people; son of Esarhaddon, (15) king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, who (re)settled Babylon, (re)built Esagil, renovated the sanctuaries of all the cult centers, constantly established appropriate procedures in them, (and) (20) (re)confirmed [thei]r [inter]rupted regular offerings, (who) restored the rites and rituals according to the old pattern; grandson of Sennache[rib], king of the world, king of Assyria, I — |
| Obverse [22:32] 2323–3232 | During my reign, the great lord, the god Mard[uk], who during the reign of a previous king (25) had resided in Baltil (Aššur) in the presence of the father who created him, entered Babylon amidst rejoicing. I (re)confirmed the regular offerings for Esagil and the gods of Babylon. I (re–)established the privileged status of Babylon (and) (30) in order that the strong might not harm the weak I appointed Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, my favorite brother, to the kingship of Babylon. |
| Obverse [32:36] 3333–3636 | At that time, (with regard to) the enclosure wall of Ezida (“True House”) which had become old and whose foundation had become weak, during my reign I renovated its dilapidated sections and made (it) high as a mountain. |
| Obverse [36:48] 3737–4848 | On account of this, may the god Nabû, the exalted lord, look upon my good deeds with pleasure and (40) may a good word for me — Ashurbanipal, ruler who reveres him — be set upon his lips! May he determine as my fate a long life, fullness of old age, good health, and happiness! May he make the foundation of my royal throne as secure as a mountain! (45) May he make my reign as firm as heaven and netherworld! Moreover, with regard to Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, [king] of Babylon, my favorite brother, may his days be long and may he be fully satisfied with (his) good fortune! |
| Obverse [48:62] 4949–6262 | [If at] any time in the future, during the days of the reign of some future ruler, this work falls into disrepair, may (that ruler) repair its dilapidated state! May he look at (55) my royal image, anoint (it) with oil, offer a sacrifice, (and) place (my image) with his (own) image! The god Nabû will (then) listen to his prayers. |
| Obverse [62:81] 6363–8181 | (But) as for the one who erases my inscribed name, (or) destroys my royal statue, or changes its position and (70) does not place (it) with his (own) image, may the god Nabû, supreme lord, glare at him angrily, overthrow (75) his royal rule, and take away his sovereignty! May he (Nabû) make his name (and) his descendant(s) disappear from the lands and have no pity on him! |
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 | a-na-ku ⸢AN⸣.ŠAR₂-DU₃-A | |
| 2 | ⸢MAN⸣ GAL MAN dan-nu MAN ŠU₂ MAN KUR aš-šur | |
| 3 | ⸢MAN⸣ kib-rat LIMMU₂-ti LUGAL LUGAL.MEŠ | |
| 4 | ⸢NUN⸣ la ša₂-na-an ša₂ ina a-mat AN.ŠAR₂ {d}⸢UTU⸣ | |
| 5 | ⸢u₃⸣ {d}AMAR.UTU ul-tu tam-tim e-⸢liti⸣ | |
| 6 | ⸢a⸣-di [(x)] tam-tim šap-liti i-be-⸢lu-ma⸣ | |
| 7 | ⸢gi⸣-mir ma-liki u₂-šak-niš še-pu-uš-⸢šu₂⸣ | |
| 8 | [za]-⸢nin⸣ e₂-sag-il₂ E₂.GAL DINGIR.MEŠ | |
| 9 | [ša₂ ki]-ma ši-ṭir bu-ru-mu u₂-nam-mir | |
| 10 | ⸢SI.GAR⸣-šu₂ u₃ ša₂ eš-re-e-ti ka-li-ši-na | |
| 11 | ḫi-bil-ta-ši-na u₂-šal-lim e-li kul-lat | |
| 12 | ma-ḫa-zi u₂-kin an-dul-lum ša₂ ep-še-e-tu₂-[šu₂] | |
| 13 | UGU kal DINGIR.MEŠ DUG₃.GA UGU ṣal-mat SAG.DU | |
| 14 | du-šu-pat SIPA-us-su DUMU {m}AN.ŠAR₂-ŠEŠ-MU | |
| 15 | MAN ŠU₂ MAN KUR aš-šur GIR₃.NITA₂ KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} | |
| 16 | MAN KUR EME.GI₇ u₃ URI{ki} mu-še-šib TIN.TIR{ki} | |
| 17 | e-piš e₂-sag-il₂ mu-ud-diš eš-re-e-ti | |
| 18 | kul-lat ma-ḫa-zi ša₂ ina qer-bi-ši-na | |
| 19 | iš-tak-kan si-ma-te sat-tuk-ki-⸢ši-na⸣ | |
| 20 | ⸢baṭ⸣-lu-tu₂ u₂-ki-nu par-ṣe ki-du-⸢de⸣-[e] | |
| 21 | ⸢ki⸣-ma la-bi-rim-ma u₂-ter-ru a-⸢na⸣ | |
| 22 | aš₂-ri-šu-un DUMU DUMU {m}{d}30-ŠEŠ.⸢MEŠ-SU⸣ | |
| 23 | MAN ŠU₂ MAN KUR aš-šur a-na-ku-ma EN GAL {d}AMAR.⸢UTU⸣ | |
| 24 | ša₂ ina BALA-e LUGAL maḫ-ri ina ma-ḫar | |
| 25 | AD ba-ni-i-šu₂ u₂-ši-bu ina qe₂-reb | |
| 26 | ⸢bal⸣-til{ki} ina u₄-me BALA-e-a ina ri-ša₂-a-[ti] | |
| 27 | ⸢a⸣-na TIN.TIR{ki} i-ru-um-ma sat-tuk-⸢ki⸣ | |
| 28 | e₂-sag-il₂ u DINGIR.MEŠ TIN.TIR{ki} u₂-kin | |
| 29 | ki-din-nu-ti KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} ak-ṣur | |
| 30 | aš₂-šu₂ dan-nu a-na SIG la ḫa-ba-li | |
| 31 | {m}{d}GIŠ.NU₁₁-MU-GI.NA ŠEŠ ta-lim/limi | |
| 32 | a-na LUGAL-u₂-ti TIN.TIR{ki} ap-qid | |
| 33 | ina u₄-me-šu₂-ma E₂.GAR₈ e₂-zi-da | |
| 34 | ša₂ la-ba-riš il-lik-u-ma i-ni-⸢šu₂⸣ | |
| 35 | tem-me-en-šu₂ ina BALA-e-a an-ḫu-us-⸢su⸣ | |
| 36 | lu-diš-ma u₂-za-aq-qi₂-ir ḫur-sa-⸢niš⸣ | |
| 37 | a-na šat-ti {d}na-bi-um EN ṣi-ru | |
| 38 | ep-še-te-ia MUNUS.SIG₅.MEŠ ḫa-diš IGI.BAR-⸢ma⸣ | |
| 39 | ia-a-ti {m}AN.ŠAR₂-DU₃-A NUN pa-liḫ-šu₂ | |
| 40 | a-mat da-mi-iq-ti-ia₂ liš-ša₂-kin šap-tuš-šu₂ | |
| 41 | TIN u₄-me SU₃.MEŠ še-be₂-e lit-tu-tu | |
| 42 | ṭu-ub UZU ḫu-ud lib₃-bi li-šim | |
| 43 | ši-ma-ti SUḪUŠ {giš}GU.ZA LUGAL-u-ti-ia | |
| 44 | ki-ma KUR-i li-šar-šid it-ti | |
| 45 | ⸢AN⸣-e u KI-tim lu-kin BALA-u-a | |
| 46 | ⸢u₃⸣ ša₂ {m}{d}GIŠ.NU₁₁-MU-GI.NA | |
| 47 | [LUGAL] TIN.TIR{ki} ŠEŠ ta-lim-ia₂ u₄-me-šu₂ | |
| 48 | [li]-ri-ku liš-bi bu-ʾa-a-ri | |
| 49 | [ma]-⸢ti-ma⸣ ina aḫ-rat u₄-me NUN ⸢EGIR-u⸣ | |
| 50 | ša₂ ina u₄-me BALA-šu₂ | |
| 51 | ⸢ši⸣-pir šu-a-ti | |
| 52 | ⸢in⸣-na-ḫu | |
| 53 | an-ḫu-us-su | |
| 54 | ⸢lu⸣-ud-diš ṣa-lam | |
| 55 | LUGAL-ti-ia | |
| 56 | li-mur-ma I₃.GIŠ | |
| 57 | ⸢lip-šu-uš⸣ {udu}SISKUR | |
| 58 | ⸢BAL-qi₂ it⸣-ti | |
| 59 | ṣa-⸢lam-i⸣-šu₂ | |
| 60 | li-⸢iš⸣-kun | |
| 61 | ik-ri-⸢bi⸣-i-šu₂ | |
| 62 | {d}⸢AG⸣ i-šem-me | |
| 63 | ša₂ šu-⸢mi₃⸣ šaṭ-ru | |
| 64 | i-⸢pa⸣-aš₂-ši-ṭu | |
| 65 | ṣa-lam ⸢LUGAL⸣-ti-ia | |
| 66 | i-ab-⸢ba⸣-tu | |
| 67 | ⸢lu⸣-u a-⸢šar⸣-šu₂ | |
| 68 | u₂-⸢nak⸣-ka-ru-ma | |
| 69 | it-⸢ti⸣ ṣa-lam-šu₂ | |
| 70 | la i-⸢šak⸣-kan | |
| 71 | {d}na-⸢bi⸣-um | |
| 72 | EN ⸢šur⸣-bu-u₂ | |
| 73 | ag-gi-iš | |
| 74 | lik-kil-⸢me⸣-šu₂-ma | |
| 75 | {giš}GU.ZA ⸢LUGAL⸣-ti-šu₂ | |
| 76 | li-⸢ša₂⸣-bal-kit-ma | |
| 77 | li-ṭir be-lut-su | |
| 78 | ⸢MU⸣-šu₂ NUMUN-šu₂ ina KUR.KUR | |
| 79 | ⸢li⸣-ḫal-liq-ma | |
| 80 | ⸢a⸣-a ir-ši-šu₂ | |
| 81 | re-e-mu |
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.