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Literary Letter to Mutakkil-Nusku (Q009576)
Neo-Assyrian, Ninua · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Literary Letter to Mutakkil-Nusku |
|---|---|
| ID | Q009576 |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Find spot | Ninua (mod. Nineveh) |
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)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1' | x a-bi x | , its father ; |
| 2' | x x ṣip-pa-a-x | ..., |
| 3' | x a-na-ku a-a x x | I may not |
| 4' | x-tah-hi-su x | his ... |
| 5' | x x LUGAL-MEŠ x x | kings |
| 6' | x x at-ta x | you |
| 7' | x it-qu x x | he has taken [......] |
| 8' | x-a aš₂-pu-rak-ka x | I am sending to you |
| 9' | x A.ŠA₃ x x | field |
| 10' | x x x x | |
| 11' | x x x | |
| 1'' | x ana {d}aš+šur | to Assur |
| 2'' | x aš₂-pu-rak-ka | I am sending to you |
| 3'' | x-x-ti | ...; |
| 4'' | x i-tal-la-ku | they went. |
| 5'' | x | |
| 6'' | x-ri-ma | ... and |
| 7'' | x x | |
| 8'' | x-i | ...; |
| 9'' | x-x-mu-ma | ... and |
| 10'' | x aš+šur{ki} | of Assur |
| 11'' | x-x-a il-lik-ma | went and |
| 12'' | x {d}EN.LIL₂ EN DINGIR-MEŠ | Enlil, lord of the gods |
| 13'' | x taš-šak-nu-ma | you have placed, and |
| 14'' | x x x x ta-šap-pa-ra | [......] you write |
| 15'' | x-a {d}aš+šur DINGIR x šum-ma {d}EN GAL{+u₂} {d}AMAR.UTU ša₂ at-ta | Assur, god . If you, O great lord, are Marduk, |
| 16'' | x a-na ša₂ i-din-nam x x u₃ ia-ši ša₂ a-na mim-ma | ... to whom he gave ... and me to anything |
| 17'' | x-ma ša₂ e-nin-na il-x-x {m}{d}aš+šur-da-a-an AD-ka | ... of Eninna ... Assurdan, your father |
| 18'' | x-x-{d}gu-la MAŠ.MAŠ{+a} i-x-x-x-šu₂ u₃ it-ti-qu | -Gula the exorcist ... and he fell. |
| 19'' | x-x re-eh-ti iq-bu-u₂ {d}AMAR.UTU x x ul id-kaš-šu | the rest they said, Marduk did not release him. |
| 20'' | x-x-šu₂-nu uq-ta-at-tu-u₂ u₃ lu x a-na KUR ša₂-ni-tim-ma | their ... they have departed, and ... to that land |
| 21'' | x el-qa-aš₂-šu₂-nu-ti ul-te-šib-šu₂-nu-ti x-ri-ma lu-u₂ ti-de | I took them. I have released them. May you know (this). |
| 22'' | x šul-pu-tu₂ i-nam-din ul-tu {d}EN KUR.KUR ša₂ tak-x-x-x id-di-ma | from the lord of the lands who ... he gave, and |
| 23'' | x {kur}URI{ki} kun-ni u₃ hi-ṭa UGU-ša₂ la ša₂-ka-ni x x-na ki-x x x | Urarṭu is established, and there is no crime against it. |
| 24'' | x-x-ku ma-al-di aš+šur{ki} a-na e-te-qi₂-šu₂-nu il-x-x x x | ... the land of Assyria for their journey ... |
| 25'' | x a-na ma-ha-zi šu-šu-ub BE u₃ {d}EN a-na {kur}hat-ti x | to the cult centers. ... and Bel to Hatti |
| 26'' | x BAL{+a} i-na lib₃-bi-ša ki-i u₂-nak-ki-ru a-di kan-x-x | when he had destroyed it, as far as |
| 27'' | x-x-ka-ni DINGIR id-kaš-šum-ma a-na ma-ha-zi ša {kur}URI{ki} x | the god ... and to the cult centers of Urarṭu |
| 28'' | x-x x-ti aš₂-bu {kur}aš+šur ki-i id-dal-hu LUGAL x | when Assyria was frightened, the king |
| 29'' | x a-na lib₃-bi KUR la i-tur-ru-ma la mu-x-x-ba-x-x | will not return to the heart of the land and will not ... |
| 30'' | x ŠU {d}EN GAL{+i} iṣ-ba-tu-ma a-na {kur}x-x NUN ma x | hand of the great lord he captured and to the land |
| 31'' | x ki DINGIR {kur}aš+šur ip-per-ri-ku at-tu-nu x-x-ra ki-i x x | “When the gods of Assyria opened your eyes, you |
| 32'' | x-x šu-ma an-na-a ta-qab-ba-a u₃ x-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ ša x | This is what you said, and the chiefs of |
| 33'' | x {d}EN GAL{+u₂} {d}AMAR.UTU iq-ta-bu-u₂ ša₂ UD DA x x x x-a GUN u₂-ša₂-x-x | the great lord, Marduk, said. |
| 34'' | x ta-at-tal-ka 1{+en} u₄-mi ina {iri}zaq-qa lu-u₂ tu-qi₂-ia-an-ni-ma x | “You came, and one day in Zaqqa you made me wait, and |
| 35'' | x x in-bu A.ŠA₃ a-di {iri}zaq-qa at-tal-ka ID₂-MEŠ ma-la e-te-eb-bi-ra KUR-MEŠ ma-la at-tag-gi-ša₂ | I came to Zaqqa. The rivers, as many as I crossed, the mountains, as much as I destroyed. |
| 36'' | x-x-ma i-du-u₂ ša₂-aʾ-al-šu₂-nu-ti-ma LU₂ bu-di-i-ka ki-i ina bi-ri-ni nu-kur-tu₄ šak-na-tu-ma | “They know, and the man of your budīya is like a nukurtu-demon between us. |
| 37'' | x x i-na ma-al-di-ia aš₂-ba-ta a-na-ku-um-ma KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} im-ma-ti ul i-de-ma | I myself did not know Babylon. |
| 38'' | x ul-tu {iri}zaq-qa e-req-qa a-na-ku-um-ma a-na {iri}zaq-qa ak-šu-du 7 u₄-me URI{ki} la-ma-ku | from Zaqqa I was encamped, and I went to Zaqqu for 7 days. I did not see Akkad. |
| 39'' | x-x-šu₂ aš₂-ba-tu₂ il-tak-nu tu šu nu x EGIR-ka par-ku-ma a-na i-tab-lak-ku-ti la it-tal-ka | ... his ... they have established ... behind you, he has not come to the aid of you. |
| 40'' | x x ha-an-tiš la te-bi-ra id-x-x 7 u₄-me ta-ku-uš-ma ki-i a-na-ku e-ri-qa | You did not quickly ... Seven days you sat down and when I entered, |
| 41'' | x-x-ma 1{+en} u₄-ma lu-u₂ tu-qi₂-ia-an-ni a-ha-meš lu-u₂ ni-har-rap-ma ša {d}EN KUR.KUR | “On the day that you are to kill me, let us smite each other, so that Bel of the lands |
| 42'' | x x i-na muh-hi-šu il-tak-nu ul i-x-x-al um-ma 1{+en} u₄-ma lu-u₂ tu-qi₂-ia-an-ni kal u₄-ma | they have placed on him, but he does not , saying: “Let me wait for one day, and all day |
| 43'' | x x lu-u₂ i-du-u₂ a-na-ku ul ak-ru-bak-kam-ma ša₂ qur-ru-bi-ia uq-tar-ri-bak-kam-ma a-na ṣu-he-e-ti ša₂ LUGAL-MEŠ ša₂ li-mi-ti-ka il-tak-nu-ka-ma | ... they know. I did not accept you, but I asked you about my greatness, and they placed you in the wombs of the kings of your ancestors. |
| 44'' | u₃ a-me-ni dib-bu-ku-nu a-na ša šar-ra-be₂-e maš-lu šu-ma ša at-ta₅ taš-pu-ra um-ma 1{+en} u₄-me ina {iri}zaq-qa lu-u₂ tu-qi₂-i-an-ni | And who are your words to Šarrabê? Who is it that you wrote to me, saying: “Let me wait one day in Zaqqa for you! |
| 45'' | im-ma-ti ša₂-pa-a-ru ša₂ mun-dal-ku-tu u₃ le-ʾu-u₂-ti šu-ma u₃ qu-un-nu-tu ARAD {m}aš+šur-MU-SI.SA₂ | He is a ša-pāru, a maldalkû-demon, and a deaf man. And qunnutu-disease, servant of Esarhaddon. |
| 46'' | ša it-ti be-li₂-šu iṭ-ru-du-niš-šum-ma a-na KUR an-ni-ti il-li-kam-ma AD-u₂-a u₂-sa-ta i-pu-ša₂-aš₂-šum-ma | Whom his lord has cursed and who came to this land, and my father has made a curse against him, and |
| 47'' | a-na KUR-šu₂ u-ter-ru-šu₂ ul-tu at-ta {m}har-bi-ši-hu ha-bir-a-a ṭe₃-ma ta-šak-ka-nu šu-u₂ ina pa-ni-ka u₂-šu-uz u ip-pa-la₁₂ a-kan-na-a | From you Harbišiḫu, the Ḫabirian, you speak and you make it known. He is in your presence, and he will look after here. |
| 48'' | i-qab-bi um-ma-a kit-tam-ma 1{+en} u₄-ma ina {iri}zaq-qa lu-u₂ tu₂-qi₂-ia-an-na-ši i-na lib₃-bi-ku-nu man-nu ki-i LUGAL-ma ṭe₃-ma i-šak-ka-nu | He says thus: “It is true.’ You should not wait for us in Zaqqa. In your heart, who will act like the king and make you submit? |
| 49'' | i-na pi-i {d}EN KUR.KUR lim-qu-tam-ma dib-bu ša₂ {kur}aš+šur a-na ša₂ šar-ra-be₂-e lu-u₂ maš-lu u₃ i-na pi-i a-ha-meš dib-bi li-ik-ki-mu | By the command of Bel of the lands may it fall and the words of Assyria to the king be true, and by the order of each other may they speak. |
| 50'' | {m}{d}aš+šur-MU-SI.SA₂ ba-ni u₃ ina KUR-šu₂ lu-u₂ a-šib ul-tu a-na {kur}URI{ki} il-li-ka i-na bu-ni šu-u₂ uh-hi-ra | Assur-šumu-lišir the builder, and in his land I remained. From Urarṭu he came and from that būnu he returned. |
| 51'' | ana KUR-šu₂ il-lik-ma {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur EN-šu₂ ina KUR an-ni-ti ik-ka-li {d}MAŠ-{giš}TUKUL-aš+šur ša a-na be-lu-ti-šu₂ x x | went to his land, and Ninurta-tukul-Ašṣur, his lord, sat down in this land. Inanna-Tukultī-Adad, who for his rule |
| 52'' | x x u₃ a-šib {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur i-na la be-lu-ti-šu₂ ša {m}aš+šur-MU-SI.SA₂ {d}EN KUR.KUR im-ma-ti u₂-nak-kir-šu₂-ma | And as for Ninurta-tukul-Aštar, in his lordly majesty, whom Assur-shumu-lišir, the en-priestess of all the lands, had destroyed, |
| 53'' | x-u₂ ul-tu AD-u₂-a ana KUR-šu₂ u-ter-ru-šu₂ ib-ni-ma dib-bi ša taš-ri-ih-ti i-dab-bu-bi ša taš-pu-ra um-ma a-na-ku ki-i a-na {d}aš+šur DINGIR-ia | After my father had brought him back to his land, he made the words of a tašriḫtu-priestess speak, which you wrote me, saying: “I, as for Assur, my god, |
| 54'' | x-qu u₂-šaq-qu-u₂ ṭa-ab-tam-ma ša {kur}URI{ki} u {kur}aš+šur DINGIR-ia er-riš at-ta ki-i lib₃-bi-ka e-pu-uš x-bat-tu-u ta-šap-pa-ra 1{+en} u₄-ma | “The ... will be raised, and the land of Akkad and Assyria, my god, will be destroyed. You, as your heart desires, you will write. One day |
| 55'' | lu-u₂ tu-qi₂-ia-an-ni-ma a-ha-meš lu-u₂ ni-mur u₃ ša-nu-ti-ik-ka ta-šap-pa-ra um-ma ṭa-ab-tam-ma ša {kur}URI{ki} u {kur}aš+šur ki-i er-ri-šu₂ an-nu-u₂ da-ba-bu | You must wait for me, so that we may see each other. Further, you must write to me, saying: “You have seized the land of Akkad and Assyria, as it is his territory, this is a matter of contention. |
| 56'' | ša LUGAL-MEŠ ma-a šu-u₂ ša a-na {m}har-bi-ši-hu taq-bu-u₂ um-ma a-ki-i ana-ku aq-bu-u₂ um-ma {d}MAŠ-{giš}TUKUL-aš+šur ina A.GAR₃ {iri}si-ši-lu-u₂ a-šib-ma lu-bir-ma | As to what the kings said: "That which you said to Harbišihu, thus I said: “Inurta-tukultī-Assur in the meadow of Sisilû I went and crossed (the river) and |
| 57'' | a-ha-meš i ni-mur šu-nu {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur it-ti ka-a-ši a-na KUR ki-i x | We saw each other. That Ninurta-tukul-Assur with you to the land |
| 58'' | x {giš}TUKUL {d}aš+šur ul-tu ne₂-er MU-AN.NA i-na A.ŠA₃ ul-li-i a-šib u la ut-ta-aš₂-šar x | the weapon of Assur from the beginning of the year from the field I was living and did not abandon . |
| 59a'' | x-x-ka ta-ku-šu tak-tu-uš ul-tu tak-tu-šu x x x ana x x | Your ..., you have sinned, from your sinning ... to |
| 59b'' | x {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-aš+šur ina 2 DANNA A.ŠA₃ ina ma-al-di-šu₂ aš₂-ba-ta₅ | Ninurta-tukul-ašur has taken a field in 2 bēru of field by his side. |
| 60'' | x x am-me-ni la te-bi-ram-ma mi-nu-u₂ ša x | Why did you not send me what ? |
| 61'' | x {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur it-ti-ia a-na KUR i-ri-qa at-ta₅ šu-ma an-na-a ta-qab-bi | Ninurta-tukul-Assur with me went down to the land. You are the one who says this. |
| 62a'' | x {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur ki-i pi-i dib-bi-ma x | Ninurta-tukul-Assur, according to the wording |
| 62b'' | x E₂ gam-ru ša₂ {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-aš+šur ša taq-bu-u₂ | the complete house of Ninurta-tukul-ašṣur, which you said |
| 63'' | x {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur ša taq-bu-u₂ um-ma ku-lu-ʾu-u₂ la zi-ka-ru šu-u₂ x | Ninurta-tukul-Assur, about whom you spoke, saying: “It is a kilû-demon, it is not a zikāru (demon)’ |
| 64a'' | x mar-ṣa-tu-nu u₃ ba-na-tu-nu {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur x | ... marsbatunu and banatunu Ninurta-tukul-Assur |
| 64b'' | x a-na {kur}URI{ki} il-li-ka ki-i a-na ku-lu-uʾ-i i-tu-ru | he came to Urarṭu, and when he returned to Kullu |
| 65'' | x-x-u₂ i-na bu-ni ki-i ka-šu-nu am-me-ni la ga-mir x | (Sum) ... like a ..., what is it that is not complete? (Akk) What is not completed in the būnu? |
| 66a'' | x ša taš-pu-ra um-ma im-ma-ti x | ... you wrote, saying: “Išti |
| 66b'' | x URI{ki} x x x x x x x x-tu-ka | of Akkad |
| 67'' | x {kur}aš+šur{ki} MUNUS-MEŠ-ma {kur}URI{ki} la ih-ta-x | Assyria women and Akkad did not |
| 68'' | x diš x x x | [... of ...] |
| 69'' | x x kil še x x x | [... kil]l of barley |
| 70'' | x-ma | ... and |
| 71'' | x-di | ...di |
| 1''' | x u₃ x x | and ; |
| 2''' | x x-MEŠ-šu₂ GAL-MEŠ-šu₂ x x | his great s |
| 3''' | x-bu-u₂ i-ba-aš-ši u₃ ni-nu ni-x | there is and we ... |
| 4''' | la ni-šap-pa-rak-ka x-na UGU GAL{+e} ša {kur}aš+šur ŠUB{+ut} x | We shall not write to you. ... over the chief of Assyria |
| 5''' | u₃ ša₂ {m}{d}aš+šur-MU-SI.SA₂ x-x i-dab-bu-bu um-ma GAL-MEŠ ša₂ {kur}URI{ki} za x | and of Assur-šumu-lišir they are saying: “The chiefs of Akkad |
| 6''' | i-šak-ka-nu-ma e-x-x ni-ip-pu-šu ul-tu GAL-MEŠ ša₂ {kur}aš+šur {m}{d}EN.LIL₂-NIG₂.DU-URU₃ x | they shall place, and from the chiefs of Assyria Enlil-kudurri-uṣur |
| 7''' | a-na {d}IŠKUR-MU-URI₃ u₃ x-x-na id-di-nu GAL ša {kur}URI{ki} EN-šu-nu u₂ a a am x | to Adad-šuma-uṣur and na gave, the chief of Urarṭu their lord |
| 8''' | id-di-nu ša taš-pu-ra um-ma {m}x-x-x EN da-ba-bi-ia ša₂ ze-nu-u₂ mu-dak-ku-u₂ šu-u₂ ba-liṭ u x | he gave. You wrote: “..., my adversary, who is angry, who has risen up, and |
| 9''' | ša₂ {kur}aš+šur ša₂ a-na šu-lum ša₂ {d}MAŠ-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur ba-ru-ta₅ ip-pu-šu₂ šu-na-a-ti i-ta-nam-ma-ru x | The one of Assyria, the one who for the well-being of Ninurta-tukul-Assur, they performed a šunātu. |
| 10''' | am-me-ni la ze-nu-u₂ mu-dak-ku-u₂ šu-nu-ma {d}MAŠ-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur la u₂-dak-ku-ma x | Why is he not angry? He is a fugitive, and Ninurta-tukul-Assur does not fugitive, and |
| 11''' | u₃ ma-ru-uṣ-ta₅ ša {d}EN.LIL₂-MU-x x ša a-na {m}har-bi-ši-hu ha-bir-a-a x | and Arusta of Enlil-šuma-, who to Ḫarbišiḫu of the Habiraeans |
| 12''' | a-na qa-be₂-e am-me-ni la al-da-x-x-x-bu la-bi-ru-tu₄ LUGAL-MEŠ-ma AD-MEŠ x | Why do I not ... the old kings and his fathers? |
| 13''' | x x x LUGAL-MEŠ-ma AD-MEŠ-ka la x x-x-du-ti am-man-na-a i nu-has-si-sa dib-bi ša₂ {m}x | ... kings, your fathers did not ... why did we not listen to the words of |
| 14''' | x x x+ŠE-ma-ka lu-uš-pu-rak-ka x NIBRU{ki} {iri}si-par u KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} x | Let me write to you Nippur, Sippar and Babylon |
| 15''' | x x x-x-di-šu₂-ma ŠUH im-ta-x-x-x u₃ la ma-am-ma na-ka-ru DUMU-šu₂ u GAL-MEŠ-šu₂ x | ... his and the šuḫ-disease has ..., and there is no ... of his son and his chiefs |
| 16''' | x {m}TUKUL{+ti}-{d}NIN.URTA x-x x-ma-al LUGAL{+ti}-šu ul ta-at-x | Tukulti-Ninurta ... his kingship you did not |
| 17''' | x-x-i-ṣi x x x x x {d}NIN.URTA-{giš}TUKUL-{d}aš+šur x | ... Ninurta-tukul-Assur |
| 18''' | x x ki-i·-x | when |
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 2026-10-18.