Position in chronology
Sîn-šarru-iškun 16
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) For the goddess Tašmētu, the goddess of acceptance and reconciliation, heroic one of the gods, sublime one of [goddesses], wife of the god Nabû — the firstborn son — who is endowed with sexual charm (and) filled with awe-insp[iring brilliance], the one who controls the Igīgū (and) Anunnakū gods, the one who directs everything there is, the one who accepts sup[plications, the one who] saves the ruler who reveres [her divinity] from the midst of combat and battle, (5) supreme [go]ddess, the one who resides in Baltil (Aššur), the great lady, [his] lady: (6) Sîn-šarra-iškun, great king,…
Source: Novotny, J. & Jeffers, J. 2018–. The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal (668–631 BC), Aššur-etel-ilāni (630–627 BC) and Sîn-šarra-iškun (626–612 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 5. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap5/Q003877/
Why it matters
Transliteration
a-na dPAPNUN i-lat taš-me-e u sa-li-me ⸢qa-rit-ti DINGIR.MEŠ šá-qu-ut d⸣[INANNA.MEŠ] / ḫi-rat dMUATI IBILA reš-tu-ú šá ku-uz-bu za-aʾ-nat ma-lat ⸢nam⸣-[ri-ir-ri] / sa-ni-⸢qat⸣ dí-gì-gì dGÉŠ.U a-ši-ir DÙ mim-ma ⸢šum-šú le⸣-qàt ⸢un⸣-[ni-ni] / [šá] ina qé-⸢reb šá-áš-me u MURUB₄ ú-še⸣-zi-bu NUN pa-liḫ [DINGIR-ti-šá] / ⸢ìl⸣-tum šur-bu-tú a-ši-bat qé-reb bal-til.KI GAŠAN GAL-tú ⸢GAŠAN⸣-[šú] /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003877.
Attribution
Image: Created by Jamie Novotny and Joshua Jeffers, 2015-22. Lemmatized by Jamie Novotny, 2018, for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-funded OIMEA Project at the Historisches Seminar - Abteilung Alte Geschichte of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. The annotated edition is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license 3.0. Please cite this page as http://oracc.org/rinap/Q003877/..
Translation excerpted from Novotny, J. & Jeffers, J. 2018–. The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal (668–631 BC), Aššur-etel-ilāni (630–627 BC) and Sîn-šarra-iškun (626–612 BC), Kings of Assyria. RINAP 5. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap5/Q003877/.
Related tablets
Related sources
The earliest historical document in human history. Before this, we have lists, accounts, and dedications. Here, for the first time, a ruler tells us what happened — with names, places, and consequences.
The oldest surviving law code in human history. The principle that the state — not the wronged family — defines and enforces justice begins here.
Not the first law code, but the most complete and the most famous. Inscribed on a black diorite stele over two meters tall, displayed in a public place — law made visible, law made monumental.