Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 015
Translation · reference
High confidence(i 1') [...] the god Marduk, the sage of the god[s, granted me a broad mind] (and) extensive knowledge [as a gift]; the god Nabû, the scribe of everything, bestowed on me the pr[ecepts of his wisdom] as [a present]; (and) the gods Ninurta (and) Nergal endowe[d my body] with power, viri[lity], (and) unrivalled strength. [I learned] as much as the sage A[dapa], the secr[et (and) hidden lore of all of the scribal arts]. (ii 1) [...] my [yea]rs that [I sat] proudly [on the] throne of the father who had engendered me. (ii 3) I completed [Eḫursaggalku]rkurra, the temple of (the god) Aššur, my lord.…
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/Q003714/
Why it matters
Ashurbanipal claims the wisdom of the antediluvian sage Adapa as personal divine endowment — coupling scribal mastery with military might to justify one king's embodiment of both priestly and warrior ideals.
Transliteration
x [x (x)] x [...]1 / dAMAR.⸢UTU ABGAL DINGIR⸣.[MEŠ uz-nu ra-pa-áš-tu] / ḫa-si-su pal-⸢ka-a⸣ [iš-ru-ka ši-rik-te] / dAG DUB.SAR gim-ri ⸢iḫ⸣-[ze né-me-qi-šú] / i-⸢qi⸣-šá-an-ni a-na [qiš-ti] / dnin-urta dU.GUR dun-ni ⸢zik⸣-[ru-te] / e-mu-qi la šá-na-an ⸢ú-šar-šu⸣-[u gat-ti] / šin-na-at ⸢ABGAL a?⸣-[da-pà a-ḫu-uz] / ⸢ni-ṣir⸣-[tú ka-tim-tú kul-lat ṭup-šar-ru-tú] / [... MU.AN?].NA.MEŠ-ia ša šá-qí-iš2 /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003714.
Attribution
Image: BM 099326 (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P422253). source
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/Q003714/.
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