Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 021
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) I, Ashurbanipal, [...] creation of the hands of (the god) Ašš[ur ...], son of E[sar]hadd[on, ...] (1') [..., build]er of [..., ...] (and) Nabû [...] with the gaze of their eyes, [...]. (4') [... I compl]eted [...] its walls. [...] (5') [... m]y [lady], that is in Nineveh, Egašankalama [...] (6') [... the] great [gods], my lords, their cult centers [...] (7') [... b]ronze, iron, [...] his pure daises [...] I constantly set up [...] of silver (and) gold. (9'b) E[...]. (10'b) [E]meslam, the temple of the god Nergal of Cu[tha, ...]. (11') [... d]imensions, temple appurtenance(s) of silver,…
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/Q003720/
Why it matters
Lists cult centers and temple furnishings restored by Ashurbanipal — including Emeslam at Cuthah, seat of Nergal — documenting the king's systematic program of sanctuary patronage across Assyria and Babylonia.
Transliteration
a-⸢na⸣-ku mAN.⸢ŠÁR-DÙ-IBILA⸣ [...] / bi-⸢nu⸣-ut ŠU.II AN.⸢ŠÁR⸣ [...] / ⸢DUMU mAN⸣.[ŠÁR]-PAP-SUM.[NA ...] / [...] (blank) [...] / [... e]-⸢piš⸣ x [...] / [...] ⸢dAG⸣ ina ni-⸢ši IGI⸣.II.MEŠ-⸢šú-nu⸣ [...] / [... ú-šak]-lil É.GAR₈.MEŠ-⸢šú⸣ [...] / [... GAŠAN]-⸢ia⸣ šá qé-reb NINA.KI é-gašan-kalam-ma x [...] / [... DINGIR.MEŠ] GAL.MEŠ EN.MEŠ-ia ma-ḫa-zi-⸢šú-nu⸣ [...] / [...] ⸢ZABAR⸣ AN.BAR [...] /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003720.
Attribution
Image: BM 122616 + BM 127966 (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P422402). 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/Q003720/.
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