Ashurbanipal 080

~655 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·Q003779

Translation · reference

High confidence

One or two columns completely missing (i' 1') (No translation possible) (i' 5') [...] abando[ned ...] good (things) [...] m[y] kingship [...] heard about the lies [...] ... the seed of his father's house, [incited Urtaku, the king of] the land Elam. (i' 11') [Urtaku, whom I had not antagonized], set his attack in motion (and) [hastily bro]ught war [to Karduniaš (Babylonia). On account of the assault of the] Elamite, [a messenger] came [to Nineveh] and (i´ 15´) [told me (the news). I was not con]cerned about this [news of Urtaku’s assault. (Because) he had regularly sent his envoys (with…

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/Q003779/

Why it matters

Records Urtaku of Elam's unprovoked invasion of Babylonia despite Ashurbanipal's prior goodwill — a rare Assyrian royal account of the diplomatic breakdown that triggered the Assyro-Elamite wars of the 650s BCE.

Transliteration

[...] x [...] / [...] ⸢Ú⸣ PA x [...] / [...] ⸢Á⸣ [...] / [...] TU [...] / [...] ú-maš-⸢šir⸣ [(x)] / [...] SIG₅-[tu] / [...] LUGAL-u-ti-⸢ia⸣ / [...] ⸢iš⸣-ma-a sur-ra-a-⸢ti⸣ / [...] x-qa-mu-u NUMUN É AD-šú / [id-ku-u-ni mur-ta-ki MAN] KUR.ELAM.MA.KI / [mur-ta-ki šá la ag-ru-šú] ⸢id⸣-ka-a qa-bal-šú / [a-na KUR.kár-ddun-ía-àš ur]-⸢ri⸣-ḫa MÈ / [áš-šú ti-bu-ut LÚ].⸢e⸣-lam-e / [LÚ.A KIN a-na NINA.KI]…

Scholarly note

Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003779.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P394585). 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/Q003779/.

Related tablets

Related sources

~2450 BCE

Stele of the Vultures

The earliest historical document in human history.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.

~2100 BCE

Code of Ur-Nammu

The oldest surviving law code in human history. The principle that the state — not the wronged family — defines and enforces justice begins here.

~1754 BCE

Code of Hammurabi (stele)

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.