Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 090
Translation · reference
High confidence(i 1') I sent [troops of mine who were stationed on the border of his land against him (Iautaʾ)] (and) they brought about their defeat. They struck down with the [sword] the pe[ople of the land of the Arabs], as many as had risen up against me, (and) set fire to pavilion(s and) tents, their abodes, (and thus) consigned (them) to the god Gīra. (i 6') They carri<ed> off without number oxen, sheep and goats, donkeys, camels, (and) people. They filled (with them) the whole extent of his land, in its entirety, (i 10´) [to] all of its [bord]er(s). [I apportioned camels] like sheep and goats (and)…
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/Q003789/
Why it matters
Records Ashurbanipal's punitive campaign against the Arab chief Iautaʾ — looting, burning of encampments, and mass seizure of camels and livestock — giving one of the fullest Assyrian accounts of desert warfare beyond the settled frontier.
Transliteration
ú-ma-ʾe-⸢e-ra⸣ [ṣe-ru-uš-šu]1 / BAD₅.BAD₅-šú-nu iš-ku-nu ⸢UN⸣.[MEŠ KUR.a-ri-bi] / ma-la it-bu-u-ni ú-ra-si-bu ina ⸢GIŠ⸣.[TUKUL.MEŠ] / É EDIN kul-ta-ri mu-šá-bi-šú-⸢nu⸣ / IZI ú-šá-ḫi-zu ip-⸢qí-du⸣ a-na d⸢GIBIL₆⸣ / GU₄.MEŠ ṣe-e-ni ANŠE.MEŠ ANŠE.GAM.⸢MAL⸣.MEŠ / a-me-lu-tu iš-lu-<lu>-u-ni ina la mì-ni / se-ḫe-ep KUR-šú ka-la-mu / ⸢a-na si-ḫir⸣-ti-šá um-da-⸢al⸣-lu-u / [a-na] ⸢paṭ⸣ gim-re-e-šá /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003789.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P452157). 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/Q003789/.
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