Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 1012
Translation · reference
High confidence(1') [...] ... [...] I sent to him and [...]. (3') [RN, (...,) his brothers], his [fa]mily, (and) the seed of hi[s] father’s house [... the eun]uch of mine whom [I had sent] to inquire abo[ut his well-being ... (5´) ..., whom ...] ... had confined [in prison, ... they] cra[wled naked upon] their [belli]es [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/Q009280/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[...] x x [...] / [...] ⸢ú⸣-še-bil-šu-ma [...] / [...] ⸢qin⸣-nu-šú NUMUN É AD-⸢šú⸣ [...] / [... LÚ.šu-ut] ⸢SAG⸣-ia ša a-na šá-ʾa-⸢al⸣ [šul-mì-šú ...] / [...]-⸢i⸣-BI ik-lu-⸢ú⸣ [...]1 / [... mi-ra-nu-uš-šú-un? ina? UGU?] ⸢ŠÀ?-šú⸣-nu ip-⸢ši⸣-[lu-nim-ma? ...]
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q009280.
Attribution
Image: Created by Jamie Novotny and Joshua Jeffers, 2015-22. Lemmatized by Joshua Jeffers, 2018-19, for the NEH-funded RINAP Project at the University of Pennsylvania. The annotated edition is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license 3.0.. Please cite this page as http://oracc.org/rinap/Q009280/..
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/Q009280/.
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The earliest historical document in human history.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.