Ashurbanipal 112

~655 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·Q003811

Translation · reference

High confidence

Completely missing (ii 1) [and (with regard to) the rest of the Assyria]ns [whom] Nabû-bēl-šumāti had seized [by guile] (and) taken (to Elam) w[ith] him, [I sent (a message) t]o Indabibi [by the hands of his messenger], (saying) as follows: “[Since] you have not sent me [those people], I [will come and (ii 5) tear down your cities. I will carry off the peopl]e of the cities Susa, Madaktu, (and) [Ḫidalu]. I will remo[ve you from] your [r]oyal [throne and make someone else sit on] your [th]rone. [The (same) actions that] I used to thwart [Teumman], I will make ha[ppen to you].” (ii 9b) [Before…

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/Q003811/

Why it matters

Preserves Ashurbanipal's ultimatum to the Elamite king Indabibi — threatening Susa, Madaktu, and Ḫidalu and invoking the fate of Teumman — documenting Assyrian coercive diplomacy in the final years of Elamite independence.

Transliteration

[ù si-it-ti] ⸢DUMU?.MEŠ?⸣ [KUR aš-šur.KI ša] ⸢m⸣dMUATI-⸢EN-MU.MEŠ⸣ / [ina pi-ir-ṣa-a-ti] ⸢ú-ṣab⸣-bi-⸢tu ú-bi⸣-lu ⸢it⸣-[ti]-⸢šú⸣ / [ina ŠU.II LÚ.A KIN-šú a]-na min-da-bi-bi ki-a-am [áš-pur-šu-ma] / [áš-šú UN.MEŠ an-nu-te] la tu-še-bi-la um-ma ⸢al⸣-[la-kam-ma] / [URU.MEŠ-ka a-na-qar UN].MEŠ URU.šu-šá-an URU.ma-dak-tu ⸢URU⸣.[ḫi-da-lu] / [a-šal-lal ul-tu GIŠ.GU.ZA] ⸢LUGAL⸣-ti-ka a-dak-[ke-ka-ma] /…

Scholarly note

Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q003811.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P401349). 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/Q003811/.

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