Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 214
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [For the god Nusku, supreme lord, exalted judge, who oversees the nindabû-offerings for all (the Igīgū and)] the Anunnakū gods, who administers the Ekur, [bright light that lights up the night, powerful fire, fr]iend of the god Šamaš, the judge, [holy god, who purifies god and man, who lights up the darkness, who] lights up the dark [like] the sun; (4) [the god Nusku, supreme one, heroic god, who burns up evil ones, who]se flames scorch [the land of the insubm]issive, [who introduces command and directive, who oversees the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, ...] instructions, [who provides strewn…
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/Q007622/
Why it matters
Hymn to Nusku as supreme judge and fire-god attests the Sargonid court's theological alignment of divine justice with the purifying power of flame, linking priestly, legal, and royal authority in a single dedicatory formula.
Transliteration
[a-na dnusku EN šur-bé-e da-a-a-ni ṣi-i-ri pa-qid NIDBA.MEŠ šá DÙ (dí-gì-gì u)] ⸢dGÉŠ⸣.U mu-ma-ʾe-er é-kur / [ZÁLAG nam-ru mu-nam-mir mu-ši-ti dGIBIL₆ ga-áš-ru] ⸢tap⸣-pe-e dUTU da-a-a-ni / [DINGIR KÙ mul-lil DINGIR u LÚ mu-nam-mir e-ṭu-ti ša ki-ma] ⸢d⸣UTU-ši ú-nam-ma-ru ek-le-tú / [dnusku šur-bu-u DINGIR qar-du qa-mu-ú ḪUL.MEŠ šá KUR la ma]-⸢gi⸣-re ú-ḫa-am-ma-ṭu nab-lu-šu / [mu-še-rib ur-ti u…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q007622.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P426398). 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/Q007622/.
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