Position in chronology
Ashurbanipal 227
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) For the god Nergal, perfect warrior, mightiest of the gods, foremost hero, po[werful] lord, [...], king of battle, lord of strength and power, lord of the Deluge that brings abo[ut ...], the exalted son of the god Enlil, powerful one among the gods, his brothers, child of the goddess Kutušar (Mullissu), the [great] que[en], who marches at the side of the king, his f[avori]te, and kills his foes, (who) cuts down [...], (5) (who) sp[a]res the ruler who reveres him from plague, (who) grants him mighty [victories], who resides in Em[esla]m, the holy shrine that is inside Cutha, the great…
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/Q007635/
Why it matters
Dedicatory hymn to Nergal at his cult-seat Emeslam in Cutha, preserving Sargonid royal theology of the plague-god as protector of the obedient king against disease and enemy armies.
Transliteration
⸢a⸣-na dU.GUR qar-ra-du gít-ma-lum dan-dan-nu DINGIR.MEŠ ma-am-lu a-šá-re-du EN ⸢ga?⸣-[áš-ru ...] / LUGAL tam-ḫa-ri be-el a-ba-ri ù dun-ni be-el a-bu-bi šá-⸢kin⸣ [...] / DUMU dEN.LÍL ṣi-⸢i-ru⸣ ga-áš-ru DINGIR.MEŠ ŠEŠ.MEŠ-šú bu-kúr dku-tu-šar ⸢šar-ra⸣-[ti GAL-ti?] / ša Á.II LUGAL ⸢mi?-gir?⸣-i-šú il-lak-ú-ma i-na-ar-ru ga-re-e-šú ú-šam-qa-⸢tu⸣ [...] / ina šib-ṭi ⸢i-ga?⸣-mì-lu NUN pa-lìḫ-šú…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Ashurbanipal or a late Sargonid successor, edited by Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers (RINAP 5, 2018–). ORACC text Q007635.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P394563). 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/Q007635/.
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