Position in chronology
Esarhaddon 005
Translation · reference
High confidence(i) Col. i (i 1') [I am my older] bro[thers’ youngest brother] (and) by the command of the gods Aššur, [Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl and Nabû], Ištar of N[ineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbela], (my) father, who engendered me, [elevated me firmly] in the assembly [of my brothers], (i 5′) saying: ‘This is [the son who will succeed me.’ He questioned] the gods Šamaš and Adad by divi[nation, and] they answered him with [a firm ‘yes,’] saying: [‘He is your replacement.’] He he[eded] their important word(s) [and gathered together the people of Assyria, young (and) old], (and) my brothers, the seed of the house of [my]…
Source: Leichty, E. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Esarhaddon, King of Assyria (680–669 BC). RINAP 4. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003234/
Why it matters
Esarhaddon justifies his irregular succession — youngest son elevated over older brothers — by citing divination omens from Šamaš and Adad, documenting how Sargonid kings used extispicy to legitimize contested royal transitions.
Transliteration
⸢ša ŠEŠ⸣.[MEŠ-ia GAL.MEŠ ŠEŠ-šú-nu ṣe-eḫ-ru a-na-ku] / ina qí-bit d⸢aš-šur⸣ [d30 dUTU dEN ù dAG] / d15 šá URU.⸢ni⸣-[nu-a d15 šá URU.LÍMMU-DINGIR] / AD ba-nu-u-a ina ⸢UKKIN⸣ [ŠEŠ.MEŠ-ia SAG.MEŠ-ia ke-niš ul-li-ma] / ⸢um⸣-ma an-nu-⸢ú⸣ [ma-a-ru ri-du-ti-ia] / dUTU u dIŠKUR ina ⸢bi⸣-[ri i-šal-ma an-nu ke-e-nu] / e-pu-lu-šú-ma um-⸢ma⸣ [šu-ú te-nu-u-ka] / zi-kir-šú-un kab-tu it-⸢ta⸣-[ʾi-id-ma UN.MEŠ…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Esarhaddon, edited by Erle Leichty (RINAP 4, 2011). ORACC text Q003234.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P450406). source
Translation excerpted from Leichty, E. 2011. The Royal Inscriptions of Esarhaddon, King of Assyria (680–669 BC). RINAP 4. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003234/.
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