Position in chronology
Esarhaddon 053
Translation · reference
High confidence(1') [...] ... [...] the god(dess) Nin[...] ... [... his] important city [... (5′) ...] his ..., the contributions of (his) eter[nal] dais; [I] brought before him [choice oxen], fattened sheep, strings of fish [and birds, the abundance of the apsû] which never lessens, [...] honey, ghee, suitable for his pure sattukku offerings. (10′) I gave [Šamaš]-šuma-ukīn, (my) son, my offspring, as a present to the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanītu. I presented (them) with tribute, payment, abundant gifts, (and) unceasing contributions as my [gifts], and I looked after Adediḫegal (Edadiḫegal). (14')…
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/Q003282/
Why it matters
Records Esarhaddon's formal dedication of his son Šamaš-šuma-ukīn to Marduk and Zarpanītu, with ritual offerings — a rare first-person account of the succession arrangement that would later split the empire between two brothers.
Transliteration
[...] x x [...] / [...] ⸢dnin⸣-[...] / [...]-⸢šú⸣ lu-u ⸢ra⸣-[...] / [...] URU tak-bit-⸢ti⸣-[šú ...] / [...] x-le-e-šú ⸢i⸣-rib pa-rak ⸢da⸣-[ra-a-ti] / [GU₄.MAḪ-ḫi bit-ru-ti] ⸢šu⸣-uʾ-e ma-ru-ti iz-ḫe-⸢et KU₆⸣ / [u MUŠEN ḪÉ.GÁL ZU.AB] šá la i-šu-u mi-ṭi-tú / [...] ⸢LÀL⸣ Ì.NUN.NA si-mat sat-⸢tuk⸣-ki-šú eb-bu-ti / [ú-ṭaḫ]-⸢ḫa⸣-a ma-ḫar-šú / [mdGIŠ.NU₁₁]-⸢MU⸣-GI.NA DUMU ṣi-it lìb-bi-ia a-na dAMAR.UTU /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Esarhaddon, edited by Erle Leichty (RINAP 4, 2011). ORACC text Q003282.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P396011). 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/Q003282/.
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