Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

Esarhaddon 060

~675 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·Q003289

Translation · reference

High confidence
(1') Moreover, I struck with the sword Teušpâ, [a Cimmerian, together with his entire army, in the territory of the land Ḫubušnu]; I conquered [Sidon, which is in the midst of the sea, caught [Abdi-Milkūti, its king], like a fish, and cut off his head; I conqu[ered the city Arzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the] Brook of Egypt, threw Asuḫīli, its king, into fetters and took [him to Assyria; I con]quered the city Bāsu (Bāzu), a district in a remote place; I fixed the tribute of my lordship on Qanâ, king of Dilmun; (6') I conquered the land Šubria to its full extent; I killed with the sword…

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/Q003289/

Why it matters

Catalogs Esarhaddon's conquests from Cilicia to Dilmun in a single inscription — Cimmerian defeat, the beheading of Sidon's king, and the first Assyrian tribute levy on Dilmun attested in royal records.

Transliteration

⸢ù mte-uš-pa-a⸣ [KUR.gi-mir-a-a ina KI-tim KUR.ḫu-bu-uš-na a-di gi-mir um-ma-ni-šú]1 / ú-ra-sib ina GIŠ.TUKUL.MEŠ ak-⸢šud URU⸣.ṣi-[du-nu šá ina MURUB₄ tam-tim mab-di-mil-ku-ut-ti MAN-šú]2 / GIM KU₆ a-bar-šu-ma a-kis SAG.DU-su ak-⸢šud⸣ [URU.ar-za-a šá i-te-e? URU] ⸢na⸣-ḫal mu-ṣur3 / ma-su-ḫi-li MAN-šú bi-re-tú ad-di-ma al-qa-a-[šú a-na KUR aš-šur.KI ak]-⸢šud⸣ URU.ba-a-su / na-gu-ú šá a-⸢šar⸣-šú…

Scholarly note

Royal inscription of Esarhaddon, edited by Erle Leichty (RINAP 4, 2011). ORACC text Q003289.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P403357). 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/Q003289/.

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