Position in chronology
Esarhaddon 133
Translation — scholar edition
RINAP 4(1) For the goddess Ištar, supreme lady, sovereign of heaven and netherworld, most valiant of the gods, splendid, the goddess Ištar-of-Uruk, august princess who has taken (unto herself all) divine offices of highest rank (and) has gathered to herself (all) ordinances, beloved, eminent, who looks upon the king — her favorite — with steady favor, (5) makes his reign lengthy, (and) bestows on him power and victory, empress of the world, most exalted of the gods, who dwells in Enirgalana (“House, Prince of Heaven”) — which is inside Eanna — lady of Uruk, great lady, his lady: (8) Esarhaddon,…
Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period, volume 4 — scholar edition (ORACC).
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Why it matters
Dedicatory inscription to Ištar-of-Uruk in her Eanna temple: attests Esarhaddon's deliberate cultivation of the ancient Sumerian cult centre as a source of royal legitimacy seven centuries after Ur III.
Transliteration
a-na diš-tar GAŠAN šur-bu-ti e-tel-let AN-e u KI-tim qa-rit-ti DINGIR.MEŠ šá-ru-uḫ-ti / dINANNA UNUG.KI ru-ba-a-ti ṣir-ti le-qa-a-ti pa-ra-aṣ da-nù-ú-tu / šá ri-kis te-re-e-ti ḫa-am-mat / ru-um-ti ti-iz-qar-ti šá a-na LUGAL mi-ig-ri-šá ke-niš ip-pal-la-su / BALA-šú ú-šal-ba-ru i-šar-ra-ku-uš da-na-nu ù li-i-ti / šá-nun-ka-at ád-na-a-ti šá-qu-ti DINGIR.MEŠ a-ši-bat é-nir-gál-an-na / šá qé-reb…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Esarhaddon, edited by Erle Leichty (RINAP 4, 2011). ORACC text Q003362.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Uruk (mod. Warka) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.earth/artifacts, P238636). 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/Q003362/.
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