Position in chronology
Sennacherib 149
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: In the mighty mountains, wherein there is not (even) a (piece of) straw (or) a splinter of wood for sustaining a shepherd, wherein (even) the tough tree trunks of eʾru-trees grow flat on the ground, (and) between which a strong, steady wind never ceases to blow — where I pitched my camp, no other living (man) had (ever) brought a tent. I, myself, together with my troops, travelled over them with difficulty. (10) Bīt-Kubat. (11) Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), became frightened by my battle array;…
Source: Grayson, A.K. & Novotny, J. 2012–2014. The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704–681 BC). RINAP 3. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap3/Q003954/
Why it matters
Sennacherib's own account of campaigning through terrain so harsh 'no other living man had ever pitched a tent there,' recording the flight of Marduk-apla-iddina II — Merodach-baladan of the Hebrew Bible — before Assyrian arms.
Transliteration
md30-PAP.MEŠ-SU MAN ŠÚ MAN KUR AŠ i-na KUR.MEŠ dan-nu-ti / ša bal-ṭi ša re-ʾi ḫa-a-mu ḫu-ṣa-bu i-na lìb-bi / la-áš-šu-ni GIŠ.gu-up-ni dan-nu-ti ša GIŠ.e-eʾ-ri / i-na lìb-bi še-ru-ʾu-ú-ni šá-a-ru dan-nu / ka-a-a-ma-nu i-na bir-tu-uš-šu-nu a-la-ku / la i-par-ra-as i-na šá-ka-a-ni ša ma-dak-ti-ia / bal-ṭu 2-ú i-na ŠÀ-šu maš-ka-na la* ub*-la*1 / ana-ku a-di ERIM.ḪI.A-ia ú-sa-am-ri-iṣ ina muḫ-ḫi-šú-nu…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003954.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P393874). source
Translation excerpted from Grayson, A.K. & Novotny, J. 2012–2014. The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (704–681 BC). RINAP 3. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap3/Q003954/.
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