Position in chronology
Sennacherib 143
Translation — scholar edition
RINAP 3(i 1') [I ruined the wide district of the land Judah (and) imposed my yoke on Hezekia]h, [its] kin[g]. (i 2') I put [to] the sword [the people of the city Tumurrum, who live on a rugged mountain (Mount Nipur)]. I destroyed [the city Ukku, together with every one of its settlements, (so that they looked) like a ruin hill (created by) the Delu]ge. (i 4') I struck down [with the sword the people of the land Ḫilakku, who live in the hig]h [mountains]. (i 5'b) [I conquered and pl]undered [the city Tīl-garimmu, which is on the border of the land Tabal]. (i 6') [The cities Nagītu (and)…
Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period, volume 3 — scholar edition (ORACC).
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Why it matters
Lists Sennacherib's subjugation of Hezekiah of Judah alongside campaigns in Anatolia and the Zagros, offering Assyrian corroboration for events recorded in 2 Kings 18–19.
Transliteration
[ú-šal-pit rap-šú na-gu-ú KUR.ia-ú-di mḫa-za-qi-a]-⸢ú LUGAL⸣-[šu e-mid ab-šá-a-ni] / [LÚ.MEŠ URU.tu-mur-ra-a-a a-ši-bu-ut KUR-i mar-ṣi i-na] ⸢GIŠ⸣.TUKUL ú-⸢šam-qit⸣ / [URU.uk-ku a-di nap-ḫar da-ád-me-šú ki-ma DU₆ a-bu]-⸢bi⸣ ú-ab-bit / [UN.MEŠ KUR.ḫi-lak-ki a-ši-bu-ut ḫur-šá-a-ni zaq-ru]-⸢ti⸣ a-nar1 / [i-na GIŠ.TUKUL URU.DU₆-ga-rim-mu ša pa-aṭ KUR.ta-ba-li KUR-ud-ma áš]-⸢lu⸣-la šal-la-su2 /…
Scholarly note
Royal inscription of Sennacherib, edited by A. Kirk Grayson & Jamie Novotny (RINAP 3, 2012–2014). ORACC text Q003948.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.earth/artifacts, P395600). 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/Q003948/.
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The earliest historical document in human history. Before this, we have lists, accounts, and dedications. Here, for the first time, a ruler tells us what happened — with names, places, and consequences.