Chapter 00 · 1400 – 1077 BCE

Middle Assyrian

Aššur's first imperial expansion.

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 15

In plain English

Adad-narari I identifies himself as appointee of Enlil and vice-regent of Aššur, son of Arik-din-ili and grandson of Enlil-narari, both of whom held the same titles. He then turns to the temple of the Assyrian Ištar, his lady: it had originally been built and completed by his ancestor Ilu-šuma, vice-regent of Aššur and son of Šalim-aḫum, who was also vice-regent of Aššur. Over time the temple fell into disrepair, and at that point the text breaks off mid-sentence — the name of Sargon I is introduced as vice-regent of Aššur and son of someone, but the surface is lost before the account continues.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1) Adad-nārārī (I), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Arik-dīn-ili, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Enlil-nārārī, (who was) also appointee of the god Enlil (and) vice-regent of (the god) Aššur. (5b) At that time, (as for) the temple of the Assyrian Ištar, my lady, which Ilu-šūma, the vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, my ancestor, the son of Šalim-aḫum — (who was) also vice-regent of (the god) Aššur — had previously built and completed, that temple became dilapidated and Sargon (I), the vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, the son…”

Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q005752/

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Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 16

In plain English

The palace in Aššur had originally been built by Aššur-nādin-ahhē II, one of Adad-narari's earlier predecessors. Inside it stood a chapel facing the terrace, and within that chapel was the dais where the god Aššur took up residence each year. The wall at the top of the chapel's doorway had fallen into disrepair, so Adad-narari cleared away the deteriorated sections, renovated the wall, and restored it. He then deposited a commemorative inscription within it.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(33) At that time, (as for) the palace of my city, Aššur, which Aššur-nādin-ahhē (II), the choicest among my ancestors, a king who came before me, had previously built, the wall at the top of the door of the chapel that is opposite the terrace (and) that is inside that palace, inside of which the dais of the god Aššur, my lord, was built and annually the god Aššur, my lord, proceeds to that dais to take up residence, that wall had become dilapidated and I clear away its dilapidated section(s). I (then) renovated (and) restored it. Moreover, I deposited my commemorative inscription (therein).…”

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Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 17

In plain English

Adad-nārārī I, appointee of Enlil and vice-regent of Aššur, identifies himself as the son of Arik-dīn-ili and grandson of Enlil-nārārī, both of whom held the same titles. He records that the storehouses of the Gate of Anu and Adad — his lords — along with their doors, had fallen into disrepair from an earlier construction. He rebuilt those storehouses from the foundations up to the battlements, then fitted them with new, finely crafted double doors of fir wood, bound with bronze bands and installed — the text breaks off before stating for whom or what purpose.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1) Adad-nārārī (I), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Arik-dīn-ili, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Aššur, son of Enlil-nārārī, (who was) also appointee of the god Enlil (and) vice-regent of the god Aššur. (4) At that time, the storehouses of the Gate of the Gods Anu and Adad, my lords, and their [doors], which had been built previously, had become dilapidated. I built th(os)e storehouses from their foundations to their crenellations. I made new magnificent double doors of fir, fastened (them) with bronze bands, (and) installed (them) for…”

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Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 18

In plain English

The king rebuilt the wall from scratch, pulling out the old and weakened beams, supports, and lashings and replacing them with new ones, running them between the wall and the door. He also built the bakehouse wall from its foundations up to its battlements, restored it, and buried a commemorative inscription inside. He then addressed future rulers directly: if the wall ever falls into disrepair and a later king restores it, he should put the original inscription back in its place, and the god Aššur will hear his prayers. But if any ruler erases the king's name, substitutes his own, or discards the inscription, may Aššur — the exalted god who dwells in Eḫursagkurkurra — the text breaks off here, too damaged to read the curse's conclusion.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(1') I built that wall anew. I removed the weak (and) old beams, supports, and lashings (and) installed new beams, supports, and lashings. I made (them) reach between the wall [and] the door. I built the wall of the bakehouse from its foundations to its crenellations. [I] restored it. Moreover, I deposited my monumental inscription (therein). (11') In the future, may a future ruler, when he renovates that wall (when) it becomes dilapidated, return my monumental inscription and my inscribed name to its place. The god Aššur will (then) listen to his prayers. (15') (As for) the one who erases my inscribed name and writes his (own) name or discards my monumental inscription, may the god Aššur, the exalted god, the one who dwells in Eḫursagkurkurra, [...] ...”

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Religion & MythWriting & Literature

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 19

In plain English

The wall of the temple of the god Aššur — Adad-narari's lord — stood beside towers and contained a drainage opening, facing what had been an orchard. Floods had eaten away at it, and although earlier kings, his ancestors, had previously built or repaired it, the wall of baked brick and bitumen had fallen into disrepair. Adad-narari relaid its foundations in baked brick and bitumen, reinforced it from the foundations up to the battlements, and deposited his commemorative inscriptions there. Several passages in this section are too damaged to read.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(4'b) At [that time, (as for) the wall of the temple of the god Aššur], my lord, which is next to [the towers ...] in which there is a drainage opening, [which is before the orchards] of the upper ... [(...) which flood(s)] had eroded (and) which the kings, [my ancestors who came] before me, previously [... had] built, that wall, [which had been built with] baked brick and bitumen, [(...) had become] dilapidated. I built its foundations [with baked brick] and bitumen. [I ... and] strengthened [...] from its foundations to [its] crenella[tions]. I deposited my commemorative inscriptions and…”

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Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 20

In plain English

Adad-narari built a structure with baked brick and bitumen, reinforcing it from its foundations up to the crenellations, and sealed his commemorative and foundation inscriptions inside. He asks that any future ruler who finds the wall crumbling or damaged by floods repair what has deteriorated and return his inscriptions and name to their proper places — several lines are too damaged to read in full. In return, the god Aššur will hear that ruler's prayers.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(r 1') [...] ... [...] I built [...] with baked brick and bitumen. I strengthened [... from] its foundations [to its crenellations]. I deposited [my commemorative inscriptions and foundation inscriptions (therein)]. (r 7') [May a future ruler], when that wall [becomes dilapidated and] eroded [by flood(s), renovate its dilapidated section(s) (and) return my commemorative inscriptions and] inscribed name to [their places. The god Aššur] will (then) listen to [his prayers].”

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Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 21

In plain English

Adad-narari describes building or restoring a wall — the earlier sections are too damaged to read clearly, but the work happened after Enlil-narari's reign and was carried out with the support of the god Aššur. He then marched his troops to Kār-Ištar and fought Nazi-Maruttaš, king of Babylonia, though the account of what followed is largely lost. The final legible lines turn to the ziggurat of Aššur: something had previously destroyed it, and Adad-narari was attending to it, but the surface breaks off before the details are given.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(5'b) At that time, the wall [...], which previously [...] before Enlil-nār[ārī ...] ... [... with the] mighty [weapons] of (the god) Aššur, [my] lord, [... I mustered] my troops with [... and fought against Nazi-Maruttaš, the king] of Karduniaš (Babylonia), in [the city Kār-Ištar] ... [...] that camp [...] mighty, I/he brought [...]. (15'b) [At that time, the ziggu]rat of (the god) Aššur, my lord, [...] the location of which [... had destroyed ...]”

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Writing & LiteratureReligion & Myth

~1300 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses

Adad-narari I 22

In plain English

Adad-narari saw that the land around the city of Taidu was deserted and unfarmed, so he surveyed the ground, laid out a new palace, and built it from its foundations up to its battlements. He buried commemorative inscriptions inside the walls. He asks that any future ruler who finds the palace in disrepair should restore it and put his inscribed name back in its proper place — and if that ruler does so, the god Aššur will hear his prayers.

AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.

“(55) When I saw the deserted (and) uncultivated areas of ... the city Ta[idu ...] ..., I delineated its area (and) founded a pala[ce insi]de it. I built (it) from its foundations to its crenellations. Moreover, I deposited my commemorative inscriptions (therein). (61) In the future, may a future ruler renovate its dilapidated section(s) (and) return my inscribed name to its place. (The god) A[ššur] will (then) listen to his [p]rayers.”

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