The Royal Inscriptions of Sennacherib

First Campaign Cylinder: Royal Titles

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivaled king,⁠a pious shepherd who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, provides help, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the unsubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivaled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.⁠b

War against Marduk-apla-iddina

5 At the beginning of my kingship, after I sat on the lordly throne and took command of the population of Assyria amid obedience and peace, Marduk-apla-iddina II, also known as Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, an evil enemy, a rebel with a treacherous mind, an evildoer whose villainous acts are true, sought friendship with Šutur-Naḫundu, also known as Šutruk-Naḫḫunte II, an Elamite, by presenting him with gold, silver, and precious stones; then, he continuously requested reinforcements.

8 Šutur-Naḫundu sent to Marduk-apla-iddina’s assistance Imbappa, his field marshal, together with the massed body of his troops, Tannānu, his third man, ten unit commanders, including Nergal-nāṣir, a Sutian who is fearless in battle, 80,000 archers and lancers, and the 850 wagons and horses that were with them to the land of Sumer and Akkad.

10 Moreover, the evil Chaldean, evildoer, and offspring of murder gathered together Uruk, Larsa, Ur, Eridu, Kullaba, Kissik, and Nēmed-Laguda, the lands of the Bīt-Yakīn, Bīt-Amukkāni, Bīt-Ašillāni, also known as Bīt-Šillāni, Bīt-Saʾalli, and Bīt-Dakkūri, all of the Chaldeans, as many as there were; on the banks of the Tigris River, the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Gibrê, and Maliḫu, also known as Malaḫu,; on the banks of the Surappu River, the Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Hindaru, Ruʾuʾa, and Puqudu; on the banks of the Euphrates River, the Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu — unsubmissive Arameans who did not know fear of death; Nippur, Dilbat, Marad, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Babylon, Borsippa, and Cutha, all of Karduniaš, Babylonia, and prepared them for battle.

16 When they reported Marduk-apla-iddina’s evil deeds to me, Sennacherib, the attentive man of the steppe, I became enraged like a lion and ordered a march into Babylon to confront him. Marduk-apla-iddina, the very image of an evil gallû-demon, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force, then he reinforced their companies with horses and Elamite, Aramean, and Chaldean archers, together with Nergal-nāṣir and ten unit commanders of the king of the land Elam who did not know fear of death, and the countless forces who were with them. He brought their contingents together in Cutha and had them keep watch at outposts for the approach of my expeditionary force.

19 I prepared my chariot horses. On the twentieth day of the month Šabāṭu XI, like a powerful wild ox, I took the lead of my troops from Baltil Aššur, but I did not wait for the main force of my army, nor did I wait for the rear guard. I sent my chief eunuch and my provincial governors to Kish ahead of me, saying: “Take the road to Marduk-apla-iddina II, also known as Merodach-baladan, but do not be careless about putting a strong watch on him!”

21 Marduk-apla-iddina saw my provincial governors, then came out of the Zababa Gate with all of his forces and did battle with my magnates in the plain of Kish. The enemy prevailed over my magnates in the thick of battle and my magnates were unable to withstand him. They sent their messenger to me in the plain of Cutha for help.

23 In my rage, I unleashed a fierce assault on Cutha, then I slaughtered the warriors surrounding its wall like sheep and took possession of the city. I brought out horses, the Elamite, Aramean, and Chaldean archers, the Elamite unit commanders, and Nergal-nāṣir, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them among the captives and captured goods.

25 I became enraged like a lion and became furious like the Deluge. With my merciless warriors, I set out for Kish against Marduk-apla-iddina II, also known as Merodach-baladan,. Moreover, that evildoer saw the cloud of dust of my expeditionary force from far away and he became afraid. He abandoned all of his forces and fled to the land Guzummānu.

27 I defeated Tannānu, together with the Elamite, Chaldean, and Aramean troops who had stood by him and had come to his aid, and I scattered his forces. I captured alive Adīnu, a nephew of Marduk-apla-iddina II, also known as Merodach-baladan, together with Basqānu, a brother of Iatiʾe, queen of the Arabs, along with their troops. I seized the chariots, wagons, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, and Bactrian camels that he had abandoned during the battle.

30 With a joyful heart and a radiant face, I rushed to Babylon and entered the palace of Marduk-apla-iddina II, also known as Merodach-baladan, to take charge of the possessions and property there. I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, beds, armchairs, a processional carriage, royal ceremonial equipment of his with gold and silver mountings, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, female stewards, eunuchs, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, palace servants who cheered up his princely mind, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them among the captives and captured goods.

34 I hurried after him to the land Guzummānu and ordered my warriors into the swamps and marshes. For five days they searched for him, but his hiding place could not be found. I gathered together the rest of his horses and troops, who were weary and who had fled like deer instead of going with him, from the open country and plain.

Cities Captured in Babylonia

36 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Amatu, Ḫauae, Supapu, Nuqabu, Bīt-Sannabi, Quṭayyin, Qidrīna, Dūr-Ladini, Bitāti, and Bānītu, the land Guzummānu, the cities Dūr-Yanṣuri, Dūr-Abī-Yataʾ, Dūr-Rudumme, Bīt-Raḫê, Ḫapiša, Sadi-AN, Ḫurudu, Ṣaḫrina, Iltuk, Allallu, Marad, Yaqimuna, Kupruna, Bīt-Kudurri, Sūqa-Marusi, altogether 33 fortified cities, fortresses of the land of the Bīt-Dakkūri, together with 250 smaller settlements in their environs;

40 the cities Dūr-Appê, Dūr-Tanê, Dūr-Samaʾ, Sarrabātu, Ṣalaḫātu, Dūr-Abdāya, Sappi-ḫimari, Ṣibtu-ša-Makka-mê, altogether 8 fortified cities, fortresses of the land of the Bīt-Saʾalli, together with 120 smaller settlements in their environs;

42 the cities Sapīya, also known as Šapīya, Sarrabānu, Larak, Parak-māri, Bīt-Ilu-bāni, Aḫudu, Ālu-ša-Iṣṣur-Adad, Ālu-ša-ḫarratu, Manaḫḫu, Ālu-ša-amēlê, Dūr-Aqqīya, Nagītu, Nūr-abīnu, Ḫar-Ṣuarra, Dūr-Rukbi, Danda-Ḫulla, Dūr-Bir-Dada, Bīt-rēʾê, Dūr-Ugurri, Ḫindaina, Dūr-Uayit, Bīt-Taurâ, Sapḫuna, Buḫarru, Ḫarbat-Iddina, Ḫarbat-Kalbi, Šaparrê, Bīt-Bāni-ilūʾa, Sulādu, Bīt-Iltama-samaʾ, Bīt-Dīni-ili, Daqalu, Ḫamīṣa, Bēlā, Tairu, Kiprānu, Iltaratu, Aqqar-ša-Kīna, Sagabatu-ša-Mardukia, altogether 39 fortified cities of the land of the Bīt-Amukkāni, together with 350 smaller settlements in their environs;

48 and the cities Bīt-Zabīdāya, Larsa, Kullaba, Eridu, Kissik, Nēmed-Laguda, and Dūr-Yakīn, including the city Kār-Nabû, which is on the shore of the Bitter Sea, altogether 8 fortified cities, fortresses of the land of the Bīt-Yakīn, together with 100 smaller settlements in their environs;

50 the grand total is 88 fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, together with 820 smaller settlements in their environs.

51 I let my troops eat the grain and dates in their gardens and their crops in the countryside. I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire, and turned them into forgotten ruin hills.

52 I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, and Ḫursagkalamma, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them among the captives.

53 I let my army eat the grain and dates in their gardens, the fields they had labored in, and the crops in the countryside, which is their life’s necessity.

A New King in Babylon

54 I appointed over them Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî and a descendant of a family from Šuanna, Babylon, who had grown up like a young puppy in my palace, as king of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

55 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, also known as Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans and I plundered them.

57 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial payment from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, also known as Ḫarutu,: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

58 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors, and I did not leave one alive. I reorganized that district and required forever one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings for the ginû-offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

60 I returned safely to Assyria with 208,000 substantial captives, 7,200 horses and mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,050 oxen, and 800,100 sheep and goats. This is apart from the people, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats that all of my troops had carried away and appropriated for themselves.

62 Moreover, I put to the sword the soldiers of the enemy, a defiant force who had not submitted to my yoke, and hung their corpses on poles.

Praise of Nineveh

63 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was revealed since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar, the cosmic subterranean water, are understood;

Earlier Kings and the Palace

66 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me ruled Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil, and in which every year, without interruption, they received an income unsurpassed in amount, the tribute of the rulers of the four quarters of the world;

68 but not one among them had paid attention to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the royal residence whose site had become too small; nor had anyone of them conceived of and focused on the straightening of the city’s streets and the widening of its squares, the dredging of the river, and the planting of orchards:

The Decision to Rebuild

70 As for me, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, I became aware of the need to carry out this work by the will of the gods and I focused on it.⁠c I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, and the lands Que and Ḫilakku, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks. I cut down canebrakes in Chaldea and I had their splendid reeds hauled to Nineveh for the palace’s construction by enemy soldiers whom I had defeated.

Demolishing the Earlier Palace

73 Earlier kings, my ancestors, had constructed the former palace, whose longer side was thirty nindanu and whose shorter side was ten nindanu, but they had built it poorly. The Tebilti River had flowed alongside it since ancient times, eroded its foundations, and shaken its base.

75 I tore down that small palace in its entirety and improved the course of the Tebilti River and directed its outflow.

Building the New Palace

76 In a favorable month, on a favorable day, in the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I bonded together strong mountain stone sixty nindanu along its longer side and thirty-four nindanu along its shorter side, then I raised that area out of the water and converted it to dry land. In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its damp course with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base. On them, I filled in a terrace to a height of 160 courses of brick, then added it to the dimensions of the former palace and thus enlarged its structure.

79 I had a palace of elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and terebinth, a palace that I named Egalzagdunutukua “The Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

80 I roofed the rooms of the palace with beams of cedar grown on Mount Amanus, which were brought with difficulty from that distant mountain terrain. I fastened bands of shining bronze on magnificent doors of cypress, whose scent is sweet on opening and closing, and I installed them in their gates.

82 For my lordly pleasure, I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, which is called bīt-ḫilāni in the language of the land Amurru, constructed inside them.⁠d

Palace Statues and Reliefs

83 Eight striding lions, standing opposite one another, which were made from 11,400 talents of shining copper, cast by the god Ninagal, and were filled with radiance — on those lion colossi I installed two identical columns that were cast from 6,000 talents of bronze, together with two large cedar columns, and I positioned cross-beams on them as a cornice for their gates.

85 I expertly fashioned four mountain sheep colossi of silver and bronze, together with mountain sheep colossi of massive mountain stone, and in four directions I had them hold the gates’ suitable door bolts.

86 I engraved on large limestone slabs images of the enemy settlements that I had conquered. I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with them and made them an object of wonder.

Gardens and Irrigation

87 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, with trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea collected inside it.

88 To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them.

89 To make those planted areas grow abundantly, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

Dedicating the Palace

91 After I had finished the work on my lordly palace, broadened the squares, and brought light into the alleys and streets, making them as bright as day, I invited inside the palace the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts.

Instructions for Future Kings

93 In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its deteriorated sections when that palace becomes old and deteriorated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

The Scribe’s Line Count

95 The line count of the inscription is 94 lines.

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, pious shepherd who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

5 At the beginning of my kingship, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp. He fled alone and escaped to the land Guzummānu, where he entered the swamps and marshes and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, wagons, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, and Bactrian camels that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

8 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

10 I pursued him to the land Guzummānu and ordered my warriors into the midst of swamps and marshes. For five days they searched for him, but his hiding place could not be found.

11 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 89 fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 820 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, and Cutha, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

13 I appointed over them Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî and a scion of Šuanna, Babylon, who had grown up like a young puppy in my palace, as king of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

14 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substanial booty consisting of 208,000 people, male and female, 7,200 horses and mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, and 800,600 sheep and goats.

17 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

18 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy who since ancient times had not submitted to my yoke, and I did not leave one alive. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

20 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

22 I surrounded and conquered the city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, their fortified city. I brought out of it people, young and old, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire the pavilions and tents that they relied upon, and reduced them to ashes.

24 I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and strengthened its outer wall more than before. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

27 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four fortified cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, then I cut down their orchards and poured deathly quiet over their fertile fields. In this manner I reduced to desolation the land Ellipi to its full extent.

30 I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats without number and reduced them to nothing. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

32 I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib.

33 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

34 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;

37 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil, and where annually, without interruption, they received an income unsurpassed in amount, the tribute of the rulers of the four quarters of the world;

39 but not one among them had paid heed to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the seat of lordly dwelling whose site had become too small; nor had anyone of them conceived of and put his mind toward the straightening of the city’s streets and the widening of its squares, the dredging of the river, and the planting of orchards:

41 But as for me, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the performing of this work came to my attention by the will of the gods and I put my mind to it. I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, and the lands Que and Ḫilakku, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks. I cut down canebrakes in Chaldea and I had their splendid reeds hauled, to Nineveh, for the palace’s construction by enemy soldiers whom I had defeated.

The Earlier Palace

44 The former palace, which was 360 cubits long opposite the zamû-wall of the ziggurrat, 80 cubits wide opposite the tower of the temple of the goddess Ištar, 134 cubits wide opposite the tower of the Bīt-Kidmuri, and 95 cubits wide on the other side; which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly — the Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which when it rose had destroyed sacred buildings inside the city and exposed the mounds of their tombs, literally “their mounded tombs”, to the sun, and which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and which in this way had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base:

Preparing the Palace Site

48 I tore down that small palace in its entirety, then I changed the course of the Tebilti River, repaired the effects of the erosion, and directed its outflow.

49 In the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I bonded together, with bitumen, reeds below and strong mountain stone above, then I raised that area out of the water and converted it to dry land. I filled in and measured a terrace of 700 large aslu-cubits along its longer side, 162 large aslu-cubits along its upper, northern shorter side, 217 large aslu-cubits along the inner, shorter side, and 386 large aslu-cubits along the lower, southern shorter side, which is beside the Tigris River. In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its damp course with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

53 I inscribed objects bearing my name 160 courses of brick within the terrace, and I deposited them deep down in its foundation for ever after.

54 Afterwards, I decided to increase the height of the terrace, then I added 20 courses of brick to the former terrace and thus I raised it to a total height of 180 courses of brick. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and thus enlarged its structure.

Building the Royal Palace

56 I had a palace of elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and terebinth, a palace that I named Egalzagdinutukua, “The Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

57 I roofed the rooms of the palace with beams of cedar grown on Mount Amanus, which were brought with difficulty from that distant mountain terrain. I fastened bands of shining bronze on magnificent doors of cypress, whose scent is sweet on opening and closing, and I installed them in their gates.

59 For my lordly pleasure, I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, which is called bīt-ḫilāni in the language of the land Amurru, constructed inside them.

60 Eight striding lions, standing opposite one another, which were made from 11,400 talents of shining copper, cast by the god Ninagal, and were filled with radiance — upon those lion colossi I installed two identical columns that were cast from 6,000 talents of bronze, together with two large cedar columns, and I positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

62 I expertly fashioned four mountain sheep colossi of silver and bronze, together with mountain sheep colossi of massive mountain stone, and in four directions I made them hold the gates’ suitable door bolts.

63 I engraved on large limestone slabs images of the enemy settlements that I had conquered. I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with them and made them an object of wonder.

The Palace Gardens

64 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

65 To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them.

Irrigating the Gardens

66 To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

68 After I had finished the work on my lordly palace, broadened the squares, and brought light into the alleys and streets, making them as bright as day, I invited inside the palace the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts.

Instructions for Future Rulers

70 In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that palace becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

Date and Scribal Notes

72 The line count of the inscription is 71 lines. Sibūti, eponymy of Nabû-lēʾi, governor of the city Arbela 702.

Bellino Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, pious shepherd who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

5 At the beginning of my kingship, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp. He fled alone and escaped to the land Guzummānu, where he entered the swamps and marshes and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, wagons, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, and Bactrian camels that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

8 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

10 I pursued him to the land Guzummānu and ordered my warriors into the midst of swamps and marshes. For five days they searched for him, but his hiding place could not be found.

11 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 89 fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 820 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, and Cutha, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

13 I appointed over them Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî and a scion of Šuanna, Babylon, who had grown up like a young puppy in my palace, as king of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

14 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, male and female, 7,200 horses and mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, and 800,600 sheep and goats.

17 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

18 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy who since ancient times had not submitted to my yoke, and I did not leave one alive. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

20 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

22 I surrounded and conquered the city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, their fortified city. I brought out of it people, young and old, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire the pavilions and tents that they relied upon, and reduced them to ashes.

24 I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and strengthened its outer wall more than before. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

27 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four fortified cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, then I cut down their orchards and poured deathly quiet over their fertile fields. In this manner I reduced to desolation the land Ellipi to its full extent.

30 I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats without number and reduced them to nothing. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

32 I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib.

33 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

34 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;

37 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil, and where annually, without interruption, they received an income unsurpassed in amount, the tribute of the rulers of the four quarters of the world;

39 but not one among them had paid heed to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the seat of lordly dwelling whose site had become too small; nor had anyone of them conceived of and put his mind toward the straightening of the city’s streets and the widening of its squares, the dredging of the river, and the planting of orchards:

41 But as for me, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the performing of this work came to my attention by the will of the gods and I put my mind to it. I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, and the lands Que and Ḫilakku, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks. I cut down canebrakes in Chaldea and I had their splendid reeds hauled, to Nineveh, for the palace’s construction by enemy soldiers whom I had defeated.

The Earlier Palace

44 The former palace, which was 360 cubits long opposite the zamû-wall of the ziggurrat, 80 cubits wide opposite the tower of the temple of the goddess Ištar, 134 cubits wide opposite the tower of the Bīt-Kidmuri, and 95 cubits wide on the other side; which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly — the Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which when it rose had destroyed sacred buildings inside the city and exposed the mounds of their tombs, literally “their mounded tombs”, to the sun, and which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and which in this way had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base:

Preparing the Palace Site

48 I tore down that small palace in its entirety, then I changed the course of the Tebilti River, repaired the effects of the erosion, and directed its outflow.

49 In the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I bonded together, with bitumen, reeds below and strong mountain stone above, then I raised that area out of the water and converted it to dry land. I filled in and measured a terrace of 700 large aslu-cubits along its longer side, 162 large aslu-cubits along its upper, northern shorter side, 217 large aslu-cubits along the inner, shorter side, and 386 large aslu-cubits along the lower, southern shorter side, which is beside the Tigris River. In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its damp course with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

53 I inscribed objects bearing my name 160 courses of brick within the terrace and I deposited them deep down in its foundation for ever after.

54 Afterwards, I decided to increase the height of the terrace, then I added 20 courses of brick to the former terrace and thus I raised it to a total height of 180 courses of brick. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and thus enlarged its structure.

Building the Royal Palace

56 I had a palace of elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and terebinth, a palace that I named Egalzagdinutukua, “The Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

The Palace Gardens

57 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

58 To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them.

Irrigating the Gardens

59 To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

61 I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares and brought light into the alleys and streets, making them as bright as day.

Instructions for Future Rulers

62 In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that palace becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

Date and Scribal Notes

64 The line count of the inscription is 63 lines. Sibūti, eponymy of Nabû-lēʾi, governor of the city Arbela 702.

Rassam Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, pious shepherd who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

First Campaign

5 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

7 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

9 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 89 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 620 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

11 I placed Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî, on his royal throne and entrusted him with the people of Akkad. I appointed my eunuchs to be governors over all of the districts of Chaldea and I imposed the yoke of my lordship upon them.

12 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, 7,200 horses and mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, and 600,600 sheep and goats.

15 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

16 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

18 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull. I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out from them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

22 I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

25 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

27 I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

29 I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

31 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

32 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

35 I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption.

36 As for Minuḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the city Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

39 Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

40 I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

41 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

42 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

44 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the kings”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

46 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

48 I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

49 As for Hezekiah of the land Judah, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

52 As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, and Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the land Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts in recognition of my overlordship and imposed it upon them.

55 As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my departure, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, garments with multi-colored trim, linen garments, blue-purple wool, red-purple wool, utensils of bronze, iron, copper, tin, and iron, chariots, shields, lances, armor, iron belt-daggers, bows and uṣṣu-arrows, equipment, and implements of war, all of which were without number, together with his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

59 From the booty of those lands that I had plundered, I conscripted 10,000 archers and 10,000 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my great cult centers.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

61 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;

64 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil, and where annually, without interruption, they received an enormous income, the tribute of the rulers of the four quarters of the world;

66 but not one among them had paid heed to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the seat of lordly dwelling whose site had become too small; nor had anyone of them conceived of and put his mind toward the straightening of the city’s streets and the widening of its squares, the dredging of the river, and the planting of orchards:

68 But as for me, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the performing of this work came to my attention by the will of the gods and I put my mind to it. I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, the lands Que, Ḫilakku, and Philistia, and the land of the city Tyre, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks. I cut down canebrakes in Chaldea and I had their splendid reeds hauled, to Nineveh, for the palace’s construction by enemy soldiers whom I had defeated.

The Earlier Palace

71 The former palace, which was 360 cubits long opposite the zamû-wall of the ziggurrat, 80 cubits wide opposite the tower of the temple of the goddess Ištar, 134 cubits wide opposite the tower of the Bīt-Kidmuri, and 95 cubits wide on the other side; which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly — the Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which when it rose had destroyed sacred buildings inside the city and exposed their hidden tombs to the sun, and which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and which in this way had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base:

Preparing the Palace Site

75 I tore down that small palace in its entirety, then I changed the course of the Tebilti River, repaired the effects of the erosion, and directed its outflow.

76 In the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I bonded together, with bitumen, reeds below and strong mountain stone above, then I raised that area out of the water and converted it to dry land. I filled in and measured a terrace of 700 large aslu-cubits along its longer side, 176 large aslu-cubits along its upper, northern shorter side, 268 large aslu-cubits along the inner, shorter side, which is opposite the zamû-wall of the shrine behind the temple of the goddess Ištar, 383 large aslu-cubits along the other, parallel, inner shorter side, which is on the west behind the ziggurrat of the temple of the goddess Ištar, and 386 large aslu-cubits along the lower, southern shorter side, which is beside the Tigris River. In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

81 I inscribed objects bearing my name 160 courses of brick within the terrace and I deposited them deep down in its foundation for ever after.

82 Afterwards, I decided to increase the height of the terrace, then I added 20 courses of brick to the former terrace and thus I raised it to a total height of 180 courses of brick. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and thus enlarged its structure.

Building the Royal Palace

84 I had a palace of alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and terebinth, a palace that I named Egalzagdinutukua, “The Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

The Palace Gardens

85 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

86 To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them.

Irrigating the Gardens

87 To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

89 I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares and brought light into the alleys and streets, making them as bright as day.

90 I had a bridge constructed opposite the Citadel Gate by packing down paving stones of white limestone for my lordly processions.

91 I had an inscribed object made and inscribed there all the mighty victories that I achieved over all of my enemies with the support of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, and everything else that I had been doing. I deposited it in the foundation of my lordly palace for ever after.

Instructions for Future Rulers

93 In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that palace becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

Date and Scribal Notes

95 The line count of the inscription is 94 lines. Ayyāru II, eponymy of Mitūnu, governor of the city Isāna 700.

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:...

Instructions for Future Rulers

1' In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that... becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

Date and Scribal Notes

3' The line count of the inscription is... lines...., the eponymy of Bēl-šarrāni, governor of the city Kurbail 699.

Clay Cylinder

1' ............ its foundations....

3' I enlarged the site of the citadel and Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened their squares and brought light into the alleys and streets, making them as bright as day.

4' I had a bridge constructed opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot.

5' I had an inscribed object made and had all the mighty victories that I achieved over all of my enemies with the support of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, and all of my other achievements inscribed there. With inscribed objects of earlier rulers, my ancestors, I deposited it for ever after in the citadel wall of Nineveh, my capital city, for the kings, my descendants.

Instructions for Future Rulers

7' At any time in the future, may one of my descendants, literally “future children”, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

Ruling line and date missing

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, pious shepherd who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

First Campaign

5 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

7 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

9 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 89 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 620 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

11 I placed Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî, on his royal throne and entrusted him with the people of Akkad. I appointed my eunuchs to be governors over all of the districts of Chaldea and I imposed the yoke of my lordship upon them.

12 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, 7,200 horses and mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, and 600,600 sheep and goats.

15 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

16 .............

1' To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them.

2' To make these planted areas luxuriant, I cut with picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

4' By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and had a canebrake planted in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons whose homes are far away, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

7' I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls.

8' ... At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

9' Nineveh, the site of whose circumference had been 9,300 cubits since former times and for which no earlier ruler had had an inner or outer wall built — I added 12,515 cubits in the plain around the city to its previous measurement and thus established its dimensions as 21,815 large cubits.

11' I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, which means “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made it 40 bricks thick. I raised its superstructure 180 courses of brick high.

12' I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, which means “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then I dug down forty-five nindanu and made it reach the water table. I bound together strong mountain stone in the water below and above I expertly carried out its construction with large limestone blocks up to its copings.

14' I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares, making them as bright as day. I had an inner and outer wall built and I raised them as high as mountains.

15' So that there would be outflow from the Ḫusur River in the city and the passage of water upstream and downstream, I built aqueducts beneath the city wall with baked bricks....

16' I had a bridge constructed opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot.

17' I had an inscribed object made and had all the mighty victories that I achieved over all of my enemies with the support of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, and all of my other achievements inscribed there. With inscribed objects of earlier rulers, my ancestors, I deposited it for ever after in the wall of Nineveh, my capital city, for the kings, my descendants.

Instructions for Future Rulers

19' In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate their dilapidated sections when these inner and outer walls become old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

Date and Scribal Notes

21' The line count of the inscription is... lines.... eponymy of Bēl-šarrāni 699.

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, pious shepherd who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

5 At the beginning of my kingship, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his ally, in the plain of Kish. I seized the chariots, wagons, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, and Bactrian camels that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

7 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

9 ... into the midst of swamps......

10 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 89 fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 820 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, and Cutha, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

12 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans....

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, leader of a widespread population, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri...... whose dominion is more praised than that of all kings who sit on royal daises, the support of his land, the one who is trustworthy in battle and combat, and the protection of his troops, I:

10 ... the administrator who knows how to reckon the accounts...... the god Ḫaya, their god... their..., the great gods... by the command of the gods to lay the foundation... his...... before me......... the one who fashioned the image of the god Ḫaya............, the one who performed the rites:

18 I built and completed it from its foundations to its crenellations and I settled the god Ḫaya, the god of scribes, inside it.

20 O foundation inscription, speak favorable things to the god Aššur about Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who loves correct behavior, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, and the one who built this temple, so that his sons and his grandsons may endure forever with the black-headed people.

23 May any future ruler, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people and during whose reign that temple becomes dilapidated, renovate its dilapidated sections. May he find this inscribed object, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and put it back in its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

27 As for the one who alters my inscribed object and disrespects my words, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, and the great gods of heaven and netherworld curse him with a harsh, irreversible curse, and may they overthrow his kingship, deprive him of his life, and eradicate his name, his seed, his offspring, and his progeny from the mouth of the people.

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, leader of a widespread population, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, and the great gods, the one who carries out to perfection the rites of Ešarra and Emašmaš, who knows well how to revere the gods of heaven and the gods of Assyria, the builder of Assyria, the one who brings his cult centers to completion, the one who uproots enemies and destroys their settlements, circumspect ruler whose dominion is more praised than that of all kings who sit on royal daises, the support of his land, the one who is trustworthy in battle and combat, and the protection of his troops, I:

9b ... lamentation singers kalû who pacify..., lamentation singers... a lamentation singer......

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, leader of a widespread population, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, and the great gods, the one who carries out to perfection the rites of Ešarra and Emašmaš, who knows well how to revere the gods of heaven and the gods of Assyria, the builder of Assyria, the one who brings his cult centers to completion, the one who uproots enemies and destroys their settlements, circumspect ruler...

1' As for the one who alters my inscribed object and disrespects my words, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, and the great gods of heaven and netherworld curse him with a harsh, irreversible curse, and may they overthrow his kingship, deprive him of his life, and eradicate his name, his seed, his offspring, and his progeny from the mouth of the people.

Clay Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, leader of a widespread population, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, and the great gods, the one who carries out to perfection the rites of Ešarra and Emašmaš, who knows well how to revere the gods of heaven and the gods of Assyria, the builder of Assyria............

1' ......

Cylinder C

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 14 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet....

i 1' I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial tribute, together with his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

i 12' With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

i 21' On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number.

i 36' In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

ii 1b I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one yoke ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords....

ii 1' I brought out of them......... sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

ii 8' I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there....

ii 1'' I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

ii 3''b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 13'' I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 24''b I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 32'' On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

iii 1 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

iii 15 I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption....

iii 1' I imposed upon Šarru-lū-dāri the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

iii 3' In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

iii 8' As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

iii 18' In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

iii 26' I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

iv 1b I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

iv 6 Moreover, as for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

iv 18 As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the city Gaza...

iv 1' and, after my departure, Hezekiah had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

Fourth Campaign

iv 15' On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his hiding place could not be found.

iv 24' I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array, then dislodged the gods of the full extent of his land from their abodes, and loaded them onto boats. He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted them as booty.

v 2b Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities, and turned them into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.

v 5 On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Sumer and Akkad.

v 10 From the booty of those lands that I had plundered, I conscripted 20,000 archers and 15,000 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my great cult centers.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

v 18 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;

v 28 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil; but not one among them had conceived of and put his mind toward increasing the site of the city, building walls, straightening the streets, or dredging the river and planting orchards; nor had any of them paid heed to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the seat of lordly dwelling whose site had become too small and whose construction was inexpert:

v 39b But as for me, Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the performing of this work came to my attention by the will of the gods and I put my mind to it. I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, the lands Que, Ḫilakku, and Philistia, and the land of the city Tyre, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

The Earlier Palace

v 47b The former palace, which was 360 cubits long, 80 cubits wide opposite the zamû-wall of the ziggurrat, 134 cubits wide opposite the tower of the temple of the goddess Ištar, and 95 cubits wide opposite the tower of the Bīt-Kidmuri; which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

v 55 They quarried mountain sheep colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate, which is across the Tigris River, to be the palatial halls’ gatekeepers. Throughout their entire land they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

v 66b The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and which had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base:

Preparing the Palace Site

vi 1 I tore down that small palace in its entirety, then I changed the course of the Tebilti River, repaired the effects of the erosion, and directed its outflow.

vi 4 In the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I bonded together, with bitumen, reeds below and strong mountain stone above, then I raised that area out of the water and converted it to dry land. I added to the dimensions of the former terrace a plot of land that was 288 cubits wide. In total, I filled in and measured a terrace of 700 large aslu-cubits along its longer side, 176 large aslu-cubits along its upper, northern shorter side, 268 large aslu-cubits along the inner, shorter side, which is opposite the zamû-wall of the shrine behind the temple of the goddess Ištar, 443 large aslu-cubits along the other, parallel, inner shorter side, which is on the west behind the ziggurrat of the temple of the goddess Ištar, and 386 large aslu-cubits along the lower, southern shorter side, which is beside the Tigris River.

vi 20 So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar revealed to me the presence of white limestone in the city Balāṭāya. There, I quarried mighty mountain sheep colossi, sphinxes, and large stone slabs for the gates of my lordly palace.

vi 28 In order to prevent the foundation of the terrace from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

vi 32 I inscribed objects bearing my name 160 courses of brick within the terrace and I deposited them deep down in its foundation for ever after.

vi 35 Afterwards, I decided to increase the height of the terrace, then I added 30 courses of brick to the former terrace and thus I raised it to a height of 190 courses of brick. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and thus enlarged its structure.

Building the Royal Palace

vi 42 I had a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood, a palace that I named Egalzagdinutukua, “The Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

vi 46b I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and the yield of Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains. I fastened bands of shining silver and bright copper on magnificent doors of cedar, cypress, and juniper and I installed them in their gates. I decorated the doors with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of the copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

vi 57 For my lordly pleasure, I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, which is called bīt-ḫilāni in the language of the land Amurru, constructed inside them.

vi 61 Twelve striding lions of shining copper and fierce demeanor, which were standing opposite one another, which were skillfully cast through the craftsmanship of the god Ninagal, and which were filled with radiance — upon those lion colossi I installed two identical columns that were cast from bronze, together with four large cedar columns, and I positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

vi 69 I covered ten sphinxes of cast bright urudû-copper with shining zaḫalû-silver and over them, over ten sphinxes of alabaster, and over twelve sphinxes of cast...-metal I erected two magnificent ebony columns, whose inlays are pašallu-gold, and columns of cedar, cypress, and daprānu-juniper with ešmarû-silver and bronze inlays, and I positioned the architraves of my lordly palatial halls on those columns.

vi 78 Moreover, I made twelve mountain sheep colossi of cast bright urudû-copper, which are splendid in form and perfect in shape, two mountain sheep colossi of alabaster, and seventy-two mountain sheep colossi and sphinxes of white limestone suitable for holding the door bolts for leaving and entering.

vii 5 I engraved on slabs of breccia and alabaster, and on large limestone slabs images of the enemy settlements that I had conquered. I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with them and made them an object of wonder.

The Palace Gardens

vii 10 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

vii 14 Nineveh, the site of whose circumference had been 9,300 cubits since former times and for which no earlier ruler had had an inner or outer wall built — I added 12,515 cubits in the plain around the city to its previous measurement and thus established its dimensions as 21,815 large cubits.

vii 21 I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, which means “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made it 40 bricks thick. I raised its superstructure 180 courses of brick high.

vii 25 I had fourteen gates opened up in it in four directions, in front and behind, and along both sides, for entering and leaving.

vii 29 “The God Šarur Is the One Who Cuts Down the King’s Enemy”: this is the Ḫandūru Gate. “May the Vice-Regent of the God Aššur Endure”:...

vii 1' this is the Šamaš Gate, which leads to the land Gagal. “O Ištar Bless the One Who Provides for You!”: this is the Mullissu Gate, which leads to the city Kār-Mullissi. “The One Who Exorcises the ‘Flesh’ of the Asakku-demon”: this is the Step Gate. “The Choicest of Grain and Flocks Are Constantly Inside It”: this is the gate that leads to the city Šibaniba. “The Bearer of the Produce of the Mountains”: this is the gate that leads to the land Ḫalaḫḫu. In total, eight gates facing the rising sun, toward the south and east, and I gave them these names.

vii 11' “The God Adad Is the Provider of Prosperity to the Land”: this is the Adad Gate, which leads to the game preserve. “The God Erra Is the One Who Cuts Down Enemies”: this is the Nergal Gate, which leads to the city Tarbiṣu. “The God Igisigsig Is the One Who Makes Orchards Flourish”: this is the Gate of the Gardens. In total, three gates facing toward the north and I gave them these names.

vii 19' “The God Ea Is the One Who Properly Directs, Water Flow into, My Cisterns”: this is the Mašqû Gate. “The One Who Brings in Income from the Settlements”: this is the Quay Gate. “The One Who Regulates Everything”: this is the Armory Gate. In total, three gates facing toward the west and I gave them these names.

vii 24' I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, which means “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then I dug down forty-five nindanu and made it reach the water table. I bound together strong mountain stone in the water below and above I expertly carried out its construction with large limestone blocks up to its copings.

vii 29'b I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares, making them as bright as day....

viii 1' ... I had a bridge constructed opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot.

viii 2' Beside the city, in a botanical garden one pānu in size and a garden one pānu in size for a game preserve, I gathered every type of aromatic tree of the land Ḫatti, fruit trees of all lands, and trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea. Upstream of the city, on newly tilled soil, I planted vines, every type of fruit tree, and olive trees.

viii 8'b For the expansion of orchards, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them. To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River......

viii 1'' ............ Wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

viii 4'' I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

viii 8'' After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics from the orchards planted on newly tilled soil. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

Instructions for Future Rulers

viii 19'' In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

viii 29A'' The month..., the...-eighth day, eponymy of Nabû-dūru-uṣur, governor of the city Tamnūnu 697.

viii 29B'' The month..., the twenty-third day, eponymy of Nabû-dūru-uṣur, governor of the city Tamnūnu 697.

viii 29C'' Nisannu I, the twenty-seventh day, eponymy of Nabû-dūru-uṣur, governor of the city Tamnūnu 697.

viii 29D'' Duʾūzu IV, the twelfth day, eponymy of Nabû-dūru-uṣur, governor of the city Tamnūnu 697.

viii 29E'' .............

Cylinder D

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 15 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats living in crevices to inaccessible places.

First Campaign

i 27 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

i 38 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial tribute, together with his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

i 49 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

i 59 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number.

i 75 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 81 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

ii 6 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

ii 15 I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

ii 24 I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

ii 38b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 49 I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 60 I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 69 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

ii 76 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

iii 12 I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption.

iii 15 As for Minuḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the land Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

iii 26b Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

iii 31 I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

iii 35 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

iii 40 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

iii 50 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

iii 59 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

iii 69b I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

iii 74 Moreover, as for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified cities, fortresses, and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

iv 8 As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the city Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts in recognition of my overlordship and imposed it upon them.

iv 22 As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my departure, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

Fourth Campaign

iv 38 On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his hiding place could not be found.

iv 49 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array. He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted them as booty.

iv 62 Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities, and turned them into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.

iv 65 On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Sumer and Akkad.

Fifth Campaign

iv 70 On my fifth campaign: The population of the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ezāma, Kipšu, Ḫalbuda, Qūa, and Qana, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, the foremost of birds, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to the yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

iv 79 Like a fierce wild bull, with my select bodyguard and my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp. I proceeded through the gorges of the streams, the outflows of the mountains, and rugged slopes in my chair. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. I ascended the highest peaks against them. Where my knees became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

v 8 I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

v 11b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road against Maniye, the king of the city Ukku and an insubmissive mountain-dweller. Before my time, none of the former kings of the past had marched through the untrodden paths and difficult trails on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my crack combat troops, entered their narrow passes with great difficulty and ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

v 23 He, Maniye, saw the dust cloud stirred up by the feet of my troops, then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Ukku. I brought out of it every kind of possession and property, the treasures of his palace, and I counted it as booty.

v 29 Moreover, I conquered thirty-three cities on the borders of his district and carried off from them people, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats. Then I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire.

v 33 From the booty of those lands that I had plundered, I conscripted 20,000 archers and 15,000 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my great cult centers.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

v 41 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;

v 51 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil; but not one among them had conceived of and put his mind toward increasing the site of the city, building walls, straightening the streets, or dredging the river and planting orchards; nor had any of them paid heed to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the seat of lordly dwelling whose site had become too small and whose construction was inexpert:

v 62 But as for me, Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the performing of this work came to my attention by the will of the gods and I put my mind to it. I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, the lands Que, Ḫilakku, and Philistia, and the city Tyre, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

The Earlier Palace

v 71 The former palace, which was 360 cubits long, 80 cubits wide opposite the zamû-wall of the ziggurrat, 134 cubits wide opposite the tower of the temple of the goddess Ištar, and 95 cubits wide opposite the tower of the Bīt-Kidmuri; which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

v 79 They quarried mountain sheep colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate, which is across the Tigris River, to be the palatial halls’ gatekeepers. Throughout their entire land they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

vi 11 The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and which had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base:

Preparing the Palace Site

vi 16 I tore down that small palace in its entirety, then I changed the course of the Tebilti River, repaired the effects of the erosion, and directed its outflow.

vi 19b In the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I bonded together, with bitumen, reeds below and strong mountain stone above, then I raised a plot of land that was 340 cubits long and 288 cubits wide out of the Ḫusur River and converted it to dry land. I added it to the dimensions of the former terrace. I filled in a terrace of 700 large aslu-cubits along its longer side, 176 large aslu-cubits along its upper, northern shorter side, 268 large aslu-cubits along the inner, shorter side, which is opposite the zamû-wall of the shrine behind the temple of the goddess Ištar, 443 large aslu-cubits along the other, parallel, inner shorter side, which is on the west behind the ziggurrat of the temple of the goddess Ištar, and 386 large aslu-cubits along the lower, southern shorter side, which is beside the Tigris River. I raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

vi 39 So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar revealed to me the presence of white limestone in the city Balāṭāya. There, I quarried mighty mountain sheep colossi, sphinxes, and large stone slabs for the construction of my lordly palace.

vi 49 In order to prevent the foundation of the terrace from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

Building the Royal Palace

vi 53 I had a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood, a palace that I named Egalzagdinutukua, “The Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

vi 58 I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and the yield of Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains. I fastened bands of shining silver and bright copper on magnificent doors of cedar, cypress, and juniper and I installed them in their gates. I decorated the doors with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of the copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

vi 69 For my lordly pleasure, I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, which is called bīt-ḫilāni in the language of the land Amurru, constructed inside them.

vi 74 Twelve striding lions of shining copper and fierce demeanor, which were standing opposite one another, which were skillfully cast through the craftsmanship of the god Ninagal, and which were filled with radiance — upon those lion colossi I installed two identical columns that were cast from bronze, together with four large cedar columns, and I positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

vi 83 I covered ten sphinxes of cast bright urudû-copper with shining zaḫalû-silver and over them, over ten sphinxes of alabaster, and over twelve sphinxes of cast...-metal I erected two magnificent ebony columns, whose inlays are pašallu-gold, and columns of cedar, cypress, and daprānu-juniper with ešmarû-silver and bronze inlays, and I positioned the architraves of my lordly palatial halls on those columns.

vii 4 Moreover, I made twelve mountain sheep colossi of cast bright urudû-copper, which are splendid in form and perfect in shape, two mountain sheep colossi of alabaster, and seventy-two mountain sheep colossi and sphinxes of white limestone suitable for holding the door bolts for leaving and entering.

vii 12 I engraved on slabs of breccia and alabaster, and on large limestone slabs images of the enemy settlements that I had conquered. I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with them and made them an object of wonder.

The Palace Gardens

vii 17 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, together with cotton trees, literally “trees bearing wool”, collected inside it.

vii 22 Nineveh, the site of whose circumference had been 9,300 cubits since former times and for which no earlier ruler had had an inner or outer wall built — I added 12,515 cubits in the plain around the city to its previous measurement and thus established its dimensions as 21,815 large cubits.

vii 29b I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, which means “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made it 40 bricks thick. I raised its superstructure 180 courses of brick high.

vii 34 I had fourteen gates opened up in it in four directions, in front and behind, and along both sides, for entering and leaving.

vii 38 “The God Šarur Is the One Who Cuts Down the King’s Enemy”: this is the Ḫandūru Gate. “May the Vice-Regent of the God Aššur Endure”: this is the Aššur Gate, which leads to the Inner City, Aššur. “The One Who Flattens All Enemies”: this is the Sennacherib Gate, which leads to the land Ḫalzi. “The God Enlil Is the One Who Makes My Reign Firm”: this is the Šamaš Gate, which leads to the land Gagal. “O Ištar Bless the One Who Provides for You!”: this is the Mullissu Gate, which leads to the city Kār-Mullissi. “The One Who Exorcises the ‘Flesh’ of the Asakku-demon”: this is the Step Gate. “The Choicest of Grain and Flocks Are Constantly Inside It”: this is the gate that leads to the city Šibaniba. “The Bearer of the Produce of the Mountains”: this is the gate that leads to the land Ḫalaḫḫu. In total, eight gates facing the rising sun, toward the south and east, and I gave them these names.

vii 55 “The God Adad Is the Provider of Prosperity to the Land”: this is the Adad Gate, which leads to the game preserve. “The God Erra Is the One Who Cuts Down Enemies”: this is the Nergal Gate, which leads to the city Tarbiṣu. “The God Igisigsig Is the One Who Makes Orchards Flourish”: this is the Gate of the Gardens. In total, three gates facing toward the north and I gave them these names.

vii 63 “The God Ea Is the One Who Properly Directs, Water Flow into, My Cisterns”: this is the Mašqû Gate. “The One Who Brings in Income from the Settlements”: this is the Quay Gate. “The One Who Regulates Everything”: this is the Armory Gate. In total, three gates facing toward the west and I gave them these names.

vii 70 I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, which means “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then I dug down forty-five nindanu and made it reach the water table. I bound together strong mountain stone in the water below and above I expertly carried out its construction with large limestone blocks up to its copings.

vii 76b I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares, making them as bright as day. I had an inner and outer wall built and I raised them as high as mountains.

vii 81 So that there would be outflow from the Ḫusur River in the city and the passage of water upstream and downstream, I built aqueducts beneath the city wall with baked bricks...

vii 85 I had a bridge constructed opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot.

viii 3b Beside the city, in a botanical garden one pānu in size and a garden one pānu in size for a game preserve, I gathered every type of aromatic tree of the land Ḫatti, fruit trees of all lands, and trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea. Upstream of the city, on newly tilled soil, I planted vines, every type of fruit tree, and olive trees.

viii 12 For the expansion of orchards, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them. To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

viii 24 I provided irrigation for 500 seeded fields in the high fields of Nineveh with that water and in this way I made grain and cereals grow high and luxuriantly on... and in furrows.

viii 29 I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and had a canebrake planted in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens planted on newly tilled soil. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons whose homes are far away, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

viii 45 I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls. They picked cotton, literally “trees bearing wool”, and wove it into clothing.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

viii 52 After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics from the orchards planted on newly tilled soil. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

Instructions for Future Rulers

viii 64 In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

viii 74A Abu V, the third day, eponymy of Aššur-bēlu-uṣur, governor of the city Šaḫuppa 695.

viii 74B Araḫsamna VIII, the...th day, eponymy of Šulmu-bēli, governor of the city Talmusu 696.

King–Heidel Prism

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 11 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats living in crevices to inaccessible places.

First Campaign

i 22 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

i 32 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial tribute, together with his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

i 41 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

i 50 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number.

i 65 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 70 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

i 78 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

i 86 I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

ii 6 I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

ii 21 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 31 I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 42 I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 51 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

ii 58 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

ii 70 I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption.

ii 75 As for Minuḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the city Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

ii 87 Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

ii 92 I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

ii 96 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

iii 5 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

iii 14 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

iii 21b I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

iii 33 I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

iii 38 Moreover, as for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

iii 52 As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the city Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts in recognition of my overlordship and imposed it upon them.

iii 66 As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my departure, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

Fourth Campaign

iii 82 On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his hiding place could not be found.

iii 92 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array. He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted them as booty.

iv 10 Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities, and turned them into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.

iv 13 On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Sumer and Akkad.

Fifth Campaign

iv 18 On my fifth campaign: The population of the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ezāma, Kipšu, Ḫalbuda, Qūa, and Qana, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, the foremost of birds, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to the yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

iv 25 Like a fierce wild bull, with my select bodyguard and my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp. I proceeded through the gorges of the streams, the outflows of the mountains, and rugged slopes in my chair. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. I ascended the highest peaks against them. Where my knees became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

iv 36 I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

iv 39 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road against Maniye, the king of the city Ukku and an insubmissive mountain-dweller. Before my time, none of the former kings of the past had marched through the untrodden paths and difficult trails on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my crack combat troops, entered their narrow passes with great difficulty and ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

iv 52 He, Maniye, saw the dust cloud stirred up by the feet of my troops, then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Ukku. I brought out of it every kind of possession and property, the treasures of his palace, and I counted it as booty.

iv 58 Moreover, I conquered thirty-five cities on the borders of its outskirts and carried off people, oxen, and sheep and goats, and donkeys. Then I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire.

iv 61 In the eponymy of Šulmu-bēli, governor of the city Talmusu 696, Kirua — the city ruler of Illubru, a servant who belonged to me, whom his gods had abandoned — incited the population of Ḫilakku to rebel and prepare for battle. The people living in the cities Ingirâ and Tarzu aligned themselves with him, then seized the road through the land Que and blocked its passage.

iv 69 I sent against them archers, shield and lance bearers, chariots, and horses of my royal contingent. In rugged mountain terrain, they defeated the population of Ḫilakku, who had aligned themselves with him. They conquered and plundered the cities Ingirâ and Tarzu.

iv 77 As for Kirua, they besieged him in the city Illubru, his fortified city, and cut off his escape route. They defeated him by means of bringing up battering rams, siege machines, literally “nimgallus of the wall”, and siege engines, and the assault of foot soldiers, and they took possession of the city.

iv 82 They brought Kirua, the city ruler, together with booty from his cities and the inhabitants of Ḫilakku who had aligned themselves with him, as well as donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats to Nineveh, before me. I flayed Kirua.

iv 87 Once again, I reorganized the city Illubru and settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I installed the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, inside it. I had a stele of alabaster made and I erected it in front of it.

v 1 In the eponymy of Aššur-bēlu-uṣur, governor of the land Katmuḫi 695, I... against the city Tīl-garimmu, a city on the border of the land Tabal where Gurdî, king of the city Urdutu, had mobilized his weapons, then I sent archers, shield and lance bearers, chariots, and horses of my royal contingent against it.

v 9 They besieged that city and took possession of the city by means of piling up earth, bringing up battering rams, and the assault of foot soldiers. They counted the people, as well as the gods, living inside it as booty. They destroyed and devastated that city. They turned it into a mound of ruins, literally “a mound and ruins”.

v 15 From the booty of those lands that I had plundered, I conscripted 30,000 archers and 20,000 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my great cult centers.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

v 23 At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center, the city loved by the goddess Ištar in which all of the rituals for gods and goddesses are present; the enduring foundation and eternal base whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;

v 34 in which since ancient times earlier kings, my ancestors, before me exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil; but not one among them had conceived of and put his mind toward increasing the site of the city, building walls, straightening the streets, or dredging the river and planting orchards; nor had any of them paid heed to or shown interest in the palace inside it, the seat of lordly dwelling whose site had become too small and whose construction was inexpert:

v 48 But as for me, Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the performing of this work came to my attention by the will of the gods and I put my mind to it. I forcibly removed the people of Chaldea, Aramean tribes, the land of the Manneans, the lands Que and Ḫilakku, and Philistia, and the land of the city Tyre, who had not submitted to my yoke, then I made them carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

The Earlier Palace

v 56b The former palace, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

v 64 They quarried bull colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate, which is across the Tigris River, to be the palatial halls’ gatekeepers. Throughout their entire land they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

v 79 The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and which had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base:

Preparing the Palace Site

v 84 I tore down that small palace in its entirety. I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and directed its outflow into the meadow behind the city.

v 88 In a one-half ikû stretch of the water’s natural course, I bonded together, with bitumen, four large limestone blocks and spread marsh reeds and rushes over them. As an addition, I took a plot of land that was 340 cubits long and 289 cubits wide from the Ḫusur River and from the plain of the city and added it to the dimensions of the former terrace. In the terrace’s entirety, I raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

vi 7 In order to prevent the foundation of the terrace from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 700 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

vi 14b I built palatial halls of gold, silver, bronze...-stone, breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, elammaku-wood, and Indian wood, for my lordly residence, then I had a house with double doors, a replica of a Hittite palace, opposite its gates, constructed.

vi 23 I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of cedar, cypress, juniper, and Indian wood and I installed them in their gates.

vi 30 In the corridors that are within the papāḫu-chambers, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose folded hands hold poppies, who are laden with pride and allure, and who are filled with exuberance, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

vi 37 The covering of the roof that hangs over the corridors — I made their somber atmosphere cheerful, making them as bright as day. I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of the copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

vi 45 So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me, literally “who called my name”, revealed to me a source of long trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

vi 53b In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

vi 57 Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”, which is on the border of the city Tīl-Barsip.

vi 62 Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, then I created bull colossi and other statues with limbs of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect, and who stand high on their own pedestals; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

vi 76 I had bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya.

vi 80 Since time immemorial, the kings, my ancestors, created copper statues, replicas of their own forms, to be erected in temples, and through their manufacture they had exhausted all of the craftsmen. Through ignorance and failure to give thought on the matter, they depleted the oil, wax, and wool in their lands for the work they desired.

vi 89 But as for me, Sennacherib, the foremost of all rulers, expert in every type of work, regarding large columns of copper and striding lion colossi, which none of the kings of the past who came before me had cast: with the ingenious mind that the prince, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me and taking counsel with myself, I intensively pondered how to perform this work. Then, with my own ideas and knowledge, I created a cast work of copper and expertly carried out its artful execution.

vii 9 By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, then I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

vii 20 I made bull colossi with copper features, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and bull colossi of alabaster, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

vii 26 I fastened bands of copper and tin on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

vii 31 Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sphinxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and Indian wood, with pašallu-gold and silver inlays, then I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence on those columns.

vii 41 I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs and made them an object of wonder.

vii 45 In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms of copper placed over wells.

vii 49b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it “The Palace Without a Rival.”

The Palace Gardens

vii 53 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, together with cotton trees, literally “trees bearing wool”, collected inside it.

vii 58 Nineveh, the site of whose circumference had been 9,300 cubits since former times and for which no earlier ruler had had an inner or outer wall built — I added 12,515 cubits in the plain around the city to its previous measurement and thus established its dimensions as 21,815 large cubits.

vii 65 I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, which means “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made it 40 bricks thick. I raised its superstructure 180 courses of brick high.

vii 70 I had fifteen gates opened up in it in four directions, in front and behind, and along both sides, for entering and leaving.

vii 74 “May the Vice-Regent of the God Aššur Stay in Good Health”: this is the Aššur Gate, which leads to the Inner City, Aššur. “The One Who Flattens All Enemies”: this is the Sennacherib Gate, which leads to the land Ḫalzi. “The God Enlil Is the One Who Makes My Reign Firm”: this is the Šamaš Gate, which leads to the land Gagal. “Make Sennacherib’s Dynasty as Firm as the Position of the Wagon Constellation!”: this is the Mullissu Gate, which leads to the city Kār-Mullissi. “The One Who Exorcises the ‘Flesh’ of the Asakku-demon”: this is the Step Gate. “The Choicest of Grain and Flocks Are Constantly Inside It”: this is the gate that leads to the city Šibaniba. “The Bearer of the Produce of the Mountains”: this is the gate that leads to the land Ḫalaḫḫu. In total, seven gates facing the rising sun, toward the south and east, and I gave them these names.

vii 87 “The God Adad Is the Provider of Prosperity to the Land”: this is the Adad Gate, which leads to the game preserve. “The God Erra Is the One Who Slaughters Those Hostile to Me”: this is the Nergal Gate, which leads to the city Tarbiṣu. “The Divine Nannāru Is the One Who Protects My Lordly Crown”: this is the Sîn Gate. In total, three gates facing toward the north and I gave them these names.

vii 94 “The God Ea Is the One Who Properly Directs, Water Flow into, My Cisterns”: this is the Mašqû Gate. “The One Who Brings in Income from the Settlements”: this is the Quay Gate. “The Presents of the People of Sumuʾil and Tēma Enter Through It”: this is the Desert Gate. “The One Who Regulates Everything”: this is the Armory Gate. “The God Šarur Is the One Who Cuts Down the King’s Enemy”: this is the Ḫandūru Gate. In total, five gates facing toward the west and I gave them these names.

viii 6 I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, which means “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then I dug down forty-five nindanu and made it reach the water table. I bound together strong mountain stone in the water below and above I expertly carried out its construction with large limestone blocks up to its copings.

viii 13 I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares, making them as bright as day. I had an inner and outer wall built and I raised them as high as mountains.

viii 16 I had gardens cultivated upstream and downstream of the city. I gathered in them fruit trees of the mountains and of all lands and every type of aromatic tree of the land Ḫatti. On newly tilled soil, which is beside the game preserve, I planted in great number all types of mountain vine, every type of fruit tree from all over the world, including spice and olive trees.

viii 22 The Ḫusur River, whose waters since ancient times had been deep and which none of the kings, my ancestors, had confined i.e., made its water flow through a canal so that the waters of the Ḫusur poured into the Tigris River:

Irrigating the Gardens

viii 25 To make those planted areas luxuriant, I dug with picks a canal straight through high ground and low ground, from the border of the city Kisiri. Thus I provided a regular supply of those waters to the plain of Nineveh and I made them gush through small canals into those gardens.

viii 31 I mounted an expedition to search for water at the foot of Mount Muṣri, then I climbed high and marched with difficulty to the city Elmunaqinnû. I found sources of water in front of the cities Dūr-Ištar, Šibaniba, and Sulu, then I made their narrow openings bigger and turned them into springs.

viii 36 For a course for those waters, I cut through rugged mountains, confined areas, with picks and directed their outflow into the plain of Nineveh. I strengthened their channels like the base of a mountain. I provided a regular supply of those waters in them. Thus I forever added them as an addition to the waters of the Ḫusur River.

viii 43 In summer, I enabled all of the orchards to be irrigated. In winter, I annually had water provided to 1,000 seeded fields in the plains upstream and downstream of the city.

viii 46 I created a marsh to moderate the flow of those waters and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens planted on newly tilled soil. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons whose homes are far away, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

viii 60 I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls. They picked cotton, literally “trees bearing wool”, and wove it into clothing.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

viii 65 After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics from the orchards planted on newly tilled soil. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

Instructions for Future Rulers

viii 77 In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

viii 88 Abu V, eponymy of Ilu-ittīya, governor of the city Damascus 694.

Clay Prism

i 1' ... favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:...

i 1'' ...... I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 5''b I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

i 14'' On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

i 23''b I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

i 33''b I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites...

ii 1' Ispabāra abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 8' I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 19' I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 27' On my return march............

ii 1'' Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

ii 5''b I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

ii 10'' In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

ii 15'' As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron.........

ii 1''' In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

iii 1 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

iii 10b I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my lordship.

iii 15 Moreover, as for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified cities, fortresses, and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

iii 27b As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered...

Fourth Campaign

iii 1' On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his hiding place could not be found.

iii 10'b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array, then dislodged the gods of the full extent of his land from their abodes, and loaded them onto boats. He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted them as booty.

iii 25' Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities, and turned them into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.

iii 28' On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his lordly throne and...

Fifth Campaign

iii 1'' On my fifth campaign: The population of the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ezāma, Kipšu, Ḫalbuda, Qūa, and Qana, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, the foremost of birds, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to the yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

iii 6'' Like a fierce wild bull, with my select bodyguard and my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp.............

iii 1''' ......

iv 1 I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

iv 4b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road against Maniye, the king of the city Ukku and an insubmissive mountain-dweller. Before my time, none of the former kings of the past had marched through the untrodden paths and difficult trails on account of the rugged mountains....

iv 1' ......... I bound Nergal-ušēzib with tethering ropes and iron fetters, and brought him to Assyria. I defeated the king of the land Elam, who had aligned himself with him and come to his aid. I dispersed his forces and scattered his assembled host.

Seventh Campaign

iv 7' On my seventh campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land Elam. In the course of my campaign, I conquered and plundered the cities Bīt-Ḫaʾiri and Raṣā, cities on the border of Assyria that the Elamites had taken away by force in the time of my ancestors. I had my garrisons stationed inside them. I brought those cities back inside the border of Assyria and placed them under the authority of the garrison commander of Dēr.

iv 17'b The cities Bubê, Dunni-Šamaš, Bīt-Risiya, Bīt-Aḫlamê, Dūru, Dannat-Sulāya, Šilibtu, Bīt-Aṣusi, Kār-Zēra-iqīša, Bīt-Giṣṣi, Bīt-Katpalāni, Bīt-Imbiya, Ḫamānu, Bīt-Arrabi, Burutu, Dimtu-ša-Sulāya, Dimtu-ša-Mār-bīti-ēṭir, Ḫarri-ašlakê, Rabbāya, Rāsu, Akkabarina, Tīl-Uḫuri, Ḫamrānu, Naṭītu,

iv 30'b together with the cities of the passes, namely Bīt-Bunakku, Tīl-Ḫumba, Dimtu-ša-Dumeli, Bīt-Ubiya, Baltī-līšir, Taqab-līšir, Alu-ša-nāqidāte, Massūtu-šaplītu, Sarḫu-Dēri, Ālum-ša-Bēlet-bīti, Bīt-Aḫḫē-iddina...

iv 1'' ......... Kudur-Naḫundu, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, the Elamite, heard about the conquest of his cities and fear fell upon him. He brought the people of the rest of his cities into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and took the road to the city Ḫaydala, Ḫidālu, which is in the distant mountains.

iv 7''b I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Tamḫīru, bitter cold set in and a severe rainstorm sent down its rain. I was afraid of the rain and snow..................

v 1' ... The dust of their feet covered the wide heavens like a heavy cloud in the deep of winter. While drawing up a battleline before me at the city Ḫalulê, which is on the bank of the Tigris River and keeping me from the water source, they sharpened their weapons.

v 6' I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, the gods who support me, for victory over my strong enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers and came to my aid.

v 11'b I became enraged like a lion, then put on armor and placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low. I took in my hand the mighty bow that the god Aššur had granted to me and I grasped in my hand an arrow that cuts off life.

v 20' I roared loudly like a storm and thundered like the god Adad against all of the troops of the wicked enemies. By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, I blew like the onset of a severe storm against the enemy on their flanks and front lines. With the weapons of the god Aššur, my lord, and my fierce battle array, I turned them back and made them retreat. I shot the troops of the enemy with uṣṣu-arrows and mulmullu-arrows, and pierced all of their corpses like....

v 31'b I quickly slaughtered and defeated Ḫumban-undāša......

vi 1 ... I made their blood flow over the broad earth......

vi 1' ... I cut off their lips and thus destroyed their pride. I cut off their hands like the stems of cucumbers in season.

vi 4' I received gold and shining silver sling straps as their wrist-trappings and slashed off their belts with sharp swords. I took away gold and silver decorated belt-daggers as their waist-trappings.

vi 8' As for the rest of his magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing battle with me, I captured them alive in the thick of battle.

vi 12' I brought back all together the chariots along with their horses, whose drivers had been killed in the thick of that mighty battle and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own....

vi 1'' ... the city Nineveh... which from distant days..., whose site was too small... its extent was 330 cubits on its longer side and... cubits on its shorter side, and whose construction was inexpert.

vi 7'' ... that went out through the city...... its foundation... to its rear...... when its flood, the Tebilti’s, was in full spate...... the people living in...... annually, the city, the gods... where the kings, my ancestors, received the tribute of the rulers of the four quarters of the world;...... of the entire world...... the strength of gods... very frightening, annually... they brought their substantial payment into Nineveh, my capital city.

vi 20''b ... small settlement......... of the city was filled...... were set... was not suitable for passage...... borders of the city...... and vegetation... which had been turned into wastelands without water... were woven over with spider webs... were bound with ropes... standing at its sides;

vi 31'' ... are not...... newly tilled soil before the city... cold and thirst... seeds, thorns......, the young man... rose up above it... for his drink allowance... his desire

vi 39'' ......

vi 1''' ............ their...... earlier kings, my ancestors who from distant days, before me, had exercised dominion over Assyria and ruled the subjects of the god Enlil; but not one among them had conceived of and put his mind toward building a magnificent palace... or increasing the site of the city... and...............

vii 1 I took... as an additional plot of land. I added it to the three hundred and... cubits long and... hundred and eighty cubits wide... I enlarged the structure of the palace to nine hundred and... large cubits along its longer side and... hundred and sixty large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger. Upon it, I filled in a terrace 190 courses of brick high.

vii 8b For my lordly residence in the citadel of Nineveh I built anew a palace... that... in the four quarters of the world.

vii 11b I made... larger than before, had... built, and raised it as high as a mountain. As for its..., which... baked bricks, I had it expertly made through the craft of well-trained master builders.

vii 16b In order to prevent its foundations from being weakened by rain and snow, I had its base built with large limestone blocks and in this way reinforced its base.

vii 19b I widened its moat 100 large cubits...................

vii 1' ...... I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, which means “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made it 40 bricks thick, measured by my large brick mold. Upwards to the north and downwards to the south, I enlarged its battlements to a width of 39 bricks, then I raised its superstructure up high, to its copings, to a height of 200 courses of brick, each of whose thickness was one-third of a cubit, and thus raised it as high as a mountain.

vii 10' I had eighteen gates opened up in it in four directions, in front and behind, and along both sides, for entering and leaving.

vii 13'b “The God Šarur Is the One Who Cuts Down the King’s Enemy”: this is the Ḫandūru Gate. “May the Vice-Regent of the God Aššur Endure”: this is the Aššur Gate, which leads to the Inner City, Aššur. “The One Who Flattens All Enemies”: this is the Sennacherib Gate, which leads to the land Ḫalzi. “The God Enlil Is the One Who Makes My Reign Firm”: this is the Šamaš Gate, which leads to the land Gagal. “May Sennacherib’s Dynasty Be as Firm as the Position of the Wagon Constellation!”: this is the Mullissu Gate, which leads to the city Kār-Mullissi. “The One Who Exorcises the ‘Flesh’ of the Asakku-demon”: this is the Step Gate. “The Choicest of Grain and Flocks Are Constantly Inside It”: this is the gate that leads to the city Šibaniba. “The Bearer of the Produce of the Mountains”: this is the gate that leads to the land Ḫalaḫḫu. In total, eight gates facing the rising sun, toward the south and east, and I gave them these names.

vii 25'b “The God Adad Is the Provider of Prosperity to the Land”: this is the Adad Gate, which leads to the game preserve. “The God Erra Is the One Who Cuts Down My Enemies”: this is the Nergal Gate, which leads to the city Tarbiṣu. “The Divine Nannāru Is the One Who Makes Firm My Lordly Crown”: this is the Sîn Gate. “The God Ea Is the One Who Properly Directs, Water Flow into, My Cisterns”: this is the Mašqû Gate. “May Its Builder Endure”: this is the Step Gate of the Palace. “The God Igisigsig Is the One Who Makes Orchards Flourish”: this is the Step Gate of the Gardens. “The One Who Brings in Income from the Settlements”: this is the Quay Gate. “May Its Builder Live Forever”: this is the Step Gate of the Armory. “The God Anu Is the Protector of My Life”: this is the gate of the section assigned to the land Barḫalzu. “The Presents of the People of Tēma and Sumuʾil Enter Through It”: this is the Desert Gate. In total, ten gates facing toward the north and west and I gave them these names.

vii 41' I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, which means “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then................ Until I had it reach the water table, I dug down into the water forty-five nindanu, then I bound together strong mountain stone below and above I expertly carried out its construction with large limestone blocks up to its copings.

vii 49' I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. For the course of a royal road, I made its streets fifty-two large cubits wide and thus I made the city as bright as day.......

viii 1' ... I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. Thus I provided for eternity a regular supply of water from the Ḫusur River to the plain of Nineveh and I made it gush through small canals into the gardens planted on newly tilled soil.

viii 6' ......, the city Girmua......, the city Ālum-labir... which since ancient times...... took water... took water... review... like a gallû-demon...

viii 1'' ...... the people living in... distant...... constantly.......

viii 5'' I annually provided irrigation for 600 fields seeded with grain and cereals located upstream and downstream of the city.

viii 7'' I created a marsh to moderate the flow of those waters and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens planted on newly tilled soil. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons whose homes are far away, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

viii 17''b I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls.

viii 20''b I... both... flourished... within... set, grain....

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

viii 24'' After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

viii 32''b ......

viii 1''' ...

viii 5''' ...... palace... have... the people of cities...... expressions of humility, literally “stroking the nose”...... to Nineveh...... between...... which is inside... they march along the road... they made... smell pleasant... their....

Instructions for Future Rulers

viii 14'''b In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

viii 23''' The month...... day, eponymy of Bēl-ēmuranni, governor of the city Carchemish 691.

Clay Prism

i' 1' ... I added... payment and imposed it upon them.

i' 3'b As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, every kind of treasure of his palace, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment.

Fourth Campaign

i' 15' On my fourth campaign, I marched to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign...

ii' 1' ......... no king of the past who came before me... I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my fighting troops, ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

ii' 7' He, Maniye, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force, then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I entered his palace and, as his substantial audience gift, I carried off every kind of possession and property, which were without number.

ii' 12' I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his cities, and made them like ruin hills created by the Deluge.

ii' 13'b From the booty of those lands, I conscripted 20,400 archers and 20,200 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent....

Clay Prism

i' 1 ... I ordered the march against them to the land Nagītu. I settled in Nineveh the people of the land Ḫatti plundered by my bows and they skillfully built magnificent ships, a product characteristic to their lands. I gave orders to sailors of the cities Tyre and Sidon, and the land Ionia, whom I had captured. My troops let them sail down the Tigris River with them downstream to the city Opis.

i' 11b Then, from the city Opis, they lifted the boats up onto dry land and dragged them on rollers to Sippar....

Clay Prism

i' 1' ...... they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number.

i' 5'b In the plain of the city Eltekeh, I fought with them and defeated them....

ii' 1' ......... Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and fled to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn,

Rest of the inscription is missing

Chicago–Taylor Prism

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 10 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats living in crevices to inaccessible places.

First Campaign

i 20 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

i 27b I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial tribute, together with his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

i 35b With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

i 43 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number.

i 54 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 57b I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

i 65 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

i 72 I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

i 80b I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

ii 10b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 19b I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 27b I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 33 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

ii 37 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

ii 47 I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption.

ii 50 As for Minuḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the land Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

ii 60b Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

ii 65 I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

ii 68b In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

ii 73 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

ii 82 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

iii 6b I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

iii 14b I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

iii 18 Moreover, as for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified cities, fortresses, and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

iii 27b As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the city Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts in recognition of my overlordship and imposed it upon them, text: “him”.

iii 37b As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my departure, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

Fourth Campaign

iii 50 On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his hiding place could not be found.

iii 57b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array, then dislodged the gods of the full extent of his land from their abodes, and loaded them onto boats. He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted them as booty.

iii 69b Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities, and turned them into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.

iii 71b On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Sumer and Akkad.

Fifth Campaign

iii 75 On my fifth campaign: The population of the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ezāma, Kipšu, Ḫalbuda, Qūa, and Qana, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, the foremost of birds, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to the yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

iii 81 Like a fierce wild bull, with my select bodyguard and my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp. I proceeded through the gorges of the streams, the outflows of the mountains, and rugged slopes in my chair. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. I ascended the highest peaks against them. Where my knees became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

iv 9b I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

iv 12b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road against Maniye, the king of the city Ukku and an insubmissive mountain-dweller. Before my time, none of the former kings of the past had marched through the untrodden paths and difficult trails on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my crack combat troops, entered their narrow passes with great difficulty and ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

iv 23b He, Maniye, saw the dust cloud stirred up by the feet of my troops, then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Ukku. I brought out of it every kind of possession and property, the treasures of his palace, and I counted it as booty.

iv 28b Moreover, I conquered thirty-three cities on the borders of his district and carried off from them people, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats. Then I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire.

Sixth Campaign

iv 32 On my sixth campaign: The rest of the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn, who had groveled like onagers before my mighty weapons, dislodged the gods of the full extent of their land from their abodes, then crossed the Great Sea of the Rising Sun and set up their residences in the city Nagītu of the land Elam — I crossed over the sea in boats of the land Ḫatti. I conquered the cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, together with the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts of the land Elam.

iv 40 I carried off the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn, together with their gods and the people of the king of the land Elam, and I did not leave a single escapee. I loaded them onto boats and brought them to this side of the sea, then I made them take the road to Assyria. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities that are in those districts. I turned them into a mound of ruins, literally “a mound and ruins”.

iv 46b On my return march, in a pitched battle, I defeated Šūzubu, Nergal-ušēzib, a citizen of Babylon who had taken the lordship of the land of Sumer and Akkad for himself during the confusion in the land. I captured him alive, bound him with tethering ropes and iron fetters, and brought him to Assyria. I defeated the king of the land Elam, who had aligned himself with him and come to his aid. I dispersed his forces and scattered his assembled host.

Seventh Campaign

iv 54 On my seventh campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land Elam. In the course of my campaign, I conquered and plundered the cities Bīt-Ḫaʾiri and Raṣā, cities on the border of Assyria that the Elamites had taken away by force in the time of my ancestors. I had my garrisons stationed inside them. I brought those cities back inside the border of Assyria and placed them under the authority of the garrison commander of Dēr.

iv 61b The cities Bubê, Dunni-Šamaš, Bīt-Risiya, Bīt-Aḫlamê, Dūru, Dannat-Sulāya, Šilibtu, Bīt-Aṣusi, Kār-Zēra-iqīša, Bīt-Giṣṣi, Bīt-Katpalāni, Bīt-Imbiya, Ḫamānu, Bīt-Arrabi, Burutu, Dimtu-ša-Sulāya, Dimtu-ša-Mār-bīti-ēṭir, Ḫarri-ašlakê, Rabbāya, Rāsu, Akkabarina, Tīl-Uḫuri, Ḫamrānu, Naṭītu,

iv 69b together with the cities of the passes, namely Bīt-Bunakku, Tīl-Ḫumba, Dimtu-ša-Dumeli, Bīt-Ubiya, Baltī-līšir, Taqab-līšir, Alu-ša-nāqidāte, Massūtu-šaplītu, Sarḫu-Dēri, Ālum-ša-Bēlet-bīti, Bīt-Aḫḫē-iddina, and Ilteuba — I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire those thirty-four fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number. I made the smoke from their conflagration cover the wide heavens like a heavy cloud.

iv 81b Kudur-Naḫundu, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, the Elamite, heard about the conquest of his cities and fear fell upon him. He brought the people of the rest of his cities into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and took the road to the city Ḫaydala, Ḫidālu, which is in the distant mountains.

v 6 I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Tamḫīru, bitter cold set in and a severe rainstorm sent down its rain. I was afraid of the rain and snow in the gorges, the outflows of the mountains, so I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to Nineveh.

v 11b At that time, by the command of the god Aššur, my lord, Kudur-Naḫundu, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, the king of the land Elam, did not last three months and suddenly died a premature death. After him, Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, who does not have sense or insight, his younger brother, sat on his throne.

Eighth Campaign

v 17 On my eighth campaign, after Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, had rebelled and the citizens of Babylon, evil gallû-demons, had locked the city gates, they plotted to wage war. Arameans, fugitives, runaways, murderers, and robbers rallied around Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean, a person of lowly status, a coward, literally “who has no knees”, and a servant who belonged to the governor of the city Laḫīru, and they went down into the marshes and incited rebellion.

v 24b I besieged him and put him in dire straits. On account of fear and hunger, he fled to the land Elam. When there were conspiracy and treachery against him, he hurried out of the land Elam and entered Šuanna, Babylon. The Babylonians inappropriately placed him back on the throne and entrusted him with the lordship of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

v 31 The Babylonians opened the treasury of Esagil and took out the gold and silver of the god Bēl, Marduk, and the goddess Zarpanītu, the property of the temple of their gods. They sent it as a bribe to Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, who does not have sense or insight, saying: “Gather your army, muster your forces, hurry to Babylon, and align yourself with us! Let us put our trust in you.”

v 37b That Elamite, whose cities I had conquered and turned into ruins during a previous campaign to the land Elam, accepted the bribe from them without thinking, then gathered his troops and his forces, inspected his chariots and wagons, and checked his teams of horses and mules.

v 43b The lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, and Ellipi, the people of Yasiʾil, Lakabera, Ḫarzunu, Dummuqu, Sulāya, and Samʾuna, who was a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, the lands Bīt-Adini, Bīt-Amukkāni, Bīt-Šilāni, Bīt-Sāla, Bīt-Saʾalli, Larak, the city Laḫīru, the people of the tribes of the Puqudu, Gambulu, Ḫallatu, Ruʾuʾa, Ubulu, Malaḫu, Rapiqu, Ḫindaru, and Damunu, a large host, formed a confederation with him.

v 52b In their multitude, they took the road to Akkad and, as they were advancing toward Babylon, they met up with Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who is the king of Babylon, and banded their forces together. Like a spring invasion of a swarm of locusts, they were advancing toward me as a group to do battle. The dust of their feet covered the wide heavens like a heavy cloud in the deep of winter.

v 60 While drawing up in battleline before me at the city Ḫalulê, which is on the bank of the Tigris River, and keeping me from the water source, they sharpened their weapons.

v 62b I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, the gods who support me, for victory over my strong enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers and came to my aid.

v 67b I became enraged like a lion, then put on armor and placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low. I took in my hand the mighty bow that the god Aššur had granted to me and I grasped in my hand an arrow that cuts off life.

v 74 I roared loudly like a storm and thundered like the god Adad against all of the troops of the wicked enemies. By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, I blew like the onset of a severe storm against the enemy on their flanks and front lines. With the weapons of the god Aššur, my lord, and my fierce battle array, I turned them back and made them retreat. I shot the troops of the enemy with uṣṣu-arrows and mulmullu-arrows, and pierced all of their corpses like...

v 82b I quickly slaughtered and defeated Ḫumban-undāša, the herald of the king of the land Elam, a trusted man who leads his troops, his main support, together with his magnates, who wear gold decorated belt-daggers and have reddish gold sling straps fastened to their forearms, like fattened bulls restrained with fetters.

vi 2 I slit their throats like sheep and thus cut off their precious lives like thread. Like a flood in full spate after a seasonal rainstorm, I made their blood flow over the broad earth. The swift thoroughbreds harnessed to my chariot plunged into floods of their blood just like the river ordeal. The wheels of my war chariot, which lays criminals and villains low, were bathed in blood and gore. I filled the plain with the corpses of their warriors like grass. I cut off their lips and thus destroyed their pride. I cut off their hands like the stems of cucumbers in season.

vi 13 I received gold and shining silver sling straps as their wrist-trappings and slashed off their belts with sharp swords. I took away gold and silver decorated belt-daggers as their waist-trappings.

vi 16b As for the rest of his magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing battle with me, I captured them alive in the thick of battle.

vi 19b I brought back all together the chariots along with their horses, whose drivers had been killed in the thick of that mighty battle and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own. When the second double-hour of the night had passed, I stopped their slaughter.

vi 24 As for Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, along with the king of Babylon and the sheikhs of Chaldea who marched at his side, terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed them like alû-demons. They abandoned their tents and, in order to save their lives, they trampled the corpses of their troops as they pushed on.

vi 29b Their hearts throbbed like the pursued young of pigeons, they passed their urine hotly, and released their excrement inside their chariots. I ordered my chariots and horses to pursue them. Wherever they caught them, they killed with the sword the runaways among them, who had fled for their lives.

vi 36 At that time, after I had completed the palace in the citadel of Nineveh for my royal residence and had filled it with luxuriousness to be an object of wonder for all of the people:

vi 39 The Rear Palace that earlier kings, my ancestors, had had built for the proper running of the military camp, the care of horses, and the overseeing of everything — its terrace did not exist, its site had become too small, and its construction was inexpert. With the passage of time, its base had fallen into disrepair, then its foundations had become loose and its superstructure had collapsed.

vi 45 I tore down that palace in its entirety. I took much fallow land from the meadow and plain of the city as an addition and I added it to the site. I abandoned the site of the former palace and filled in a terrace in the area of the meadow that I had taken from the river bank. I raised its superstructure 200 courses of brick high.

vi 51b In a favorable month, on an auspicious day, upon that terrace, with my innate expertise, I had a palatial wing of limestone and cedar in the style of the land Ḫatti and a magnificent palatial wing of Assyrian workmanship, which greatly surpassed the previous one in size and expertise, built through the craft of well-trained master builders, for my lordly residence.

vi 58b I roofed them with magnificent beams of cedar grown on Mount Amanus, the holy mountain. I fastened bands of bright copper on doors of white cedar and I installed them in their gates. I had magnificent bull colossi fashioned from white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and on the right and left I made them hold their door bolts.

vi 65b I greatly enlarged its outer courtyard for the proper administration of the black-headed people, the inspection of thoroughbred horses, mules, agālu-donkeys, military equipment, chariots, carts, wagons, quivers, bows, and uṣṣu-arrows, every type of implement of war, and the submission of teams of horses and mules, which have great strength, to the yoke.

vi 71b I built and completed that palace from its foundations to its battlements. I deposited in it inscribed objects bearing my name.

Instructions for Future Rulers

vi 73b In the future, one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar name for shepherding the land and people — when that palace becomes old and dilapidated, may a future ruler renovate its dilapidated sections. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

vi 80b As for the one who alters my inscription or my name, may the god Aššur, the great lord, the father of the gods, become angry with him as if he were an enemy. May he take away his scepter and his throne from him and overthrow his dynasty.

vi 84A Duʾūzu IV, eponymy of Gaḫilu, governor of the city Ḫatarikka 689.

vi 84B Addaru XII, twentieth day, eponymy of Bēl-ēmuranni, governor of the city Carchemish 691.

Jerusalem Prism

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 9b The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats living in crevices to inaccessible places.

First Campaign

i 18 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

i 25 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial tribute, together with his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

i 31b With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

i 38 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number.

i 48 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 52 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

i 59 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

i 66 I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

i 74 I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

ii 9 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 17b I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 25b I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 31 On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

ii 35 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

ii 44b I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption.

ii 47 As for Minuḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the land Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

ii 57b Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

ii 61b I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

ii 65 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

ii 69 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

ii 77 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

iii 5b I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

iii 12b I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

iii 16 Moreover, as for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified cities, fortresses, and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

iii 24b As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the city Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts in recognition of my overlordship and imposed it upon them.

iii 33 As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my departure, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

Fourth Campaign

iii 43 On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his hiding place could not be found.

iii 50 I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array, then dislodged the gods of the full extent of his land from their abodes, and loaded them onto boats. He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted them as booty.

iii 60b Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities, and turned them into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.

iii 62b On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Sumer and Akkad.

Fifth Campaign

iii 66 On my fifth campaign: The population of the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ezāma, Kipšu, Ḫalbuda, Qūa, and Qana, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, the foremost of birds, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to the yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

iii 72 Like a fierce wild bull, with my select bodyguard and my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp. I proceeded through the gorges of the streams, the outflows of the mountains, and rugged slopes in my chair. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. I ascended the highest peaks against them. Where my knees became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

iv 5 I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

iv 7b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road against Maniye, the king of the city Ukku and an insubmissive mountain-dweller. Before my time, none of the former kings of the past had marched through the untrodden paths and difficult trails on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my crack combat troops, entered their narrow passes with great difficulty and ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

iv 18 He, Maniye, saw the dust cloud stirred up by the feet of my troops, then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Ukku. I brought out of it every kind of possession and property, the treasures of his palace, and I counted it as booty.

iv 23 Moreover, I conquered thirty-three cities on the borders of his district and carried off from them people, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats. Then I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire.

Sixth Campaign

iv 26 On my sixth campaign: The rest of the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn, who had groveled like onagers before my mighty weapons, dislodged the gods of the full extent of their land from their abodes, then crossed the Great Sea of the Rising Sun and set up their residences in the city Nagītu of the land Elam — I crossed over the sea in boats of the land Ḫatti. I conquered the cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, together with the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts of the land Elam.

iv 34 I carried off the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn, together with their gods and the people of the king of the land Elam, and I did not leave a single escapee. I loaded them onto boats and brought them to this side of the sea, then I made them take the road to Assyria. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities that are in those districts. I turned them into a mound of ruins, literally “a mound and ruins”.

iv 40 On my return march, in a pitched battle, I defeated Šūzubu, Nergal-ušēzib, a citizen of Babylon who had taken the lordship of the land of Sumer and Akkad for himself during the confusion in the land. I captured him alive, bound him with tethering ropes and iron fetters, and brought him to Assyria. I defeated the king of the land Elam, who had aligned himself with him and come to his aid. I dispersed his forces and scattered his assembled host.

Seventh Campaign

iv 47 On my seventh campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land Elam. In the course of my campaign, I conquered and plundered the cities Bīt-Ḫaʾiri and Raṣā, cities on the border of Assyria that the Elamites had taken away by force in the time of my ancestors. I had my garrisons stationed inside them. I brought those cities back inside the border of Assyria and placed them under the authority of the garrison commander of Dēr.

iv 53b The cities Bubê, Dunni-Šamaš, Bīt-Risiya, Bīt-Aḫlamê, Dūru, Dannat-Sulāya, Šilibtu, Bīt-Aṣusi, Kār-Zēra-iqīša, Bīt-Giṣṣi, Bīt-Katpalāni, Bīt-Imbiya, Ḫamānu, Bīt-Arrabi, Burutu, Dimtu-ša-Sulāya, Dimtu-ša-Mār-bīti-ēṭir, Ḫarri-ašlakê, Rabbāya, Rāsu, Akkabarina, Tīl-Uḫuri, Ḫamrānu, Naṭītu,

iv 62 together with the cities of the passes, namely Bīt-Bunakku, Tīl-Ḫumba, Dimtu-ša-Dumeli, Bīt-Ubiya, Baltī-līšir, Taqab-līšir, Alu-ša-nāqidāte, Massūtu-šaplītu, Sarḫu-Dēri, Ālum-ša-Bēlet-bīti, Bīt-Aḫḫē-iddina, and Ilteuba — I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire those thirty-four fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number. I made the smoke from their conflagration cover the wide heavens like a heavy cloud.

iv 72 Kudur-Naḫundu, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, the Elamite, heard about the conquest of his cities and fear fell upon him. He brought the people of the rest of his cities into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and took the road to the city Ḫaydala, Ḫidālu, which is in the distant mountains.

iv 77 I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Tamḫīru, bitter cold set in and a severe rainstorm sent down its rain. I was afraid of the rain and snow in the gorges, the outflows of the mountains, so I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to Nineveh.

v 4 At that time, by the command of the god Aššur, my lord, Kudur-Naḫundu, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, the king of the land Elam, did not last three months and suddenly died a premature death. After him, Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, who does not have sense or insight, his younger brother, sat on his throne.

Eighth Campaign

v 9 On my eighth campaign, after Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, had rebelled and the citizens of Babylon, evil gallû-demons, had locked the city gates, they plotted to wage war. Arameans, fugitives, runaways, murderers, and robbers rallied around Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean, a person of lowly status, a coward, literally “who has no knees”, and a servant who belonged to the governor of the city Laḫīru, and they went down into the marshes and incited rebellion.

v 16b I besieged him and put him in dire straits. On account of fear and hunger, he fled to the land Elam. When there were conspiracy and treachery against him, he hurried out of the land Elam and entered Šuanna, Babylon. The Babylonians inappropriately placed him back on the throne and entrusted him with the lordship of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

v 23 The Babylonians opened the treasury of Esagil and took out the gold and silver of the god Bēl, Marduk, and the goddess Zarpanītu, the property of the temple of their gods. They sent it as a bribe to Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, who does not have sense or insight, saying: “Gather your army, muster your forces, hurry to Babylon, and align yourself with us! Let us put our trust in you.”

v 29 That Elamite, whose cities I had conquered and turned into ruins during a previous campaign to the land Elam, accepted the bribe from them without thinking, then gathered his troops and his forces, inspected his chariots and wagons, and checked his teams of horses and mules.

v 35 The lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, and Ellipi, the people of Yasiʾil, Lakabera, Ḫarzunu, Dummuqu, Sulāya, and Samʾuna, who was a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, the lands Bīt-Adini, Bīt-Amukkāni, Bīt-Šilāni, Bīt-Sāla, Bīt-Saʾalli, Larak, the city Laḫīru, the people of the tribes of the Puqudu, Gambulu, Ḫallatu, Ruʾuʾa, Ubulu, Malaḫu, Rapiqu, Ḫindaru, and Damunu, a large host, formed a confederation with him.

v 43 In their multitude, they took the road to Akkad and, as they were advancing toward Babylon, they met up with Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who is the king of Babylon, and banded their forces together. Like a spring invasion of a swarm of locusts, they were advancing toward me as a group to do battle. The dust of their feet covered the wide heavens like a heavy cloud in the deep of winter.

v 50b While drawing up in battleline before me at the city Ḫalulê, which is on the bank of the Tigris River, and keeping me from the water source, they sharpened their weapons.

v 53 I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, the gods who support me, for victory over my strong enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers and came to my aid.

v 57 I became enraged like a lion, then put on armor and placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low. I took in my hand the mighty bow that the god Aššur had granted to me and I grasped in my hand an arrow that cuts off life.

v 63 I roared loudly like a storm and thundered like the god Adad against all of the troops of the wicked enemies. By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, I blew like the onset of a severe storm against the enemy on their flanks and front lines. With the weapons of the god Aššur, my lord, and my fierce battle array, I turned them back and made them retreat. I shot the troops of the enemy with uṣṣu-arrows and mulmullu-arrows, and pierced all of their corpses like...

v 71 I quickly slaughtered and defeated Ḫumban-undāša, his field marshal, a trusted man who leads his troops, his main support, together with his magnates, who wear gold decorated belt-daggers and have reddish gold sling straps fastened to their forearms, like fattened bulls restrained with fetters.

v 77b I slit their throats like sheep and thus cut off their precious lives like thread. Like a flood in full spate after a seasonal rainstorm, I made their blood flow over the broad earth. The swift thoroughbreds harnessed to my chariot plunged into floods of their blood just like the river ordeal. The wheels of my war chariot, which lays criminals and villains low, were bathed in blood and gore. I filled the plain with the corpses of their warriors like grass. I cut off their lips and thus destroyed their pride. I cut off their hands like the stems of cucumbers in season.

vi 10 I received gold and shining silver sling straps as their wrist-trappings and slashed off their belts with sharp swords. I took away gold and silver decorated belt-daggers as their waist-trappings.

vi 13 As for the rest of his magnates, who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing battle with me, I captured them alive in the thick of battle.

vi 15b I brought back all together the chariots along with their horses, whose drivers had been killed in the thick of that mighty battle and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own. When the second double-hour of the night had passed, I stopped their slaughter.

vi 20 As for Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, along with the king of Babylon and the sheikhs of Chaldea who marched at his side, terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed them like alû-demons. They abandoned their tents and, in order to save their lives, they trampled the corpses of their troops as they pushed on.

vi 25 Their hearts throbbed like the pursued young of pigeons, they passed their urine hotly, and released their excrement inside their chariots. I ordered my chariots and horses to pursue them. Wherever they caught them, they killed with the sword the runaways among them, who had fled for their lives.

vi 31 At that time, the Rear Palace of Nineveh that earlier kings, my ancestors, had had built for the proper running of the military camp, the care of horses, and the overseeing of everything — its terrace did not exist and its site had become too small. With the passage of time, its base had fallen into disrepair, then its foundations had become loose and its superstructure had collapsed.

vi 37 I tore down that palace in its entirety. As an addition, I took much land from the meadow and plain of the city and I added it to the site. I abandoned the site of the former palace and filled in a terrace in the area that I had taken from the meadow. I raised its superstructure 200 courses of brick high.

vi 43 In a favorable month, on an auspicious day, upon that terrace, I had a large palatial wing, which greatly surpassed the previous one, built for my royal residence.

vi 45b I roofed it with magnificent beams of cedar. I fastened bands of bright copper on doors of white cedar and I installed them in its gates. I had bull colossi, text “a bull colossus”, fashioned from white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and on the right and left I made them hold its door bolts.

vi 51 I built and completed that palace from its foundations to its battlements. I deposited in it inscribed objects bearing my name.

Instructions for Future Rulers

vi 53b In the future, one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar name for shepherding the land and people — when that palace becomes old and dilapidated, may a future ruler renovate its dilapidated sections when that palace becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

vi 60A The month......th day, eponymy of Bēl-ēmuranni, governor of the city Carchemish 691.

vi 60B Intercalary Addaru, XII₂...th day, eponymy of..., governor of....

Clay Prism

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 9b The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats living in crevices to inaccessible places.

First Campaign

i 19 On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses..................

ii 1' ......... I called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

ii 5'b On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship....

vi 1' ... The god Adad and the goddess Šala, gods of the city Ekallātum whom Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē, king of Akkad, had taken and brought to Babylon during the reign of Tiglath-pileser I, king of Assyria — I had them brought out of Babylon after 418 years and I returned them to the city Ekallātum, their proper place.

vi 7' I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the city, and its buildings, from its foundations to its crenellations. I removed bricks and earth, as much as there was, from the inner and outer walls, the temples, and the ziggurrat, and I threw it into the Araḫtu River. I dug a canal into the center of that city and thus leveled their site with water. I destroyed the outline of its foundations and in this way made its destruction surpass that of the Deluge. So that in the future, the site of that city and its temples will be unrecognizable, I dissolved Babylon in water and annihilated it, making it like a meadow.

vi 17' ...... who preceded/goes before............

Clay Prism

i' 1' ............ As for the rest of his magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing battle with me, I captured them alive in the thick of battle.

i' 6' I brought back all together the chariots along with their horses, whose drivers had been killed in the thick of that mighty battle and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own. When the second double-hour of the night had passed, I stopped their slaughter.

i' 11' As for Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, along with the king of Babylon and the sheikhs of Chaldea...

ii' 1' ... I fastened bands of bright copper on doors of white cedar and I installed them in their gates. I had magnificent bull colossi fashioned from white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and on the right and left I made them hold their door bolts.

ii' 6' I greatly enlarged its outer courtyard for the proper administration of the black-headed people, the inspection of thoroughbred horses, mules, agālu-donkeys, military equipment, chariots, carts, wagons, quivers, bows, and uṣṣu-arrows, every type of implement of war, and the submission of teams of horses and mules, which have great strength, to the yoke....

Clay Prism

i 1' ............ I conquered Marduk-apla-iddina II’s entire land and I counted his people as booty. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his cities.... in the city Nagītu, where he was residing, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and Marduk-apla-iddina II disappeared.

i 6' I ruined the city Ḫirimmu and the land of the Yasubigallians...dānu, and the distant Medes and I destroyed their settlements.

i 9' I took away the kingship of Lulî, the king of the city Sidon. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

i 12' I ruined the wide district of the land Judah and imposed the yoke on Hezekiah, its king.

i 14' I put to the sword the people of the city Tumurrum, who live on Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain. I swept over the city Ukku, together with every last one of its settlements, so that they looked like a ruin hill created by the Deluge.

i 18' I struck down with the sword the people of the land Ḫilakku, who live in the mountains....

ii 1' ...... who/which....... In a pitched battle, they captured Nergal-ušēzib alive and brought him before me. At the Citadel Gate of Nineveh, I bound him with a bear....

ii 7' As for the king of the land Elam, who had come to Šūzubu’s aid, I marched to his land. I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his fortified cities, his treasury, and smaller settlements of his in their environs, as far as the pass of the land Bīt-Bunakku.

Rest of the inscription is missing

Clay Prism

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

ii 6 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises....

ii 1' He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet....

Completely broken away

Clay Prism

i' 1 I brought out and I counted them as booty.

i' 2 Once again I destroyed and devastated his cities...

Clay Prism

i' 1' ... I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria. I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

i' 7' In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly. As for the governors, the nobles......

Clay Prism

i' 1 Lulî fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared....

Clay Prism

i 1' ............ who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 10' The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and............

ii 1' ... I surrounded and conquered... their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes....

Clay Prism

i' 1' ......... I took... as... and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

i' 9' On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention....

ii' 1' ... I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

ii' 5' I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city;.........

Nebi Yunus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods, wise prince, circumspect ruler, shepherd of people, and leader of a widespread population, I:

3b The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He gave me a just scepter that widens borders and he put in my hand a merciless rod to fell enemies.

6b In a pitched battle, I overwhelmed like the Deluge Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, the king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, Chaldeans and Arameans, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies. Marduk-apla-iddina II fled alone to the Sealand, then he collected the gods of the full extent of his land, together with the bones of his ancestors from their tombs, loaded them and his people onto boats, and crossed over to the city Nagītu, which is on the other side of the Bitter Sea. In that place, he disappeared.

11b I conquered his entire land and I counted his people as booty. I destroyed, devastated, burned with fire, and conquered his cities.

12b I ruined the city Ḫirimmu and the land of the Yasubigallians, and the land Ellipi, and I destroyed its settlements.

13b I took away the kingship of Lulî, the king of the city Sidon. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

15 I ruined the wide district of the land Judah and imposed my yoke on Hezekiah, its king.

16 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 Deluge.

17b I struck down with the sword the people of the land Ḫilakku, who live in the mountains. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

19 I conquered the city Tīl-garimmu, which is on the border of the land Tabal, and turned it into ruins.

20 The cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts of the king of the land Elam that are situated on the other shore of the sea, in which the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn — who because of my mighty weapons had dislodged the gods of their land from their abodes and had crossed over the sea — had taken up residence inside: I crossed over the sea in boats of the land Ḫatti, which I had built in Nineveh and the city Tīl-Barsip. I conquered and burned with fire the cities in those districts. I carried off the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn and their gods, together with soldiers of the king of the land Elam, and I brought them to Assyria.

27 Afterwards, the Babylonians, who had gone forth with Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, and had fled to the land Elam, brought the king of the land Elam to Babylon and the king of Elam placed Šūzubu, Nergal-ušēzib, son of Gaḫul, Gaḫal, on the royal throne over them.

29b I ordered archers, chariots, and horses of my royal contingent to confront the king of the land Elam. They killed many troops, including his son, and the king of Elam retreated. They marched to Uruk and carried off the deities Šamaš of Larsa, the Lady of the Rēš-Temple, the Lady of Uruk, Nanāya, Uṣur-amāssa, Bēlet-balāṭi, Kurunam, Kaššītu, and Palil, the gods who live in Uruk, together with their property and possessions, which are without number.

33b On their return march, in a pitched battle, they captured Šūzubu, Nergal-ušēzib, the king of Babylon, alive. They threw him into a neck-stock and fetters and brought him before me. At the Citadel Gate of Nineveh, I bound him with a bear.

36b As for the king of the land Elam, who had come to the aid of the Babylonians, I marched to his land. I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his fortified cities, his treasury, and the smaller settlements in their environs, as far as the pass of the land Bīt-Bunakku.

39b The king of the land Elam heard about the conquest of his cities and fear fell upon him. He made the rest of the people of his land go up into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and set out for the city Ḫaydala, Ḫidālu, which is in the mountains.

42 I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Ṭebētu X, bitter cold set in and continuous rain fell, and I was afraid of the snow in the gorges, the outflows of the mountains, so I turned around and took the road to Assyria.

44b Afterwards, the king of the land Elam, the lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, and Ellipi, the entirety of Chaldea, and all of the Arameans, a large host, formed a confederation with him. They met up with the king of Babylon and marched toward me to do battle.

47b With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them on the plain of the city Ḫalulê and defeated them. I put to the sword 150,000 of their combat troops. I took away from them chariots, wagons, and their royal tents.

50 I captured alive in the midst of that battle their magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, who were standing in silver decorated chariots, bedecked with gold..., wear gold decorated belt-daggers, and have gold rings fastened to their forearms.

53b Terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed the king of Babylon and the king of the land Elam. They released their excrement inside their chariots, fled alone, and ran away to their own lands.

55b At that time, the Rear Palace, which is inside Nineveh, that earlier kings, my ancestors, had had built for the proper running of the military camp, the care of horses, and the overseeing of everything — a terrace for that palace did not exist and its site had become too small, and its outer courtyard was not wide enough to have horses show their mettle. With the passage of time, its base had fallen into disrepair and its superstructure was tottering.

59b I tore down that palace in its entirety. As an addition, I took much fallow land from the meadow and I added it to it. I abandoned the site of the former palace and filled in a terrace in the fallow land that I had taken from the meadow. I raised its superstructure 200 courses of brick high, measured by my large brick mold.

63b I laid the foundation of my palatial halls upon that terrace. I had a palatial hall of limestone and cedar, a replica of a palace of the land Ḫatti, and a magnificent palatial hall of Assyrian workmanship, which greatly surpassed the previous one in size and splendor, built for my royal residence.

66b I greatly enlarged its outer courtyard for making my thoroughbred horses submissive to the yoke and for reviewing the substantial enemy booty that the god Aššur had given to me.

68b With the exalted strength of the gods, my lords, I sent orders to all the kings of the land Amurru whom the gods had made bow down at my feet. They cut down large beams of cedar on Mount Amanus. They dragged them to Nineveh and I roofed the palatial halls. I fastened bands of copper on doors of cypress and white cedar and I installed them in their gates.

72 I had pendû-stone — whose appearance is as finely granulated as cucumber seeds, considered valuable enough to be an amulet, a stone for speaking and being accepted, as well as making storms pass by, and keeping illness away from a man, and which was brought from the foot of Mount Nipur — and white limestone, which was discovered at the city Balāṭāya, fashioned into bull colossi and I made them hold their door bolts.

75b I erected cedar columns over sphinxes of pendû-stone and I positioned the architraves of that palatial hall of limestone on those columns.

77b With the ingenious mind that the lord of wisdom, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me, by divine will, I created clay molds for all of the bronze works that I intended to cast in Nineveh for the requirements of my palatial halls, then I poured copper into them, text “it”, and my handiwork succeeded. Furthermore, I had twin lamassu-colossi of copper bear slabs of pendû-stone. I stationed them between the sphinxes, made them like battlements, and made the façade beautiful.

82b In the great courtyard below the palatial hall of limestone, I had a pedestal of pendû-stone, breccia, and sābu-stone made for my royal residence. I placed on it four bronze columns that were alloyed with one-sixth tin and I roofed it with cedar crossbeams that were plated with silver.

85b I made that armory extremely large, perfect, and splendid. I filled it with luxuriousness to be an object of wonder for all of the people. The surplus payment of all of the lands, including that of the distant Medes — from whom none of the kings, my ancestors, had received tribute — together with the wagons, chariots, vehicles of the king of the Elamites, the king of Babylon, and Chaldea that I had captured, along with the countless equipment that I had accumulated: I had all of these things carried to the treasury of that palace and brought inside it.

91 By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Mullissu, the queen, may I spend a long time and attain very old age in that palace in good health, happiness, and contentment. May my descendants be established there forever, into the distant future. May the šēdu-spirits who protect life, the gods who preserve well-being day and night, never leave it.

Campaigns and the Royal Armory

1' ......... I carried off the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn and their gods, together with soldiers of the king of the land Elam, and I brought them to Assyria.

3'b Afterwards, the Babylonians —..., who along with Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, had groveled in the face of my mighty weapons during the course of a previous campaign of mine......, had gone out, and had fled to the land Elam — brought..., the Elamite, to Babylon and the king of Elam placed Šūzubu, Nergal-ušēzib, son of Gaḫul, Gaḫal, on the royal throne over them.

9' I ordered archers, chariots, and horses of my royal contingent to confront the king of the land Elam. They killed many of his troops, including his son, and the king of Elam retreated. They marched to Uruk and carried off the god Šamaš of Larsa and the goddess the Lady of Uruk, the gods living inside it, together with their property and possessions, which are without number.

13'b On their return march, in a pitched battle, they took Šūzubu, Nergal-ušēzib, the king of Babylon, alive and brought him before me. At the Citadel Gate of Nineveh, I bound him with a bear.

16' As for the king of the land Elam, who had come to the aid of the Babylonians, I marched to his land. I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his fortified cities, his treasury, and the smaller settlements in their environs, as far as the pass of the land Bīt-Bunakku.

20' The king of the land Elam heard about the conquest of his cities and fear fell upon him. He made the rest of the people of his land go up into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and set out for the city Ḫaydala, which is in the mountains.

23' I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Ṭebētu X, bitter cold set in so I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to Assyria.

25' After my departure the king of Elam, in order to resettle his district... on ruin hills. He brought the rest of the people of his land, who had fled before my weapons, down from... and settled them on the alluvium.

28' ...... I captured the people of his land and counted them as booty. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his cities.

29'b The Babylonians... aligned themselves with the king of the land Elam and bowed down at his feet.... I ordered the march to Šuanna, Babylon....... in lamentation. Fear fell upon them. They opened the treasury of Esagil, sent gold, silver, and precious stones as a bribe to the king of the land Elam, Umman-menanu, and wrote to him as follows: “Hurry to Babylon and align yourself with us! Let us put our trust in you.”

35'b He, the king of the land Elam — the people of whose land I had captured and carried off and whose cities I had destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire — had no sense or insight in him, literally “in his ear”. He accepted the bribe of the Babylonians and...... He did not order their work, but gathered his army and forces.

40'b The lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, and Ellipi, the entirety of Chaldea, and all of the Arameans, a large host, formed a confederation with him. They met up with the king of Babylon and the citizens of Babylon and Borsippa and they marched toward me to do battle.

44' With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them on the plain of the city Ḫalulê and defeated them. I put to the sword 150,000 of their combat troops. I took away from them chariots, wagons, and their royal tents.

47' I captured alive in the midst of that battle their magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, who were standing in silver decorated chariots, bedecked with gold..., wear gold decorated belt-daggers, and have gold rings fastened to their forearms.

50'b Terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed the king of Babylon and the king of the land Elam. They released their excrement inside their chariots, fled alone, and ran away to their own lands.

53' ... Teʾelḫunu, queen of the Arabs, in the middle of the desert... I took away... thousand camels from her. She... with Hazael. Terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed them. They abandoned their tents and fled for their lives to the city... and the city Adummatu.

57' As for the city... and the city Adummatu, which are located in the desert... a place of thirst in which there is no pasture or watering-place......

1'' ...... by having ramps trodden down...... and I received their substantial payment...... to me.

3''b As for the cities Kapānu...... its secret place, which is in...... I carried off Teʾelḫunu, queen of the Arabs, together with her gods......, pappardilû-stones, papparmīnu-stones... ḫašūru-wood, all types of aromatics...... and kings...... I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire those cities.

10'' At that time, my heart prompted me to... the Rear Palace, which is inside Nineveh.... alabaster, limestone... beams of cypress... silver, bronze...... for reviewing substantial enemy booty............

Restoring the Temples of Nineveh

1 The god Aššur, the great mountain, father of the gods, the one who decrees fates..., who deliberates only with himself; the gods Anu, Enlil, and Ea... the designs of heaven and earth, who designates......; the god Sîn..., the one who constantly renews himself, the pure god whose signs are inscrutable..., the one who makes decisions, the one who makes astrological signs known; the god Šamaš..., great judge of the great gods, whose lordly splendor overwhelms all of the lands everywhere; the god Adad, canal inspector of heaven and earth..., the one who brings barley and flax into being, who makes sattukku-offerings abundant...; the god Šamaš, his signs, without whom...... and no ruler is named; the god Nabû... of heaven and earth, controller of harmony...; the god Ninurta, heir of the god Enlil...... the one who breaks up mountains......; the goddess Ištar... for her great divinity...; and the Sebetti, the supreme gods who stand at the side of the king who reveres them and make his weapons prevail over all enemies:

17 Sennacherib......

r 1' ... I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

r 3' At that time, the temple of......, the temple of the god Sîn, the temple of the goddess Ningal, the temple of the god Šamaš, the temple of the goddess Aya..., the temple of the goddess the Lady of Nineveh, the great lady... which Ashurnasirpal II, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta II, king of Assyria... had built — with the passage of time those temples....

r 8' I tore them down and reached their foundation pits. I secured their foundations... like solid bedrock and I built and completed them from their foundations to their crenellations.

r 10'b The great gods..., my lords... into their shrines.... I graciously settled them on their daises... I offered fattened bulls and fattened sheep as sacrifices.... I presented my gifts to them and... before them.

r 15' I had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over all of my enemies... with the support of... the great gods, my lords, written upon inscribed objects and for the kings..., my descendants, I deposited them for ever after.

Instructions for Future Rulers

r 19' In the future, may a future ruler, when these temples become old and dilapidated, see my inscribed objects, anoint them with oil, make an offering, and place them with inscribed objects bearing his name. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

Temple Restoration at Nineveh

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, and favorite of the great gods:

4b The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and he made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He gave me a just scepter that widens borders and he put in my hand a merciless rod to fell enemies. He made rulers of the four quarters of the world, from east to west, bow down at my feet and they now pull my yoke.

14 The akītu-house which from the very distant past......

r 1' ............ the Nergal Gate, which is opposite... justice, who opens its gate.

r 4' I built Ešaḫulezenzagmukam, “House of Joy and Gladness for the Festival of the Beginning of the Year.”

r 7' At the time of the festival of the akītu-house, New Year’s house, I celebrate annually inside it with prayer and expressions of my humility, literally “stroking my nose”, before god and goddess and for my lordly pleasure.

Date and Scribal Notes

r 12' Month Araḫsamna VIII, eleventh day, eponymy of Nabû-kēnu-uṣur 690.

Stone Stele

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, and favorite of the great gods:

5 The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar granted me a weapon without equal and gave me the strength, literally “opened my arms”, to destroy those hostile to Assyria. With their great support, I constantly directed my troops in safety from east to west and I made all of the rulers who sit on royal daises throughout the four quarters of the world bow down at my feet and they now pull my yoke.

13b At that time, I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its streets for the course of a royal road and thus I made the city as bright as day. I had an inner and outer wall skillfully built and I raised them as high as mountains. I widened its moat 100 large cubits.

19b So that in the future there would be no diminution of the royal road, I had steles made and they stood on each side, opposite one another. I measured the width of the royal road, as far as the Gate of the Gardens, as fifty-two large cubits.

24 At any time, when anyone of the people living in this city tears down his old house and builds a new one — if the foundation of his house encroaches upon the royal road, he will be hung, literally “they will hang him”, on a stake over his house.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods:

7 The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and he made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

11 At that time, the palace in the citadel of Nineveh, which the kings, my ancestors, had had constructed and whose site was too small; alongside of which the Tebilti River had flowed and which had shaken its base when its flood was in full spate:

17 I tore down that palace in its entirety, and then I improved the course of the Tebilti River and directed its outflow.

20 In its subterranean waters I very firmly bonded reeds below and bitumen above with large blocks of limestone. I raised a plot of land that was 340 cubits long and 289 cubits wide out of the water and converted it into an empty lot. I added it to the dimensions of the former terrace and in this way enlarged the entire terrace to 700 large cubits along its longer side and 440 cubits along its shorter side. I raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

Building the Royal Palace

29b I built a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood there as my royal residence; then I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

33b I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of white cedar and cypress and I installed them in their gates.

35b In the corridors, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory. I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of the copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

38b So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service, revealed to me a source of long trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew thick as they stood in the Sirāra mountain range

41b In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

43b Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”.

45b In the territory of the city Balāṭāya, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and sphinxes of alabaster, and slabs of alabaster, as well as magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

49b As for the white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, I had it made into bull colossi and sphinxes.

51b By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi and twenty-two sphinxes, and I poured copper into it. I perfected their forms.

56b I made bull colossi of alabaster and copper, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

61b Sphinxes of alabaster and cast urudû-copper with inlays of shining silver, sphinxes of cast...-metal, as well as twelve raging bronze lions: I erected over them magnificent copper columns and large cedar columns, as well as columns of ebony, cypress, daprānu-juniper, and tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold, silver, and copper inlays, and then I positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

68b I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs.

70 In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

72b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it the “Palace Without a Rival.”

75b By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Lion Colossus Inscription

1' ... I raised its superstructure in its entirety 190 courses of brick. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 700 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

2'b I built palatial halls of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood there as my lordly residence; then I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

5' I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of white cedar and cypress and I installed them in their gates.

6'b In their corridors, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose hands are folded, who are laden with pride and allure, and who are filled with exuberance, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

10'b I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails.......

1'' So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me, literally “who called my name”, revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

10'' In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

13'' Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”.

18'' Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and sphinxes of alabaster, and slabs of alabaster, as well as magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

29'' As for the white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, I had it made into bull colossi and sphinxes, and then I made their appearances resplendent.

31''b By divine will and with my own knowledge, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi and twenty-two sphinxes with perfect forms, and I poured copper into it. I perfected their forms.

35''b I made bull colossi of alabaster and copper, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my lordly palatial halls.

37''b Sphinxes of alabaster and cast urudû-copper with inlays of shining silver, sphinxes of cast...-metal, as well as twelve raging bronze lions who are endowed with radiance: I erected over them magnificent copper columns and large cedar columns, as well as columns of ebony, cypress, daprānu-juniper, and tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold, silver, and copper inlays, and then I positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

41''b I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs.

42''b In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

44''b Moreover, for Tašmētu-šarrat, the palace lady, my beloved spouse, whose form the goddess Bēlet-ilī made more perfect than that of all other women: I had a palatial hall for lovemaking, happiness, and exultation built, and then I stationed sphinxes of white limestone in its gates.

47'' By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may we both live long and be satisfied with our prosperity in these palatial halls in good health and happiness. May the good šēdu and the good lamassu surround these palatial halls forever and ever. May they never leave them.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1' ... I made them an object of wonder.

2'b I decorated the doors with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of their copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

7'b So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me, literally “who called my name”, revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

15'b In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

18'b Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls...

1'' I made... bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

2'' I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

3''b Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sphinxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold and silver inlays, and then I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence on those columns.

6''b I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs and made them an object of wonder.

8''b In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

10''b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it the “Palace Without a Rival.”

12'' By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, and favorite of the great gods:

2b The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and he made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

3b In a pitched battled in the plain of Kish, I repulsed Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, the king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, and took away his rulership. I killed with the sword all of the Chaldeans, together with the massed body of Elamite troops, his allies.

5 I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, whom I, raised on my own knee, on his royal throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Akkad.

6 I uprooted all of the Aḫlamû, Arameans, and Sutians. I put to the sword the inhabitants of the city Ḫirimmu, not sparing any of their offspring. I conquered the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy. I ruined the land Ellipi and destroyed its settlements.

7b Moreover, Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, became frightened of doing battle with me, fled to Yadnana, Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and took refuge there. In that same land, he disappeared on account of the awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

10b I ruined the wide district of the recalcitrant and strong land Judah and I made Hezekiah, its king, bow down at my feet so that he now pulls my yoke.

11b I put to the sword the men of the city Tumurrum, who live on Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain. I destroyed the city Ukku, together with every one of its settlements, so that they looked like a ruin hill created by the Deluge.

12b At that time, I made the enemy people whom I had captured carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

13b The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

15b They quarried mountain sheep colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate to be the palatial halls’ gatekeepers. Throughout all of their lands they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

20b The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and had shaken its base when its flood was in full spate:

Preparing the Palace Site

21b I tore down that small palace in its entirety, and then I changed the course of the Tebilti River and directed its outflow.

22b In its subterranean waters I very firmly bonded reeds below and bitumen above with large blocks of limestone. I raised a plot of land that was 340 cubits long and 289 cubits wide out of the water and converted it to dry land. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

25b In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 700 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

Building the Royal Palace

28b I built a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood, for my lordly residence; then I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

30b I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains....

1' ... Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and other statues with limbs of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect, and who stand high on their own pedestals; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

14'b I had large bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura.

17'b Since time immemorial, the kings, my ancestors, created copper statues, replicas of their own forms, to be erected in temples, and through their manufacture they had exhausted all of the craftsmen. Through ignorance and failure to give thought on the matter, they depleted the oil, wax, and wool in their lands for the work they desired.

22' But as for me, Sennacherib, the foremost of all rulers, expert in every type of work, regarding large columns of copper and striding lion colossi, which none of the kings of the past who came before me had cast: With the ingenious mind that the prince, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me and taking counsel with myself, I intensively pondered how to perform this work. Then, with my own ideas and knowledge, I created a cast work of copper and expertly carried out its artful execution.

28'b By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

31'b I made bull colossi with copper features, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and bull colossi of alabaster, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

33'b I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

35' Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sphinxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold and silver inlays, and then I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence on those columns.

38'b I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs and made them an object of wonder.

39'b In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

41'b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it the “Palace Without a Rival.”

The Palace Gardens

42'b I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

Irrigating the Gardens

43'b To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through a mountain, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those planted areas.

46'b I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. By divine will, vines and all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

50'b I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

52' After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, and then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

55'b By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods, wise prince, circumspect ruler, shepherd of the people, and leader of a widespread population, I:

3 The goddess Bēlet-ilī, the lady of creation, looked steadfastly upon me and created my features, while I was still, in the womb of the mother who gave birth to me. Moreover, the god Ninšiku gave me wide understanding equal to that of the sage Adapa and endowed me with broad knowledge.

4b The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-headed people bow down at my feet and elevated me for shepherding the land and people. He gave me a just scepter that widens the land and he put in my hand a merciless weapon to fell enemies.

6b At that time, I made the enemy people whom I had captured carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

7b The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

9b They quarried mountain sheep colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate to be the palatial halls’ gatekeepers. Throughout all of their lands they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

13b The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and had shaken its base when its flood was in full spate:

Preparing the Palace Site

14b I tore down that small palace in its entirety, and then I changed the course of the Tebilti River and directed its outflow.

15b In its subterranean waters I very firmly bonded reeds below and bitumen above with large blocks of limestone. I raised a plot of land that was 554 cubits long and 289 cubits wide out of the water and converted it to dry land. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

18b In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 914 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

Building the Royal Palace

20b I built a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood, for my lordly residence; then I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

22b I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of cedar, cypress, and juniper and I installed them in their gates.

24b In the corridors that are within the papāḫu-chambers, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose folded hands hold poppies, who are laden with pride and allure, and who are filled with exuberance, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

27b The covering of the roof that hangs over the corridors — I made their somber atmosphere cheerful, making them as bright as day. I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of their copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

33 So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me, literally “who called my name”, revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

43 In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

46b Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”, which is on the border of the city Tīl-Barsip.

49b Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and other statues with limbs of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect, and who stand high on their own pedestals; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

63b I had large bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura.

67b Since time immemorial, the kings, my ancestors, created copper statues, replicas of their own forms, to be erected in temples, and through their manufacture they had exhausted all of the craftsmen. Through ignorance and failure to give thought on the matter, they depleted the oil, wax, and wool in their lands for the work they desired.

73 But as for me, Sennacherib, the foremost of all rulers, expert in every type of work, regarding large columns of copper and striding lion colossi, which none of the kings of the past who came before me had cast: With the ingenious mind that the prince, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me and taking counsel with myself, I intensively pondered how to perform this work. Then, with my own ideas and knowledge, I created a cast work of copper and expertly carried out its artful execution.

79b By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

83b I made bull colossi with copper features, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and bull colossi of alabaster, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

85b I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

86b Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sphinxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold and silver inlays, and then I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence on those columns.

89b I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs and made them an object of wonder.

90b In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

92b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it the “Palace Without a Rival.”

The Palace Gardens

93b I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

Irrigating the Gardens

94b To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through a mountain, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those planted areas.

96b I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. By divine will, vines and all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

100b I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

101b After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, and then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

105b By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, and favorite of the great gods:

5 The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and he made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

7b In a pitched battled, I repulsed Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, the king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, and took away his rulership. I killed with the sword all of the Chaldeans, together with the massed body of Elamite troops, his allies.

11b I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, on his royal throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Akkad.

13b I uprooted all of the Aḫlamû, Arameans, and Sutians. I put to the sword the inhabitants of the city Ḫirimmu, not sparing any of their offspring. I conquered the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy. I ruined the land Ellipi and destroyed its settlements.

17 Moreover, Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, became frightened of doing battle with me, fled to Yadnana, Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and took refuge there. In that same land, he disappeared on account of the awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

20b I ruined the wide district of the recalcitrant and strong land Judah and I made Hezekiah, its king, bow down at my feet.

22b I put to the sword the men of the city Tumurrum, who live on Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain. I destroyed the city Ukku, together with every one of its settlements, so that they looked like a ruin hill created by the Deluge.

24 I slaughtered the people of the land Ḫilakku, who live in the high mountains, like sheep. I conquered the city Tīl-garimmu, which is on the border of the land Tabal, and turned it into ruins.

25b The inhabitants of Chaldea, who had become frightened by my battle array, and then had dislodged the gods of their entire land from their abodes, had crossed the sea, and had taken up residence inside the city Nagiatu, Nagītu, — I crossed the sea after them in boats of the land Ḫatti. I conquered the cities Nagiatu, Nagītu, Nagiatu-diʾbina, Nagītu-diʾbina, Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts on the other shore of the Bitter Sea, and then I carried off the people of Chaldea, together with their gods, and the people of the king of the land Elam. I did not leave behind a single escapee.

32b At that time, I made the enemy people whom I had captured carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

33b The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; alongside of which the Tebilti River had flowed, caused erosion in its foundations, and shaken its base; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

Preparing the Palace Site

36b I tore down that small palace in its entirety. I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and directed its outflow into the meadow behind the city.

37b In the hidden depths of its subterranean waters I very firmly bonded reeds below and bitumen above with large blocks of limestone. I raised a plot of land that was 554 cubits long and 289 cubits wide out of the water and converted it into an empty lot. I added it to the former dimensions of the terrace, and raised its superstructure in its entirety 190 courses of brick. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 914 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

41b I built palatial halls of gold, silver, bronze......-stone, breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, elammaku-wood, and Indian wood, for my lordly residence; then I had a house with double doors, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

44 I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of white cedar and cypress and I installed them in their gates.

45b In the corridors, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose hands are folded, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

46b I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of their copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

47b So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me, literally “who called my name”, revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

50 In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

51b Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”.

52b Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

55b I had large bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura.

57b By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks together with date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

60b I made bull colossi with copper features, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and bull colossi of alabaster, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

62b I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

63b Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sphinxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and Indian wood, with pašallu-gold and silver inlays, and then I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence on those columns.

67 I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs and made them an object of wonder.

68b In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks together with date palms of copper placed over wells.

70b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it the “Palace Without a Rival.”

72b By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1' ... a dangerous enemy. I ruined the land Ellipi and destroyed its settlements. Moreover, Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, became frightened of doing battle with me, fled like a fish to Yadnana, Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and took refuge there. In that same land, he disappeared on account of the awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

6' I ruined the wide district of the... land Judah and......

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, the wise and capable favorite of the great gods, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

2b The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the rulers of the four quarters of the world from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet.

First Campaign

3b On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. He, in order to save his own life, fled alone, and then I seized the chariots, wagons, horses and mules that he had abandoned.

5b I entered his palace, which is in Babylon, and then I opened his treasury and carried off gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, the possessions and property of his palace.

6b I captured and plundered his strong cities and the fortresses of Chaldea, together with the smaller settlements in their environs. On my return march, I defeated and plundered the Aramaens living on the banks of the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

7b In the course of my campaign I received a substantial payment from the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu. I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I reorganized that city and imposed one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria.

Second Campaign

9b On my second campaign, I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians. In the mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

10b I conquered and plundered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. Moreover, I destroyed and devastated their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and their tents.

11b I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again, and then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed them under the authority of the governor of the city Arrapḫa.

12b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and fled far away. I conquered and plundered the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with smaller settlements in their environs, and then I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire. I conquered the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs. I detached from his land the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

15b I took the city Elenzaš as a fortress for that district, and then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of the governor of the city Ḫarḫar.

17b On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to my yoke.

Third Campaign

18 On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled from the city Tyre to Yadnana, Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and disappeared. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

19b In the plain of the city Ušû, the kings of the land Amurru brought their substantial tribute before me.

20b Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not submitted to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, together with his family, and took him to Assyria.

21b I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment in recognition of my overlordship.

22 In the course of my campaign, I plundered the cities of Ṣidqâ’s that had not submitted to me. As for the governors and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number.

24b In the plain of the city Eltekeh, I fought with them and defeated them. I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the king”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

25b I approached the city Ekron and I killed with the sword the governors who had committed crimes; I counted the citizens who had committed the crimes as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of wrongdoing, be allowed to go free.

26b I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the throne over them, and then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

27b As for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and settlements in their environs, which were without number. I counted them as booty.

28b As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to the kings of the cities Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts and imposed it upon them.

30b As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, every kind of treasure of his palace, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment.

Fourth Campaign

33 On my fourth campaign, I marched to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, he became frightened of my weapons, and then he fled alone and his hiding place could not be found.

34b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, whom I had defeated during my first campaign became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons. He fled to the city Nagītu, which is in the midst of the sea. I carried off his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes. Once again I destroyed and burned with fire his cities. On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my son, on his lordly throne and entrusted him, with the land of Sumer and Akkad.

Fifth Campaign

37b On my fifth campaign: The men of the city Tumurrum, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to my yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

39b Like a fierce wild bull, with my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp. I proceeded through the gorges and the rugged mountain slopes in my chair. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. Where my knees gave out and became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

41b I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities.

42b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road against Maniye, the insubmissive king of the city Ukku. None of the kings of the past, who came before me, had marched through the difficult paths on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my combat troops, ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

45 He, Maniye, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force, and then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I entered his palace and carried off every kind of possession and property, which were without number, his substantial treasure. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire his cities, and made them like ruin hills created by the Deluge.

Sixth Campaign

48 On my sixth campaign: Against the cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, cities of the king of the land Elam whose dwellings are situated on the other shore of the Bitter Sea, and the people of Bīt-Yakīn, who became afraid of the mighty weapons of the god Aššur and abandoned their settlements, crossed the Bitter Sea, and...... on the far shore.

56 The god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I ordered the march against them, to the land Nagītu. I settled in Nineveh the people of the land Ḫatti plundered by my bows and they skillfully built magnificent ships, a product characteristic of their land. I gave orders to sailors of the cities Tyre and Sidon, and the land Ionia, whom I had captured. My troops let the sailors sail down the Tigris River with them downstream to the city Opis.

62b Then, from the city Opis, they lifted the boats up onto dry land and dragged them on rollers to Sippar and guided them into the Araḫtu canal, where they let them sail downstream to the canal of Bīt-Dakkuri, which is in Chaldea.... I loaded onto boats my fierce...s, who do not know fear, my crack bodyguard, and my valiant combat troops, who do not..., and I gave them provisions. I loaded grain and straw for the steeds with them. My warriors sailed down the Euphrates River on the boats, while I accompanied them on dry land, and then I made my way to the city Bāb-salimeti. When I lifted my head...... from the bank of the Euphrates to the shore of the sea, a distance covered in two double hours of marching.......... I was not concerned. I pitched camp in that place. The high tide of the sea rose mightily, and then entered my tent and completely surrounded my entire camp. For five days and nights, on account of the strong water, all of my soldiers had to sit curled up as though they were in cages.

76b The boats of my warriors reached the marshy area at the mouth of the river, where the Euphrates River debouches its water into the roiling sea. I took my stand on the shore of the Bitter Sea opposite them and had pure sacrifices performed for the god Ea, king of the apsû. I cast them into the sea with a gold boat, a gold fish, and a gold crab, and then I immediately had my boats cross over to the land of the city Nagītu.

81b At the shore of the roiling sea — which was unsuitable and very difficult for ships to dock, horses to climb, and men to set foot on — the inhabitants of Chaldea living in the cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, the people of the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu saw the boats of my warriors and they gathered together archers, wagons, horses, and mules, a force without number. Before my warriors’ arrival, while drawing up in battleline at the Ulāya River, a river with good shores, and holding my troops landing place on the high ground, the Chaldeans and Elamites sharpened their weapons.

91 My warriors reached the quay of the harbor and like locusts they swarmed out of the boats onto the shore against them and defeated them. They conquered the cities Nagītu, Nagītu-diʾbina, Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, cities of the king of the land Elam. They carried off their garrisons, the population of Chaldea, the gods of all of the land Bīt-Yakīn, together with their property, and the people of the Elamite king, wagons, horses, mules, and donkeys.

99b They loaded them onto their boats and brought them to this side of the sea, to the city Bāb-salimeti, before me. They destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire those cities. They poured out deathly silence over the wide land of Elam.

102b From the booty of those lands, I conscripted 30,500 archers and 20,200 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my cult centers.

106b At that time, the palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

109b They quarried bull colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate to be the palatial halls’ gatekeepers. Throughout all of their lands they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

115b The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and had shaken its base when its flood was in full spate:

Preparing the Palace Site

116b I tore down that small palace in its entirety. I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and directed its outflow into the meadow behind the city.

118b In a one-half ikû stretch of the water’s natural course, I bonded together with bitumen four large limestone blocks and spread marsh reeds and rushes over them. As an addition, I took a plot of land that was 554 cubits long and 289 cubits wide from the Ḫusur River and from the plain of the city and added it to the dimensions of the former terrace. In the terrace’s entirety, I raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

122b I enlarged the structure of the palace to 914 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

Building the Royal Palace

123b I built a palace of gold, silver, bronze...-stone, breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, elammaku-wood, and Indian wood, for my lordly residence, and then I had a house with double doors, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

125b I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of cedar, cypress, and juniper and I installed them in their gates.

127b In the corridors that are within the papāḫu-chambers, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose folded hands hold poppies, who are laden with pride and allure, and who are filled with exuberance, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

129b The covering of the roof that hangs over the corridors — I made their somber atmosphere cheerful, making them as bright as day. I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of its copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

130b So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me, literally “who called my name”, revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

133b In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

134 Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”, which is on the border of the city Tīl-Barsip.

135b Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and other statues with limbs of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect, and who stand high on their own pedestals; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

138b I had large bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura.

139b Since time immemorial, the kings, my ancestors, created copper statues, replicas of their own forms, to be erected in temples, and through their manufacture they had exhausted all of the craftsmen. Through ignorance and failure to give thought on the matter, they depleted the oil, wax, and wool in their lands for the work they desired.

141b But as for me, Sennacherib, the foremost of all rulers, expert in every type of work, regarding large columns of copper and striding lion colossi, which none of the kings of the past who came before me had cast: With the ingenious mind that the prince, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me and taking counsel with myself, I intensively pondered how to perform this work. Then, with my own ideas and knowledge, I created a cast work of copper and expertly carried out its artful execution.

143b By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

146b I made bull colossi with copper features, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and bull colossi of alabaster, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

147b I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

148b Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sphinxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and Indian wood, with pašallu-gold and silver inlays, and then I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence on those columns.

150b I surrounded the palace rooms’ lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs and made them an object of wonder.

151b In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

152b I made those palatial halls beautiful. To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I raised the superstructure of the entire palace. I called it the “Palace Without a Rival.”

The Palace Gardens

153b I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

Irrigating the Gardens

154b To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through a mountain, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those planted areas.

157 I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars, literally “pigs of the reeds”, and roe deer. By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

160b I cut down musukkannu-trees and cypress trees grown in the orchards and marsh reeds from the swamps and I used them in the work required to build my lordly palatial halls.

Completing and Dedicating the Palace

161b After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, and then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

163b By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1' ............ In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster, which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was too expensive even for the pommel of a sword.

3'b Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”.

4'b Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are skillfully made; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia.............

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods, wise prince, circumspect ruler, shepherd of the people, and leader of a widespread population, I:

3b The goddess Bēlet-ilī, the lady of creation, looked steadfastly upon me and created my features, while I was still, in the womb of the mother who gave birth to me. Moreover, the god Ninšiku gave me wide understanding equal to that of the sage Adapa and endowed me with broad knowledge.

5 The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-headed people bow down at my feet and elevated me for shepherding the land and people....... and he put in my hand a merciless weapon to fell enemies....

7b ............... and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

Preparing the Palace Site

12b I tore down that small palace. I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and directed its outflow onto the meadow behind the city.

14b In a one-half ikû stretch of the water’s natural course, I bonded together with bitumen four large limestone blocks and spread marsh reeds and rushes over them. As an addition, I took a plot of land that was five hundred and... cubits long and two hundred and eighty cubits wide from the plain of the city and I added it to the former dimensions of the palace. I enlarged it to 914 large cubits along its longer side and 460 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger. In the terrace’s entirety, I raised its superstructure to a total height of 190 courses of brick.

18b In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

20b I built a palatial hall of gold, a palatial hall of silver, a palatial hall of bronze, a palatial hall of...-stone, a palatial hall of breccia..., a palatial hall of alallu-stone, a palatial hall of alabaster, a palatial hall of elephant ivory, a palatial hall of ebony, a palatial hall of boxwood, a palatial hall of musukkannu-wood, a palatial hall of cedar, a palatial hall of cypress, a palatial hall of juniper, a palatial hall of elammaku-wood, and a palatial hall of Indian wood, for my lordly residence, and then I had a house with double doors, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

24b I roofed the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of white cedar and cypress and I installed them in their gates.

25b In the corridors, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose folded hands hold poppies, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

27b ... I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of their copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

28b So that the construction of my palace......

1' In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster... pendû-stone — whose appearance is as finely granulated as cucumber seeds, considered valuable enough to be an amulet, a stone for speaking and being accepted, as well as making storms pass by, and preventing illness from approaching a man — made itself known to me at the foot of Mount Nipur.

8' Breccia, whose appearance is like the wings of a dragonfly and the qualities of which calm headaches, a stone for happiness and cheerfulness, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ, “Dargilâ Village”, which is on the border of the city Tīl-Barsip.

12'b alallu-stone, whose appearance is like the bark of the date palm, and girimḫilibû-stone — whose appearance is like the fruit of the pomegranate tree, is beautiful and a pleasure to see, and a stone for preventing plague from approaching a man — both stones were found in abundance at Mount....

16'b Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone...

1'' I created......... whose bodies shine...; and slabs of girimḫilibû-stone and alallu-stone. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then...... I had them dragged into Nineveh.

6'' I had bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya....

1''' ......... Indian wood......

1'''' ..........

2''''b By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may I spend a long time in my palace... in good health and happiness. May my descendants be established there forever, for all days. May the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in this palace. May they never leave it.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods, wise prince, circumspect ruler, shepherd of the people, and leader of a widespread population, I:

3b The goddess Bēlet-ilī, the lady of creation, looked steadfastly upon me and created my features, while I was still, in the womb of the mother who gave birth to me. Moreover, the god Ninšiku gave me wide understanding equal to that of the sage Adapa and endowed me with broad knowledge.

5 The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-headed people bow down at my feet and elevated me for shepherding the land and people. He gave me a just scepter that widens the land and he put in my hand a merciless weapon to fell enemies.... all of the rulers of the four quarters of the world....

8b At that time, I made the enemy people whom I had captured carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

9b The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 80 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; alongside of which the Tebilti River had flowed and which had caused erosion in its foundation when its flood was in full spate and had shaken its base; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

12b ...... that small palace in its entirety. I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and directed its outflow onto the meadow behind the city.

14b In a one-half ikû stretch of the water’s natural course, I bonded together with bitumen four large limestone blocks and spread marsh reeds and rushes over them. As an addition, I took a plot of land that was five hundred and... cubits long and two hundred and eighty cubits wide from the Ḫusur River and from the plain of the city......

17 ......

1' In the uplands of Mount Ammanāna, northern Anti-Lebanon, Aššur and Ištar disclosed to me the location of alabaster... pendû-stone — whose appearance is as finely granulated as cucumber seeds, considered valuable enough to be an amulet, a stone for speaking and being accepted, as well as making storms pass by, and preventing illness from approaching a man — made itself known to me at the foot of Mount Nipur.

8' ......

Lion Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria: pendû-stone, whose appearance is as finely granulated as mottled barley and which in the time of the kings, my ancestors, was considered valuable enough to be an amulet, made itself known to me at the foot of Mount Nipur. I had it fashioned into sphinxes and had them dragged into Nineveh.

Bull Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib..., favorite of the great gods:

2b The god Aššur granted me... and, from east to west he made... bow down at my feet and they now pull my yoke.

4b At that time... which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had built and... its construction.... Moreover, from......

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: Maniye, the king of the city Ukku, became frightened by my battle array, abandoned the city Ukku, a city upon which he relied, and fled far away. As for the population living inside it, who had flown away like birds to the peak of a rugged mountain, I pursued them and defeated them on the peak of that mountain. I burned the city Ukku, his royal city, with fire.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, marches to conquer...ti.

Palace Relief Inscription

1' ... I plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 I surrounded, conquered, plundered, and burned with fire the city Bīt-Kubatti.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Dilbat.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Ataun....

Palace Relief Inscription

1 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Alamu.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the city Aranziašu.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: The booty from the marshes of the city Saḫrina passed before him.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: The booty of the city Kasuṣi passed before him.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: The booty of the city...bu... passed before him.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: The booty of... the city... passed before him.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 ... the booty of... passed before him.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, sat in his armchair and the booty of the city Lachish passed before him.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Tent of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Camp of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, was joyfully having large bull colossi, which had been fashioned in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, dragged to his lordly palace that is inside Nineveh.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: With regard to the white limestone that had been discovered by the will of the gods in the territory of the city Balāṭāya for the construction of my palace, I had the soldiers of enemy settlements and insubmissive troops of the mountains whom I had captured wield iron axes and picks and they quarried large bull colossi for the gates of my palace.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: I had tall cedar columns, which I had had hauled up from the Tigris River, loaded on sleds and dragged along a canal.

Palace Relief Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: I had tall cedar columns, products of Mount Sirāra and Mount Lebanon, hauled up from the Tigris River.

Threshold Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, had Egalzagdinutukua, the “Palace Without a Rival”, built anew to be his lordly residence inside Nineveh.

Threshold Inscription

1 Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, had Egalzagdinutukua, the “Palace Without a Rival”, built anew to be his lordly residence inside the citadel of Nineveh.

Lion Colossus Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, king of the world, king of Assyria, the almighty sovereign of all rulers.

Nineveh’s Rebuilt Walls: Reported Translation

Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the inner wall and outer wall of Nineveh built anew and raised as high as mountains.

Stone Slab Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the inner wall and outer wall of Nineveh built anew and raised as high as mountains.

Stone Slab Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had the inner wall and outer wall of Nineveh built anew and raised as high as mountains.

Stone Slab Inscription

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had the wall of Nineveh built anew.

Stone Slab Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who had it built using his....

Door Socket Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria: With the power of my scepter that the father of the gods, the god Aššur, had given me, I brought back with me precious kašurû-stone, whose mountain is far away, and I installed it underneath the pivots of the door leaves of the gates of my palace.

Door Socket Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria.

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria.

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria.

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of Assyria.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, built a palace anew inside Nineveh.

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria: He indeed built Egalzagdinutukua, the “Palace Without a Rival”, anew to be his lordly residence inside Nineveh.

1 Palace of Sennacherib...: He indeed built a palace anew to be his lordly residence inside Nineveh.

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the inner wall and outer wall of Nineveh built anew and raised as high as mountains.

1 As for the inner wall and outer wall of Nineveh, which had not been built previously, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had them built anew and raised as high as mountains.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, built the wall of Nineveh anew.

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, built the inner wall and outer wall of Nineveh anew.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, built a house in connection with the start of the work on the wall of Nineveh for his son and gave it to him.

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built a house at the same time as the laying of the foundations of Nineveh and gave it to Aššur-šumu-ušabši, his son.

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built a house at the same time as the laying of the foundations of Nineveh and gave it to his son.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Abī-Baʾal, king of the land Samsimuruna, presented to me.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Karib-il, king of the land Saba, presented to me. Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person or erases my inscribed name, may the deities Aššur..., Sîn, and Šamaš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Karib-il, king of the land Saba, presented to me. Whoever... may the deities..., Šamaš..., Nabû, and Uraš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Karib-il, king of the land Saba...... I was having it incised. Whoever erases my inscribed name... may the deities..., and Uraš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Karib-il, king of the land Saba...... I was having it incised. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Karib-il, king of the land Saba, presented to me. Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person or erases my inscribed name, may the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn...

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that Karib-il, king of the land Saba, presented to me. Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person......

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that, Nabû,-zēr-kitti-līšir, son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, presented to me. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the god Aššur make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is the audience gift that......... presented to me. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the god Aššur make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deity... make his name and his seed disappear. Booty of the city Dumetu.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities..., Šamaš, Adad..., and Nergal make his name and his seed disappear. Booty of the city Dumetu.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: Booty of the city Dumetu. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities..., Sîn, Šamaš, Adad..., and... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: Booty of the city Dumetu. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, and Šamaš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: Booty of the city Duma. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities..., Ištar..., Nabû, and Uraš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: Booty of.... Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the god Aššur make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is ḫulālu-stone, a product of Mount... my...... I was having it incised in my presence. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš..., Ištar, Bēl... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is...-stone from Mount Za......... Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person or erases my inscribed name, may the deities Aššur..., Šamaš, and... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: This is papparmīnu-stone, a product of... may......... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the god Aššur make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the gods Aššur, Sîn, and Šamaš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the god Aššur make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad..., and Uraš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Whoever erases my inscribed name......

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib............

Inscribed Bead

1′ ............ Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities..., Sîn, Šamaš..., Bēl, and... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1′ ...... I was having it incised in my presence. Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person...

Inscribed Bead

1′ ... Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad..., Bēl... make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1′ ... Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad..., Nabû, and Uraš make his name and his seed disappear.

Inscribed Bead

1′ ...... Whoever places it in... or another person......

Inscribed Bead

1′ ...... Whoever places it..., Adad......

Horse Trough Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: I had horse troughs of white limestone built so that fungus cannot carry them off into death in the future. I filled the space in front of these horse troughs under my warhorses’ feet with blocks of pappardilû-stone, papparmīnu-stone, and ḫulālu-stone, leftovers of my choice stones, as well as jasper, marble, breccia, pendû-stone, alallu-stone, girimḫilibû-stone, engisû-stone, alabaster, sābû-stone, ḫaltu-stone, and fragments of slabs used in the building of my palace.

Inscribed Vessel

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, gave this naḫbuṣu-vessel to Aššur-ilī-muballissu, my son. Whoever should take it away from him, from his sons, or from his grandsons, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, take away his life, as well as those of his sons, and may he, literally “they”, make their names and their seed, as well as those of his advisors, disappear from the land.

Inscribed Vessel

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, gave this kappu-vessel to Aššur-ilī-muballissu, my son. Whoever should take it away from him, from his sons, or from his grandsons, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, take away his life, as well as those of his sons, and may he, literally “they”, make their names and their seed, as well as those of his advisors, disappear from the land.

Royal Titles and the First Campaign

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world... son of Sargon II... great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world:

First Campaign

3b On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia...............

r 1' .................. you, my god, have seen my handiwork... shrines in Akkad, earth......

The Walls and Bridge of Nineveh

i 1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

i 10 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the black-headed people from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me....

r i' 1' ......... I raised as high as a mountain.... In order to prevent its foundations from being weakened by rain and..., I had a supporting wall built along the circumference of the wall of the city... and.......

r i' 6' I enlarged the site of the citadel and Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened their squares and brought light into the alleys and streets, making them as bright as day.

r i' 9' I had a bridge constructed opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot.

r i' 11' I fashioned an inscribed object and had all the mighty victories that I achieved... over all of my enemies and all of my other achievements inscribed there. With inscribed objects of earlier rulers, my ancestors, I deposited it for ever after in the citadel wall of Nineveh, my capital city, for the kings, my descendants.

Instructions for Future Rulers

r i' 17' At any time in the future, may one of my descendants, literally “future children”, whom the god Aššur names for the lordship of the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur and the goddess Ištar will then hear his prayers.

r i' 23' That which is upon the inscribed object that...; belonging to Sennacherib....

The First Campaign against Merodach-baladan

i 1' ...... they flew away alone... to inaccessible places.

First Campaign

i 3' On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and in this way saved his life. I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle....

Early Campaigns and Building at Nineveh

i 1' ... I defeated all together..., Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 10' In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial payment from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

i 15' I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I hung their corpses on poles and placed them around the city. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

Second Campaign

i 23' On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks.......

r i' 1 I added archers and shield bearers to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty... among my entire camp and my governors...

r i' 1' whose plan had been designed by the stars, literally “writing”, of the firmament and whose arrangement was made manifest since ancient times; a sophisticated place and site of secret lore in which every kind of skilled craftsmanship, all of the rituals, and the secrets of the lalgar cosmic subterranean water are apprehended;...

r ii' 1 I measured the terrace’s dimensions. In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and in this way reinforced its base.

r ii' 5 I inscribed objects bearing my name 160 courses of brick within the terrace and I deposited them deep down in its foundation for ever after.

r ii' 7 Afterwards, I decided to increase the height of the terrace, and then I built up 20 courses of brick to the former terrace and thus I raised it to a total height of 180 courses of brick. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and thus enlarged its structure.

Building the Royal Palace

r ii' 13 I had a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood, a palace that I named Egalzagdinutukua, the “Palace Without a Rival”, constructed there as my royal residence.

The Palace Gardens

r ii' 17 I planted alongside the palace a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of aromatic plants and fruit trees, trees that are the mainstay of the mountains and Chaldea, collected inside it.

r ii' 20 To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of four pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed them over to them.

Irrigating the Gardens

r ii' 24 To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiri to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those gardens.

r ii' 31 By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and had a canebrake planted in it....

The Second Campaign against Ellipi

i' 1' ............ Ispabāra fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

i' 6'b I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, and then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller.......

The Second, Third, and Fourth Campaigns

1' .................. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull. I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out from them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

5' I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, and then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

8' I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

10' I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, and then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

12' I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, and then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I placed it under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and thus enlarged my land.

14' On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

Third Campaign

15' On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled afar into the midst of the sea. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed the cities Great Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, and Acco, his fortified cities and fortresses, an area of pastures and water-places, resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

18' I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute and payment in recognition of my overlordship to be delivered yearly and without interruption.

19' As for Minuḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the city Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

r 3 Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

r 4 I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

r 5 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

r 6 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

r 8 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the kings”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

r 10 I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

r 12 I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, and then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

r 13 As for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty.

r 16 As for Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, and Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the land Gaza, and in this way made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts in recognition of my overlordship and imposed it upon them, text: “him”.

r 19 As for Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my departure, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, in this way gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hides, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment and to do obeisance.

Fourth Campaign

r 22 On my fourth campaign... they entrusted him with............

The Fourth Campaign against Bit-Yakin

1' ...... I marched... every kind of valuable treasure...... and Akkad...

4' ... to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea.... the land Bīt-Yakīn and within the swamps...

6' ... I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.... I confined them within the marshes...

8' From the booty of those lands that I had plundered, I conscripted 10,000 archers and 10,000 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my great cult centers.

10' ............

The Third Campaign in the Levant

1' ... Būdi-il of the land Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

4' Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

6' I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

8' In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

10' As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

14' In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes, literally “the sons of the kings”, together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

18' I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; and I commanded that the rest of them, those who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, to whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.

r 3 I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the lordly throne over them, and then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

r 5 As for Hezekiah of the land Judah, I surrounded and conquered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and smaller settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted them as booty....

A Summary of Military Campaigns

i 1' ... I ruined the wide district of the land Judah and imposed my yoke on Hezekiah, its king.

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 Deluge.

i 4' I struck down with the sword the people of the land Ḫilakku, who live in the high mountains.

i 5'b I conquered and plundered the city Tīl-garimmu, which is on the border of the land Tabal.

i 6' The cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts, of the king of the land Elam, that are situated on the other shore of the sea, in which the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn — having, because of my mighty weapons, dislodged the gods of the full extent of their land from their abodes and crossed the sea — took up residence inside: I crossed the sea in boats of the land Ḫatti, which I had built in Nineveh and the city Tīl-Barsip. I conquered and burned with fire the cities in those districts, and I turned them into a mound of ruins, literally “a mound and ruins”. I carried off the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn and their gods, together with soldiers of the king of the land Elam, and I brought them to Assyria.

i 14' ......

ii 1' ...... who... because... during......

The text on the reverse is not edited here

The Elamite Campaign and Halule

i 1' ...... I marched...

i 3' Afterwards, he, the king of the land Elam, the lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, and Ellipi, the entirety of Chaldea, and all of the Arameans, a large host, formed a confederation with him. They met up with the king of Babylon and the citizens of Babylon and Borsippa and they... as far as the city Ḫalulê to do battle.

i 7'b I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal,

Rest of the inscription missing

The royal decree on the reverse is not edited here

Preparations for the Battle of Halule

i' 1 I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, the gods who support me, for victory over my strong enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers and came to my aid.

i' 4 ... I became enraged like a ferocious..., and then put on armor and placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low. I took in my hand the mighty bow that the god Aššur had granted to me and I grasped in my hand an arrow that cuts off life.

i' 9 ...... I thundered like the god Adad

i' 10 ......

i' 1' ......... The wheels of my war chariot, which lays criminals and villains low, were bathed in blood and gore. I filled the plain with the corpses of their warriors like grass. I cut off their lips and thus destroyed their pride. I cut off their hands like the stems of cucumbers.

i' 5' I received gold and shining silver sling straps from their wrists and slashed off their belts with sharp swords. I took away gold and silver decorated belt-daggers from their waists.

i' 8' As for the rest of his magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing battle with me, I captured them alive....

i' 11' ... with their mules.

i' 12' The king of Babylon and the king of the Elam abandoned their tents and, in order to save their lives, they trampled the corpses of their troops as they pushed on.

i' 14' Their hearts throbbed like the pursued young of pigeons, they passed their urine hotly, and released their excrement inside their chariots.

i' 16' ......

The royal decrees on the reverse are not edited here

The Battle of Halule: K 2622

1 A Chaldean, Šūzubu... a rash fellow, a chariot fighter, a servant who belonged to the governor of the city Laḫīru... who in the time of my father fled like a bird on account of the beating of the...-official and the tearing out of his hair... and wandered about in the open country, who entered Babylon when there was rebellion and revolt... and was counted as one of them: The Babylonians exalted him over them and they entrusted him with the kingship of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

6 To Babylon, which was very guilty... where Šūzubu, a Chaldean, son of a nobody, a person of lowly status who has no strength..., was appointed as... of Babylon: The people of Babylon who had rebelled and the Chaldeans, Arameans... fugitives, and runaways who had banded together with them in exchange for gifts and bribes... and they took an oath.

10 The Babylonians opened the treasury of Esagil and sent my gifts — the silver, gold, and precious stones that I had given as presents to the god Bēl, Marduk, and the goddess Zarpanītu, the property and possessions of the temple of their gods — as a bribe to Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, who does not have sense or insight.... previously and they took an oath. They gave him the order to muster his army and to.... He gathered his army, inspected his chariots and wagons...

15 The lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, and Ellipi, the people of Yasiʾil, Lakabera, and Ḫarzunu, and the cities Dummuqu, Sulāya......

l.e. 1 ......

r 1' ......... for evil against the land....

r 3' As for any future ruler who... changes and... by some crafty device, erases..., may the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad... all of the gods of Assyria, make their name, their seed, their offspring, and their progeny disappear....

Lacuna?

The Battle of Halule: DT 236

1 A Chaldean, Šūzubu...... a rash fellow, a chariot fighter, a servant who belonged to the governor of the city Laḫīru... who in the time of my father fled like a bird on account of the beating of the...-official and the tearing out of his hair... and wandered about in the open country, who entered Babylon when there was rebellion and revolt... and was counted as one of them: The Babylonians exalted him over them and they entrusted him with the kingship of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

6 To Babylon, which was very guilty... where Šūzubu, a Chaldean, son of a nobody, a person of lowly status who has no strength..., was appointed as...... of Babylon: The people of Babylon who had rebelled and the Chaldeans, Arameans... fugitives, and runaways who had banded together with them in exchange for gifts and bribes...... and they took an oath.

10 The Babylonians opened the treasury of Esagil and sent my gifts — the silver, gold, and precious stones that I had given as presents to the god Bēl, Marduk, and the goddess Zarpanītu, the property and possessions of the temple of their gods — as a bribe to Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, who does not have sense or insight....... previously and they took an oath. They gave him the order to muster his army and to... He gathered his army, inspected his chariots and wagons............

r 1' ... As for any future ruler who... changes and... by some crafty device, erases..., may the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad... all of the gods of Assyria, make their name, their seed, their offspring, and their progeny disappear....

r 5' ...

The Battle of Halule: K 4484

1' ...... they trusted and... in the strength of...... they were lined up..., and then they rejoiced and were full of joy.... in my great strength, which the god Aššur, king of the gods.... I did not rely on..., but trusted in the god Aššur, my god.

6'b I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nergal... Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, Bēl, Nabû...... the gods who support me, for victory over the army of my enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers and came to my aid.

9'b Like a raging lion... I put on armor and placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low....

Draft Captions for Campaign Reliefs

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: In the mighty mountains, where there is not even a piece of straw or a splinter of wood for sustaining a shepherd, where 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, traveled over them with difficulty.

10 Bīt-Kubat.

11 Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, became frightened by my battle array; he shred his lordly garments and quickly departed from Babylon.

14 Šūzubu, a usurper king who had taken the kingship of Babylon for himself: Terror of doing battle with me fell upon him; he lost consciousness and fell from his horse to the ground.

18 ... the land of Sumer.

19 ... the land of Emeluḫḫa, Meluḫḫa.

Draft Relief Captions about Merodach-baladan

1 Sennacherib....

2 Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan... became frightened by Sennacherib’s battle array;... he quickly departed from Babylon....

5 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria... in joy and happiness... into Babylon, into the palace... fine oil fit for anointing a king....

The list of names is not edited here

The Palace and Walls of Nineveh

i' 1 I filled in and measured a terrace... 268 large aslu-cubits along the inner, shorter side, which is opposite the zamû-wall of the shrine behind the temple of the goddess Ištar, 443 large aslu-cubits along the other, parallel, inner shorter side, which is on the west behind the ziggurrat of the temple of the goddess Ištar, and 386 large aslu-cubits along the lower, southern shorter side, which is beside the Tigris River.

i' 8b So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar revealed to me the presence of white limestone in the city Balāṭāya.......

r i 1' ...... In total, eight gates facing the rising sun, toward the south and east, and I gave them these names.

r i 4' “The God Adad Is the Provider of Prosperity to the Land”: this is the Adad Gate, which leads to the game preserve. “The God Erra Is the One Who Cuts Down My Enemies”: this is the Nergal Gate, which leads to the city Tarbiṣu. “The God Igisigsig Is the One Who Makes Orchards Flourish”: this is the Gate of the Gardens. In total, three gates facing toward the north and I gave them these names.

r i 11' “The God Ea Is the One Who Properly Directs, Water Flow into, My Cisterns”: this is the Mašqû Gate. “The One Who Brings in Income from the Settlements”: this is the Quay Gate.

A Draft Building Inscription

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods: The god Aššur... made all of the insubmissive kings from the rising sun to the setting sun bow down at his feet and they now pull his yoke.

4b At that time, during... the Rear Palace, which is inside Nineveh, for... mules...... the submission of... to the yoke and... the overseeing of everything, as much as there was... who I made bow down at my feet......

10 ... pendû-stone — a stone for speaking and being accepted, as well as making storms pass by, and keeping the rābiṣu-demon away from a man, and which was joyfully brought from the foot of Mount Nipur — breccia, a stone for... and keeping the ziqtu-illness and fear away from a man —............... upon it.........

Reverse completely missing

Monuments Depicting the Gods and King

1 When the god Aššur, king of the gods of heaven and netherworld..., the father of all of the gods, foremost of...... the exalted circumspect one who is surpassing in insight..., the one who gives scepter, throne, and reign...; the goddess Mullissu, the consort of the god Aššur, ruler of all of the gods... who through her command...; the god Sîn, lord of decisions, bearer of powerful horns... who... to give commands...; the god Šamaš, great judge of the gods who makes light go forth... who by his bright light...; the god Anu, supreme lord, scion of the god Aššur, father of the gods...; the god Adad, canal inspector of heaven and earth, lord of wind and lightning... giver of sustenance to the creatures of the god Sumuqan, Šakkan...; the goddess Ištar, queen of the heavens and stars who......; the god Marduk, sage of the gods, incantation priest of the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods...; the god Ninurta, son of the god Enlil, perfect, foremost of... who stands... and......; the god Nabû, vizier of the god Aššur...; the god Nergal, the lord of strength and power who...; the god Palil, the leader, foremost of...; the Sebetti, valiant gods...; the great gods, my lords...:

23 The gods searched all of... and... they looked... upon me, Sennacherib... the god Sîn, the goddess Ningal......

r 1' ... his palace... I made six steles and I fashioned images of the great gods, my lords, upon them. Moreover, I had a royal image of myself expressing humility, literally “one who strokes the nose”, placed before them. I had all of my handiwork that I had undertaken in Nineveh inscribed upon them and I left them for ever after for the kings, my descendants.

Instructions for Future Rulers

r 4'b At any time in the future, a future ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, who desecrates the work that I have done, dismantles the canal system that I have constructed, or diverts the flow of the waters of these canals from the plain of Nineveh: May the great gods, as many as are named in this stele, by their holy decree, which cannot be altered, curse him with a harsh curse and overthrow his dynasty. May they make him and his advisors, their name, their seed, their offspring, and their progeny disappear....

r 10' That which is written on...

Opening a Canal and Offering Sacrifices

1' ............ who before...... seas..., who does not have a rival in... lands...... who loves justice, goes to the aid of the weak......... the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning... whose dominion is more praised, the builder of Assyria... the one who destroys its settlements, the one who has canals dug, the one who opens up streams..., the one who establishes abundance and plenty...... Assyria......

r 1' ............ Its sluice gate was not opened through the work of human hands. According to the heart’s desire of the gods, I made it gurgle with water. After I inspected the canal and made sure its construction was performed correctly, I offered pure sacrifices of fattened oxen and an abundance of sheep to the great gods, who march at my side and who make my reign secure. I clothed those men who dug out this canal with linen garments and garments with multi-colored trim, and I placed gold rings and gold pectorals on them.

r 6'b .........

Supplying Nineveh with Water

1' ............ did not know, moats... the one who makes brickwork structures, literally “the craft of the god Kulla”, secure, from buildings for the living to tombs befitting the dead made from limestone...:

4' The god Aššur, the one who regulates the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the father of all of the gods... made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.... From from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun he made all of the rulers of the four quarters of the world bow down at my feet and they now pull my yoke.

Nineveh and the Royal Palace

7'b At that time, Nineveh, the exalted cult center...... whose site had become too small, the outstanding city...... and which in former days, its site no one...... Egalzagdinutukua, the “Palace Without a Rival”......... Moreover, its people did not know artificial irrigation, but had their eyes turned for rain and showers from the sky.......

r 1' ...... I provided irrigation annually for the cultivation of grain and sesame.

r 2'b To a later ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, who deliberates the matter in his heart but is not able to believe it and says “How did he have this canal dug out with only these few men?”: I swear by the god Aššur, my great god, that I dug out this canal with only these men. Moreover, I completed the work on it within one year and three months;... was completed and I finished its excavation.

r 6' In order to open that canal, I sent an exorcist and a lamentation singer and... Carnelian, lapis lazuli, muššāru-stone, pappardilû-stones, precious stones, turtles and tortoises whose likenesses are cast in silver and gold, aromatics, and fine oil, I gave as gifts to the god Ea, the lord of underground waters, cisterns, and..., and to the god Enbilulu, the inspector of canals, and the god Enʾeʾimdu, the lord of dikes and canals. I prayed to the great gods; they heeded my supplications and made my handiwork prosper.

r 10'b This sluice gate of the watercourse opened by itself without the help of spade or shovel and let an abundance of water flow through.............

Inscriptions on a Captured Royal Seal

1 Tukultī-Ninurta I, king of the world, son of Shalmaneser I, king of Assyria: Booty of Karduniaš Babylonia. As for the one who removes my inscription and my name, may the god Aššur and the god Adad make his name disappear from the land.

4 This seal was given as a gift from Assyria to Akkad. I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, after six hundred years conquered Babylon and took it out from the property of Babylon.

8 Property of Šagarakti-Šuriaš, king of the world.

9 Tukultī-Ninurta I, king of the world, son of Shalmaneser I, king of Assyria: Booty of Karduniaš, Babylonia. As for the one who removes my inscription and my name, may the god Aššur and the god Adad make his name disappear from the land.

12 Property of Šagarakti-Šuriaš, king of the world.

13 That which was engraved upon a seal of lapis lazuli.

Draft Inscriptions for Stone Beads

1 You will write as follows upon the small seal-shaped pearl that...:

3 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: I had a stone that I carried here from the city Gala... I was having it incised in my presence.

6 Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, and Šamaš make his name and his seed disappear.

r 1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: I had a stone that I carried here from the city Gala... I was having it incised in my presence.

r 4 Whoever erases my inscribed name or places it in the service of a god or another person, may the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Ištar, and... make his name and his seed disappear.

Ashur and the Tablet of Destinies

1' ...... for oracles... May the Igīgū gods...... May the Anunnakū gods reverently look after the skillfully crafted things that I... in....

5' The Tablet of Destinies, the bond of supreme power, dominion over the gods of heaven and netherworld, sovereignty over the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the secret of the heavens and the netherworld, the bond of the cover of the heavens, literally “Anu”, and the netherworld, Ganzer, the lead-rope of mankind, which the god Aššur, king of the gods, took in his hand and held at his breast — a representation of his form, a replica of his proper appearance, is... on the Tablet of Destinies: He grasps in his hand the lead-rope of the great heavens, the bond of the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods.

14' Sennacherib had an image of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Bēlet-ilī, and Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, the shepherd who expresses humility, literally “one who strokes the nose”, the agent of the god Aššur, his lord, placed in front of the representation of the god Aššur, his lord.

19' O Aššur, father of heaven, king of the gods, the one who decrees fates, only you hold the Tablet of Destinies of the gods in your hands. Look after the reign of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and determine as my fate a good destiny, a destiny of good health, and kingship. Lift up my head among all who sit on royal daises, so that the foundation of my throne will be as secure as a mountain until the distant future. For me, the one who provides for you, make all of the lands from east to west submit to my yoke so that the people, the black-headed, pray to you and so that my sons, my grandsons, my dynasty, and my progeny endure forever with the black-headed people.

Lacuna?

A Bronze Kettledrum Dedicated to Ashur

1 To the god Aššur, king of all of the gods, the one who created himself, father of the great gods, whose form took its beautiful shape in the apsû, king of heaven and netherworld, lord of all gods, the one who molds the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the one who formed the cover of the heavens, literally “the god Anu”, and the netherworld, creator of the whole of the inhabited world, the one who dwells in the bright firmament, the Enlil of the gods, the one who decrees fates, and the one who dwells in Ešarra, which is in Baltil, Aššur, the great lord, his lord:

6b Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, had a kettledrum of reddish bronze, cast by..., which is covered with leather through the craft of the deity Šikaggu..., skillfully made for his life, the prolongation of his days, his happiness, the securing of his reign..., and to reconcile Aššur... and to appease his heart...... on the fifth day, the seventh day... and the festival......

Ashur and Tiamat on the Festival Gate

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods:

2 Through divination, at the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, I built the akītu-house of the steppe for the qerītu-festival, which had been forgotten for a long time. I named it Eabbaugga, “House where Tiāmat Is Put to Death.” I named its cella Edubdubabba, “House that Makes the Host of Tiāmat Tremble.”

5 Through the craft of the deity Ninagal and my own expertise, I had a gate of reddish bronze made that is entirely one single metal band. According to the command that the gods Šamaš and Adad gave me through divination, I depicted on this gate an image of the god Aššur, who is going to fight Tiāmat, showing the bow as he carries it, in the chariot which he rides, and the Deluge which he has harnessed, and the god Amurru as the driver who rides with him.

9b According to the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, I depicted on this gate a scene showing the gods, as many as go in front of him and go behind him, those who ride in vehicles and those who go on foot; their positions as they are arrayed before the god Aššur and arrayed behind the god Aššur; and Tiāmat, with the creatures created inside her, against whom the god Aššur, king of the gods, goes to fight.

13 According to the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, ditto, = I depicted on this gate a scene showing, the rest of the gods who go on foot. According to the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, I did not depict the scene before Aššur captures Tiāmat, carries off the beasts of Tiāmat, gives... his...s as they run about on foot like this one... who are not depicted with them. I put in writing the details of the scene on this gate and splendidly erected it... in silver, gold, and bronze.

18b To break down utensils of silver, gold, and reddish bronze, to melt down metal from 1,000 talents to one shekel, and to smelt them together: I myself, the one who understands their technique and who grasps their casting, have mastered these skills. If you do not believe the record of the casting of this bronze, I hereby swear by the king of the gods, the god Aššur, the god who created me, where this inscription is written down and where the image of the god Aššur and the image of the gods, as many as go to fight against Tiāmat with him, are depicted, that I myself had this metal-work cast. So that it will be known to future generations: I increased the amount of tin in it. Know through this that I myself had this metal-work cast.

26 The image of the god Aššur, who goes to fight against Tiāmat. The image of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The deities Šarur, Šargaz, Kakka, Nusku, Mandānu, Tišpak, Ninurta of the Wall, Kusu, Ḫaya, and the Sebetti — these are the gods who go in front of the god Aššur. The deities Mullissu, Šērūa, Sîn, Ningal, Šamaš, Aya, Kippat-māti, Anu, Antu, Adad, Šala, Ea, Damqina..., Bēlet-ilī, and Ninurta — these are the gods who go behind the god Aššur.

32 The victorious weapon is placed in the chariot of the god Aššur.

33 Tiāmat with the creatures created inside her.

Marduk's Bed and Throne: K 8664

1 To the god Aššur, the king of the gods, the father of the gods, the lofty one, the creator, the great god, the one who molds the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the one who holds the lead-rope of the great heavens, the deep-hearted one who deliberates only with himself, the assiduous one, the regulator, the one who decrees fates, the splendid one, the perfect one, the leader of absolutely everything, controller of the gods of heaven and netherworld; the exalted force that makes devastation come like the Deluge to the land where there is negligence and hardship, who makes a destructive flood sweep over all four quarters of the world — which are unsubmissive to his governor, Sennacherib, — so that tribute and payment is imposed upon them and so that they carry their work baskets daily, without interruption; the lord of everything who holds the lead-rope of heaven and netherworld, the one who dwells in Eḫursagkurkurra — the awe-inspiring shrine, exalted sanctuary, and holy dwelling place — the awesome radiance and awe-inspiring luminosity that has mercy on their governors, his great..., who quickly accepts supplications and prayers addressed to him, who makes his angry weapons rage against the unyielding... the road to joy...... weapons............

r 1' ... The legs of the bed are one and two-thirds cubits, measured by the royal cubit.

r 3' The length of the throne is three and one-thirds cubits, measured by the royal cubit. Its width is one and two-thirds cubits. Water surrounds lamassu-figures. There are four lamassu-figures on the two rungs of the sides; two ditto = lamassu-figure on the frontpiece. The entire throne: The length of the kitturru is one and two-thirds cubits. Its height is two-thirds of a cubit. The width of the kuptu, as far as the mušḫuššu-dragon, is two-thirds of a cubit.

r 9' Wording of the inscription that is on the bed and the throne at the footend. It is a single text. That of the chest was not copied.

Marduk's Bed and Throne: K 2411

Completely missing

ii 1 ... to my land..................

iii 1' ...... I... to the god Aššur, king of the gods... for... the securing of my reign, the increasing of......... the foundation of my throne for... days.

iii 5' May the god Aššur, king of the gods, the great god... look kindly upon my deeds. When he looks, may the works that are the desire of..., as much I have done, please him and be acceptable to him. May he make the people of the four quarters of the world bow down to him so that they pull his yoke. May he make the substantial tribute of the settlements, the abundance of heaven and earth, pour into Ešarra, the seat of his great divinty, annually.

iii 11' May the goddess Mullissu, the queen of Ešarra, the consort of the god Aššur, creator of the great gods, have a good word about Sennacherib, king of Assyria, set upon her lips daily before the god Aššur.

iii 14' May the god Aššur and the goddess Mullissu discuss the... of power, the attainment of very old age, the lengthening of Sennacherib’s days, the securing of his reign, and the... of the throne of his kingship forever and ever.

iii 17' The length of the sideboard is six and two-thirds cubits, measured by the royal cubit. The frontpiece is three and one-third cubits, measured by the royal cubit. There are twelve gold platings on the side of the bed; six ditto = gold platings on the side. There is a... mušḫuššu-dragon on top of the sidewalls. The matress has a nalbattu-form that has...... of pappardilû-stones, and ḫašḫur-api ornaments of obsidian, carnelian, and lapis-lazuli arranged around it. The lower matress is gold and water is... on it. The legs are lamassu-figures. Beneath the lamassu-figures a... claw-shaped ornament. There are eight lamassu-figures on the two rungs of the sides. There is one lamassu-figure on each....... Water surrounds lamassu-figures.... The rungs are... with water. The legs of the bed are one and two-thirds cubits, measured by the royal cubit.

iii 30' The length of the throne is three and one-thirds cubits, measured by the royal cubit. Its width is one and two-thirds cubits. Water surrounds lamassu-figures. There are four lamassu-figures on the two rungs of the sides; two ditto = lamassu-figure on the frontpiece. The entire throne: The length of the kitturru is one and two-thirds cubits. Its height is two-thirds of a cubit. The width of the kuptu, as far as the mušḫuššu-dragon, is two-thirds of a cubit.

iii 36' Wording of the inscription that was cut off and erased from the bed and the throne of the god Bēl, Marduk, that were in the temple of the god Aššur and of the inscription written upon them in the name of Ashurbanipal. Simānu III, twenty-seventh day, eponymy of Awiānu 655, they were returned to Babylon....

The Ashurbanipal inscription is not edited here

Restoring the Image and Rites of Ashur

1' ... the one who brings his cult centers to completion, makes enemy lands submissive and destroys their settlements...:

3' When I refurbished the images of the god Aššur, my lord... and carried out to perfection the rites of Ešarra, just like Sargon II, king of Assyria, my father — my father.... Its place... my... the god Aššur

9' ......

r 1' ... The arrangement of the inscription that is upon the paving slabs of alallu-stone in the temple of the god Aššur upon which the king stands when he kisses the ground.

Clay Prism

1 At that time, the private room... of the palace of Baltil, Aššur, the seat of the kings, my ancestors, from distant days, of Tiglath-pileser I, son of Aššur-rēša-iši I, king of Assyria, became dilapidated. Ashurnasirpal II, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta II, king of Assyria, renovated its dilapidated sections. That private room... and its construction was inexpert and thus I tore down that cella.

7 I had a large private room constructed anew to be my lordly seat and through the craft of well-trained master builders I built and completed it from its foundations to its battlements. I roofed it with magnificent beams of cedar grown on Mount Amanus. I fastened metal bands on facing doors of white cedar and I installed them in its gate.

12b I invited inside the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Baltil, Aššur, and then I made splendid offerings before them of enormous wild bulls and fattened sheep.

15b By the exalted command of the god Aššur, the great lord, the father of the gods, the one who decrees fates, inside the palace... may I attain old age, which without...., and be sated with happiness.

Clay Prism

28 illegible lines

i 29 I seized the chariots, horses, wagons, and mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

i 32 I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, and then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions and property without number, a substantial tribute, together with his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

i 43 With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 smaller settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, and Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

i 53 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans..........

ii 1 I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and had my personal chariot carried on men’s necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

ii 6 I surrounded and conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and tents, their abodes, and reduced them to ashes.

ii 15b I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again and I strengthened its walls more than before, and then I settled the people of the lands that I had conquered there. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and I made them dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu and Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected it in that city.

ii 30b I turned around, literally “I turned the front of my yoke”, and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

ii 41 I carried off people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, and then I ruined Ispabāra and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs and the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

ii 51 I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, and then I changed its former name and...

iii 1 ... Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times the normal amount, as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.

iii 7b Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not submitted to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brothers, and other offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.

iii 13 I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute and gifts in recognition of my overlordship so that he now pulls my yoke.

iii 18 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, and Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

iii 23 As for the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt and the archers, chariots, and horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.

iii 32 In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and... I captured.......

iii 39b I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Eltekeh and Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors and nobles who had committed crimes and hung their corpses on towers around the city;......

... 22 illegible lines

Prismatic Cylinder

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, leader of a widespread population, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuru, Bēlet-ilī, and the other great gods, the one who carries out to perfection the rites of Ešarra and Emašmaš, who knows well how to revere the gods of heaven and the gods of Assyria, the builder of Assyria, the one who brings his cult centers to completion, the one who uproots enemies and destroys their settlements, circumspect ruler whose dominion is more praised than that of all kings who sit on royal daises, the support of his land, the one who is trustworthy in battle and combat, and the protection of his troops, I:

8b At that time, with regard to Eḫursaggalkurkurra, which is within Ešarra, the sanctuary of the god Aššur — the great lord, my lord — and whose proper orientation fell by the wayside in distant days: Its gate opened toward the south. With the extensive wisdom that the god Ea had given me, with the perspicacity that the god Aššur had granted to me, I took counsel with myself and made up my mind to open the gate of Eḫursaggalkurkurra toward the rising sun, facing east.

13b I found out the will of the gods Šamaš and Adad and they answered me with a firm ‘yes,’ and then the gods Šamaš and Adad commanded that that gate be opened toward the rising sun, facing east. At that time, I made several breaches in the wall, and then I opened a new gate toward the god Aššur, my lord, toward the east, and named it “The Royal Gate.”

17b I built anew the bīt-šuḫūru and widened its gate. At that gate of the bīt-šuḫūru, four bull-shaped son-of-Šamaš figures of reddish bronze raise up in their hands a sun disk and hold up the roof above, while below, their feet are firmly planted in place on two bronze daises, one of a bronze fish man and one of a bronze carp man. On the right and left of the gate, a lion-man figure and a scorpion-man figure hold the door bolts. I named that, literally “those”, gate “The Gate of the Path of the Enlil-Stars.”

22b I built anew its courtyard and named it “The Courtyard of the Row of Pedestals for the Igīgū gods.” I gave the gate that faces the rising sun, toward the river, the name “The Gate of the Firmament.” I gave its entrance gate to the courtyard the name “The Entrance of the Igīgū gods.” I gave the gate that faces south the name “The Kamsū-Igīgū Gate.” I gave its entrance gate to the courtyard the name “The Gate of the Abundance of the Land.” I gave its gate that faces north the name “The Gate of the Wagon Star.” I gave its entrance gate to the courtyard the name “The Gate of the Dais of Destinies.”

27b I completed the gate of the cella, the bīt-šaḫūru, its walls, together with its courtyard, its rooms, and its gates, from its foundations to its crenellations with the craft of the god Kulla and I raised its superstructure as high as a mountain. With my innate expertise, I named the gates and their courtyard and I gave them their names.

30b O foundation inscription, speak favorable things to the god Aššur about Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who loves correct behavior, the one who fashioned the image of his god, and the one who built this temple, so that his offspring, his sons, and his grandsons may flourish together with Baltil, Aššur, and Ešarra and endure forever with the black-headed people.

33b May any future ruler whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people and during whose reign that temple becomes dilapidated renovate its dilapidated sections. May he find my inscribed objects, anoint them with oil, make an offering, and put them back in their, text: “its”, place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

35b As for the one who alters my inscribed object and disrespects my words, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, and the great gods of heaven and netherworld curse him with a harsh curse, and may they overthrow his kingship, deprive him of his life, and make his name, his seed, his offspring, and his progeny disappear from the mouth of the people.

Stone Stele

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Mullissu... and the other great gods, the one who makes great their purification rites, the one who carries out to perfection the forgotten rites of Ešarra through divination, at the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, the one who renovated Baltil, Aššur, the one who... its purification rites, the one who returns the unfinished protective spirit of Ešarra to its place, I:

10b Then, after I had made the image of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, and the images of the great gods, and installed them in their peaceful dwellings, in the month Nisannu I, the first month, the month of father Enlil, the month of the heliacal rising of the Plow-star: The festival of the feast of the king of the gods, the god Aššur, which from distant days, because of chaos and disruption, and the akītu-house of the steppe had been forgotten; the rites of the king of the gods, the god Aššur, had been performed inside the city. With regard to that work, I made up my mind to rebuild that akītu-house, and then I found out the will of the gods Šamaš and Adad, and they answered me with a firm ‘yes’ and commanded me to rebuild it.

27 In a favorable month, on a propitious day, through the craft of the purification priest...

Rebuilding the Festival Temple at Ashur

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, leader of a widespread population, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, the one who carries out to perfection the forgotten rites of Ešarra through divination, at the command of the gods Šamaš and Adad, the one who makes great their purification rites, the one who returns the abandoned protective spirit of Ešarra to its place, who knows well how to revere the gods of heaven and the gods of Assyria, who exalts the great gods in their dwellings, who makes their accoutrements great,

9b the builder of Assyria, the one who brings his cult centers to completion, the one who makes enemy lands obedient, the one who destroys their settlements, the one who has canals dug, the one who opens streams, the one who makes watercourses gush, the one who establishes abundance and plenty in the wide plains of Assyria, the one who provides irrigation water in the meadows of Assyria — which from the days of yore no one in Assyria had seen or known canals and artificial irrigation and which none in bygone times had used —

17b the one who makes brickwork structures, literally “the craft of the god Kulla”, secure, from buildings for the living to tombs befitting the dead made from limestone, stone from the mountains, with which none of the kings of the past who came before me in Assyria had used, circumspect ruler whose dominion is more praised than that of all kings who sit on royal daises, the support of his land, the one who is trustworthy in battle and combat, and the protection of his troops, I:

22b Then, after I had made the image of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, and the images of the great gods, and installed them in their peaceful dwellings, in the month Nisannu I, the first month, the month of father Enlil, the month of the heliacal rising of the Plow-star: The festival of the feast of the king of the gods, the god Aššur, which from distant days, because of chaos and disruption, and the akītu-house of the steppe had been forgotten; the rites of the king of the gods, the god Aššur, had been performed inside the city. With regard to that work, I made up my mind to rebuild that akītu-house, and then I found out the will of the gods Šamaš and Adad, and they answered me with a firm ‘yes’ and commanded me to rebuild it.

30b In a favorable month, on a propitious day, through the craft of the purification priest and the wisdom of the exorcist, I laid its foundation with limestone, stone from the mountains, and I raised its superstructure. I completed it from its foundations to its crenellations with stone from the mountains and raised it as high as a mountain. I had two canals dug around each of its sides, and then I had it surrounded with a lush garden, an orchard with fruit, and placed a splendid plantation around it.

36b After I destroyed Babylon, smashed its gods, and put its people to the sword, I removed its earth in order to make the site of that city unrecognizable and I had it carried to the sea by the Euphrates River. When its dirt reached Dilmun and the people of Dilmun saw it, fear and terror of the god Aššur fell upon them and they brought their audience gifts to me. Together with their audience gifts, they sent people mustered from their land, corvée workers, with bronze spades and bronze plowshares, tools manufactured in their land, in order to demolish Babylon.

44b In order to pacify the god Aššur, my lord, for people to sing the praises of his might, and for the admiration of future people, I removed dirt from Babylon and piled it up in heaps and mounds in that akītu-house.

48 While laying the foundation of the akītu-house, the audience gift of Karib-il, king of the land Saba — pappardilû-stone, choice stones, and fine aromatics — was presented to me and from that audience gift I laid stones and aromatics in its foundation. Like..., I... silver, gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ḫulālu-stone, muššaru-stone, pappardilû-stone, papparmīnu-stone, dāmātu-paste, and all of the finest aromatics in the foundation of that akītu-house. I sprinkled that foundation with perfumed oil and fine oil as abundantly as river water.

55b O you, foundation inscription, speak favorable things to the god Aššur about Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who loves correct behavior, the one who fashioned the image of the god Aššur, and the one who built this temple, so that his offspring, his sons, and his grandsons may flourish together with Baltil, Aššur, and Ešarra and endure forever with the black-headed people.

60b May any future ruler whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people and during whose reign that temple becomes dilapidated renovate its dilapidated sections. May he find my inscribed objects, anoint them with oil, make an offering, and put them back in their, text: “its”, place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

66 As for the one who alters my inscribed object and disrespects my words, who does unkind things to... and their offspring, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, and the great gods of heaven and netherworld curse him with a harsh, irreversible curse, and may they overthrow his kingship, deprive him of his life, and make his name, his seed, his offspring, and his progeny disappear in all lands.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: With white limestone, I laid the foundations of the courtyard of Ešarra, the palace of the gods.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods: With limestone, stone from the mountains, I raised this akītu-house as high as a mountain, from its foundations to its crenellations.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Nergal, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, and the other great gods, I: With white limestone, I laid the foundations of the akītu-house, the residence of the god Aššur, my lord.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Šerūa, Anu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, Kaka, Ḫaya, Kusu, Lumḫa, Dunga, Egalkiba, and the other great gods, I: With limestone, stone from the mountains, I laid the foundations of the akītu-house for the festival of the feast of the god Aššur.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur......, and the other great gods, I: With limestone, stone from the mountains, I had the akītu-house of the steppe for the festival of the feast of the god Aššur, built anew from its foundations to its crenellations and I raised it as high as a mountain.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Mullissu, Šerūa, Sîn, Nikkal, Šamaš, Aya, Anu, Antu, Adad, Šala, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, Ḫaya, Kusu, Lumḫa, Dunga, Egalkiba, and the other great gods, I: With limestone, stone from the mountains, I had the akītu-house of the steppe built anew and I raised it as high as a mountain.

1′ ............, Bēlet-ilī..., Ḫaya......

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built this temple for the god Zababa.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: With limestone, stone from the mountains, I laid the foundations of the Step Gate of the Palace, which is in Baltil, Aššur.

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built this house for Aššur-ilī-muballissu.

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, built this house for my second son Aššur-ilī-muballissu and I laid its foundations.

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, built this house for my second son Aššur-ilī-muballissu, who is in the service of the god Aššur, and I laid its foundations with limestone, stone from the mountains.

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, built this house for my second son Aššur-ilī-muballissu, who was created for the service of the god Aššur, and I laid its foundations with limestone, stone from the mountains.

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, built this house and gave it to my second son Aššur-ilī-muballissu. I strengthened and laid its foundations with limestone, stone from the mountains.

1 I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built this house and gave it to my second son Aššur--muballissu....

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods... with all of... my lord......

1 Sennacherib........................

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria...

Door Socket Inscription

1 For the god Aššur... who dwells in Ešarra, the great lord, his lord:

3 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Anu, Sîn..., and the other great gods, judicious ruler, the one who carries out to perfection the rites of Ešarra......... after I enlarged... and made the sanctuaries splendid, this gate...... gods, I widened its entryway and... had twin doors of cedar, the pure wood, made and had them secured in their positions upon kašurrû-stone, stone from the mountains, in the Gate.... In the inner gate, which through... for the coming and going of the god Aššur, king of the gods........................... for eternity.

Door Socket Inscription

1 For the god Aššur, king of the gods, the great lord, his lord:

3 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, had twin doors of cedar, the pure wood, made for his life, the lengthening of his days, the securing of his reign, and the well-being of his offspring, and he had them secured in their positions upon kašurrû-stone, stone from the mountains, in the Gate of the Wagon Star.

Metal Plating Inscription

1 For the god Aššur, king of the gods, the father who engendered the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods..., the one who decrees fates, lord of the lands..., who resides in Eḫursaggalkurkurra, which is inside Ešarra, the great lord, his lord:

4 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world king of Assyria......, the one who fashioned images of the deities Aššur, Šerūa......, Ištar of Bīt-Kidmuri, Bēlet-ilī, Kaka, Ḫaya, Kusu, Lumḫa, Dunga, Egalkiba, and the other great gods:

8b For his life, the lengthening of his days, the securing of his reign, and the well-being of his offspring... for eternity......... bronze......... dais he cast through the craftsmanship of the god Ninagal and....... temple of the god Dagān...... the Dais of Destinies, the path of the god Aššur... lord................

Metal Plating Inscription

1′ ...... of/which... the support of his land... great lord...:

4′ At that time, with regard to Eḫursaggalkurkurra, which is within Ešarra, the sanctuary of the god Aššur — the great lord, my lord — and whose proper orientation fell by the wayside in distant days: Its gate opened toward the south... of Eḫursaggalkurkurra...

7′ ... that gate...............

1 For the god Aššur, the father of the gods, his lord: Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, greatly embellished the frieze of the battlemented parapet of Ešarra with baked bricks and stone.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: With baked bricks from a ritually pure kiln, I had the tikātu-house of the courtyard where the pedestals of the Igīgū gods stand in rows made anew and I raised it as high as a mountain.

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: With baked bricks from a ritually pure kiln, I had the tikātu-house of the courtyard where the pedestals of the Igīgū gods stand in rows, made anew and I raised it as high as a mountain.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I:... the... of Ešarra...............

Lacuna?

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: With baked bricks from a ritually pure kiln, I had the Step Gate of the Palace in Baltil, Aššur, built anew.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods: With baked bricks from a ritually pure kiln, I built the Step Gate of the Palace in Baltil, Aššur, anew and I raised it as high as a mountain.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods: With baked bricks from a ritually pure kiln, I had the Step Gate of the Palace in Baltil, Aššur, built anew and I raised it as high as a mountain.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: With baked bricks from a ritually pure kiln, I raised the Step Gate of the Palace in Baltil, Aššur, as high as a mountain.

1 Palace of Rest, an eternal dwelling, the firmly-founded family house of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria.

1 Palace of Sleep, a restful tomb, the eternal dwelling of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, the one who fashioned images of the god Aššur and the great gods, I: I built a house for Aššur-nādin-šumi, my eldest son, and laid its foundations with limestone, stone from the mountains. I had it made with the craft of the god Kulla and I raised it as high as a mountain.

A House for the King’s Son: Duplicate of Inscription 99

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built a house at the same time as the laying of the foundations of Nineveh and gave it to Aššur-šumu-ušabši, his son.

Remodeling the Temple of Ashur

1' ...... of gold, two bull-shaped son-of-Šamaš figures of... I opened a new gate... toward the east, and named it “The Royal Gate.”

3' ... I built anew the gate of... and widened... that gate of the cella had become dilapidated and... of gold, a bull-shaped son-of-Šamaš figure of gold, a scorpion-man figure of...... I widened the gate of the cella and I named it “The Gate of the Path of the Enlil-Stars.” Four bull-shaped son-of-Šamaš figures of reddish bronze raise up in their hands a sun disk and hold up the roof above, while below, their feet are firmly planted in place on two bronze daises, one of a bronze fish man and one of a bronze carp man. On the right and left of the gate... two nāʾeru-figures of silver, two storm demon figures of silver....

11' I built anew its courtyard and... with silver slabs. I paved... for the processional way of the god Aššur, my lord. I named it “The Courtyard of the Row of Pedestals for the Igīgū gods.” Inside that courtyard... a portable bronze brazier... At the lighting of the fire before the god Aššur, my lord.... For the ritual bath of the god Aššur, I....

16' I gave the gate that faces the rising sun, toward the river, the name “The Gate of the Firmament.” I gave its entrance gate to the courtyard the name “The Entrance of the Igīgū gods.” I gave the gate that faces south the name “The Kamsū-Igīgū Gate.” I gave its entrance gate to the courtyard the name “The Gate of the Abundance of the Land.” I gave the gate that faces north the name “The Gate of the Wagon Star.” I gave its entrance gate to the courtyard the name “The Gate of the Dais of Destinies.”

r 5 Its images... in the gates... the gate......

Inscribed Bead

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: papparmīnu-stone from the land/mountain.... Whoever places it in the service of a god or another person or erases my inscribed name, may the deities Aššur, Mullissu... make his name and his seed disappear.

Lion Weight Inscription

1 Palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: One-half mina.

4 One-half mina.

Seal Inscription

1 The Seal of Destinies by which the god Aššur, king of the gods, seals the destinies of the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the heavens, the netherworld, and mankind.

6 Whatever he seals cannot be changed. Whoever tries to change what he seals, may the god Aššur, king of the gods, and the goddess Mullissu, together with their children, kill him with their mighty weapons.

11 I am Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the ruler who reveres you.

13 Whoever erases my inscribed name or alters this Seal of Destinies belonging to you, erase his name and his seed from the land.

First Campaign Cylinder from Tarbiṣu

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, true shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

4 The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

5 At the beginning of my kingship, after I sat on the lordly throne and set to governing the people of Assyria in obedience and peace, Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, an evil foe, a rebel with a treacherous mind, an evildoer whose villainous acts are true, sought friendship with Šutur-Naḫundu, Šutur-Naḫḫunte II, an Elamite, by presenting him with gold, silver, and precious stones; then, he continuously requested reinforcements from him.

8 To the land of Sumer and Akkad, Šutur-Naḫundu sent to Marduk-apla-iddina’s assistance Imbappa, his field marshal, together with the massed body of his troops, Tannānu, his third man, ten unit commanders, including Nergal-nāṣir, a Sutian who marches before them, 80,000 archers and lancers, 850 wagons, and the 12,200 horses that were with them.

10 Moreover, he, the evil Chaldean, evildoer, and offspring of murder, gathered together Uruk, Larsa, Ur, Eridu, Kullaba, Kissik, and Nēmed-Laguda, the lands of the Bīt-Yakīn, Bīt-Amukkāni, Bīt-Ašillāni, Bīt-Šillāni, Bīt-Saʾalli, and Bīt-Dakkūri, all of the Chaldeans, as many as there were; on the banks of the Tigris River, the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Gibrê, and Maliḫu, Malaḫu; on the banks of the Surappu River, the Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Hindaru, Ruʾuʾa, and Puqudu; on the banks of the Euphrates River, the Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu — Arameans who did not know fear of death; Nippur, Dilbat, Marad, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Babylon, Borsippa, and Cutha, all of Karduniaš, Babylonia, and prepared them for battle.

16 When they reported Marduk-apla-iddina's evil deeds to me, Sennacherib, the attentive man of the steppe, I became enraged like a lion and ordered the march into Babylon to confront him. Marduk-apla-iddina, the very image of an evil gallû-demon, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force, and then he reinforced their companies with horses and Elamite, Aramean, and Chaldean archers, together with Nergal-nāṣir and ten unit commanders of the king of the land Elam who did not know fear of death, and the countless forces who were with them. He brought their contingents together in Cutha and had them keep watch at outposts for the approach of my expeditionary force.

19 I prepared my chariot horses. On the twentieth day of the month Šabāṭu XI, like a powerful wild ox, I took the lead of my troops from Baltil, Aššur, but I did not wait for the main force of my army, nor did I wait for the rear guard. I sent my chief eunuch and my provincial governors to Kish ahead of me, saying: “Find out news of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, and do not be careless about putting a strong watch on him!”

21 Marduk-apla-iddina saw my provincial governors, and then came out of the Zababa Gate with all of his troops and did battle with my magnates in the plain of Kish. The enemy prevailed over my magnates in the thick of battle and my magnates were afraid to clash with his... They sent their messenger to me in the plain of Cutha for help.

23 In my rage, I unleashed a fierce assault on Cutha, and then I slaughtered the warriors surrounding its wall like sheep and took possession of the city. I brought out horses, the Elamite, Aramean, and Chaldean archers, the Elamite unit commanders, and Nergal-nāṣir, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

25 I became enraged like a lion and became furious like the Deluge. With my merciless warriors, I set out for Kish against Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan. Moreover, he, that evildoer, saw the disturbance from afar and fear fell upon him. He abandoned all of his troops and fled to the land Guzummānu.

27 I defeated Tannānu, together with the Elamite, Chaldean, and Aramean troops who had stood by him and had come to his aid, and I scattered his forces. I captured alive Adīnu, a nephew of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, together with Basqānu, a brother of Iatiʾe, queen of the Arabs, along with their troops. I seized the chariots, wagons, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, and Bactrian camels that he had abandoned during the battle.

30 With a rejoicing heart and a radiant face, I rushed to Babylon and entered the palace of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, to plunder the possessions and property there. I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold and silver utensils, precious stones, beds, armchairs, a processional carriage, royal paraphernalia of his with gold and silver mountings, all kinds of possessions and property, a substantial treasure, together with his wife, his palace women, female stewards, eunuchs, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, palace servants who cheered up his princely mind, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, and his palace attendants, and I counted them as booty.

34 I pursued him to the land Guzummānu and sent my warriors into the midst of swamps and marshes. For five days they sought him out, but his hiding place could not be found. I gathered all together the rest of his horses and troops, who were weary, and who had fled like deer instead of going with him, from the midst of the open country and plain.

36 In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Amatu, Ḫauae, Supapu, Bīt-Sannabi, Quṭayyin, Qidrīna, Dūr-Ladini, Bitāti, Bānītu, Guzummānu, Dūr-Yanṣuri, Dūr-Abī-Yataʾ, Dūr-Rudumme, Bīt-Raḫê, Ḫapiša, Sadi-AN, Ḫurudu, Ṣaḫrina, Iltuk, Allallu, Sabḫānu, Kār-Nergal, Apak, Bīt-Dannāya, Bīt-Abdāya, Baḫir, Marirâ, Marad, Yaqimuna, Kupruna, Bīt-Kudurri, Sūqa-Marusi, altogether 34 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Dakkūri, together with 250 smaller settlements in their environs;

40 the cities Dūr-Appê, Dūr-Tanê, Dūr-Samaʾ, Sarrabātu, Ṣalaḫātu, Dūr-Abdāya, Sappi-ḫimari, Ṣibtu-ša-Makka-mê, altogether 8 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Saʾalli, together with 120 smaller settlements in their environs;

42 the cities Sapīya, Šapīya, Sarrabānu, Larak, Parak-māri, Bīt-Ilu-bāni, Aḫudu, Ālu-ša-Iṣṣur-Adad, Ālu-šaḫarratu, Manaḫḫu, Ālu-ša-amēlê, Dūr-Aqqīya, Nagītu, Nūr-abīnu, Ḫar-Ṣuarra, Dūr-Rukbi, Danda-Ḫulla, Dūr-Bir-Dada, Bīt-rēʾê, Dūr-Ugurri, Gindaina, Ḫindaina, Dūr-Uayit, Bīt-Taurâ, Sapḫuna, Buḫarru, Ḫarbat-Iddina, Ḫarbat-Kalbi, Šaparrê, Bīt-Bāni-ilūʾa, Sulādu, Bīt-Iltama-samaʾ, Bīt-Dīni-ili, Daqalu, Ḫamīṣa, Bēlā, Tairu, Kiprānu, Iltaratu, Aqqar-ša-Kīna, Sagabatu-ša-Mardukia, altogether 39 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Amukkāni, together with 350 smaller settlements in their environs;

47 and the cities Bīt-Zabīdāya, Larsa, Kullaba, Eridu, Kissik, Nēmed-Laguda, and Dūr-Yakīn, including the city Kār-Nabû, which is on the shore of the Bitter Sea, altogether 8 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Yakīn, together with 100 smaller settlements in their environs;

49 the grand total is 88 fortified walled cities of Chaldea, together with 820 smaller settlements in their environs.

50 I let my troops eat the grain and dates in their gardens and their crops in the countryside. I destroyed them, devastated them, burned them with fire, and I turned them into forgotten ruin hills.

51 I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans and Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, and Ḫursagkalamma, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them as booty.

52 I let my army eat the grain and dates in their gardens, the fields they had labored in, and the crops in the countryside, which is their life’s necessity.

53 I appointed over them Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî and a scion of Šuanna, Babylon, who had grown up like a young puppy in my palace, as king of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

54 On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾmūna, Riḫiḫu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, and Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans, and I plundered them.

56 In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial payment from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu, Ḫarutu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

57 I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors, and I did not leave one alive. I reorganized that district and imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings for the ginû-offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

59 I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty consisting of 208,000 people, male and female, 7,200 horses and mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, and 800,100 sheep and goats. This is apart from the people, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats that all of my troops had carried away and appropriated for themselves.

61 Moreover, I struck with the sword the soldiers of the enemy, a recalcitrant force who had not submitted quickly to my yoke, and hung their corpses on poles.

62 At that time, Egallammes, the temple of the god Nergal that is inside the city Tarbiṣu, which Shalmaneser III, a former ruler, son of Ashurnasirpal II, and grandson of Tukultī-Ninurta II, had built, became dilapidated. I tore down that temple in its entirety and reached its foundation pit. I filled in a terrace in an area measuring 200 cubits along its longer side and 100 cubits along its shorter side, thus adding to the size of the former temple. I made Egallammes larger than before. I built and completed it from its foundations to its battlements through the craft of clever master builders. For the god Nergal, who lives in the city Tarbiṣu, my lord, I indeed did a splendid job, which surpassed previous work and was worthy of high praise.

66 I brought the god Nergal, the lord of exalted strength, almighty and perfect, the foremost warrior who has no rival, inside it and I graciously settled him in his august dwelling. I made splendid and pure offerings of plump bulls and fattened sheep before him, and I held festivities inside that temple. I had the victorious conquests that I achieved over all of my enemies with his great support written on my inscribed objects and I deposited them for posterity, for the kings, my descendants.

Instructions for Future Rulers

69 In the future, may a future ruler, when this temple becomes old and dilapidated, find my inscribed objects, anoint them with oil, make an offering, and securely place them with inscribed objects bearing his name. The god Nergal will then hear his prayers.

Date and Scribal Notes

70 The line count of the inscription is 69 lines.

Clay Cone

1 For the god Nergal, his lord: I, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built Egallammes, which is in the city Tarbiṣu, from its foundations to its crenellations for my life, the well-being of my offspring, the overthrow of my enemies, the success of the harvest of Assyria, and the well-being of Assyria. I deposited my clay cones there.

Stone Slab Inscription

1 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, had Egallammes, the temple of the god Nergal, which is in the city Tarbiṣu, built and I made it as bright as day.

1 For the god Nergal, his lord: Sennacherib, king of Assyria, built and completed Egallammes, which is in the city Tarbiṣu, from its foundations to its crenellations.

Stone Slab Inscription

1 Sennacherib, great king, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the inner wall and the outer wall of the city Kilīzu built anew and raised as high as mountains.

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, had the outer wall of the city Kilīzu built with baked bricks.

Judi Dagh Inscription

1 The deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Ninurta, and Ištar, the great gods who stand at the side of the king, their favorite, and make his weapons prevail over all enemies:

6 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, the attentive prince who is your protégé, who by your firm ‘yes’ marched about and who made the insubmissive lands and disobedient people of the mountains bow down at his feet:

12 At that time, the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ḫalbuda, Kipšu, Ezāma, Qūa, and Qana, which were on the border of the land Katmuḫi, which were situated like the nests of eagles on the peaks of Mount Nipur, and which since ancient times were an obstinate force that did not known how to respect any authority during the reigns of the kings, my ancestors — during the reign of my lordship, their gods abandoned them and made them vulnerable.

24b ...

32 I marched against them. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur and... my crack combat troops. Mount Nipur to...... I surrounded. I...... the gorges, the outflows of the mountains.... upon the high peaks...... the stars of the heavens... to...... in a chair......... their summits....

39b Like a fierce wild bull, I took the lead of the soldiers in my camp. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. Where my knees became extremely tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

44 ... I surrounded, conquered, and devastated those... Their escapees... upon the peaks of Mount Nipur.... I pursued their... on the peaks of the mountains.

48b Then... I had a stele made and had written on it the mighty victories of the god Aššur, my lord. I erected it for ever after on the peak of Mount Nipur, where....

51b As for the one who alters my inscription, may the god Aššur and the great gods glare at him angrily and overthrow him.

Bavian Inscription

1 Deities Aššur, Anu, Enlil, Ea, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Marduk, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar, and the Sebetti, the great gods, who install the lord and name the ruler to lead the black-headed people all over the inhabited world:

3 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, the prince who provides for them, by your firm ‘yes’ I marched about safely from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, and then I made rulers of the four quarters of the world bow down at my feet and they now pull my yoke:

5b At that time, I greatly enlarged the site of Nineveh. I had its inner wall and its outer wall, which had never been constructed before, built anew and I raised them as high as mountains. Its fields, which had been turned into wastelands due to lack of water, were woven over with spider webs. Moreover, its people did not know artificial irrigation, but had their eyes turned for rain and showers from the sky.

8 I climbed high and I had eighteen canals dug from the cities Masiti, Banbarina, Šapparišu, Kār-Šamaš-nāṣir, Kār-nūri, Talmusu, Ḫatâ, Dalāyin, Rēš-ēni, Sulu, Dūr-Ištar, Šibaniba, Isparirra, Gingiliniš, Nampagāte, Tillu, Alum-riksi, and the water that is above the city Ḫadabiti and I directed their courses into the Ḫusur River.

11b I had a canal dug from the border of the city Kisiri to Nineveh and I caused those waters to flow inside it. I named it Patti-Sennacherib. I directed the mass of those waters from Mount Tas, a rugged mountain near the land Urarṭu, to my land. Previously, that canal was called the... canal.

13b Now, I, by the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, added to it the waters on the right and left of the mountain, which are beside it, and the waters of the cities Mēsu, Kukkinu, and Piturra, cities in its environs.

15b I dug that canal with only seventy men and I named it Nār-Sennacherib. I added its water to the water from the wells and the canals that I had previously dug, and then I directed their courses to Nineveh, the exalted cult center, my royal residence, whose site the kings, my ancestors, since ancient times had not made large enough, nor had they expertly carried out its artful execution.

18b Now I, Sennacherib — king of Assyria, foremost of all rulers, who marched about freely from east to west — thanks to the waters of the canals that I caused to be dug, I could plant around Nineveh gardens, vines, every type of fruit......, products of every mountain, fruit trees from all over the world, including spices and olive trees. Where water could not reach, I left waterless and... a game preserve called... all of the orchards, for entering the fields, above the city and below the city, from the city Tarbiṣu to the city Ālu-ša-Libbālāyu, Aššur, I provided irrigation annually for the cultivation of grain and sesame.

23b To a later ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, who deliberates the matter in his heart but is not able to believe it, and says “How did he have this canal dug out with only these few men?”: I swear by the god Aššur, my great god, that I dug out this canal with only these men. Moreover, I completed the work on it within one year and three months;... was completed and I finished digging its excavation.

27 In order to open that canal, I sent an exorcist and a lamentation singer and...... Carnelian, lapis lazuli, muššāru-stone, ḫulālu-stone, pappardilû-stones, precious stones, turtles and tortoises whose likenesses are cast in silver and gold, aromatics, and fine oil, I gave as gifts to the god Ea, the lord of underground waters, cisterns, and..., and to the god Enbilulu, the inspector of canals, and to the god Enʾeʾimdu, the lord of dikes and canals. I prayed to the great gods; they heeded my supplications and made my handiwork prosper.

30b This sluice gate of the watercourse opened by itself without the help of spade or shovel and let an abundance of water flow through. Its sluice gate was not opened through the work of human hands. According to the heart’s desire of the gods, I made it gurgle with water. After I inspected the canal and made sure its construction was performed correctly, I offered pure sacrifices of fattened oxen and an abundance of sheep to the great gods, who march at my side and who make my reign secure. I clothed those men who dug out this canal with linen garments and garments with multi-colored trim, and I placed gold rings and gold pectorals on them.

34b In this year with the flowing, literally “going”, of this canal which I had dug, I drew up a battleline with Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, and the king of Babylon, together with the numerous kings of the mountains and Sealand who were their allies, in the plain of the city Ḫalulê. By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, I charged into their midst like a fierce arrow, and I repelled their troops. I dispersed their assembled host and scattered their forces.

37b I captured alive in the midst of battle the magnates of the king of the land Elam, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, king of the land Karduniaš, Babylonia.

38b Terror of doing serious battle with me overwhelmed the king of the land Elam and the king of Babylon and they released their excrement inside their chariots. In order to save their lives, they fled to their own lands and did not return ever again saying: “Perhaps Sennacherib, king of Assyria, is so angry that he will return to the land Elam.”

41 Fear and terror fell upon all of the Elamites and they abandoned their land, and then, in order to save their lives, they betook themselves to a rugged mountain like eagles and their hearts throbbed like those of pursued birds. Until they died, they did not make their way back, literally “they did not open a path”, and they no longer made war.

Second Campaign

43b On my second campaign, I marched quickly to Babylon, which I planned to conquer, and then I blew like the onset of a storm and enveloped it like a dense fog. I besieged the city; then, by means of sapping and ladders, I captured it and plundered the city. Its people, young and old, I did not spare, and I filled the city squares with their corpses. I carried off alive to my land Šūzubu, Mušēzib-Marduk, the king of Babylon, together with his family and his...s.

47 I handed the property of that city — silver, gold, choice stones, possessions and property — over to my people and they kept it for themselves. My people seized and smashed the gods living inside it, and then they took their possessions and property. The god Adad and the goddess Šala, gods of the city Ekallātum whom Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē, king of Akkad, had taken and brought to Babylon during the reign of Tiglath-pileser I, king of Assyria — I had them brought out of Babylon after 418 years and I returned them to the city Ekallātum, their proper place.

50b I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the city, and its buildings, from its foundations to its crenellations. I removed the bricks and earth, as much as there was, from the inner wall and outer wall, the temples, and the ziggurrat, and I threw it into the Araḫtu river. I dug canals into the center of that city and thus leveled their site with water. I destroyed the outline of its foundations and in this way made its destruction surpass that of the Deluge. So that in the future, the site of that city and its temples will be unrecognizable, I dissolved Babylon in water and annihilated it, making it like a meadow.

54b At the “mouth” of the canal that I caused to be dug into the mountain, I made six steles and I fashioned images of the great gods, my lords, upon them. Moreover, I had a royal image of myself expressing humility, literally “one who strokes the nose”, placed before them. I had all of my handiwork that I had undertaken in Nineveh inscribed upon them and I left them for ever after for the kings, my descendants.

Instructions for Future Rulers

57b At any time in the future, a future ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, who desecrates the work that I have done, dismantles the canal system that I have constructed, or diverts the flow of the waters of these canals from the plain of Nineveh: May the great gods, as many as are named in this stele, by their holy decree, which cannot be altered, curse him with a harsh curse and overthrow his dynasty.

Jerwan Aqueduct Inscription A

1 The palace of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria.

Jerwan Aqueduct Inscription A

1 The palace of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

Jerwan Aqueduct Inscription B

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: Over a long distance, I had the water of the two Ḫazur Rivers, the water of the Pulpullia River, the water of the city Ḫanusa, the water of the city Gammagara, and water from mountain springs on the right and left sides of it added to it and in this way I had a canal dug to the plain of Nineveh. I had an aqueduct constructed by packing down white limestone over deep wadis and in this way enabled those waters to flow over it.

Jerwan Aqueduct Inscription C

1 Sennacherib...: I had a canal dug over a long distance, from the Ḫusur River... I had an aqueduct constructed by packing down limestone over deep wadis and in this way... waters....

Jerwan Aqueduct Inscription D

Frgm. A 1 At that time... I marched quickly to Babylon and..., the king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, who...

Frgm. B 1 ... captured......... he, Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan... heard about the advance of my expeditionary force and fear and terror fell upon him...

Frgm. C 1 ... his city gates... Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan... I brought out... from that... and I counted them as booty.

Frgm. D 1 I brought out... precious stones, utensils of...... attendants, male singers... and I counted them as booty....

Frgm. E 1 ... his...s, his chariots..., the utensils of his palace... inside Babylon...

Second Campaign

Frgm. F 1 On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since ancient times had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors.

Frgm. G 1 I brought out from them... damdāmu-mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, and turned into ruins their smaller settlements, which were without number.

Frgm. H 1 I... all of his wide land and overwhelmed it like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire the cities Marubištu, Akkuddu, and Bīt-Barrû, which lie behind the mountains, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four smaller settlements in their environs.

Frgm. I 1 Until I......... the city Elenziaš... I took hold of and the wall...

Frgm. J 1 ... arrow... in a pitched battle... and they took the direct road...

Frgm. K 1 ... the exorcist, the physician, the auger..., the carpenter, the silversmith, the smith, the... the work of the weaving craft, the expert...

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria: As for the three watercourses which flow from Mount Ḫāni, a mountain above the city Arbela, I dug out the springs which are on the right and left banks of those watercourses and thus added the springs’ water to them. I dug a subterranean watercourse and directed all of their courses inside the city Arbela, the dwelling of the goddess Ištar, the exalted lady.

Baltimore–Washington Inscription

1 The deities Aššur — great lord, the father of the gods — Anu, Enlil, and Ea, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Marduk, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar, and the Sebetti, the great gods who stand at the side of the king who reveres them and make his weapons prevail over all enemies:

3 Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, the king who was chosen by you, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, and strives after good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

5b The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the rulers of the four quarters of the world from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet and they now pull my yoke. On four of my campaigns during which I went down to Chaldea and marched to the city Kār-Nabû, which is on the shore of the Bitter Sea, I conquered their cities, and then plundered them, destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire; and on three of my campaigns during which I marched to Elam, I destroyed its settlements.

Eighth Campaign

11b On my eighth campaign, I ordered the march to Babylon. As for the Babylonians who heard about the approach of my expeditionary force, terror and fear fell upon them. They opened the treasury of Esagil and took out the gold, silver, and choice stones of the god Bēl, Marduk, and the goddess Zarpanītu in abundance. They sent it to Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam. They wrote to him as follows: “Come to Babylon to our aid and align yourself with us! Let us put our trust in you!”

15b He, the king of the land Elam, was a rash fellow who does not have sense or insight. On the first occasion, in the time of Ḫallušu-Inšušinak I, his father, I went down to his district and captured the cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, and the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts of his that are on the other side of Bitter Sea, and plundered them, destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire.

19b On the second occasion, in the time of Kudurru, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, his brother, I went to the land Elam and, in the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered the cities Bīt-Ḫaʾiri and Raṣā, cities on the border of Assyria that the king of the land Elam had taken away by force in the time of my ancestors. I had archers and shield bearers stationed inside them. I brought those cities back inside the border of Assyria and placed them under the authority of the garrison commander of Dēr.

23b The cities Bīt-Arrabi, Ālum-qašti, Bubê, Dunni-Šamaš, Ekal-šalla, Burutu, Bīt-Risiya, Dūr-Dannu-Nergal, Bīt-Aḫlamê, Ālum-ša-Bēlet-bīti, Ibrat, Kuṣurtāyin, Dūru, Dannat-Sulāya, Šilibtu, Bīt-Aṣūsi, Kār-Zēra-iqīša, Bīt-Giṣṣi, Bīt-Katpalāni, Dimtu-ša-Sulāya, Dimtu-ša-Mār-bīti-ēṭir, Ḫarri-ašlakê, Rabbāya, Rāsu, Tīl-Uḫuri, Ḫamrānu, Tīl-Ḫumba, Dimtu-ša-Dumeli, Bīt-Ubiya, Baltī-līšir, Taqab-līšir, Alu-ša-nāqidāte, Sarḫu-Dēri, Bīt-Aḫḫē-iddina, Ilteuba, Muḫuṣē..., Damtê, Dimtu-ša-Bēlet-bīti, Akkabarina, Bīt-Imbiya, Massūtu, Bīt-Unzāya, Bīt-Qīsiya, Dimtu-ša-Šullume..., Dimtu-ša-Nabû-šarḫi-ilāni, Apdinu, Tīl-Raqu, Ālum-šarri..., the walled fortresses of the land Rāši, and the smaller cities in their environs, which were without number, the cities Ḫamānu and Naṭītu, as far as the pass of the land Bīt-Bunakku — I conquered, and plundered them, destroyed them, devastated them, burned them with fire, and turned them into a heap of ruins.

35b When he, the king of the land Elam... heard about the conquest of his cities, terror and fear fell upon him. He brought the rest of the people of his land into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and set out for the city Ḫaydala, Ḫidālu, which is in the mountains, far away.

38b I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Ṭebētu X, bitter cold set in and continuous rain fell, and then wind, rain, and snow came in equal force. I was afraid of the gorges, the outflows of the mountains, so I turned around and took the road to Assyria.

41b After my departure, he, the king of the land Elam, roused... Then, he brought down... the rest of the people of his land, who... from... to the land... and settled them on the alluvium.... to the land......... not having sense or insight.................. he received......... He did not order their work, but gathered his army and forces..........

49b ......... the land Bīt-Adini......... the Ubulu, Malaḫu, Rapiqu...

54b In their multitude..................... Like a spring invasion of a swarm of locusts... to do battle......... The dust of their feet covered the wide heavens like a heavy cloud in the deep of winter.

59b I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar of Arbela, the gods who support me, for victory over my strong enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers and came to my aid.

61b ... I became enraged like a ferocious..., and then put on armor and placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low. I took in my hands the mighty bow that the god Aššur had granted to me...... my chariot on their flanks and front lines....

65b ... I roared loudly like a storm and thundered like the god Adad. By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, I blew like the onset of a severe storm against the enemy. With the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, and my fierce battle array, I turned them back and made them retreat. The massed body of troops...... upon them. Ḫumbān-undāša...

70 ...

84 his sons... they burned......... the god Aššur, my lord...

85b I quickly slaughtered and defeated his magnates, who wear gold decorated belt-daggers and have reddish gold sling straps fastened to their forearms, like fattened bulls restrained with fetters.

87b I slit their throats like sheep and thus cut off their precious lives like thread. Like a flood in full spate after a seasonal rainstorm..., I made their blood flow over the broad earth. The swift thoroughbreds harnessed to my chariot plunged into floods of their blood just like a river. The wheels of my war chariot, which lays criminals and villains low, were bathed in blood and gore. I filled the plain with the corpses of their warriors like grass. When the second double-hour of the night had passed, I stopped their slaughter. I cut off their lips and thus destroyed their pride. I cut off their hands like the stems of cucumbers in season.

93b I received gold and shining silver sling straps from their wrists and slashed off their belts with sharp swords. I took away gold and silver decorated belt-daggers from their waists.

95b As for Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, along with the king of Babylon, terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed them like alû-demons. Their hearts throbbed like the pursued young of pigeons, they passed their urine hotly and they released their excrement inside their chariots. In order to save their lives, they trampled the corpses of their troops as they pushed on.

98b To the midst of the wagons.... At my feet, they beseeched my lordship, saying: “Let us live... so that we might proclaim your fame.” After I myself had seen that they had released their excrement inside their chariots, I left them alone, sparing their lives.

101b As for the rest of the magnates of the land Elam, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, descendant of Yakīn, who were standing in silver decorated chariots......, who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing serious battle with me...... with the sword and I captured the living in the thick of battle.

104b I brought back all together... the wagons along with their mules and the chariots along with with their horses, whose drivers I had killed in the thick of that mighty battle and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own. I took away from them their camps and their royal tents. They, like runaways, returned empty-handed to their own lands.

108b So that no one will ever forget the might of the god Aššur, my lord, and that all humanity might magnify the praise of his heroism, on the very spot where I defeated the king of Babylon and Umman-menanu, Ḫumban-menanu, the king of the land Elam, all of their lands, together with the lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, Ellipi, all of Chaldea, as many as there were, and all of the Arameans, I reaped their skulls like withered grain and piled them up like pyramids.

113 I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over my enemies with the support of the great gods, my lords, written on it, and I erected it on the plain of the city Ḫalulê.

115 At that time, the city Sūr-marrati, which is on the bank of the Tigris River and which had been abandoned from distant days and had gone to ruin — after I myself had arranged a march to the lands Elam and Chaldea, because I had spent the night inside it in the course of my campaign, the repopulating of that city came to my attention at that time and I put my mind to it, and then I greatly enlarged the site of the city, had its wall built anew, and raised it as high as a mountain. Beside the wall, I dug a moat around its entire circumference. I planted palm groves and grape vines in the meadow.

120b I had an inscribed object made and had inscribed on it all the mighty victories that I achieved over my enemies with the support of the god Aššur, my lord, and then I placed it inside the wall.

Instructions for Future Rulers

122 At any time in the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place with his own inscription. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

126 Araḫsamna VIII, the twenty-fifth day, eponymy of Nabû-kēnu-uṣur, governor of the city Samaria, fourteenth year of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria.

The Stone Tablet from Tikrit

1 Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods, wise prince, circumspect ruler, shepherd of the people, and leader of a widespread population, I:

4 The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He gave me a just scepter that widens borders and he put in my hand a merciless rod to fell enemies.

7b In a pitched battle, I overwhelmed like the Deluge Marduk-apla-iddina II, Merodach-baladan, the king of Karduniaš, Babylonia, all of the Chaldeans and Arameans, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies. Marduk-apla-iddina II fled alone to the Sealand, and then he dug up the gods of the full extent of his land, together with the bones of his ancestors from their tombs............

r 1' ... I had inscribed on it all the mighty victories that I achieved over my enemies with the support of the god Aššur, my lord, and I deposited it in its foundations for ever after.

Instructions for Future Rulers

r 2'b At any time in the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated sections when that... becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint it with oil, make an offering, and return it to its place. The god Aššur will then hear his prayers.

1 Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

A Gift to Esarhaddon

1 Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, gave this object to Esarhaddon, his senior-ranking son.

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib, king of Assyria....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib... my kingship..........

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... from him... their names and their seed, as well as those of his advisors....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib, king of Assyria....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib, king of Assyria....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib, king....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Vessel

1 ... Sennacherib....

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Bead

1' ... may they make... disappear.

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Bead

1' ...... the deity......

Uncertain Attribution: Inscribed Bead

1' ...... Šamaš...

Uncertain Attribution: The Azekah Inscription

1' ...... the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I marched to the land Judah. In the course of my campaign, I received a payment from the kings of... With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I... the district of...-Yaū, Hezekiah, of the land Judah like...... the city Azaqâ, a place upon which he relied, which is situated between my... and the land Judah... is situated upon a mountain peak. Like the blades of daggers, without number, they rise up high into the heavens... were well fortified and rival high mountains. Looking upon them, like... from the heavens...

8' ... by having ramps trodden down, mighty battering rams brought up, and the assault of foot soldiers, my warriors... When they saw the... of my horses and heard the clangor of the vast troops of the god Aššur, they became frightened... I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire.

11' ... a royal city of the land Philistia that...-Yaū, Hezekiah, had taken away and fortified, and then...... like a bush... it was surrounded by tall towers and was exceedingly difficult... the palace was secured before them like a mountain and rose... was dark, the sun did not illuminate it. Its waters were forever in darkness and its outflow... its mouth had been hacked out with axes, the moat adjacent to it was deep, and.......

17' ... he had his battle-seasoned troops garrisoned inside it. He girt his weapons in order to.... I made all the troops of the land Amurru carry earth and... against them. On the seventh try... its great walls I smashed like a like a potter’s vessel.... I brought out of it... oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted them as booty..........

Reverse completely missing

Uncertain Attribution: A Canal and Its Guardians

1' .................. I cut free and... of my lord... grass... herds of horses and donkeys... I made dwell as safely as on a meadow and...... prospered... pastures... he was deeply cutting... onagers and gazelles... their mountain... turtles... laid eggs... my palatial halls... I divided......... I made stand there, and then they grew very thick and tall.

19' ...... two bull colossi of white limestone... the gate of that watercourse, I had erected.... the strong wave and wild tide that rise up and... canals, dikes, and irrigation ditches eroded their banks and... when there was breach, harvests were submerged... I had magnificent...s of iron made and... the outflow of water............ when its flood was in full spate..................

r 1' ............ of my mouth which is to be feared and obeyed......... and a desert, a region... Zab River and the Tigris River

r 6' ...

r 19' ... the land Elam... Akkad

r 22' ......

Uncertain Attribution: A Fragment Mentioning Sennacherib

1' ... The foot path... onagers and gazelles... roamed about and... among the kings who came before me... region... Sennacherib, king of Assyria... that.........

Uncertain Attribution: An Unidentified Inscription Fragment

1' ............ the great gods... of my lordship I had inscribed upon them... I erected and......

5' ... the kings, my descendants... the people...... the great gods......

Uncertain Attribution: A Campaign against Elam

1' ............ of my lordship...... they seized him... inside Uruk...... Kudur-Naḫundu, Kudur-Naḫḫunte, the Elamite... the gods Nabû, Marduk... he/they had taken... before me... he changed/reported and brought back... they brought back and thus pacified... to fight...............

Uncertain Attribution: A Scribal Note Mentioning Sennacherib

1' ............ Sennacherib......

Lacuna?

Uncertain Attribution: Fragmentary Campaign Accounts

i' 1' ...... and... payment... his...

i' 4' ......

ii' 1' ...... upon him.... Moreover, he... the very image of a gallû-demon...... troops......

Uncertain Attribution: An Invocation of the Gods

1 The god Aššur, the father of the gods, the one who..., the bridle that controls...; the god Anu, the powerful... whose... cannot be altered...; the god Ea, the wise, the lord... who casts... down on grassland...; the god Enlil, the greatest lord, the foremost of...; the god Sîn, the pure god, the lord of the crown, the one who... the one who widens...; the god Šamaš, the exalted judge......; the god Adad, the canal inspector of heaven and earth, the one who gives... to the people.....................

Uncertain Attribution: Fragment of a Tablet or Prism

1' ...... Marduk-...... in the territory of...... inside... obedience and peace............ the god Sîn...... as far as the city... whom I/he entrusted............

Uncertain Attribution: Fragment of a Tablet or Prism

1' ...... before............... bank...... over the plain of...... have... were woven over with spider webs...................

Uncertain Attribution: Fragment of a Tablet or Prism

1' ............ all of them... spider webs...................

Stele of Raʾīmâ, Sennacherib’s Mother

1 Image of Raʾīmâ, the mother of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria.

Vessels of Tašmētu-šarrat

1 Property of Tašmētu-šarrat, palace woman of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.