Inscriptions

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Marduk-apla-iddina II 1   Marduk-apla-iddina II 2   Marduk-apla-iddina II 3   Marduk-apla-iddina II 4   Marduk-apla-iddina II 2001  

This inscription is written on a clay cylinder, made up of three pieces and measuring 15.7x7.6 cm. The piece is preserved in the Iraq Museum. It was found inside the rubbish filling one room of the Northwest Palace at Nimrud where, as it seems proven by various similarities between the two royal inscriptions, it was probably brought to serve as a model for Sargon II 3 [http://oracc.iaas.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/periodofassyriandomination/sargonii/inscriptions/index.html#sargon203].
The Akkadian inscription, arranged on one single column, first illustrates the reconciliation of the god Marduk with his land and the god's choice of Marduk-apla-iddina II, presented as legitimated eldest son of Erība-Marduk, as the new shepherd of the land of Sumer and Akkad. The text then continues recording the grants of the gods to the king which allowed him to defeat the Assyrian army and at the same time inspired him to direct his attention to their rituals and sanctuaries. Among them were the outer enclosure wall of the Eanna, the "House of Heaven" consecrated to the goddess Inanna/Ištar at Uruk, and the shrine of the god of the netherworld Ningizzida inside it, main subjects of the celebration handed down by the cylinder. Thence, Marduk-apla-iddina II lined up himself among the kings who carried out building activities in the most important temple of Uruk, some of which as Šulgi and Anam are recorded by name, most likely as a consequence of the discovery of the royal inscription mentioned at the end of the text as having been seen and respected by the sovereign.

Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/Q006305] of Marduk-apla-iddina II 1.

Source

Bibliography

• Gadd 1953 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#gadd1953], pp. 123-127 (edition)
• Follet 1954 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#follet1954], pp. 413-428 (edition)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 136-138 (edition)
• Brinkman 1964 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#brinkman1964], p. 14 (partial translation)

• Mallowan 1952 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#mallowan1952], fig. 4 (photo of one side)
• Gadd 1953 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#gadd1953], pp. 133-134 (copy)
• Mallowan 1966 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#mallowan1966], p. 175 and fig. 107 (photo of one side)

• Mallowan 1952 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#mallowan1952], pp. 294-296 (study)
• Gadd 1953 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#gadd1953], pp. 128-132 (study)
• Follet 1954 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#follet1954], pp. 413-428 (study)
• Lenzen 1957 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#lenzen1957], pp. 146-150 (provenance, study)
• von Soden 1957 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#vonsoden1957], pp. 136-137 (study)
• Brinkman 1964 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#brinkman1964], p. 41 no. 44.2.1 (study)

BM 090269 © The Trustees of the British Museum

This inscription is found on several exemplars of stamped bricks all found in Uruk by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft (ex. 1-6 and 10) and by the British excavations conducted by W. K. Loftus (ex. 7-9).
The Sumerian inscription records the renovation of the temple Eanna for the goddess Inanna/Ištar carried out by Marduk-apla-iddina II, presented as descendant of Erība-Marduk. The text is similar to Marduk-apla-iddina II 3, which is expressly dated to the second reign of this king in 703 BC. Thence, it is possible that also the present inscription could be traced back to the same period.

Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/Q006306] of Marduk-apla-iddina II 2.

Sources

Bibliography

• Smith 1872 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#smith1872], p. 76 no. 60 (exs. 7, 9, translation)
• Lenormant 1874 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#lenormant1874], pp. 367-368 (exs. 7, 9, edition)
• Ménant 1875 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#menant1875], p. 131 (exs. 7, 9, translation)
• Smith 1875 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#smith1875], p. 91 no. 58 (exs. 7, 9, translation)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 138-140 (edition)
• Winckler 1889 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#winckler1889], p. 32 (exs. 7, 9, edition)
• Peiser and Winckler 1892 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#peiserandwinckler1892], p. 184 (exs. 7, 9, edition)
• Schroeder in Jordan 1928 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#jordan1928], p. 50 no. 5 (ex. 4, edition)
• (Watelin and) Langdon 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#langdonandwatelin1930], p. 17 (exs. 7, 9, edition)
• Schott 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#schott1930], p. 55 (exs. 1-5, edition)
• Walker 1981 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#walker1981], no. 74 (exs. 7-9, transliteration)

• Rawlinson and Norris 1861 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#rawlinson-norris1861], pl. 5 no. 17 (exs. 7, 9, composite copy in type)
• Lenormant 1873 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#lenormant1873], no. 8 (exs. 7, 9, composite copy)
• Lenormant 1874 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#lenormant1874], pp. 367-368 (exs. 7, 9, composite copy)
• Jordan 1928 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#jordan1928], pls. 101c and 107d (ex. 4, photo; ex. 10, copy)
• Schott 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#schott1930], pl. 27 no. 18 (exs. 1-5, composite copy)

• Bezold 1886 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#bezold1886], p. 59 §31 (exs. 7, 9, study)
• BM Guide 1922 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#bmguide1922], p. 65 nos. 187-189 (exs. 7, 9, study)
• Jordan 1928 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#jordan1928], pp. 42-43 (provenance)
• Brinkman 1964 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#brinkman1964], p. 42 no. 44.2.2a (exs. 1-5, 7, 9-10, study)

This inscription is found on several exemplars of stamped bricks all found in Uruk by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft.
As in Marduk-apla-iddina II 2, the Sumerian inscription commemorates the reconstruction of the temple Eanna for the goddess Inanna/Ištar, here presented as a building activity patronised by the king expressly during his second reign (703 BC).

Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/Q006307] of Marduk-apla-iddina II 3.

Sources

Bibliography

• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 140-141 (edition)
• Schott 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#schott1930], pp. 54-55 nos. 16-17 (exs. 1-4 and 6, edition)

• Schott 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#schott1930], pl. 27 no. 16 (exs. 1-4, composite copy)

• Jordan 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#jordan1930], pp. 17-18 (ex. 6, provenance)
• Brinkman 1964 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#brinkman1964], pp. 26 and 42 nos. 44.2.2b (exs. 1-4, study)

This short inscription is found on a cylinder seal made of chalcedony and now preserved in the Iraq Museum. Since the piece was acquired through the antiquities market, its original provenance is not known.
The cylinder shows a depiction of an individual fighting with a lion, whereas the Akkadian inscription states the votive dedication by Marduk-apla-iddina who is presented as a member of the Bīt-Iakīn tribe. The dedicant is thus to be identified with the king bearing that name, even if he does not carry a royal title in the present inscription, presumably due to a composition foregoing his kingship.

Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/Q006308] of Marduk-apla-iddina II 4.

Source

Bibliography

• Wittmann 1992 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#wittmann1992], p. 263 no. 66 (edition)
• Watanabe 1994 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#watanabe1994], pp. 243-244 no. 32 (edition)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], p. 141 (edition)

• Collon 1987 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#collon1987], no. 369 (photo of impression)

• Collon 1987 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#collon1987], no. 369 (study)
• Wittmann 1992 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#wittmann1992], p. 263 no. 66 (study)

The inscription is written on an inscribed brick preserved in the Ashmolean Museum. The piece was found in the 1929 by the Oxford-Field Museum Expedition in a trench on Tell Ingharra, also known as Hursagkalama, the eastern part of the ancient city of Kish.
The Akkadian text records the building of a bridge across the Nār-Bānītu canal for the goddess Ninlil patronised by Marduk-apla-iddina II but presumably actually carried out by Iddin-Nergal, the governor of Kish, who commissioned himself the inscription. The inner reference to the temple of the goddess Ninlil, named Ekurnizu, "House, Fearsome Mountain", and located on Hursagkalama, as well as the actual discovery of the brick on the same mound may suggest that the bridge was originally built near the funding context of the inscription.

Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/Q006309] of Marduk-apla-iddina II 2001.

Source

Bibliography

• (Watelin and) Langdon 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#langdonandwatelin1930], pp. 17-19 (edition)
• Walker 1981 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#walker1981], no. 75 (transliteration)
• Frame 1995 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#frame1995], pp. 141-142 (edition)

• (Watelin and) Langdon 1930 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#langdonandwatelin1930], pl. XI (copy)

• Albright 1932 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#albright1932], p. 54 (study)
• Brinkman 1964 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#brinkman1964], p. 42 no. 44.2.3 (study)
• Gibson 1972 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#gibson1972], p. 120 (provenance)
• Moorey 1978 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#moorey1978], pp. 81 and 84 (study)
• Dalley 1980 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/bibliography/index.html#dalley1980], pp. 189-190 (study)

Giulia Lentini

Giulia Lentini, 'Inscriptions', RIBo, Babylon 6: The Inscriptions of the Period of the Uncertain Dynasties, The RIBo Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2018 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ribo/babylon6/periodofassyriandomination/mardukaplaiddinaii/inscriptions/]