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A clay tablet from Nineveh preserves a short dedicatory inscription of Sargon II to the goddess Anunītu. This text was likely either a copy of an inscription on an object or a draft to be engraved on an object. The inscription is written in pseudo-archaic script and seems to be complete, although only one face of the tablet is preserved. There appear to be fingernail impressions on the left side of the tablet.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006571/] of Sargon II 090
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A clay tablet fragment in the Kuyunjik collection of the British Museum bears a "very fragmentary, poetic description of the campaign of 710 (and 709?)" against Merodach-Baladan and "the complete document must have given a detailed description comparable to that of the annals" (Brinkman, Studies Oppenheim pp. 44–45).
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006572/] of Sargon II 091
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The inscription on the fragment does not appear to be a duplicate of any other inscription of Sargon II. In editing this text, H. Tadmor compares lines 2´, 3´, 8´, and 9´ to text no. 1 lines 269, 263, 273–274, and 267 respectively, line 5´ to text no. 65 line 266, line 10´ to text no. 74 vi 38 and vii 50, and line 12´ to text no. 73 line 16. (Tadmor's citation of line numbering does not take into account our line 1´.) In addition, for lines 3´–4´ and 11´, cf. for example text no. 7 lines 122 and 128, and text no. 74 vi 20–21 and 34; for line 4´, cf. text no. 1 line 110.
An inscription found on numerous fragments of clay cones from Nineveh records the king's restoration of the temple of the god Nabû (referred to as the temple of the gods Nabû and Marduk), which had been restored seventy-five years earlier, in the time of Adad-nārārī III (810–783). (For a brick inscription of Adad-nārārī III recording work on the temple of Nabû at Nineveh, see Grayson, RIMA 3 pp. 219–220 A.0.104.14.) Brick inscriptions of Sargon II also record work on this temple (see text nos. 95–96 and possibly no. 97). For the history of the temple, see Menzel, Tempel pp. 119–120 and P 12.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006573/] or the score [/rinap/scores/Q006573/score] of Sargon II 092
Sources:
| (01) 56-9-9,171 | (02) 81-2-4,182 | (03) BM 121136 (1929-10-12,145) |
| (04) BM 121133 (1929-10-12,142) | (05) BM 121134 (1929-10-12,143) | (06) AAA 19 no. 102 |
| (07) BM 128357 (1932-12-10,614) | (08) BM 139287 (1932-12-10,741) | (09) BM 123449 (1932-12-10,392) |
| (10) BM 139291 (1932-12-10,745) | (11) BM 123485 (1932-12-10,428) | (12) BM 123457 (1932-12-10,400) |
| (13) BM 128363 (1932-12-10,620) | (14) BM 128400 (1932-12-10,657) | (15) BM 123448 (1932-12-10,391) |
| (16) BM 134510 (1932-12-12,505) | (17) BM 128352 (1932-12-10,609) | (18) BM 123451 (1932-12-10,394) |
| (19) BM 128354 (1932-12-10,611) | (20) BM 123529 (1932-12-10,472) | (21) BM 128164 (1929-10-12,820) |
| (22) BM 128199 (1929-10-12,855) | (23) BM 128200 (1929-10-12,856) | (24) BM 128207 (1929-10-12,863) |
| (25) BM 128209 (1929-10-12,865) | (26) K 22184 | (27) K 22192 |
| (28) BM 98851 (1905-4-9,357) | (29) BM 98852 (1905-4-9,358) | (30) BM 98853 (1905-4-9,359 |
The text presented here is made up from numerous tiny fragments and it is possible some actually come from a different original inscription, rather than preserve simple variants to this one. Nevertheless, it has been thought advisable to treat them all here, rather than deal with them separately or argue about the validity of the inclusion of individual pieces. The line arrangement follows ex. 1, but the master line is composed from numerous exemplars. Although the text of lines 4–9 is reasonably certain, that of lines 1–3 is not. There may well have been major divergences among the pieces preserving parts of these three lines (i.e., the name, titles, and epithets of Sargon). R. Campbell Thompson's edition of these lines is as follows:
1. mŠar-gi-na šar kiššati šar mâtuAš-šurki šakin iluBêl nišak iluA-šur
2. riʾu [kînu ša iluA-šur] iluMarduk [ut-tu-šu ?] ... uš šarru ...-a-ti u(?) ..
3. ša a-na šarru-ti ib-bu-u-šu ilânipl rabûtipl a-na-ku-ma
However, it is not possible to find some of his readings on the exemplars known. In particular, in line 1, no exemplar has KIŠ/ŠÚ for Campbell Thompson's kiššati or a GAR for his šakin, and in line 3, no exemplar has LUGAL-ti or MAN-ti (for his šarru-ti) following a-na, although ex. 26 (not known to Campbell Thompson) has i-na x [...], where x could conceivably be the beginning of LUGAL.
It is worth noting that the copy of ex. 1 by G. Smith in 3 R (used by H. Winckler as the basis for his copy) omits several signs and traces of signs (e.g., a-šur in line 1 and ⸢ul⸣ in line 6) and incorrectly copies several others (e.g., TI not KI, and LA not MA, in line 7).
This fragmentary inscription of Sargon II is found on a "marble" fragment from Nineveh. The present location of the piece is not known and the inscription is edited from the published copy by R. Campbell Thompson. Compare in particular text nos. 96–97, which were found on bricks from the temple of Nabû at Nineveh; this inscription might have been a duplicate of text no. 96. Limestone paving slabs with an inscription recording Sargon's work on the temple of Nabû and Marduk have been found at Nineveh (see the commentary to text no. 95).
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006574/] of Sargon II 093
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This fragmentary inscription is found on a "marble" fragment from Nineveh. R. Campbell Thompson refers to it as a "Large Inscription." The present location of the piece is not known and the inscription is edited from the published copy. Compare in particular the beginning of text nos. 95–98 (bricks from the temple of Nabû at Nineveh) and text no. 93 (a "marble" fragment from Nineveh). It is likely that nothing is missing before line 1´.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006575/] of Sargon II 094
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This inscription recording the construction of the temple of the god Nabû (here referred to as the temple of the gods Nabû and Marduk) is found on bricks and limestone pavement slabs from Nineveh.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006576/] of Sargon II 095
Sources:
| (01) BM 90242 (1979-12-20,147) | (02) BM 90243 ( 1979-12-20,148) | (03) BM 90244 (1979-12-20,149) |
| (04) BM 121150 (1929-10-12,159) | (05) BCM 226'78 | (06) Thompson 1927–28 no. 80 |
H.C. Rawlinson (1 R pl. 6) states that the bricks with this inscription seen by him were from the "Eastern edge of the mound at Koyunjik." Additional information on the bricks in the British Museum (exs. 1–3) comes from C.B.F. Walker; all these are inscribed on the face.
The line arrangement follows ex. 1; exs. 4, 5 (as far as it is preserved), and 6, as well as R. Campbell Thompson's copy in Arch. 79, have the inscription on nine lines (splitting lines 2 and 6 into two lines each).
Campbell Thompson (Arch. 79 [1929] p. 124) states that he found this inscription in the Nabû temple at Nineveh on "limestone slabs in his [Sargon's] pavement (XXVI–XXVII) and NE. doorway : with duplicates from about twenty-eight bricks"; see also Thompson and Hutchinson, CEN pp. 74–75. Three stone slabs are known from photographs from Campbell Thompson's excavations at Nineveh in 1927–28: photo nos. 76 (ex. 4), 77 (ex. 5), and 80 (ex. 6). The photos are stored in the Department of the Middle East in the British Museum. Ex. 5 was found "S.E. side of Temple" and is marked M.41 (information courtesy P. Watson). The present location of none of the bricks found by Campbell Thompson is known and these are not included in the catalogue. Campbell Thompson states that their findspots are: IV, 5; V, 7; V, 7; VIII, 7; XI, B, 8; XIII, 3; XVI, 10; XVII, 9; XVIII, C, 12; XVIII, C, 13, below pavement; XIX, 1; ?XXI, 10; XXII, 9; XXII, 10; XXIII, B, 10; XXVI, 9; XXVII, 12; XXVIII, 12; XXVIII, 12; XLII, 10; LXV, 9; LXVI, 11; LXVII, depth uncertain; LXVIII, 8; LXXIV, 5; LXXVII, 6; XC, 2; and XCII, B, 14. Variant readings to this inscription known only from Campbell Thompson's comments (see Arch. 79 [1929] pl. XLV no. 69) are noted with the indication "Thompson."
A copy of this inscription is found in Layard MS C second p. 58 (Department of the Middle East, British Museum) and supposedly comes from a brick discovered at Kuyunjik. The inscription is said to be "very indistinct in parts" and the copy diverges from our inscription at several points (e.g., dMAŠ not dBAD in line 1 and BE DU not NU.ÈŠ in line 2). Since it is not clear if these divergences are errors of the modern copyist or actual variants, they have not been noted here. A copy of lines 1, 3, and 4 of this inscription, with a gap where line 2 would have been and with the notation "3 more lines" after our line 4, is found in L.W. King's notebook "Kuyunjik: Notes on Sculpture and Inscriptions" (Department of the Middle East, British Museum). It is stated to come from a brick from the Nabû temple. In as far as it is preserved, the inscription duplicates our master line. It is possible that one or both of the bricks copied by A.H. Layard and King is to be found among exs. 1–3.
No score for this brick inscription is given on Oracc, but the minor variants are listed at the back of the book.
A second inscription recording the construction of the temple of the god Nabû is found on bricks from the well and latrine of the Nabû temple at Nineveh.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006577/] of Sargon II 096
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| (1) BM 137468 (1929-10-12,179) | (2) BCM 336'79 |
Exs. 1–2 are inscribed along the edge. Additional information on them comes from C.B.F. Walker.
R. Campbell Thompson (Arch. 79 [1929] p. 124) states that bricks with this inscription come from the well and latrine of the Nabû temple; elsewhere (ibid. pl. XLV) he says that exemplars come from the well and from the following findspots: XX, C, 20; LXXVII, 5; LXIX, 7; and XXVI, 8. None of these four findspots appears to be near the latrine, which is located near areas LVIII and LIX (see Thompson and Hutchinson, Archaeologia 79 [1929] pl. LXIII). The present location of none of these bricks is known and they are not included in the catalogue, although variants from them are noted with the comment "Thompson." The bricks found by Campbell Thompson in the well presumably include exs. 1–2.
A copy of this inscription reportedly discovered on bricks in the well of the Nabû temple is found in L.W. King's notebook "Kuyunjik: Notes on Sculpture and Inscriptions" (Department of the Middle East, British Museum). The copy has a misbegotten GÍD and a BALA rather than a TI in line 3. Since the BALA and TI signs are quite similar and since the BALA sign is copied in pencil while almost all of the rest of the inscription is copied in pen, it is likely that King misread the sign.
It is possible that text no. 93 should be treated as a duplicate of this inscription. As is the practice in RINAP, no score for this brick inscription is given on Oracc, but the minor variants are listed at the back of the book.
This fragmentary inscription from Nineveh should possibly be treated as a variant of the preceding inscription with the only variation being in the arrangement of words and lines, but since this is not certain, it has been kept separate here. The current location of the brick fragment is not known and the inscription is edited from the published copy. Text no. 93, found on a stone fragment, may also be a duplicate of this inscription.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006578/] of Sargon II 097
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This fragmentary inscription of Sargon II is found on a brick from the Nabû temple at Nineveh. The present location of the piece is not known and the inscription is edited from the published copy.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006579/] of Sargon II 098
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Two copper coverings for door jambs from the Nabû temple at Nineveh bear a short dedicatory inscription to the god Nabû.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap2/Q006580/] of Sargon II 099
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| (1) EŞ 7848 | (2) EŞ 7849 |
The two copper coverings come from the upper part of two door jambs from the temple of Nabû at Nineveh ("deux couvertures en cuivre de la partie supérieure des deux jambages de la porte"). According to E. Nassouhi, who published the pieces, one is in fragmentary condition, while the other is better preserved and has a lower diameter of 30 cm. Nassouhi states that both pieces have the same size, form, and inscription and that the less well preserved exemplar has below the logogram for Nabû (dAG of line 1) the emblem of the Sebetti gods, seven stars marked by embossed dots.
It was not possible to examine the two objects and thus, since it is not known exactly what is on which exemplar, no score of the inscription is provided on Oracc.
Grant Frame
Grant Frame, 'Part 2 (90-99)', RINAP 2: Sargon II, Sargon II, The RINAP 2 sub-project of the RINAP Project, 2023 [http://oracc.org/rinap/rinap2/rinap2textintroductions/nineveh81102/part29099/]