Esarhaddon 079

(1) [Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world], king of Assyria, [governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and] Akkad, [the true shepherd who reorganized the confused people (and) made] light [shine forth for th]em; [to whom the great gods gave as a] gift [(the ability) to create, build, (and) renew; (5) the one who (re)constructed the temple of the god Aššur, (re)built Esagil and Bab]ylon, [completed all of the cult centers, renewed the statues] of the great [go]ds, (and) [who] returned [the plundered gods of the lands to] their (proper) place [from Assyria; who pla]ted [Egašankalama, the temple of the goddess Ištar of Arbela, his lady, with silver (zaḫalû)] and made (it) shine like daylight — [I had lions, screaming anzû-birds, laḫmu-monsters], (and) kurību-genii [fashioned from sil]ver [and copper and] set (them) up [in its entry doors].

(11) The king, who with the help of the gods Aš[šur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, Marduk, Ištar of Nineveh], (and) Ištar of Arbela, marched freely from the Up[per] Sea [to the Lower Sea] and made all of [his] enemies [and the rulers who were unsubmissive to him] bow down at his feet; the one who conquered the city Si[don, which is in the midst of the sea, (and) the one who lev]eled all of its dwellings; (15) the one who plundered the city A[rzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, (and) who [threw] Asuḫīli, its king, [into fetters] along with [his counselors] (and) brought (them) to Assyria; moreover, (I am) [the one who struck wi]th the sword [Teušpâ, a Cimmerian], together with [his entire army, in the territory of] the land Ḫubušnu; the one who treads [on the unsubmissive people of Cilicia];

(19b) [the one who drove out Nabû-zēr-kitti-līšir, son of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan)]; the one who sac[ked Bīt-Dakkūri, which is in Chaldea, an enemy of Babylon]; the one who cap[tured Šamaš-ibni, its king, a rogue (and) outlaw — I surrounded, captured, plundered], destroy[ed, devas]tated, (and) burned with fire the cities Ḫa[ndasu, Magalānu, Alpiyana, Diḫrānu, Qatabuʾ, Padê, (and) Udēru, fortified cities in the district of the land Bāzu], together with [smal]l c[ities in its environs].

(25b) The one who cru[shed the Parnaki, a dangerous enemy], who live [in the lan]d Tīl-Aššurri, [which] is called Pittānu [in the language of the people] of the land Meḫrānu; the one who scattered the Mannean people, [undisciplined] Gutians — (as for) the land Patušarra, a district in the area of the salt desert, [which is in the midst of the land of the distant Medes], (30) borders Mount Bikni, (and) upon the soil of [whose land] none o[f the kings, my ancestors], had walked, [I carried off to Assyria] Šidir-parna (and) E-parna, [mighty chieftains,] who were not submissive to (my) yoke, [together with their people (and) their heavy plunder].

(1') (No translation possible)

(4') [...] that ... [...] bedrooms [... for the pleasure of] Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, [who (resides in) the House of Succession, my beloved son, whom the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbela] called to exercise kingship — I greatly enlarged its small ... [...] I built (and) completed [that palace from its foundations to its parapets. I] roofed them [with magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Amanus (and) (10′) installed doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet], in their gates. I filled (it) [with splendor (making it) an object of wonder for all of the people].

(12') [I had a foundation inscription written in my name and written in the name of Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king], who (resides in) the House of Succession, [my beloved son, and] placed (this inscription) [in it].

(14') [... when that palace becomes] old and dilapidated. [...] ... [... and may he] anoint (it) [with oil, make an offering], (and) place (it) [with an inscription written in his name. The god Ninurta, son of the god Enlil], will (then) hear [his prayers].

(19') [Month ..., ...th day, eponymy of Nabû-bēlu-uṣur, governor of Dūr-Šar]rukku (672 BC).