Numerous hexagonal clay prisms from Nineveh, Aššur, and Susa have an Akkadian inscription that records Esarhaddon's military campaigns and the construction of the armory at Nineveh. Copies of this text were written in 673 and in 672 BC; several exemplars were inscribed just prior to the official nomination of Ashurbanipal and Šamaš-šuma-ukīn as heirs to the thrones of Assyria and Babylon respectively. This text is commonly referred to as Nineveh A (Nin. A).
Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003230/] or the score [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/scores/Q003230/score] of Esarhaddon 1
Sources [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/scores/Q003230/sources]:
| (1) BM 121005 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422293/] (1929–10–12, 0001) | (2) K 01667 + K 06387 + BM 091030 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P393959/] (1848–11–04, 0315) |
| (3) Scheil, MDP 14 pl. V Prism S [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450387/] | (4) Scheil, MDP 14 pl. V Prism SS [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450388/] |
| (5) A 16962 + A 16963 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450389/] | (6) VA 03458 + VA 03459 + VA 03460 + VA 03827 + VA 03829 (+) VA 03826 + VA 03461 + VA 03462 + VA 03463 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450390/] |
| (7) ZhArchSlg 1937 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450391/] | (8) BM 121007 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422295/] (1929–10–12, 0003) |
| (9) BM 127875 + BM 128334 + BM 134489 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422650/] (1929–10–12, 0531 + 1932–12–12, 0484) | (10) A 35258 (= PA 016) [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P392595/] |
| (11) VA 08425 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450392/] (Ass 14549) | (12) Rm 2, 184 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P424984/] |
| (13) Rm 2, 384 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P425101/] | (14) BM 099043 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422090/] (Ki 1904–10–09, 0072) |
| (15) BM 099044 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422091/] (Ki 1904–10–09, 0073) | (16) BM 127872 + BM 127975 + BM 134488 + BM 138195 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422647/] (1929–10–12, 0528 + 1929–10–12, 0631 + 1932–12–12, 0483) |
| (17) BM 138184 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450393/] (1932–12–12, 0911) | (18) YBC 16224 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450394/] |
| (19) A 16925 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450395/] | (20) A 08135 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P392361/] |
| (21) A 16928 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450396/] | (22) A 16927 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450397/] |
| (23) A 08132 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P392358/] | (24) K 01695 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P393984/] |
| (25) VA 03464 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450398/] | (26) BM 128068 + BM 128091 + BM 128221 + BM 128222 + BM 128232 + BM 128274 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422832/] (1929–10–12, 0724 + 1929–10–12, 0747 + 1932–12–10, 0478 + 1932–12–10, 0479 + 1932–12–10, 489 + 1932–12–10, 0531) |
| (27) BM 128269 + BM 128279 + BM 128289 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P423017/] (1932–12–10, 0526 + 1932–12–10, 0536 + 1932–12–10, 0546) | (28) BM 128322 + BM 134468 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P423070/] (1932–12–10, 0579 + 1932–12–12,463) |
| (29) BM 127879 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422654/] (1929–10–12, 0535) | (30) BM 127951 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422726/] (1929–10–12, 0607) |
| (31) BM 128243 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P422991/] (1932–12–10, 0500) | (32) VA 08432 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450399/] (Ass 20718) |
| (33) VA 08423 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450400/] (Ass 17448) |
A score of this inscription is presented on the CD-ROM. The master text is ex. 1, with occasional minor restorations from the other exemplars. In earlier literature, exs. 2, 3, and 4 are referred to as Prism B, Prism S, and Prism SS respectively. Several of the exemplars from Aššur are known from Aššur excavation photographs: ex. 11 is photographed in Ass ph 4052, ex. 32 in Ass ph 6372, and ex. 33 in Ass ph 5884.
Ex. 33 was not available for study and therefore has not been incorporated into the score.
K. Radner (personal communication) has recently identified a prism fragment in the Sulaimaniya Museum (SM 410) as an exemplar of one of Esarhaddon's Nineveh prism inscriptions (text nos. 1–3, 5–6, and 8); although the piece is reported to have come from Tell Shemshara, it probably originates from Nineveh. The inscription, of which only parts of seventeen lines of col. vi are preserved, is very badly worn and the extant text contains a passage describing the celebration held in honor of the completion of the armory; line 16' duplicates text no. 1 vi 59–60, text no. 2 vi 34–35, and text no. 3 vi 13'–14'. This newly identified fragment is cited here with the kind permission of K. Radner, who will publish SM 410 in AfO 52.
An Akkadian inscription found on seven clay hexagonal prisms records the building of the armory at Nineveh as well as several military campaigns. All of the sources are from Nineveh or probably from Nineveh. Dated to 676 BC, the text is an earlier and shorter version of text no. 1 (Nineveh A). This text is commonly referred to as Nineveh (Prism) B (Nin. B).
Access the composite text [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003231/] or the score [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/scores/Q003231/score] of Esarhaddon 2
Sources [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/scores/Q003231/sources]:
| (1) IM 059046 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450401/] | (2) BM 091028 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P421808/] (1848–10–31, 0002) | (3) HE 323 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450402/] | (4) YBC 02297 + E06970 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P304575/] |
| (5) K 10490 + 1879–07–08, 0008 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P398714/] | (6) 1883–01–18, 0601 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450403/] | (7) A 16926 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/sources/P450404/] |
The join between YBC 2297 and Peabody 6970 (ex. 4) was recognized by G. Beckman, and the joining of K 10490 and 79–7–8,8 (ex. 5) was made by M. Cogan. The line arrangement follows ex. 1. A score of this inscription is presented on the CD-ROM.
An Akkadian inscription on a hexagonal prism from Nineveh contains a text similar to text no. 1 (Nineveh A) and text no. 2 (Nineveh B). Like those texts, this inscription records the building of an armory in Nineveh. This text is commonly referred to as Nineveh (Prism) C (Nin. C).
Access Esarhaddon 3 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003232/]
Source:
The parts of all six columns of the prism and part of the base are preserved. The preserved text duplicates in some passages text no. 1 (Nineveh A) and text no. 2 (Nineveh B) in others; this inscription deviates from both of those texts in a few places. With minor variation and omission, col. i 18′–28′ duplicates text no. 1 ii 55–61; col. ii duplicates text no. 2 i 43–ii 23 (and text no. 1 iii 24–61); col. iii duplicates text no. 2 ii 58–iii 37 (and text no. 1 iii 71, iv 13b–22 and 53–77); col. iv duplicates text no. 2 iii 59–iv 42 (and text no. 1 iv 32–46, 51–52, and v 33b–46); col. v duplicates text no. 2 v 8–56 (compare text no. 1 v 80–vi 30); and col. vi duplicates text no. 2 vi 22–43 and text no. 1 vi 51b–74. The restorations are based on these parallels.
An Akkadian inscription found on two fragments of a clay prism discovered at Nebi Yunus by M.A. Mustafa in 1954 contains descriptions of Esarhaddon's military campaigns. The preserved narrative is similar to those of text no. 1 (Nineveh A), text no. 2 (Nineveh B), and text no. 3 (Nineveh C).
Access Esarhaddon 4 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003233/]
Source:
The preserved text duplicates, with some variation, text no. 1 (Nineveh A), text no. 2 (Nineveh B), and text no. 3 (Nineveh C). Col. i′ duplicates text no. 1 iii 42–54 (and text no. 2 i 63–ii 15; and text no. 3 ii 14′–26′); col. ii′ duplicates text no. 1 iii 83–iv 13, 21–22, and 53–61 (and text no. 2 ii 46–iii 22; and text no. 3 iii 1′–23′); and col. iii′ duplicates text no. 1 iv 32–36 and 46–52 (and text no. 2 iii 53–iv 6; and text no. 3 iv 1′–8′). The restorations are based on these parallels. The arrangement of the narrative follows text no. 2 and text no. 3 more closely than text no. 1.
A fragment of a hexagonal prism from Nineveh contains an inscription similar to text no. 1 (Nineveh A), which describes the construction of an armory in Nineveh. This text is commonly referred to as Nineveh (Prism) F (Nin. F) or Nineveh (Prism) S.
Access Esarhaddon 5 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003234/]
Source:
Parts of the first and last columns are preserved; cols. ii–v are completely destroyed. The extant text duplicates text no. 1 (Nineveh A) i 8–22 (=col. i) and v 47–65 (=col. vi). The restorations are based on text no. 1.
A fragment of an octagonal prism contains an inscription similar to text no. 1 (Nineveh A). This text is commonly referred to as Nineveh (Prism) D or Nineveh (Prism) S (see text no. 5).
Access Esarhaddon 6 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003235/]
Source:
Parts of the lower half of three columns are preserved; these columns are likely the first three columns of the prism. The extant text duplicates, with some omissions, text no. 1 (Nineveh A) i 56–68 (=col. i′), ii 57–iii 35 (=col. ii′), and iv 3–39 (=col. iii′). The restorations are based on text no. 1.
A fragment of a prism, which is part of the collections of the Wiener Museum für Völkerkunde in Vienna, preserves part of an Akkadian inscription containing military campaigns, including Esarhaddon's campaign against the land of Šubria. The piece may belong to text no. 6 (Nineveh D) or text no. 8 (Nineveh E) and is thus included here with the Nineveh texts. This text is sometimes referred to as Nineveh (Prism) S (see text no. 5).
Access Esarhaddon 7 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003236/]
Source:
The edition is based on R. Borger's published copy since the object could not be found. Col. i′ duplicates text no. 1 (Nineveh A) iii 60–75. Col. ii′, as far as it is preserved, describes the campaign against the land of Šubria, an event also known from text no. 33 (7599 and K 2852+), text no. 34 (K 3082+) lines 1–5, and text no. 60 ex. 1 (EŞ 6262) lines 6–7a; lines 3′–6′ parallel text no. 33 Tablet 1 ii 1–4 (=Tablet 1 of the "Letter to God"). The restorations are based on text nos. 1 and 33.
A fragment of a hollow prism from Nineveh preserves an Akkadian inscription containing accounts of military campaigns, including a description of the preparations for and execution of an expedition to Egypt. This text is commonly referred to as Nineveh (Prism) E or Nineveh (Prism) S (see text no. 5).
Access Esarhaddon 8 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003237/]
Source:
Parts of two columns are preserved. Col. i′ duplicates text no. 1 (Nineveh A) iv 42–68 and col. ii′, as far as it is preserved, contains a report of Esarhaddon's conquest of Egypt; this event is also recorded in several inscriptions, including text no. 9 (Bu 91–5–9,218), text no. 15 (Bu 91–5–9,134), text no. 34 (K 3082+), text no. 35 (83–1–18,483), text no. 36 (79–7–8,196), text no. 37 (Rm 284), text no. 38 (K 3127+), text no. 39 (K 13721), text no. 98 (VA 2708), and text no. 103 (VAG 31). The restorations in col. i′ are based on text no. 1 and most of those in col. ii′ follow the suggestions of R. Borger (Asarh. pp. 65–66 §28), several of which are based on text no. 98 (Monument A).
With regard to the fragment's provenance, it may have been discovered at Nebi Yunus since objects with 80-7-19 registration numbers were excavated by or for H. Rassam during 1879–80 at Nineveh, mainly from the palaces on Kuyunjik, but also at Nebi Yunus.
A fragment from somewhere near the bottom of a hexagonal prism has part of an inscription containing a tribute list. This text, of which parts of two columns are preserved, has been traditionally attributed to Esarhaddon, but there is not yet proof for this attribution. If this is an Esarhaddon inscription, it should probably be related to his Egyptian campaign. This text is sometimes referred to as Nineveh (Prism) S (see text no. 5).
Access Esarhaddon 9 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/rinap4/Q003238/]
Source:
Erle Leichty
Erle Leichty, 'Nineveh, Part 1', RINAP 4: Esarhaddon, The RINAP 4 sub-project of the RINAP Project, 2019 [http://oracc.org/rinap/rinap4/rinap4textintroductions/nineveh/]