Ashurbanipal 011

(i 1) I, Ashurbanipal, the creation of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, the senior son of the king of the House of Succession, the one whom (the god) Aššur and the god Sîn — the lord of the (lunar) crown — nominated in distant days to be king (i 5) and created in the womb of his mother for shepherding Assyria, (and the one for whom) the deities Šamaš, Adad, and Ištar declared my exercising the kingship through their firm decision(s) —

(i 8) Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, the father who had engendered me, carefully observed the word(s) of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, the gods who supported him, (i 10) (and) who instructed him about my exercising the kingship. In the month Ayyāru (II), the month of the god Ea — the lord of humankind — on the twelfth day — an auspicious day, (the day of) the bread donation(s) to the goddess Gula — in order to perform the noble command of the deities Aššur, Mullissu, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, (i 15) Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, Šarrat-Kidmuri, Ištar of Arbela, Ninurta, Nergal, (and) Nusku, he assembled the people of Assyria — young and old — (and) of the Upper and Lower Sea(s). (i 20) In order to protect my (position as) heir designate and afterwards (my) exercising the kingship of Assyria, he made them swear to a treaty, an oath bound by the gods; he made the agreements strong.

(i 23) In (the midst of) joyous celebration, I entered the House of Succession, a sophisticated place, the mooring place of kingship, inside of which Sennacherib — the father of the father who had begotten me — had performed (his duties) as heir designate and king, the place in whose midst Esarhaddon — the father who had engendered me — was born, grew up, exercised dominion over Assyria, led all of the rulers, expanded (his) family, (and) bonded with relatives and kin.

(i 31) Furthermore, I, Ashurbanipal, learned inside it the wisdom of the god Nabû, all of the scribal arts. I investigated the precepts of every type of scholar there is, learned how to shoot a bow, ride a horse (and) chariot, (and) take hold of (their) reins.

(i 35) By the command of the great gods, whose name(s) I invoked, whose praise I speak about, (and) who commanded my exercising the kingship, they entrusted me to be the provider of their sanctuaries. In my stead, they always answer my adversar(ies and) kill my foes.

(i 39) Heroic male, beloved of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar, descendant of kingship, I —

(i 41) After the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, Šarrat-Kidmuri, Ištar of Arbela, Ninurta, Nergal, (and) Nusku gladly made me sit on the throne of the father who had engendered me, (i 45) the god Adad released his rains (and) the god Ea opened up his springs. Grain was five cubits high in its furrow (and) ear(s) of corn were five-sixths of a cubits long. Successful harvest(s and) an abundance of grain enabled pasture land to continually flourish, fruit orchards to be very lush with fruit, (and) cattle to successfully give birth to (their) young. During my reign, there was plenitude (and) abundance; during my years, bountiful produce was accumulated.

(i 52) On my first campaign, I marched to Makan (Egypt) and Meluḫḫa (Ethiopia). (As for) Taharqa, the king of Egypt and Kush, whose defeat Esarhaddon — king of Assyria, the father who had engendered me — had brought about (and) (i 55b) whose land he ruled over, he, Taharqa, forgot the might of (the god) Aššur, the goddess Ištar, and the great gods, my lords, and trusted in his own strength. He marched against the kings (and) officials, whom the father who had engendered me had appointed inside Egypt, to kill (and) rob (them) and to take away Egypt (from them). (i 60b) He entered and resided in the city Memphis, a city that the father who had engendered me had conquered (and) made part of the territory of Assyria. A fast messenger came to Nineveh and reported (this) to me. My heart became enraged about these deeds and my temper turned hot. (i 65) I raised up my hands (and) made an appeal to (the god) Aššur and the Assyrian Ištar. I mustered my elite forces that (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar had placed in my hands (and) I made (them) take the direct road to Egypt and Kush.

(i 68b) In the course of my campaign, twenty-two kings of the seacoast, the midst of the sea, and dry land, servants who belonged to me, carried their substantial audience gift(s) before me and kissed my feet.

(i 72) I made those kings, together with their forces (and) their boats, take the road (and) path with my troops by sea and dry land.

(i 75) I quickly advanced to support the kings (and) officials who were in Egypt, servants who belonged to me, and I marched as far as the city Kār-Bānīte. Taharqa, the king of Egypt and Kush, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force (while he was) inside the city Memphis, and (i 80) mustered his battle troops before me to wage armed battle and war. With the support of the gods Aššur, Bēl (Marduk), (and) Nabû, the great gods, my lords who march at my side, I brought about the defeat of his troops in a widespread pitched battle.

(i 83) Taharqa heard about the defeat of his troops while (he was) inside the city Memphis. The awe-inspiring radiance of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar overwhelmed him and he went into a frenzy. (i 85) The brilliance of my royal majesty, with which the gods of heaven and netherworld had endowed me, covered him; he abandoned the city Memphis and, in order to save his (own) life, he fled inside the city Thebes. I seized that city (Memphis) (and then) made my troops enter (and) reside there.

(i 90) (As for) Necho, king of the cities Memphis and Sais, Šarru-lū-dāri, king of the city Pelusium, Pi-šan-Ḫuru, king of the city Natho, Pa-qruru, king of the city Pišaptu, Bokennife (Bukunanniʾpi), king of the city Athribis, (i 95) Naḫkê, king of the city Heracleopolis, Puṭu-Bāšti, king of the city Tanis, Unamunu, king of the city Natho, Ḫur-ši-Ēšu, king of the city Sebennytos, Pūiama, king of the city Mendes, (i 100) Sheshonq, king of the city Busiris, Tap-naḫte, king of the city Punubu, Bokennife (Bukunanniʾpi), king of the city Aḫni, Eptimu-rṭešu, king of the city Trenuthis, Naḫti-ḫuru-ansini, king of the city Pišapdiʾa, (i 105) Bukurninip, king of the city Paḫnuti, Ṣi-ḫû, king of the city Siut, Lamintu, king of the city Hermopolis, Išpimāṭu, king of the city Thinis, (and) Monthemhet, king of the city Thebes, (i 110) those kings, governors, (and) officials whom the father who had engendered me had appointed in Egypt, who had abandoned their post(s) in the face of Taharqa’s tactical advance, (and) had gone to (lit. “filled”) the countryside, where their post(s) were, I reappointed them in their (former) positions. I reorganized Egypt and Kush, which the father who had engendered me had conquered. (i 115) I strengthened (its) guard more than previously and concluded (new) agreements (with it).

(i 116b) With much plunder (and) substantial booty, I returned safely to Nineveh.

(i 118) Afterwards, those kings, as many as I had appointed, sinned against my treaty (and) did not honor the oath(s sworn) by the great gods. They forgot the kindness that I had done for them and (i 120) their heart(s) plotted evil (deeds). They spoke word(s) of treachery and decided (among) themselves on a profitless decision, saying: “If they remove Taharqa from Egypt, how then can we (ourselves) stay?” To establish treaties and peace, they dispatched their mounted messenger(s) to Taharqa, the king of Kush, saying: (i 125) “Let peace be established between us so that we can come to a mutual agreement. (Let) us divide the land among ourselves so that no other lord comes between us.” With regard to troops of Assyria, the might of my lordly majesty that I had stationed (there) to help them, they constantly sought out evil plan(s).

(i 128b) Eunuchs of mine heard these words; they seized their mounted messenger(s) along with their messages and (i 130) (then) they saw their deceitful acts. They seized those kings and clamped (their) hands and feet in iron fetters (and) iron handcuffs. The oath (sworn) by (the god) Aššur, the king of the gods, defeated them and my kindness, which I had done for them as a favor, called to account those who had sinned against the treaty (sworn) by the great gods.

(i 134b) (As for) the people of the cities Sais, Mendes, Pelusium, and the rest of the cities, as many as had sided with them (and) plotted evil (deeds), young and old, they (my troops) cut (them) down with the sword. They did not spare a single person among (them). They hung their corpses on poles, flayed them, (and) draped the city wall(s with their skins).

(ii 5) (As for) those twenty kings who had constantly sought out evil (deeds) against the troops of Assyria, they brought (them alive) to Nineveh, before me.

(ii 8) Among them, I had mercy on Necho and I let him live. I made (his) treaty more stringent than the previous one and I established (it) with him. (ii 10) I clothed him in garment(s) with multi-colored trim, placed on him a golden hoe, an insignia of his kingship, (and) fastened gold bracelets around his wrists. On an iron belt-dagger with gold mountings, I wrote out my name and I gave (it) to him. I presented him with chariots, horses, (and) mules to be his lordly transport. (ii 15) I sent with him eunuchs of mine (and) governors to help him. Where the father who had engendered me had appointed him as king, in the city Sais, I returned him to his position.

(ii 17b) Moreover, I appointed Nabû-šēzibanni, his son, in the city Athribis. I performed more kind (and) good deed(s) for him than the father who had engendered me.

(ii 20) (As for) Taharqa, in the place where he had fled, the awesome terror of the weapon of (the god) Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed him and he passed away.

(ii 22) Afterwards, Tanutamon, the son of Shabako, sat upon his royal throne. He made the cities Thebes (and) Heliopolis his fortresses (and) assembled his forces. To fight against the Assyrian troops (ii 25) who were inside the city Memphis, he mobilized his battle array, confined those people, and cut off their escape route. A fast messenger came to Nineveh and told (this) to me.

(ii 28) On my second campaign, I took the direct road to Egypt and Kush. Tanutamon heard about the advance of my expeditionary force and that I had set foot on Egyptian territory, he abandoned the city Memphis and, in order to save his (own) life, he fled inside the city Thebes. The kings, governors, (and) officials whom I had stationed in Egypt came to meet me and kissed my feet.