Although many of the events of Ashurbanipal's reign are well documented in his res gestae, the internal chronology of his long reign is not as certain as one would like. This vexing problem has long been known.[94] In 1970, Grayson succinctly described the issues at hand:
Nearly forty years later, the situation has barely changed. Despite having a wealth of sources for Ashurbanipal's reign, there are many gaps in our knowledge. The sketch of the military and political events given here is based to a large extent on Grayson, ZA 70 (1980) pp. 227–245; Grayson, CAH2 3/2 pp. 143–155; and Ruby, PNA 1/1 pp. 164–168 sub Aššūr-bāni-apli II.3–6.
In Appendix C of his chronological study, Grayson listed a total of thirty-one "incidents" that are recorded in the extant corpus of Ashurbanipal's annalistic texts;[96] these took place between his accession year (668) and his 30th regnal year (639). Before diving into the survey of military expeditions and political events, it might be useful to present some of the information in a couple of tables, showing which "incidents" each inscription included. Table 1 arranges the information "geographically" (following the arrangement of the "campaigns" in the inscriptions) and Table 2 presents the material chronologically (generally following Grayson's proposed chronology).
| Incident(s) | Source(s) | "Campaign" Number(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt 1 | 2 iii 6–iv 1'; 3 i 48–i 90; 4 i 38–75; 6 ii 4'–2''; 7 ii 1'–18''; 8 ii 1'–12'; 11 i 52–117 | Ø; 1; 1; 1; [1]; [1]; 1 |
| Egypt 2 | 2 iv 2'–v 12; 3 i 91–ii 37; 4 i 76–ii 11'; 6 ii 3''–iii 57'; 7 ii 19''–iii 15'; 8 ii 13'–33'; 9 i 34–54; 11 i 118–ii 48; 12 ii 7'–14'a | Ø; (2); (2); (2); [(2)]; [(2)]; 1; 2; Ø |
| Tyre, Arwad 1–2, Ḫilakku, Tabal, Lydia 1–2 | 1 vi 11–31'; 2 vi 14–vii 3'; 3 ii 38–iii 4; 4 ii 12'–72'; 6 iii 58'–iv 7'; 7 iii 16'–30''; 8 iii 1'–45'; 9 i 55–ii 20; 11 ii 49–125; 12 ii 14'b–24'; 13 iii 1'–13' | Ø; Ø; 3; 3, [3]; [3]; [3]; 2; 3; Ø; Ø |
| Qirbit | 1 vi 1–10; 2 v 1'–vi 13; 3 iii 5–15; 4 ii 73'–iii 8; 6 iv 8'–19'; 7 iii 31''–35'' | Ø; Ø; 4; 4; 4; 4 |
| Mannea, Media, Urarṭu 1 | 3 iii 16–iv 14; 4 iii 9–iv 8; 6 iv 1''–v 23; 7 iv 1'–74''; 8 iv 1'–22''; 9 ii 21–52; 11 ii 126–iii 26; 12 iii 1''–9''; 13 iii 1''–9'' | 5; 5; [5]; [5]; [5]; 3; 4; Ø; Ø |
| Elam 1–2 | 3 iv 15–79; 4 iv 9–49'; 6 v 24–107; 7 iv 75''–v 47; 12 iii 10''–iv 12' | 6; 6; 6; [6]; Ø |
| Elam 3 | 3 iv 80–vi 9; 4 iv 50'–vi 12; 6 v 1'–vii 10; 7 v 48–vi 22'; 8 v 1'–vii 10'; 9 ii 53–71; 11 iii 27–49; 12 v 1–5 | 7; [7]; [7]; 7; [7]; 4; 5; Ø |
| Gambulu | 3 vi 10–85; 4 vi 13–95; 6 vii 11–47'; 7 vi 23'–vii 35; 8 vii 11'–17''; 9 ii 72–iii 5; 11 iii 50–69; 12 v 6–13 | 8; [8]; [8]; 8; [8]; (4); (5); Ø |
| Elam 4, Šamaš-šuma-ukīn rebellion | 3 vi 86–vii 76; 4 vi 96–vii 79; 6 vii 48'–ix 52''; 7 vii 36–ix 9; 8 viii 1'–ix 37'; 9 iii 6–32; 11 iii 70–iv 109 | (9); (9); (9); (9); [(9)]; (4); (5)–6 |
| Elam 5 | 7 ix 10–63''; 8 ix 29''–x 16'; 9 iii 33–iv 16; 11 iv 110–v 62 | [11?]; 11; 5; 7 |
| Elam 6–7 | 9 iv 17–vi 21; 10 iv 36–v 32; 11 v 63–vii 81 | 6; Ø; 8 |
| Arabs 1 | 3 vii 77–viii 55; 4 vii 80–viii 57; 6 x 1'–18''; 7 ix 64''–x 52'; 8 ix 38'–28''; 11 vii 82–viii 64 | (10); (10); (10); (10?); (10); 9 |
| Arabs 2 | 11 viii 65–x 5 | (10) |
| Elam 8 | 11 x 6–39 | (11) |
| Urarṭu 2 | 11 x 40–50 | (9) |
| Cyrus | 12 vi 7'–13' | Ø |
| Ḫudimiri | 12 vi 14'–25' | Ø |
| Tugdammî | 13 viii 6–11' | Ø |
| Date | Incident(s) | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 668 | Qirbit | 1 vi 1–10; 2 v 1'–vi 13; 3 iii 5–15; 4 ii 73'–iii 8; 6 iv 8'–19'; 7 iii 31''–35'' |
| 667 | Arwad 1 | 3 ii 63–72; 4 ii 34'–46'; 6 iii 89'–103'; 7 iii 44'–4''; 8 iii 15'–29'; 9 i 69–74; 11 ii 63–67; 13 iii 9'–13' |
| 667 | Egypt 1 | 2 iii 6–iv 1'; 3 i 48–i 90; 4 i 38–75; 6 ii 4'–2''; 7 ii 1'–18''; 8 ii 1'–12'; 11 i 52–117 |
| ca. 666–665 | Lydia 1 | 1 vi 11–31'; 2 vi 14–vii 3'; 3 ii 86b–iii 4; 4 ii 61'–72'; 6 iv 1'–7'; 7 iii 17''–30''; 9 ii 10–20; 11 ii 95–110 |
| ca. 666–664 | Egypt 2 | 2 iv 2'–v 12; 3 i 91–ii 37; 4 i 76–ii 11'; 6 ii 3''–iii 57'; 7 ii 19''–iii 15'; 8 ii 13'–33'; 9 i 34–54; 11 i 118–ii 48; 12 ii 7'–14'a |
| ca. 664 | Elam 1 | 3 iv 15–48; 4 iv 9–17'; 6 v 24–72; 7 iv 75''–v 16; 12 iii 10''–iv 10' |
| 664 | Elam 2 | 3 iv 49–79; 4 iv 18'–49'; 6 v 73–107; 7 v 17–47; 12 iv 11'–12' |
| ca. 662 | Tyre | 3 ii 38–62; 4 ii 12'–33'; 6 iii 58'–88'; 7 iii 16'–43'; 8 iii 1'–14'; 9 i 55–68; 11 ii 49–62; 12 ii 14'b–24'; 13 iii 1'–8' |
| ca. 662 | Ḫilakku, Tabal | 3 ii 63–74; 4 ii 34'–48'; 6 iii 89'–105'; 7 iii 44'–6''; 8 iii 15'–31'; 9 i 69–76; 11 ii 68–80 |
| ca. 662 | Arwad 2 | 3 ii 75–86a; 4 ii 49'–60'; 6 iii 106'–iv 1; 7 iii 7''–16''; 8 iii 32'–45'; 9 i 77–ii 9; 11 ii 81–94 |
| ca. 660 | Mannea | 3 iii 16–92a; 4 iii 9–15'; 6 iv 1''–v 5; 7 iv 1'–58''; 8 iv 1'–21''; 9 ii 21–52; 11 ii 126–iii 26; 12 iii 1''–9''; 13 iii 1''–9'' |
| ca. 658 | Media | 3 iii 92b–iv 5; 4 iii 16'–22'; 6 v 6–12; 7 iv 59''–65''; 8 iv 22'' |
| ca. 657 | Urarṭu 1 | 3 iv 6–14; 4 iv 1–8; 6 v 13–23; 7 iv 66''–74'' |
| 653 | Elam 3 | 3 iv 80–vi 9; 4 iv 50'–vi 12; 6 v 1'–vii 10; 7 v 48–vi 22'; 8 v 1'–vii 10'; 9 ii 53–71; 11 iii 27–49; 12 v 1–5 |
| 653 | Gambulu | 3 vi 10–85; 4 vi 13–95; 6 vii 11–47'; 7 vi 23'–vii 35; 8 vii 11'–17''; 9 ii 72–iii 5; 11 iii 50–69; 12 v 6–13 |
| before 652 and ca. 650 | Arabs 1 | 3 vii 77–viii 55; 4 vii 80–viii 57; 6 x 1'–18''; 7 ix 64''–x 52'; 8 ix 38'–28''; 11 vii 82–viii 64 |
| 652–648 | Šamaš-šuma-ukīn rebellion | 6 viii 9'''b–ix 10''; 7 viii 1'–79'; 8 viii 1'''–36''''; 11 iii 70–135 and iv 41b–109 |
| ca. 651–650 | Elam 4 | 3 vi 86–vii 76; 4 vi 96–vii 79; 6 vii 48'–viii 9'''a and ix 11''–52''; 7 vii 36–viii 12 and viii 80'–ix 9; 8 viii 1'–34'' and viii 37''''–ix 37'; 9 iii 6–32; 11 iii 136–iv 41a |
| 647 | Elam 5 | 7 ix 10–63''; 8 ix 29''–x 16'; 9 iii 33–iv 16; 11 iv 110–v 62 |
| 646 | Elam 6 | 9 iv 17–vi 21; 10 iv 36–v 32; 11 v 63–vii 8 |
| ca. 645 | Elam 7 | 11 vii 9–81 |
| ca. 645–643 | Arabs 2 | 11 viii 65–x 5 |
| ca. 645–643 | Elam 8 | 11 x 6–39 |
| ca. 645–643 | Lydia 2 | 11 ii 111–125 |
| ca. 645–643 | Urarṭu 2 | 11 x 40–50 |
| ca. 642–640 | Cyrus | 12 vi 7'–13' |
| ca. 642–640 | Ḫudimiri | 12 vi 14'–25' |
| ca. 640–639 | Tugdammî | 13 viii 6–11' |
94 See Johns, PSBA 24 (1902) pp. 235–241; Johns, PSBA 25 (1903) pp. 82–89; Johns, PSBA 27 (1905), pp. 92–100 and 288–296; Johns, PSBA 29 (1907) pp. 74–84; Streck, Asb. pp. CCXXXIV–CCXXXVIII; and Weissbach, RLA 1 (1928) pp. 203–204.
95 Grayson, ZA 70 (1980) pp. 227–228. His comments are echoed in Grayson, CAH2 3/2 pp. 142–143; and Ruby, PNA 1/1 pp. 163–164 sub Aššūr-bāni-apli II.2.
96 Grayson, ZA 70 (1980) pp. 240–244.
97 The abbreviations for the "incidents" follow Grayson (with minor changes); Gambulu is treated separately from Elam 3 here. The tables include data from text nos. 1–13 only. Ø in the "campaign" number(s) column indicates that the ancient text did not assign a number to the expedition; numbers in parentheses indicates the inferred campaign number in the text; and numbers in square brackets indicates the restored campaign number.
98 Information on the dates will be discussed below, in the notes to this section.
Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers
Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers, 'Military Campaigns, Part 1', RINAP 5: The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, Aššur-etel-ilāni, and Sîn-šarra-iškun, The RINAP/RINAP 5 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/rinap/rinap5/rinap51introduction/militarycampaigns/]