Šamaš-šumu-ukin managed to spread the rebellion. He shut the gates of Babylon, Borsippa, and Sippar and prevented offerings from Assurbanipal for their city gods during the revolt.[[30]] Borsippa sided with the rebels until the end of the revolt. The city was besieged at some point.[[31]] After the revolt, Assurbanipal ordered Šadunu to collect literary works from private libraries and the temple Ezida in Borsippa for the royal library in Nineveh in no. 13. The letter is actually not a contemporaneous text but a copy of the original inscribed on two Late Babylonian scribal exercise tablets from Borsippa.[[32]]
Since Babylonia was not politically unified under the authority of Šamaš-šumu-ukin, some cities in central and southern Babylonia such as Nippur, Uruk, and Ur remained loyal to Assurbanipal (see below). Cutha also sided with Assyria although the city was in northern Babylonia. On the 5th of Tishri (VII), 652, Assurbanipal sent no. 15 to Zakir and Kabtiya, whose titles and personal connections are not provided in the letter, and refers to Cutheans in the city of Surmarrati (modern Samarra). However, details are unknown because of the broken context. Šamaš-šumu-ukin attacked Cutha and defeated the Assyrian army on the 9th of the intercalary Elul (VI2), 651.[[33]] Later, Cutha was also under siege during the revolt, but it is not known when the siege started and ended.[[34]]
30 Borger and Fuchs 1996, 40 and 233, A III 93-117.
31 Borger and Fuchs 1996, 41 and 233, A III 128-135. .
32 Frame and George 2005, 280-282; Lieberman 1990, 310-312; Parpola 1983a, 11. .
33 Grayson 1975, 129, no. 15:7-10..
34 Borger and Fuchs 1996, 41 and 233, A III 128-135..
Sanae Ito
Sanae Ito, 'Borsippa and Cutha', The Correspondence of Assurbanipal, Part I: Letters from Assyria, Babylonia, and Vassal States, SAA 21. Original publication:Winona Laka, IN, Eisenbrauns, 2018; online contents: SAAo/SAA21 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa21/thecontentsoftheletters/borsippaandcutha/]