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RECORDS OF THE PAST

BEING ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS
OF THE

ANCIENT MONUMENTS OF EGYPT AND

WESTERN ASIA

NEW

SERIES

EDITED BY
HON. LL.D. DUBLIN

A.
;

H.

SAYCE

HON. D.D. EDINBURGH

VOL.

II

Multac terricolis linguae, codestibus una

LONDON
SAMUEL BAGSTER AND
15

SONS, LIMITED

PATERNOSTER ROW

PREFACE
THE

present volume of Records of the Past possesses

It contains the last literary
a melancholy interest.

monument

of one of the most valued of

workers, M. Arthur Amiaud,

after

the

who

my

fellow-

died suddenly just

completing the final pages of his translations of

No other Assyrian
inscriptions of Tel-loh.

scholar had so thoroughly mastered the secrets of the

non-Semitic language of ancient Chaldaea, and the

knowledge which has perished with him is for science

an

irreparable

The hand

loss.

that

traced

the

interpretation of the mysterious records of primeval

Shinar was not permitted to revise it in proof.

It will be seen that I have been able to redeem

my

promise of editing the

latest

tive translations of the early

am

and most authorita

Egyptian

texts,

and

fortunate in having secured the help of Professor

Maspero, the most eminent of living Egyptologists,

work. I hope next year to be able to redeem

for the

my other promise
the

same
I

of bringing out two volumes during

year.

must take

misreading which

opportunity of correcting a
have allowed to appear in two

this
I

PREFACE

VI

The
passages of the last volume of the Records.
name of the Hittite prince mentioned by the Vannic
king Menuas

is

not Sada-hadas, as

it

is

given on

pages 97 and 165, but Sada-halis, as it is correctly

transcribed in the transliteration and translation of
the inscription

itself (pp.

165, 166).

In the translations doubtful words and expressions

are followed by a note of interrogation, the preceding

word being put into italics where necessary. The

names of individuals are distinguished from those of

by being printed in Roman type,

whereas the names of deities and localities are in
deities or localities

capitals.

A. H.

QUEEN

COLLEGE, OXFORD,
July 1889.

SAYCE.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.

INSCRIPTION OF UNI (OF THE SIXTH DYNASTY).

By
II.

Prof.

MASPERO, Member of the

Institute

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT (OF THE

TWELFTH DYNASTY). By Prof. MASPERO
.

III.

THE LEGEND
HYKSOS.

IV.

By

1 1

OF THE EXPULSION OF THE

Prof.

MASPERO

THE STELE OF THOTHMES IV

EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY).

THE

(OF

MALLET

By D.

37

45

TEL EL-AMARNA RELATING TO

V. TABLETS OF

PALESTINE IN THE CENTURY BEFORE THE

EXODUS.
VI.

EDITOR

(Continued from

EDITOR

Vol.

THE STANDARD
NATSIR-PAL.

By

/)

EDITOR

57

no
OF

72

By

INSCRIPTION
the

By ARTHUR

OF TELLOH.

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONOLOGICAL CANON.

the

VIII.

the

THE INSCRIPTIONS
AMIAUD.

VII.

By

ASSUR128

CONTENTS

Vlll

PAGE

IX. SPECIMENS OF ASSYRIAN

By THEO.
X.

G. PINCHES

XII.

AKKADIAN HYMN TO THE SETTING SUN.

G. BERTIN

XI.

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE MOABITE

STONE.

By

Dr. A.

XIV. EGYPTIAN CALENDAR

178

By

.190

NEUBAUER

TABLE OF THE EGYPTIAN DYNASTIES

XIII. LIST OF KINGS OF ASSYRIA

194

204

205

208

EQUIVALENTS OF THE HEBREW LETTERS IN THE TRANS

LITERATION OF ASSYRIAN NAMES MENTIONED IN
THESE VOLUMES.
N
a

"?

n,

f\

s,s

kk

p
1

dh

Those Assyriologists who

The Assyrian

D m

T
n

n
D

A^.j5.

a,
/>

transcribe

&

ts
(/

^>

by

s/i

use

for

represents a diphthong as well as y.

In the Introductions and Notes W. A. I. denotes The

Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia in five volumes
published by the Trustees of the British Museum.

INSCRIPTION OF UNI (OF THE SIXTH

DYNASTY)
TRANSLATED BY PROF. MASPERO

THIS inscription adorned one of the walls of the

tomb which Uni had built for himself at Abydos in
the central part of the necropolis (Mariette
vol.
It

Abydos,

was

to the

p. 41
Catalogue General, p. 84, No. 5 22 )discovered there by Mariette and transferred

ii.

Museum

of Boulaq (Mariette

Notice des prin-

cipaux Monuments, 1864, pp. 286-287), where it now

Guide du Visiteur,
bears the number 886 (Maspero
:

Rouge copied it there in 1865

pp. 209-2 1).
and made an analysis of it, intermingled with trans
lations, which he published in his Recherches sur les
E. de

Monuments (pp.
His work served

117-128,

135-149,

pi.

vii., viii.)

as a starting-point for the complete

Inscription of Una," in the

translations of Birch

("

Records of

tJie

Past, prior series,

partial translations of

Peuples de V Orient,

ii.

pp. 1-8),

and the

Maspero (Histoirc ancienne des

875, pp. 88-92; 1 886, pp. 8 1-

85) and of Brugsch (GeschicJite Aegyptens, pp. 95-102).

text has been published a second time, but some-

The

VOL.

II

RECORDS OF THE PAST

what
49)

by Mariette (Abydos, vol. ii. pp. 44has again been edited, with the corrections of

incorrectly,
it

Brugsch and Golenischeff, by Erman (Commentar zur

Insclirift dcs Una in Lepsius s Zcitschrift, 1882, pp.
1-29), together with a translation and a grammatical

commentary, some points

modified by

Erman

in

in his

which have been slightly

work on Egypt (Aegyptcn,

688-690, ct passim}.
Brugsch has devoted one
of the most interesting of his memoirs to the study
pp.

names of the Nubian populations contained

our inscription (Die Negerstdmme der Una-InscJirift

of the
in

in the Zcitschrift,

The

inscription consists of 5 2 lines, of which the

alone

first

1882, pp. 30-36).

is

horizontal and runs along the

of the wall like a sort of general

side

it

has suffered a

little,

ginning have lost almost

On

title.

and the

lines

summit
the right

at the be

the characters at the top

but only two or three of
these lacuna are impossible to fill up, and interrupt

and the bottom of them

all

the sense.

easy to

Everywhere else, the expression is clear,

comprehend, and the difficulties which it

offers to the interpreter result

only from our present

of
the
exact
ignorance
signification of certain terms
peculiar to architecture, navigation, and the military
art at the remote epoch to which the inscription
belongs.

The

portions of the text which have been

restored are enclosed between brackets.

The

stele

which was found with

Museum

this

inscription

of Boulaq at Cairo, and has the

form of a false door it is evidently the same which

is

in

the

INSCRIPTION OF UNI
was given
in

the

Uni by king Meriri

to

given a de
Catalogue General des

has

Mariette

inscription.

scription of the stele in his

Pepi, as stated

Monuments d Abydos (p. 90, No. 529 cfer. J. and

The tomb
E. de Rouge
Inscriptions, vol.
pi. II.).
of Auu, the father of Uni, has been discovered at
;

i.

Abydos
p.

(E.

de Rouge

144, note

i).

RecJiercJies

sur

Uni died before

les

Monuments,

Miriniri,

who

is

as I
if,
king mentioned in his biography
have conjectured, he was born in the reign of Unas,

the last

his

age could not have exceeded sixty years.

THE INSCRIPTION OF UNI

[ROYAL offering to OSIRIS the lord of BUSIRIS] in order
that there may be given to him a revenue in bread and
and each day, with an abundance
a
thousand
everything,
loaves], a thousand cups of beer,
[of
a thousand oxen, a thousand geese, a thousand ducks, a
liquors, at every festival

thousand fowls, a thousand birds, a thousand cloths, a

thousand [pieces of linen, for] the prefect of the country
of the south, the guardian of NEKHNI, the dictator of
NEKHABIT/ sole friend, feudal vassal of OSIRIS KHONTAMENTIT, [Uni

[He

says

;]

:]

I was still a
[I was born under the Majesty of Unas.
2
youth] wearing the fillet under the Majesty of Teti, and
employed as superintendent of the treasury, when I was
3
promoted to the inspectorship of the irrigated lands ot
Pharaoh.
When I was chief of the secret chamber under
the Majesty of Pepi, his Majesty confers on me the dignity

of Friend (and) controlling prophet of his pyramid ; then

when [I held this office] his Majesty made me Sabu,
guardian of NEKHNI, [for his heart] was satisfied with me
I heard then all that
above any other of his servants.
happened, I alone with a Sabu, clerk to the Porte, in every
secret affair, [and I executed all the writings]
1

Nekhni and Nekhabit are names applied

Kab, and to the surrounding country.
2

The commencement

is

conjecturally

Notices, vol.
published by Champollion
Unas is introduced only conjecturally.
:

etc.

Eilithyia,

restored

to-day El-

from an inscription

697.

p.

which had

The name

of

King

Iri-ni Pirui-aa S. huzu \khonti\, literally "I made an inspector,"

Iri is used here in the same manner as in the phrase iri himit,
to

take a
4

ii.

to

"

wife,"

to

"

marry,"

literally

complete the passage thus

to

nuki

make a
iri

wife."

an nib

am

"

sit,

execute

INSCRIPTION OF UNI
to be executed in the

harem of the king or

name

of the king whether for the

for the residence of the Six, so that I

king more than any other of his

satisfied the heart of the

peers, (or) of his mamelouk nobles, more than any other of

his servants.
[An order was also issued] by the Majesty
lord that a sarcophagus of white stone should be
of

my

brought to

me

from Roiu. 1

His Majesty sent a temple-

slave in a boat with the soldiers [the hewers of the stone

and the artisans] with orders to convey this sarcophagus

me from Roi u ; and this sarcophagus comes with a

2
temple-slave in a large pontoon from the royal administra
as
as
its
a
in
well
stele
the form of a gate, (to wit)
lid,
tion,
to

the frame, the two middle blocks, and the threshold ; 3 never
like it been made for any other servant what

had anything
ever

and

but

it

happened

that

my wisdom

pleased his Majesty

zeal pleased his Majesty and that also the

heart of his Majesty was satisfied with me.
Also from

that also

my

my

being Sabn, guardian of NEKHNI, his Majesty made me

sole Friend, superintendent of the irrigated lands of the
Pharaoh 4 over the superintendents of the cultivated lands
who are there, and I acted to the satisfaction of his Majesty,
both when I had to keep guard behind the Pharaoh and

had) to settle the royal itinerary, or to arrange the

I acted in all this to the satisfaction of his

(when

peers,

and

Majesty above everything. When moreover one went to the

harem to inform against the great royal wife Amitsi, se
cretly, his Majesty made me alone descend into it in order to
listen to business, no Sabu clerk of the Porte being there,
nor any peer except myself alone, because of (my) wisdom
royal

for the royal dwelling and the dwelling

every writing among them
of the Six," the pronoun sit referring to the feminine words Suten-apit and
Ha it-sas which are found at the end of the sentence.
1
The cjuarries of Tourah, opposite the site of Memphis.
De quelques
For the exact sense of the Egyptian words see Maspero,
.

"

in the Proceedings,

May

1889.
3 The
class of vessel named satu is represented in Lepsius, ii. 76, where
the satu Apahti of king Assi is seen transporting the sarcophagus of this
It is a pontoon without a mast, whose bridge
prince along with its lid.
is so strengthened as not to yield under the weight of the blocks of stone
termes,"

with which

it is

loaded.

the two great houses

the designation of the Sublime-Porte.
Ed,~\

"

"

\jPirui-aa, literally

"or

palaces."

Compare

RECORDS OF THE PAST

and

my zeal which pleased his Majesty, because the heart

it was I who wrote
of his Majesty was satisfied with me
everything down, I alone with a Sdbu guardian of NEKHNI.
Now my employment was that of superintendent of the
;

and there never had been

rank who had heard the secrets of the royal
in former days, excepting me, when his Majesty
made me hear (them), because my wisdom pleased his
Majesty more than any other of his peers, more than any
other of his mamelouks, more than any other of his servants.
When his Majesty carried war to the district of the
nomad HIRUSHAU, and when his Majesty formed an army

irrigated lands of the Pharaoh,

any of
harem,

this

levied throughout the entire South,

southward starting from ELEPHANTINE, northward starting
from the LETOPOLITAN nome, 1 in the country of the north,
in the two confines in their entirety, in each station between

of several myriads,

the fortified stations of the desert, in AROTIT a country of

the NEGROES, in ZAMU a country of the NEGROES, in

AMAMU

a country of the NEGROES, in

UAUAIT a country

of

the NEGROES, in QAAU a country of the NEGROES, in ToTAM a country of the NEGROES 2 ; his Majesty sent me at
the head of this army.
There were generals in it, there
were mamelouks of the king of LOWER EGYPT in it, there
were sole Friends of the Pharaoh in it, there were in it

and princes of the south and of the land of

3
Golden Friends and superintendents of the
of
the south and of the land of the north,
prophets
prefects of the confines at the head of the militia of the
south and of the land of the north, cities and boroughs
dictators

the

north,

1
Aait
the symbol of the leg is badly drawn, but perfectly recognis
able in the original, as Rouge saw from the beginning.
2
On these populations of Nubia see the article of Brugsch, "Die
Negerstamme der Una-Inschrift," in Lepsius s Zeitschrift, 1882, pp. 30;

36.
3

The term

"

dictator "or
is pecu
podesta
hi-top which I render by
governors and feudal lords of the nomes of Upper Egypt, that
of Hiqa-hait or "prince" being reserved for the governors and feudal
lords of Lower Egypt.
The titles which follow "Friends," "superin
tendents of the prophets
are usually attached to the preceding, and
confer on those who bear them religious authority over the priests of the
"

liar to the

"

nome which

they govern.

INSCRIPTION OF UNI
which they governed, as well as negroes from the regions
mentioned (above), and nevertheless it was I who laid
down the law for them although my employment was that
of superintendent of the irrigated lands of the Pharaoh
with the title belonging to my office l
so that each of them
2
obeyed like all the rest, and each of them took with him
what he needed as regards bread and sandals for the journey,
and each of them took beer from every town, and each of
them took every kind of small cattle from every individual.
to AMIHIT, SIBRINIHOTPU, UARIT of HORU NIBthen being in this locality [I marshalled them, I
regulated] everything and I counted the number of this
army which no servant had ever counted (before). This
I

led

MA T
I

them
3

it shattered
the country of
army marched prosperously
This army marched prosperously it de
the HIRUSHAU.
This army marched
stroyed the country of the HIRUSHAU.
;

This army
prosperously ; it conquered their fortresses.
marched prosperously ; it cut down their fig-trees and their

This army marched prosperously ; it set fire to

vines.
This army marched pros
the [houses of] the inhabitants. 7
This army
perously ; it slew their soldiers by myriads.
marched in peace ; it led away captive 8 a very great num
ber of the inhabitants of the

country, and his

Majesty

The phrase follow

right (tii muti] of my place.
It seems to enumerate what
ing is not yet so clear as one could wish.
make the law (iri sokheru] for those who were above him
Uni did to
1

"

by the

Literally

"

"

whom

nevertheless he commanded.
2
to put the one of them like all his seconds."
Literally
3 Three localities on the eastern frontier of the
Delta, whose sites are

self in

rank and

unknown.
4

Literally

"in

peace"

modern Egyptian fellahin,

5
Bi literally signifies

"

(m hotpu], answering to the salutation of the

bi-ssalamat.
to break up with the pick."

Uonit, Coptic uon, "mound."

have restored the text from a passage in an inscription of Usirtasen III, where analogous raids are described (Lepsius
Denkmdkr,
ii. pi.
136, lines 14-16).
8
The expression is m-sokit-onkhti, literally "among those who had
It refers us to a barbarous mode of warfare in which
been struck alive."
no prisoners were taken except those who had been struck by the stone
and
a weapon which serves as a determinative of the verb soku,
mace,
whom their wound must have left half dead on the field of battle. They
the living-stricken in opposition to those who had been killed
were called
7

"

by the mace.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

His Majesty
praised me because of this above everything.
sent me to lead this army five times, in order to penetrate l
into the country of the HIRU-SHAU, as often as they revolted

and I acted to the satisfaction of his

Then as it was said
Majesty in this above everything.
that there were rebels among those barbarians who extended
as far as towards TiBA, 2 I sailed in ships with this army,
I attacked the coasts of this country to the north of the
country of the HIRU-SHAU ; then this army being on the
march, I went and overthrew them all, and I slew all the
rebels among them.
When I was at the great House with the right of carry
against this army,

wand and

the sandals, the Pharaoh Mirinri made

governor-general of the South, southward starting from

ing the

me

ELEPHANTINE (and) northward as far as the LETOPOLITAN

my wisdom pleased his Majesty, because my

nome, because

zeal pleased his Majesty, because the heart of his Majesty

was

satisfied with

me

when then

was invested with the

of carrying the wand and the sandals, his Majesty

favoured me therefore (giving me part of) the cattle intended
when I was in my place I was above all his
for the palace
right

and all his mamelouks and all his servants, and this
dignity had never been conferred on any servant whatever

peers,

I filled to the satisfaction of the king my part of

superintendent of the South, so as to be allowed to stand at
his side second (in rank) to him, accomplishing all the duties
of an engineer, judging all causes that there were to judge

before.

1
Tcru-to
against the

in

is

its

ground,"

origin a nautical term, literally

"

to

dash
on the

"

strike,"

borrowed from the manceuvreing of

vessels

Nile.

On this name, see Maspero Notes in Lepsius s Zeitschrift, 1883, p.

Varia in the Zeitschrift, 1888, p. in, who has not been
64; and Piehl
able to read the characters composing the name.
Perhaps we may identify
it, as Krall does (Studien zur Geschichte des Alien ALgyptens, iii. p. 22),
with the name of Tebui met with in a text at Edfu (Dumichen
Tempelinschriften, i. pi. Ixxiii. 1. 2, and Die Oasen der libyschen IVi/ste, pi. xvi.
which
nach
der
Grossen
does
not
know
where
Oase, p. 92)
Brugsch (Rcise
e),
to locate.
If the identification is correct, we can conclude that Tebui,
associated as it is with Amit and the north-east of Egypt, was a canton
situated beyond Lake Menzaleh
the expedition of Uni would have been
made on the lake, not on the sea. Possibly there may also be a reference
to the arm of the sea which extended to the Bitter Lakes.
>J

INSCRIPTION OF UNI
for the royal administration in this south of Egypt, as second
judge, at every hour appointed for judgment for the royal ad
ministration in this south of Egypt as second judge ; regu

as governor all there was to do in this south of

Egypt, and never had anything like (this) taken place in
and I did all this to the satis
this south of Egypt before
lating

His Majesty sent me

faction of his Majesty accordingly.
to ABHAiT, 1 to bring back the sarcophagus (called) the Coffer
of the Living, with

and precious

as well as the true

its lid,

pyramidion of the pyramid (called) KHA"NOFIR mistress of

Mirinri."
His Majesty sent me to ELEPHANTINE to bring
a stele in the form of a false door, together with its base of
granite, as well as the portcullis and the framework of
granite [for the passage of the pyramid], (and) to bring back
"

the gates and the thresholds of the exterior chapel of the

pyramid KHANOFIR mistress of Mirin-ri." I returned with
"

them

to the

pyramid KHANOFIR of Mirin-ri

in six galliots,

never
three pontoons, three barges, (and) a man of war,
had there been a man of war at ABHAIT or at ELEPHANTINE;
so

all

things that his Majesty

had ordered me

(to

do) were

His
accomplished fully as his Majesty had ordered them.
2
Majesty sent me to HATNUBU to transport a large table of
offerings

of alabaster.

brought

of offerings

this table

as it was impossible in HAT

[from the mountain]
to despatch (it) along the course of the current in
this galliot, I cut a galliot out of the wood of the acaciaI embarked the
sont, 60 cubits long and 30 cubits broad

down
NUBU

xyth day of the third month of Shomu, and although there

was no water over the sand-banks of the river I reached the
pyramid KHANOFIR of Mirin-ri prosperously I was there
with [the table of offerings] without fail according to the
;

order which the majesty of

mand me. His Majesty sent

my
me

lord

had deigned

to excavate five

to

docks

com
(?)

in

the South and to construct three galliots and four pontoons

now the negro princes of the
of acacia-sont of UAUIT
;

locality in the vicinity of

Assuan, where there were quarries of gray

granite.
2
The modern Banub el-Hammam, whore there are quarries of marble
on the right bank of the Nile in the neighbourhood of Shit (Brugsch
p. 124).
History of Egypt, 2d Edit., vol.
:

i.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

countries of AROTIT, UAUAIT,

wood

for that

purpose, and

AAMU,
I

(and)

MAZA

accomplished

it

felled the
all in

only

year, the transportation to the water and the loading

of large quantities of granite for the pyramid KHANOFIR

one

and moreover

caused a palace to be con

I venerate,
(?), because
because I exalt, because I adore above all the gods, the
souls of the king Mirin-ri, living for ever, because I have
been (raised) above everything according to the order of
which his double has given unto me, even to me who am the
beloved of his father, the lauded of his mother, the magnate
of Mirin-ri

structed for each of these five docks

in

his city, the delighter of his

actual

command

brethren, the governor in

of the South, the vassal of OSIRIS, Uni.

1
These blocks of granite are probably those which still obstruct the
La Pyramidede Mirin-ri
passage of the pyramid of Mirin-ri (Maspero
:

I in the Recueil,

vol. ix. p.

179).

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

THE TWELFTH DYNASTY)

(OF

TRANSLATED BY PROF. MASPERO

THE

Berlin Papyrus No.

I,

purchased by Lepsius

in

Egypt and published by him in the Dcnkmdler aits

Aegypten nnd EtJiiopien, vi. pi. 104-107, is injured
at the beginning.

312

lines of text.

then

come 96

but from line

its

The

filling

up,

discover at

it

contains

lines are vertical

(180-276) which are horizontal

277 to the end the scribe has returned

The

of vertical columns.

from wear and tear;

present lacunas which

had

of

five
I

them

40

first

more

or less

38)

13-15,

(i,

could never have succeeded

not had

the good

Thebes a new manuscript.

fortune

to

The end

is

and concludes with the well-known formula

intact
"

It

179

first

that are preserved have suffered

lines

in

present condition

lines

the system

to

In

is

completed

from

its

commencement

termination as has been found in the

writing, very clear

and bold

to

book."

in the vertical

its

The

portions,

becomes clumsy and confused in the horizontal por

tions
it is full of ligatures and rapidly-written forms
;

which at times render

its

decipherment

difficult.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

The

Papyrus has been analysed and

Chabas
Le Papyrus dc Berlin, recits
by
d il y a quatrc mille ans and Pantheon litteraire, vol.
in
by Goodwin in full in Frazer s
part only
Berlin

translated

i.,

Magazine, 1865, pp. 185-202, and in a separate

form under the title of The Story of SaneJia (Williams
and Norgate, 1865); this translation was corrected

by the author in Lepsius s ZeitscJirift (1872, pp.

10-24), and reproduced in the former series of
Records of the Past,

vol. vi. pp.

Maspero

131-150.

hieroglyphics and translated it in

French: Le Papyrus de Berlin No. I (1874-76), in

transcribed

it

the Melanges
vol.

in

Archeologie egyptiennc et assyriennc,

pp. 68-82,

iii.

corrections

in

r Orient, 4th

the

140

sqq.

partly reproduced with

Histoire ancieune des pcuples de

101-104, and

in full in

the Contcs Egyptiens, 2d edit, pp. 87-130.

Dr. H.

edit, pp. 97, 98,

Haigh has examined the historical and geo

graphical data contained in the story in an article in
D.

Lepsius

ZeitscJirift,

Erman has
book

inserted

1875, pp. 78-107, and

a short

analysis of

it

Prof.
in

his

Aegyptcn und acgyptiscJies Leben im Altertum

(1885-88), pp. 494-497We possess on an ostrakon

in the British

Museum

(No. 5629) the duplicate of a part of the text.

This

mentioned by Dr. Birch in his memoir

ostrakon,
on the Abbott Papyrus, has been published by him,
first

in

facsimile, in

his Inscriptions in the Hieratic

Demotic character, from the

Museum

(1868),

pi. xxiii. p.

Collections
8.

of

and

the British

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

The
that

identity of

13

the text on the ostrakon with

of the last lines

of the Berlin

Papyrus was

time by Goodwin
On
pointed
a Hieratic Inscription upon a stone in tlic British
out for

Museum

the

(Lepsius

first

1872, pp.

Zeitsckrift,

20-24),

where the transcription and translation of the text

are given at

full

The

length.

script belongs to the

dynasty, and this fact is

as
it
that
the story, composed at
important,
proves
the latest in the epoch of the sixteenth or seventeenth

age

of

the

twentieth

dynasty, remained a classic for long afterwards.

As the version given on the ostrakon differs in
certain details from that of the Papyrus, it will be
useful to insert here a complete translation of

it

[I was allowed] to construct [a pyramid] of stone, in

the circle of the pyramids.
The stone-cutters cut the tomb, and divided its walls ;
the architects designed them ; the superintendent of the
"

sculptors sculptured them ; the superintendent of the works

in the necropolis traversed the country (for) all the furniture
with which I furnished this tomb. I allotted peasants to it,

and there were

lakes, fields (and) gardens in its domain, as

in the case of Friends of the highest rank.
[There was] a

statue of gold with a silver-gilt hilt, which the sons of the

king made for me, rejoicing to do so for me ; for I was in

favour with the king until the day arrived

when one

attains

the other bank.

It is

The

ended prosperously

in

peace."

portion wanting at the

commencement has

been found at Thebes on an ostrakon, picked up on

the 6th of February 1886 in the tomb of Sonnozmu.
It

is

a fragment of limestone, broken in half,

more

RECORDS OF THE PAST

length and about seven inches in
breadth, covered with hieratic characters of somewhat

than three feet

in

large size, punctuated with red ink and divided into

paragraphs like most of the MSS. of the epoch of

the Ramessids. On the back, two lines, unfortunately

name of a scribe which

I cannot
decipher, probably the name of the person
who wrote the text. The fracture is not recent.
The limestone has been broken at the very moment

almost

of

its

illegible,

give us the

introduction into the tomb, and the act has

not been accomplished without injury to the inscrip

some splinters of the stone have disappeared
tion
;

and have carried portions of words away with them.

Most of these lacunae can be filled up without
difficulty.
all

The

text

works intended

of the variants

for

is

very incorrect, like that of

the use of the dead.

presented

by

it

result

Many

from faulty

the scribe could

readings of the original manuscript
not read with accuracy the archaic style of writing.
;

The ostrakon has been published by Maspero

Les

premieres lignes des Memoires de Sinouhit, restituees

d apres I Ostracon 2J^i^ du musce de Boulaq, with

two plates
egypticn,

ii.

in facsimile in the

Memoires de rinstitut

pp. 1-23.

The

discovery of this new document allows us to

reconstruct the route followed by Sinuhit in his
flight.

He

left

the

camp on

the Libyan frontier in

the land of the Timihu, thus starting from the west

and

turning

Sycomore."

his

back

According

on
to

the

"

Canton

Brugsch

of

the

(Dictionnaire

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

15

Nuhit, "the Canton of the

Panaho of the Copts, the Athribis
of the Greeks, the modern Benha el-Assal.
This

geographique,

53),

p.

Sycomorc," is

the

identification,

however,

mentioned

of

falls

since Nuhit

itself,

at the very beginning of the journey,

is

and

consequently must have been on the western bank

of the Nile, whereas Benha is on the eastern.
I had

Canton of the Sycomore as

a mode of designating the whole of Egypt.
But we
have long been acquainted with a Nuhit or Pa-nib-

at first considered the

nuhit,

"

"

which appears to have been in the first instance

Memphis, and subsequently to have

only a quarter of

denoted the whole of Memphis (Brugsch, Diction, Geog.,

pp.

The

330-332).
this

probably

"

Canton of the

"

Quarter

of

the

Sycomore"

Sycomore,"

is

and

Sinuhit, the son of the

Sycomore, the Memphite, in

that
he
turns
his back on Nuhit, simply
declaring
means to tell us that he departs from Memphis, his
native place, to go to Shi-Snofrui.

Snofrui

"

identifies
(iii.

is
it

66),

The

"

Wacly of

not otherwise known.

Brugsch, however,
with the Myekphorite nome of Herodotos
thanks to a pronunciation Mui - hik -

him by the characters

which compose the name (Diction. Geog., p. 54). The
position occupied by this town in the itinerary leads
Snofru, borne according

me

to

look

for

Memphis, and the

it

perhaps

between

city of

Babylon, about a day

to

the

Libyan desert,
Khri-Ahu or the Egyptian

journey from this latter and

pyramids of Gizeh and

in the vicinity of the

Abu-Roash.

When

the

evening

arrived,

Sinuhit

RECORDS OF THE PAST

approached Khri-Ahu, crossed the Nile, and resumed

journey, passing eastward of the country of

his

This country was hitherto unknown

lauku.
I

believe, the

district

of the stone-cutters,

all

it

is,

the

region of quarries which extends from Tourah to the

desert along the Gebel Ahhmar or
Red Mountain."
"

Thence Sinuhit marched on

foot as far as

one of the

posts which protected Egypt on this side,

between Abu-Zabel and Belbeis.
Beyond this, he
fortified

mentions

only

Puteni

identifies Puteni with a

and

Qimoiri.

Brugsch

country of Pat which he has

met with on a monument of the

Saitic period,

and

of which the modern city of Belbeis \vould represent

the centre (Diction. Gcog., pp. 54, 55).
The great

Ptolemaic stele discovered by Mr. Naville at Tel

furnishes some data for determining

el-Maskhuta

It contains
pretty exactly the position of Qimoiri.
a name Oimoir, which Mr. Naville has identified,

with good reason, with the Qimoiri of the story of

Sinuhit (The Store-city of PitJioin and the route of the

Exodus, pp. 21, 22).

Ptolemy Philadelphus built
here the city which he called Arsinoe after his sister,

which became one of the emporia of Egyptian trade

Red Sea. Mr. Naville places Arsinoe, and

with the

consequently Qimoiri, near the modern el-Maghfar

in the heart of the ancient Gulf of Suez.
This site

would

suit

himself

in

after having
our narrative admirably
quitted Puteni, Sinuhit would have plunged into the
desert, towards the north-east, and would have lost
;

the sands in his endeavour to reach Oimoiri.

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

17

Beyond this point he entered the country of

Edima or Eduma, in which Chabas has recognised
the land of

Edom

The

75, 76).

(Les Papyrus de Berlin, pp.

scribe states expressly that

canton of the Upper Tonu.

it

39,

was a

Tonu accordingly must

Dead Sea
The prince of Tonu

enclose at least the district between the

and the

Peninsula.

Sinaitic

gives the Egyptian hero a very rich district, Aaa,

or better

of plant,

Ai a, the name of which denoted a species

and recalls that of Ai an, ^Ean, given by the

geographers of the classical epoch to the cantons

bordering on the Gulf of Akabah. Sinuhit remained

some years in the company

archers or Sittiu
on his return to

of the

there

received

by

the

Egyptian garrison

station of Hriu-horu,
say, of Pharaoh,

where

this locality

"

the roads of

who was
was

Horus,"

it

that

with

is

to

Horus

cannot say.

this difficult text.

narrative portion of

at the frontier

identified

Five years of labour have allowed

and translate

nomad

Egypt, he was

may be

me

to transcribe

believe that the

considered as entirely

The petitions,
every word.
explained
the
which
with
and
discourses
letters,
story is filled,
in

still

will

almost

Many details
present considerable difficulties.
doubtless have to be modified in the approaching

future.

VOL.

II

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

(TWELFTH DYNASTY)
THE

hereditary prince, the man of the king in his quality

of sole Friend, 1 the jackal who makes the round of the
frontiers to guard the country, the sovereign of the country

of the SITTIU, the veritable cousin of the king who loves

2
his lord, the servant Sinuhit says
As for me, I am the servant of his master, the slave of
the king, the superintendent of the palace, the hereditary
prince honoured with the favour of the queen Usirtasen, one
of the intimates 3 of the royal son Amenemhait, in his
:

In the year XXX, the 2d month of Shait, the

the
yth (day),
god entered his double horizon, the king
4
Shotphitri ascended to heaven, and when he had united
himself with the solar disk the gods rejoiced at the event.
residence.

Within the palace there was nothing but distressed and

mourning people ; the great gates were sealed the courtiers
;

The Friends occupied

the highest posts in the court of the Pharaoh

of the British Museum they are placed in the seventh
grade after the king.
They were divided into several groups the sole
Friends," the "Friends of the Seraglio," the "golden Friends," and the
in the

Papyrus

Hood

whose exact position cannot be determined.

The title con
"young,"
tinued to be used in the court of the Ptolemies, and spread throughout the
Macedonian world (see Maspero, tudes tgyptiennes, ii. pp, 20, 21).
2
This introduction includes among the ordinary Egyptian titles that of
"sovereign of the country of the SITTIU," or nomad archers of the
Sinaitic Peninsula and the adjoining desert.
Sinuhit had been chief of a
tribe among them, and even after his return to Egypt, continued to bear
the title at the court of the Pharaoh.
The fact is a new one, which
deserves to be noted by Egyptologists.
3
he who is among those who join the dwelling-house with
Literally
the royal son," that is to say, one of those who have the right of living in
the same house as the royal son.
"

That

"

is

to say,

died.

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

19

crouching in sign of mourning, the men were overcome

by dolour and silence. Now his majesty had despatched an
1
army to the country of the TiMmu; his eldest son Usirtasen commanded it, forcefully he marched, he took prisoners
alive among the TIMIHU as well as all their innumerable
sat

cattle.

The Friends

of the Seraglio sent people to the

region
new king of the regency which had

of the west to inform the

them unexpectedly in the Palace.

The messengers
found him and reached him at nightfall ; whereas running
was not sufficiently rapid, the Hawk flew with his servants 3
2

befallen

without informing the army, and as all the royal sons who
were in the army were in the field, none of them was
summoned. Now as for me, I was there, I heard the words

He uttered on this matter, and I felt myself sinking ;

heart palpitated, my arms drooped, the fear of the king
smote all my limbs ; I wondered as I crept along where I
which

my

could find a place wherein to hide myself 4 I flung myself

into the midst of the thickets to wait (there) until they.5 had
;

Then I turned towards the south, not with the

passed.
wish of reaching the palace, for I did not know whether
war had broken out, 6 and without even pronouncing a wish
to live after the (former) sovereign, I turned rny back on the
I reached SHI -SNOFRU and
(Canton of the) Sycomore.
I started
passed the night there on the soil of the field.
again at daybreak and joined a man who was standing in the
1

The Berber

tribes

inhabiting

the

Libyan

desert,

to

the

west of

Egypt.
2

On

the death of the king, the Friends of the Seraglio had to undertake
the duties of a regency during the absence of the heir.
3
The hawk who flies is, according to Egyptian idiom, the new king,
identified with the hawk-god Haroiri,
Horus the elder," or Har-si-isit,
Horus the son of Isis.
4
Sinuhit avoids telling us by what accident he found himself in a posi
tion to hear, unlike every one else, the news which the messenger had
do not know whether the Egyptian law
brought to the new king.
decreed death to the wretch who had committed such an act of indiscretion,
"

"

"

"

"

We

might have been involuntary all we know is that Sinuhit

and determined upon flight.
That is, the king and his attendants.
6
In Egypt, as in all Oriental
This passage must allude to a civil war.
countries, a change of ruler often brings withjt a revolt ; the princes who
have not been chosen to succeed their father taking up arms against their
more fortunate brother.

even though

it

feared for his

6

life

RECORDS OF THE PAST

middle of the road ; he implored
Towards supper-time
of me.
K.HRI-AHU,

my

mercy, for he was afraid

approached the city of

and crossed the water on a barge without a
I

quitted the country of the west and passed over

the eastern territory of IAUKU to the domain of the goddess
HIRIT the mistress of the Red Mountain; 2 then I pro
rudder.

ceeded on foot

straight towards

the north, and

reached

the walls of the prince, which he has constructed to repel

the SITTIU and to destroy the NOMIU-SHAIU ; I remained
in a crouching posture among the bushes, for fear of being

seen by the guard, relieved each day, which keeps watch

I proceeded on my way
from the summit of the fortress.
at nightfall, and at dawn I reached PUTENI and directed my
3

Wady of QiMOiRi. Then thirst fell and darted

my throat rattled and contracted and I already

steps to the

upon me

said to myself: "It is the taste of death," when I rallied

my heart and recalled my strength ; I heard afar the lowing

A SITTI perceived me and recognised from my

of cattle.
Behold he gave me
appearance that I came from EGYPT.
water and boiled some milk for me I went with him to
his tribe.
They wished to give me a territory out of their
territory, but I departed at once and hurried to the country
of EoiMA. 4
When I had passed a year there, Amu-anshi 5 he is
bade me come and he
the prince of the Upper TONU
Dwell with me ; thou shalt hear the language
said to me
He said this because he knew my worth and
of EGYPT."
had heard of my merits, according to the testimony given
of me by the Egyptians who were in the country. 6 This is
What is the reason on account of
what he said to me
which thou art come hither ? Is it that there has been a
death in the palace of the king of the two EGYPTS, even of
;

"

"

2
3

Babylon, now Old Cairo.

[The Gebel Ahhmar, eastward of Cairo. Ed.]
For the position of Qimolri, see the Introduction.
Edoru.

[The first part of the name is probably to be identified with the Hebrew
Deut. ii. n),
terrible," whence the name of the Emim (Gen. xiv. 5
dyom,
the second part of the name being perhaps anash, "to punish
fine."
"

"

"or

Ed,]
6
Probably refugees from Egypt,

like Sinuhit himself.

THE ADVENTURES OF

SINUIIIT

without our having known what has passed on

I began to celebrate the king in a poeti
occasion ?
cal effusion
"When I came from the
country of the TIMIHU
and my heart found for itself a new home, if I failed, 2 it
was not remorse for a fault which sent me on the paths
I had not been negligent, my mouth had
of a fugitive
1

Shotphitri,

"

this

uttered no biting speech,

I had listened to no perverse

not been heard in the mouth of the
I know not how I can explain what has led
magistrate.
me into this country ; it is as it were by the will of God,
for ever since the time when this land of EGYPT was as it

counsel,

my name had

were in ignorance of this beneficent god [the king] the fear

of whom is spread among foreign nations, like SOKHIT 3 in a
year of pestilence, I have declared to him my thought and
Save us 4
Behold now his son enters
replied to him
the palace in his place and has undertaken the direction of
He is a god who verily has no
the affairs of his father.
second ; none is before him.
He is a master of wisdom,
:

prudent in his designs, beneficent in his disposition, at whose

good pleasure one goes and comes, for by his ability he
subdues foreign regions, and even when his father was still
1

The

question of the prince of Tonu, designedly somewhat obscure,

natural, since we know that Amenemhait I had fallen a victim
Amu-anshi asks if Sinuhit hns not been implicated
to a palace conspiracy.
in some attempt of the kind and has in consequence been compelled to

was quite

fly

from Egypt.
2

The
so mutilated here that I cannot guarantee the sense.
I translate
and my heart found for itself a new
home"
The
signifies literally "my heart was renewed there for me."
heart of Sinuhit was Egyptian
by renewing itself it made him an Asiatic
in the land of Tonu.
Further on the hero is regarded as a Sitti.
3
Sokhit or Sokhmit, long confounded with Pakhit, was one of the chief
She belonged to the triad of
goddesses of the Egyptian Pantheon.
She was a lion or
phis and was entitled "the great friend of Phtah."
a goddess with the head of a lion
with the head of a cat she was called

The

text

is

part of the phrase which

"

Mem

and was adored at Bubastis.

Sinuhit here answers the question of the prince of Tonu, as to whether
his exile was not due to complicity in a plot against the life of the king.
His flight was a fatality and he had served his sovereign from the period
Bastit
4

when he had not yet been recognised by all Egypt, and had prayed him
unhappy country, distracted by civil war, as we learn from other
documents.
Then the better to prove that he could never have mixed in
any plot, he plunges into an eulogy of the new Pharaoh Usirtasen I. The
exaggeration of the eulogy becomes a proof of loyalty and innocence.
to save his

RECORDS OF THE PAST

it was he who realised what his
had determined should be accomplished.
He is a
hero who verily works with his sword, a champion who has
no rival we see in him one who rushes against the bar
barians and bursts upon the pillagers.
He is a hurler of
the javelin who makes feeble the hands of the enemy ; those
whom he strikes can no longer lift the buckler. He is a
fearless (hero) who crushes the skulls (of his foes)
none

in the interior of his palace,

father

has stood before him.

the coward ; none is

He

is

able

a rapid runner who destroys

to run after him.
He is a

He is a lion who strikes with

never has he surrendered his arms.
He is a
heart closed to pity
when he sees the multitudes he lets
He is a hero who flings him
nothing remain behind him.
self forward when he sees resistance, he is a soldier who
rejoices when he flings himself on the barbarians ; he seizes
his buckler, he leaps, he has never had need to repeat his
blow, he slays without its being possible to turn aside his
lance, and even without his stretching his bow, the barbari
ans fly his two arms like greyhounds, for the great goddess l
has granted unto him to combat those who know not his
heart resolute in

the claw

season.

its

name, and

He

if

he attains (the prey) he

lets

nothing remain.

known marvellously how to

him more than itself and
his
love
loves
acquire
country
men and women
rejoices in him more than in its own god
hasten at his summons.
As king he governs since he was
is

a favourite

who

has

2
egg; he himself, since his birth, is a multiplier of
he
is
also an unique being, of the divine essence,
births,
whom
this
earth rejoices at being governed.
He is an
by

in the

enlarger of frontiers who will take the lands of the south,

but covets not the lands of the north ; on the contrary, he

has acted against the chiefs of the SITTIU and to destroy

the NoMiu-SnAiu. 3
Should he come here, let him know
thy

name by

One

That

of the
is,

homage thou

the

wilt

address to his majesty

given to Sokhit in her warlike character.

was in the womb of his mother.

titles

since he

The nomad population which inhabited the desert to the east of

Egypt.
They are elsewhere called Hriu-Shaiu, the "masters of the
The name of Nomiu-Shaiu appears to signify one who is lord
sands."
"

of the

sands."

THE AD VENTURES OF S1NUHIT

For does he not do good
obeys him

to

the foreign country which

The chief of TONU answered me

EGYPT be fortunate, and may its

of

23

"

May

the government

prosperity be of long
I will do good to thee

While thou art with me

above his children, marrying me to his eldest
daughter, and he granted that I should choose for myself
in his domain, among the best of what he possessed on the
frontier of a neighbouring country.
It is an excellent
1
There are figs in it and grapes;
country ; Ait A is its name.
its wine is more plentiful than water
abundant is the milk,

duration

He

set

"

me

numerous the olives and all the products of its trees there
are corn and meal without limit and every kind of cattle.
It was noble, indeed, what he conferred on me, when the
prince came to. invest me (with the government), appointing
me tribal prince in the best part of his country. I had daily
rations of bread and wine for each day, cooked meat, roast
;

game that I caught or that was placed

before me, over and above what my dogs brought from the
2
chase.
Plenty of butter was made for me and boiled milk
fowl, together with the

of every

sort.

passed

many

years (there); the children

When a
had became strong, each ruling his tribe.
traveller went and returned from the interior, he turned
aside from his road to visit me, for I rendered services to
I gave water to the thirsty, I set on his
all the world.
journey the traveller who had been hindered from passing
I

The Sixxiu 3 who departed

by, I chastised the brigand.
afar to strike and to repel the princes of the foreign countries
I

for the prince of TONU

should be during long years the general of

commanded, and they marched,

allowed that

For the

The word has been

locality see the Introduction.

left blank in the

manuscript of Berlin.
Very
the original papyrus, from which the copy of
the story we now possess was made, the scribe having preferred to insert
My restora
nothing rather than fill up the lacuna on his own authority.
boiled milk of every
tion is suggested by the juxtaposition of the words
probably

it

was

illegible in

sort."

the archers." It is the generic name given by the Egyptians

Literally
to the nomad populations of Syria in opposition to the Montiu or agricul
of the Old
fellah in
tural population.
[The latter were the Perizzites or
3

"

"

Testament.

Ed. ]

RECORDS OF THE PAST

24

Every country towards which I marched,

had made my invasion, they trembled on the pastures
beside their wells
I seized their cattle, I removed their
vassals and I carried away their slaves, I slaughtered their
his

soldiers.

when

l
population
(the country) lay at the mercy of my sword,
my bow, my marches, my plans well-conceived and glorious
for the heart of my prince.
Thus he loved me when he
;

making me chief of his children, when he

my two arms.
A hero of TONU came to defy me in my tent it was a
hero who had no rivals, for he had destroyed them all. He
exclaimed: "Let Sinuhit combat with me, for he has not yet
smitten me," and he flattered himself that he would take my

knew my

valour,

saw the vigour of

cattle

for

the use

of his tribe.

The

prince deliberated

I said
I know him not.
thereupon with me.
Certainly
I am not his brother, I keep myself at a distance from his
abode ; have I ever opened his door or cleared his fences ?
He is some jealous fellow who is envious at seeing me and
"

who

fancies himself

summoned

me

to despoil

of cats, of she-

throw himself on my bulls,

on my sheep, and on my oxen, in order to take them for
himself.
If he is a wretch who thinks of enriching himself
at my expense, not a Beduin and a Beduin skilled in
fighting, then let him manage the matter with judgment
But if he is a bull who loves the battle, a choice bull who
loves ever to have the last word, if he has the heart to fight,
goats as well as of cows,

and

to

let

him declare the

intention of his heart

Will

God

forget

whom

he has always favoured until now ? It is as if

the challenger were already among those who are laid on the
I strung my bow, I took out my arrows, I
funeral couch

any one

"

At dawn,
agitated my dagger, I furbished up my arms.
the country of TONU came together ; it had collected its
tribes, (and) convoked all the foreign lands which were de

Each heart burned

pendent on it it desired this combat.
for me, men and women shouted
Ah
for every heart
;

"

"

1
These are the phrases used in the official reports to describe the
Usirtasen III says
ravages of the wars carried on by the Pharaohs.
have taken their women, I have removed their vassals,
similarly
manifesting myself towards their wells, chasing before me their cattle,
devastating their houses and setting them on fire."
:

"I

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

was anxious on
strong

man

my

that

is

25

Is
account, and they said
going to fight with him ?
"

it

adversary has a buckler, a battle-axe, an armful of

When

javelins."

and he had appeared, I turned

his darts aside from me. 1
As not a single one hit (me), he
flung himself upon me, and then I discharged my bow at
him, when my dart buried itself in his neck, he cried and
struck himself on the nose
I caused his lance to fall, I
lifted up my shout of victory over his back.
While all the
I

had gone

really a
his

See,

forth,

people rejoiced,

caused his vassals

whom

he had oppressed

show their gratitude to MONTU 2 in deed. The prince

Ammi-anshi 3 gave me all that the conquered one possessed,
and then I carried away his goods, I took his cattle that
which he desired to make me do I made him do I seized
what there was in his tent, I despoiled his abode so that
the riches of my treasures increased and the number of my
to

cattle.

Now

behold

trusted in him.

what

God

has

done

He who had deserted

for

and

me who

have

fled to a foreign

now each day

I saved myself by
his heart is joyous.
from the place where I was, and now good testimony
is rendered to me here.
After I had fainted, dying of hunger,
now I give bread here where I am. I had quitted my
country naked and behold I am clothed in fine linen.
After having been a fugitive without servants, behold I
possess numerous serfs.
My house is beautiful, my domain

land,

flight

large,
4

gods.

my memory is established
And nevertheless I take

in

the temple of

all

the

refuge always in thy good-

1
The buckler was held with the left hand in front of the body which it
was destined to protect, and presented up at any arrow, lance, or javelin
which was directed against it.
2
Montu was the god of war at Thebes. He was adored at Hermonthis
(now Erment) in the neighbourhood of the capital, and the Greeks
identified him with Apollo
he was in fact a solar deity, and the monuments
frequently confound him with Ra the Sun-god.
3
The final i is given in the papyrus, like the final u above.
4
The Egyptians of high rank obtained from the king, by special
;

decree, permission to place in the temples statues representing themselves

they could also have a stele erected in certain celebrated sanctuaries con
This is what was meant by saying that
taining their names and a prayer.
;

the deceased was assured of an

the gods.

"excellent

memorial" in

the temples ot

RECORDS OF THE PAST

26

ness

(?)

restore

me

to

EGYPT, grant

more seeing
time

its

the favour of once

my
my
To return there

the country where I was born

ness.

me

heart passes
in the flesh the place where
Is there any objection to
corpse reposing in

is happi
?
have given good things to God, doing that as

suitable to consolidate

The

heart of

him

suffers

who

there an every-day for

him ? As for him, he hears the distant prayer, and he
starts, directing his course towards the country where he has
trodden the earth for the first time, towards the place from
is

saved to

live in a foreign

land

is

whence he

is come.
I was once at peace with the king of
EGYPT, I lived on his gifts, I performed my duties towards
2
the
who is in his palace, I listened
Regent of the Earth
to the conversation of his children ; ah
the youthful vigour
of my limbs was his
Now old age comes, feebleness has
attacked me, my two eyes no longer recall what they see,
my two arms droop heavily, my two legs refuse their service,
the heart ceases (to beat)
death approaches me, soon shall
I be borne away to the eternal cities, 3 I shall follow thither
the Universal Master; 4 ah, may he describe to me the
beauties of his children and bring eternity unto me
"

"

Then

the majesty of king Khopirkeri, 5 of the true voice, 6

the king whom Sinuhit now begins to address.

Perhaps the queen, but more probably the royal urceus serpent worn
on the forehead by the king, which was supposed to think and fight for him.
1

It is

inspired him with its counsels and during the battle destroyed the enemy
with the flame that issued from its mouth.
3
That is the tomb, also called the
eternal house."
4
The text
Osiris, whom every dead Egyptian served and followed.
seems to refer to a feminine
Eternal Mistress," and it is possible that a
female Osiris is intended.
know too little about the religion of the
period for me to guarantee the exactitude of my translation.
5
The praenomen of Usirtasen I. the son and successor of AmenemIt

"

"

We

hait

I.

The Egyptians, like all oriental peoples, attached a great importance

not only to the words which composed their religious formulae, but also to
the intonation given to each of them.
For a prayer to be of avail and to
exercise its full effect upon the gods, it was necessary that it should be recited
in the traditional cadence.
Accordingly the highest praise which could be
bestowed on a person obliged to recite an orison, was to call him ma-khrou
correct of voice," to say that he had a
and
correctly-modulated voice
knew the tone to be given to each phrase. The king or priest who filled
the office of reader (khri-habi) during the sacrifice was termed ma-khrou.
The gods triumphed over evil by the correctness of their voice when
"

"

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

27

His majesty
spoke to the officer who was near him.
a message to me with presents on the part of the king,
filled me with joy, even me who speak to you, like
l
who
princes of every foreign land ; and the Children
in his palace

made me

to
"

you

to restore

The Horus, whose

and
the
are

listen to their conversation.

the order which was brought to

Copy of

sent

me

births are

to

life,

me who

speak

EGYPT.
the master of diadems,

the king of Upper and Lower EGYPT,

2
Khopirkeri, the son of the Sun, Amenemhait, living for
ever and ever

whose

births are

life,

"Order

is

brought
"

Now

EDIMA

to

for the servant Sinuhit.

This order of the king

to thee to inform thee of his will.

that thou hast traversed the foreign countries, from

TONU, passing from country to country according

to the wish of thy heart, behold, whatever thou hast

and has been done against

done

thee, thou dost not break forth

if
thy word is repulsed, thou dost not
3
speak in the assembly of the Young, even if invited to do
out this project
so.
thou
hast
carried
that
Now, then,
which came into thy mind, let not thy heart vacillate any
longer, for Pharaoh is thy heaven unto thee, he is stable,
he is prosperous, his head is exalted among the royalties

into blasphemies, but

they pronounced the words destined to render the evil spirits powerless.
the whole of his funerary existence in reciting

The dead man, who passed

The phrase ended by

incantations, was the ma-khrou par excellence.
becoming a laudatory epithet which was always added to the names of the
defunct and of every one in the past who was spoken of with affection.
1
The Children" are either the children of the reigning king or of one
of his predecessors
they were ranked in the Egyptian hierarchy im
mediately after the king, the regents, the queen, and the queen-mother (see
Etudes
Maspero,
dgyptiennes, ii. pp. 14, 15).
2
The name of the king is formed from the praenomcn (Khopirkeri)
of Usirtasen I. and the name of Amenemhait II.
"

The Egyptian word properly signifies a young man," and represented

one of the degrees of the hierarchy of the court.
Perhaps it was peculiar
to the age of the twelfth dynasty, as I have not found it in the Papyrus
Hood of the British Museum which has acquainted us with the hierarchy
of Egyptian society in the time of the nineteenth and twentieth dynasties.
shall see further on that the
Young were a subdivision of the Royal

We

Friends."

RECORDS OF THE PAST

28

of the earth, his children

are

in

the hidden part of the

palace.
"

for thyself and with

them when thou hast arrived in EGYPT, behold
and when thou shalt be in the palace, prostrate

Leave the riches which thou hast

thee, all of

the palace,
thyself with thy face to the ground before the Sublime Porte.
Thou shalt be master among the Friends (of the king).

And

from day to day, behold, thou art [ever] growing

thou hast lost the strength of manhood, thou hast
;
dreamed of the day of burial.
Behold thyself arrived at
the state of beatitude
on the night whereon the oils of
older

embalming are applied, there are given to thee the bandages

2
by the hand of the goddess TAi x.
Thy funeral is followed
on the day of burial, the mummy case gilded, its head
3
4
oxen
painted blue, a canopy above thee of cypress-wood
draw thee, singers go before thee, and the funeral dances
are performed for thee, mourners sit crouching at the
;

entrance to thy tomb, the prescribed offerings are presented

thee with loud voice, victims are slain for thee on

to

thy tables of offering, and thy steles are erected of white

Thou hast no
stone, in the circle of the royal children.

no man of the people reaches thy high rank ; thou

;
not laid in a sheep s skin when thou art entombed ; 5

rival

art
1

The beginning

translation.

of the order

the tone of Sinuhit

is

so obscure that

cannot guarantee

my

means that the king declares himself satisfied with

letter and with the temper it betrays.

believe

it

This name signifies literally

the goddess presided
linen, bandages
over the swaddling of an infant and the enshrouding of the deceased. The
ceremonies here alluded to are described in a special treatise which I have
published and translated under the title of Rituel de I Embaumement (in
2

"

;"

my Mtmoire
3

The

sur quelques Papyrus du Louvre).

mummy

cases of the eleventh and following dynasties now in the

Louvre are completely gilded, with the exception of the human face, which
is painted red, and the head dress, which is
painted blue.
4
The mummy was laid on a funerary bed surmounted by a wooden
Rhind discovered one at
canopy during the ceremonies of interment.
Thebes which is now at Edinburgh. I myself have discovered three, one
at Thebes of the thirteenth dynasty, another of the twentieth
dynasty also
at Thebes, and a third at Akhmtm of the Ptolemaic epoch.
These are all
in the Boulaq Museum, which further possesses two sledges with canopies
of the twentieth dynasty, disinterred at Thebes in 1866 in the tomb of Sonnozmu.
They are the sort which was drawn to the tomb by bulls.
5
We know from Herodotus (II. 81) that the Egyptians did not like to
wool
with their dead
we know also that nevertheless a sheep s skin
put
;

THE ADVENTURES OF S1NUHIT

29

every one strikes the earth and laments over thy corpse
while thou goest to the grave."
When this order reached me, I was standing in the
When it was handed to me, having
middle of my tribe.

thrown myself on the stomach I lay upon the ground, I

crawled upon my breast, 1 and so I made the circuit of my
tent to mark the joy which I felt at receiving it
How can
it be that such an event can have
happened to me, even to
me who am here present, who, of a rebellious heart, have
"

fled

to

foreign countries, hostile to

excellent and lasting
I

deliverance

death and thou wilt

Copy of

Pharaoh

Now

am delivered from
make me powerful in my own country

"

the answer

made

to this order

lord Sinuhit

by the

pardon (?) great and unheard-of for the flight which

even I here present, as one who knows not what he
does, which thou accordest unto me, even thou, the good
god, friend of the god RA, favourite of the god MONTU (?)
lord of THEBES and of the god AMON lord of KARNAK, son
"

I took,

of the god RA, image of the god TUMU 2 and of his cycle
of gods, may Supxu, 3 may the god NoriR-Biu, 4 may the
was occasionally employed at burials, and one of the mummies from Der
el-Bahari (No. 5289) was enveloped in a white skin still covered with its
fleece (Maspero, Les momies royales in the Mi! moires prdsenth par les
As the mummy is that of
Membres de la Mission permanente,
p. 548).
an unknown prince who seems to have been poisoned, we may ask whether
the sheep s skin was not reserved for criminals or prisoners condemned to
If so, we can understand the place
remain impure even in the grave.
\.

assigned to the sheep s skin in the royal Order.

1
to smell the earth," the necessary accompaniment 01
Son-to, literally
every royal audience or divine offering.
2
Tumu or Atumu was the god of Heliopolis, the On of Gen. xli.
50, and chief of the divine Ennead, who had created and preserved the
world.
3 A form of Horus.
He was the god adored in the Arabian nome of
Egypt, sometimes represented as a man crowned with the solar disk and
He
bearing the title of "the most noble of the Souls of Heliopolis."
must not be confounded with the goddess Soptit, the Greek Sothis, who
"

represented the most brilliant constellation of the Egyptian sky.

4
He whose souls are good," a form of the god Tumu, better
as Nofir-tumu.

known

RECORDS OF THE PAST

30

divine Firstborn, 1 may HORUS of the Orient, 2 may the royal

Urseus who is lord of thy head, the chiefs who are on the
basin of the West, 3 HORUS who resides in foreign countries, 4
the mistress of ARABIA, 5 NUIT, G HORUS the elder, 7
(and) RA, may all the gods of the Delta and the isles of the
Great Green 8 grant life and force to thy nostrils ; may

URRIT

they give reins to their liberality and grant thee time

without limit, eternity without measure, spreading the fear
of thee throughout

all

the countries of the plain and the

It
mountain, fettering for thee all the course of the sun
is the
prayer which I here present make for my lord,
delivered as I am from the foreign land
!

sage king, the sage word which the majesty of the

sovereign has pronounced in his sageness, I who am here
"

it, and it is a momentous matter to

For the mighty god, image of RA in (his)

present, I fear to utter

repeat

it.

wisdom, he has himself

1

A form

That

laid his

hand

to the work,

and

of Horus.
Egyptian trinities consisted generally of a father, a
In the divine family the son was heir presumptive, like
mother, and a son.
the firstborn son in the family of the Pharaoh.
2
Often confounded with Suptu, and often also with the god Minu. He
reigned over the deserts which extend eastward of Egypt between the Nile
and the Red Sea.
3
The portion of the celestial waters which the bark of the gods reaches
at sunset.
The chiefs of the basin were the gods who presided over this
mythic ocean, the gods of the dead.
Every Egyptian was supposed after
death to journey to Abydos and penetrate through a cleft westward of the
city into the "basin of the West," where he joined the escort of the
nocturnal sun in order to traverse Hades and be born again the next morn
ing in the East.
4
Properly speaking, the god of the Libyans, but regarded more
generally as the god of all the foreign nations which bordered on Egypt.
5 The name
of Unit occurs only here.
Her title seems to show that
she was a secondary form of Hathor, whom different traditions of great
antiquity spoke of as coming from Arabia.
6 The
With Sibu, the god of the earth, she
goddess of the sky.
formed a divine couple, one of the most ancient among the divine couples
of the Egyptian religion, which could not be reduced to a solar type
by the
Nuit
theologians of the great Theban school in the age of the Ramessids.
is represented as bent over the
body of her husband and figuring by the
curve of her own body the vault of the sky.
7
Haroiru, whence the Greek Aroeris, god of Heaven, and afterwards
a solar deity like Ra, not to be confounded with Horus the younger, the
son of Isis and Osiris.
is

Mediterranean.

"the

sea,"

sometimes the Red Sea,

more usually the

here present, I am of the

he has deliberated, and

number of

the subjects whereon

have been placed under his

1
Verily thy majesty is a HoRUS, and
the power of thine arms extends over all lands
Now, then, let thy majesty cause Maki of EDIMA,
Khonti-aush of KnoNTi-KAUSHU, 2 MONU S of the subju

direct inspection

"

to be brought
they are princes ready to
all
has
to thy wish, and
that
happened
according
testify
that TONU has not growled against thee within itself after
For as to me who speak
the fashion of thy greyhounds.

gated countries,

you, my flight, if it has been voluntary, was not pre

meditated ; far from plotting it, I could not tear myself
from the spot where I was it was like a trance, like the
dream of a man of ATHU who sees himself at ABU, 4 of a
man of the plain of EGYPT who sees himself in the
I dreaded nothing
there was no pursuit after
mountain. 5
me, my name had never been in the mouth of the herald
up to the moment when fate assailed me, but then my legs
darted forward, my heart guided me, the divine will which
to

I had not
had destined me to this exile led me along.
carried my back high, for the individual fears when the
country knows its master, and RA had granted that thy
1

The Egyptian monarch was the incarnation

of the deity,

and was

consequently identified with the third person of the Egyptian trinity.

2
Khonti-Kaushu properly signifies "he who is in Kaushu (or Kush),
and hence denotes a native of Ethiopia. The neighbourhood of Edima,
however, rather indicates here some Syrian locality.
[Compare the
Kushite to the Midianite wife
Ethiopian "or
application of the term
"

"

"

"

Moses in Numbers xii. En.]

3
Rendered
the country of the Phoenicians" by Brugsch and others.
Without entering into the question whether the Egyptian word Fonkhu
really denotes Phoenicia, it is sufficient to say that the word is not really
met with in this passage.
But I do not know what region is intended by

of

"

the phrase.
4

Abu was

the Egyptian

name of Elephantine, opposite Assuan, Athu

The two places, like Dan and Beersheba

that of a district in the Delta.

Old Testament, proverbially indicated the whole length of Egypt.

between a Northern and Southern Egyptian extended not
only to manners but even to dialect, so that the unintelligible language of
a bad writer is compared to the conversation of a man of Abu who finds

in the

The

difference

himself at Athu.
5
Literally "in the land of
cultivated plain of the Nile, it
of the valley.

Khonti."

In opposition to the Kha-to or

must denote the

sterile cliffs

on

either side

RECORDS OF THE PAST

32

terror should be over the foreign land.

Behold me now in
my own country, behold me in this place. Thou art the

vesture of this place ; 1 the sun rises at thy pleasure ; the

water of the canals irrigates him who pleases thee ; the
breeze of heaven refreshes him whom thou addressest.
As

me who

speak to thee, I will bequeath my goods to the

I have begotten in this place.
And as
which
generations
to the messenger who is come unto me, let thy majesty do
thine august
for we live on the air thou givest
as it hears
for

RA, of

nostril is the love of

the

will

of

MONTU

HORUS

(and) of

HATHOR,

master of THEBES that thou

it is

livest

eternally."

celebrated a festival in

my

to

my

children

my

AIA

eldest son

to hand over
was chief of

property passed to him, and I gave away all

my plantations of every species of

well as

as

my
my

When

I travelled

property
tribe, all

my

cattle

fruit-tree.

towards the south and arrived at HRIU-

HOR, the governor, who was

there at the head of the

a
messenger to the palace to give
garrison, despatched
His majesty sent the excellent
information of the fact.
superintendent of the peasants of the king and, with him,
a ship laden with presents from the king for the SITTIU

who came in my train to conduct me to HRIU-HOR. I

addressed by his name each of those who were there ; as
there were servants of every kind, I received and could
carry with me means of subsistence and clothing sufficient
to last me until I arrived at an estate belonging to me.

When the earth revealed itself the following morning,

each of them came to salute me, each of them departed.
I had a prosperous journey as far as the palace; the
introducers struck the ground with their foreheads before
me, the [royal] Children stood in the hall to conduct me,
the Friends

who betook themselves

to the hall of audience

me

on the way to the Royal Lodge.

for the march-past set
I found his majesty on the great platform in the Hall of
2

Silver-gilt
1

when

entered towards

Such curious metaphors are

2
The hall probably derived
electrum or pale gold.

common
its

in

it,

Egyptian

name from

its

sank on

my

literature.

ornamentation with

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUH1T

33

consciousness of myself in his presence.

with kindly words, but I was like a
blinded,
suddenly
my tongue failed, my limbs
I

stomach,

lost

The god addressed me

person

my heart was no longer in my breast, and I knew

the difference between life and death.
His majesty
said to one of the Friends
Let him be raised and speak
fainted,

what

is

"

me

His majesty said

So then thou art returned
In hanging about foreign lands and playing the fugitive,
age has attacked thee, thou hast reached old age, thy body
is not a little worn out.
Dost thou not rise ? Art thou
become a SITTI in duplicity, for thou dost not answer?
Declare thy name."
I feared to refuse, and replied thus in
answer
I am afraid
nevertheless to that which my
master has asked me, this is what I reply
I have not
to

"

"

"

called

upon myself the hand of God, but

it

is

fear,

yea,

which seized my heart so that I took the fatal flight. 1

Now, behold me again before thee ; thou art life ; let thy
majesty do what he will
The march-past of the Children ended, his majesty said
to the queen
This is Sinuhit who comes like a rustic
fear

"

"

with the appearance of a

a loud shout of laughter

SITTI."

all

The Children

burst into

together and said before his

It is not he in truth, O sovereign, my master

majesty
His majesty said
Then they took
It is he in truth."

"

"

"

their necklaces, their

wands of

office, their sistra,

and

after

they had brought them to his majesty [they said]

May
Put on the adornments of
thy two hands prosper, O king
the Mistress of Heaven, 3 offer the emblem of life to my
"

We

1
have seen already
Sinuhit protests his innocence more than once.
that the circumstances connected with his flight gave reason for a suspicion
that he was concerned in a plot against the king.
Moreover, the treaty
between Ramses II and the prince of the Hittites shows with what care
the Pharaoh endeavoured to recover those of his subjects who had deserted

Hence
The ceremonial of

the repeated attempts of Sinuhit to clear himself.

the Pharaoh s court included songs prescribed
The Children
beforehand as in the court of the Byzantine emperors.
they
having saluted the king, commence this part of the ceremonial
resume their ornaments, which had been laid aside before the march-past
and the adoration of the king, and along with their ornaments the sistrum
to the foreigner.
2

on which they accompanied their song.

3
This seems to mean, act with clemency.
title

Several divinities bore the

of Mistress of Heaven.

VOL.

II

RECORDS OF THE PAST

34

Be powerful

nose.

firmament

master of the
bark ; satiety

as
1

mouth of thy

majesty.

stars,

traverse the

the image of the

art set with the urseus-

in the celestial

Thou

is

serpent on thy brow, and the wicked are scattered from

thou art proclaimed RA, master of the two countries, 2
thee
and men cry unto thee as unto the master of the universe.
Thy lance overthrows, thy arrow destroys. Grant that he
Grant us to breathe at
may live who is in annihilation
3
the
our ease in the good way where we are
Simihit,
SITTI born in TO-MIRI, if he has fled, it was from fear ot
if he has gone far from his country, it was from
thee
does not the face grow pale which sees thy
terror of thee
face ? does not the eye fear which thou hast arrested ?
Let him fear no longer, let him dismiss
The king said
He shall be among the Friends of the order
(all) terror
of the Young, and let him be placed among those of the
4
who are admitted into the Royal Lodge.
Let
Circle
orders be given that he be provided with an appanage
I went out towards him in the interior of the Royal
Lodge, and the Children gave me their hands, while we
walked behind the P-ruti doubly great. 5 I was placed in
the house of the Royal Son, where there were riches, where
there was a kiosk for taking the fresh air, where there were
;

"

"

"

This apparently signifies that the king is sated with all good things,
and consequently the equal of the gods, who never suffer from hunger. In
fact, he is the god himself, and as such traverses the waters of the sky in
his bark, like the Sun-god, and sums up in himself all the powers of the
solar deities.
2

[Upper and Lower Egypt.

ED.]
This variant of the name of Sinuhit, due to the caprice of the scribe,
Sinuhit is called
the Sitti
signifies literally "the son of the North."
on account of his long sojourn among the Beduin.
To-miri, "the land
of the canals," was a name of the Delta which was also applied to the
whole of Egypt.
4
Persons attached to the court of the Pharaoh received two collective
titles, that of Shonifiu, or "people of the Circle," who surrounded the
3

"

"

and that of Qabitiu, or "people of the Angle," perhaps those

stood in the angles of the hall of audience.
5
The Ruti, or with the article P-ruti, is like Pirui-aa, "Pharaoh," a
topographical name which first denoted the palace of the monarch and
then the monarch himself.
It is from this title that the Greek legend of
Proteus king of Egypt was derived, who received Helen and Paris and
Menelaos at his court (Herodot. ii. 112-116).
sovereign,

who

THE ADVENTURES OF SINUHIT

35

divine decorations and mandates on the treasury for silver,

vestments of royal materials, for royal gums and essences,

such as the young like to have in every house, as well as
As the years had passed
every sort of artisan in numbers.
over my limbs and I had lost my hair, I was given what

came from

foreign lands,

and the materials of the NOMIU-

arrayed myself in fine linen, I bedewed myself

with essences, I lay on a bed, I was given cakes to eat and

SHAIU

I was given a whole

wherewith to anoint myself.
house suitable for one who is among the Friends I had
plenty of materials for building it, all its timbers were
repaired and fruits of the palace were brought to me three
and four times a day, besides that which the children gave
A pyramid of stone
without ever an instant s cessation.
was begun for me in the midst of the funerary pyramids, 1

oil

the chief of the land surveyors of his majesty selected its

site, the chief of the architects planned it, the chief of the
stone-cutters sculptured it, the chief of the works which are

executed in the necropolis traversed the land of EGYPT to

all the materials necessary for its decoration.
When
the necessary appointments had been made in the pyramid
2
a kiosk, 3
itself, I took peasants and made there a lake,

obtain

The

facts

which are mentioned here and there

in

the sepulchral

Sinuhit receives
inscriptions arc here united in a continuous narrative.
from Usirtasen the supreme favour, a tomb built and endowed at the
Pharaoh.
The site is given to him gratuitously, the
expense of the
pyramid constructed, the funerary feasts instituted, the revenues and

endowments intended for the support of the sacrifices are levied on the
finally, the statue itself which should sustain the double of
royal domains
;

Sinuhit
2

is

of precious metal.

lake, or rather a piece of \\ater

surrounded with a border of stone,

was the indispensable ornament of every comfortable country-house. The

ideal tomb being above all things the image of the terrestrial house care
was taken to place in it a lake like the lake of a villa the deceased sailed
over it in a boat drawn by his slaves, or sat on its banks under the shade
;

of

its trees.
3

The

kiosk was, like the lake, an indispensable adjunct of a garden.

Thebes represent it in the midst of trees, sometimes on
a flooring raised two
Its construction was simple
the edge of the lake.
or three steps above the ground, four slender columns supporting a painted
cornice and a slightly sloping roof, the sides open to admit the breeze, and
a balustrade, breast-high, on three sides. The defunct came there like
the living, to converse with his wife, to read stories or to play with the

The

bas-reliefs of

ladies.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

36

1
(and) fields in the interior of the sepulchral domain, as is
the case with Friends of the first degree ; there was also a
statue carved out of gold with a robe of electrum, and it

It is not a common
majesty who bestowed it.
he has done so much, and in truth I enjoyed
the favour of the king until the day of death.
[The history]
is completed from the commencement to the end as has
been found in the book.

was

his

man

for

The

whom

domain were the property of the deceased,

he required.
Each of them produced a special
object, or the revenue derived from them was devoted to procuring for the
defunct a special object of food or clothing, and bore the name of the
that, for example, from which Ti derived his figs was
object in question
1

fields of the

sepulchral

and furnished him with

all

The property was administered by the priests of

the figs of Ti."
double" or of the funereal statue, who were
the
frequently the priests of
the principal temple of the locality where the tomb was situated.
The
family made a contract with them, in accordance with which they engaged
the necessary sacrifices for the well-being of the deceased in exchange for
called

"

"

certain rents paid

by the domains which were bequeathed to the tomb.

THE LEGEND OF THE EXPULSION OF

THE HYKSOS
TRANSLATED BY PROFESSOR MASPERO

THE

story of the quarrel between the Shepherd-king

Apopi and Soqnun-ri the hereditary prince of Thebes,

which eventually led to the expulsion of the Hyksos
from Egypt, is found, though unfortunately in a
mutilated condition, in the
Sallier

I.

The

first

pages of the Papyrus

value of a historical document has

but its style, as well as

long been attributed to it
and
the
expressions
general character of the
subject, imply a romance, where the principal parts
;

the

by persons who belong to

scene
the
itself is almost entirely
though
the offspring of the popular imagination.
in

the scene are played

real history,

Champollion thrice saw the papyrus

of its original owner, M. Sallier of Aix

in the
in

hands

Provence,

1828, some days before his departure for Egypt,

and in 1830 on his return.
The notes published by
Salvolini prove that he had recognised, if not the
in

exact nature of the story, at

events the historical

names occurring in it. The

purchased in 1839 by the British

significance of the royal

manuscript,

all

RECORDS OF THE PAST

38

Museum, was published

Select Papyri, vol.

i.

pi.

in facsimile (in
sqq.

1841)

in

the

the notice by Hawkins,

evidently compiled from information given by Birch,

furnishes the name of the antagonist of Apophis,

which had not been read by Champollion, but

attributes the cartouche of

of the

fifth

E. de

dynasty.

it

Apophis to king Phiops

Rouge was the first who

actually understood the contents of the

first

pages of

847 he gave Soqnun-ri

Already
in 1854
his true place in the list of the Pharaohs
he pointed out the name of Hauaru or Avaris in
the fragment and inserted in the Atlienceum Franqais

the papyrus.

in

1854,
ment.

p.

352, a fairly detailed analysis of the docu

The

discovery was popularised in Germany

to render the three first

by Brugsch, who attempted

word for word (^Egyptische Studicn, ii. 1854),

then in England by Goodwin, who believed himself
able to offer a complete translation of the papyrus
lines

Hieratic

in the

Cambridge Essays, 1858, pp.

Since then, the text has been frequently
243-245).
studied, by Chabas (Les Pastcurs en Egypte, 1868),
("

Papyri"

by Lushington (Fragment of

the first Saltier

Papyrus

the Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archceology, iv. pp. 263-266, reproduced in the first series
in

of Records of the Past, vol.

of Egypt, 2d Edit.,

vol.

(jEgypten und die BilcJier

by Brugsch (History
274 sgg.), by Ebers
Moses, 1868, pp. 204 sqq.\

i.

vii.),

pp.

Goodwin, after mature examination, hesitatingly ad

vanced the opinion that an accurate narrative indeed
could not be found in

it,

but only a historical novel

THE EXPULSION OF THE HYKSOS

39

the English translation of Bunsen s Egypt s Place

It is the opinion which I
in History, iv. p. 671).
(in

and which appears to have generally prevailed.

transcription and translation of the text and a

share,

The

commentary upon it are given in my Etudes

ennes,
pp. 195-216; the translation alone
i.

produced

in

my

Contes egyptiens,

egyptire

is

2d Edit, pp. 273-

286.
I

believe

restore

the existing

fragments

almost the whole of the

allow

first

us

to

two pages.

Perhaps the attempt at restoration which

I propose
even
to
will appear adventurous
Egyptologists at
all events it will be seen that I have not undertaken
;

minute analysis of the text has led

to the results which I here submit to criticism.

it

rashly.

me

THE LEGEND OF THE EXPULSION OF THE

HYKSOS
IT happened that the land of EGYPT belonged to the

Im

and as there was no lord monarch that day, it hap

2
pened then that the king Soqnun-ri was sovereign over
the country of the South, and that the Impure of the city
5
of RA 3 were subject to Ra-Apopi 4 in HAUARU ; the entire
its
manufactured
him
tribute
with
together
country paid
products and so loaded him with all the good things of

pure,

To-miri.

Now

SUTEKHU

the king Ra-Apopi took the god

for his master, and he no longer served any (other) deity

who was in the whole country excepting only SUTEKHU,
and he built a temple of excellent and imperishable work

manship at the gate of the king Ra-Apopi, and he arose

each day to sacrifice daily victims to SUTEKHU and the
;

vassal chiefs of the sovereign were there with garlands of

flowers, just as is the case in the temple of Ph-Ra-Har-ma1

is one of the insulting epithets lavished by the resentment of the

on the Shepherds or Hyksos and the other foreigners who had

This

scribes

occupied Egypt.
2
This is the most probable pronunciation of the name usually and
wrongly transcribed Ra-skenen. Three kings of Egypt bore \h\spraenomen,
two of the name of Tiu-aa and one of the name of Tiu-aa-qen, who reigned
some years before Ahmosi the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

That is Heliopolis, the On of the North, the daughter of whose

was married by Joseph.
4
As it had been repeatedly advanced that Apopi, being an Hyksos,
could not possibly add the title of Ra to his name, I beg to state here that
3

priest

the dot which represents the cursive hieratic form of the disk is as perfectly
legible in the original manuscript as it is in the facsimile.
5
The Avaris of Manetho, the Egyptian fortress of the Shepherd-kings.
E. de Roug<S has shown that Avaris was one of the names of Tanis, the
Zoan of the Old Testament.
6

Lower Egypt.

THE EXPULSION OF THE HYKSOS

And

khuti.

41

the king Ra-Apopi bethought himself of send

ing a message to announce it to the king Soqnun-ri, the

1
And many days after that,
prince of the city of the South.

summoned his great chiefs.

interrupted here and begins again at the

the king Ra-Apopi

[The

text

top of page

is
:

when

it

recommences after an almost com

and a half we find phrases which

plete lacuna of five lines

evidently belong to the

Now
message of king Apopi.
message entrusted to a per
son is always repeated by him almost word for word we
can therefore feel convinced that the two lines put into the
mouth of the envoy on page 2, were already contained in
the lost lines of page i and in fact, the small isolated frag
numerous

texts teach us that a

ment

at the foot of the

published facsimile contains the

remains of characters which exactly correspond to the sen
tences of the message.
This first version of the message,
accordingly, was put into the mouth of the royal councillors;
but who were these councillors ?
Were they the great
chiefs
who were summoned at the point where the text
breaks off?
That is impossible, as in the fragments of line
"

"

made

the learned scribes," and in line 2

of page 2 it is expressly stated that Apopi sent to Soqnun-ri
the message
which his learned scribes had repeated to
him."
We must therefore admit that Apopi, after consult
7

mention

is

of

"

"

ing his
line 7

and

was counselled to apply to

of the latter begin at the end of
with the customary exclamation
O suzerain, our
civil

his scribes.

military chiefs,

The words

"

master
In short, for the whole of this first part of the
lacuna we have a consultation similar to that carried on
afterwards at the court of Soqnun-ri, and in the story of the
!"

Two

Brothers,

owner of the
I

when

curl

the Pharaoh desires to discover the

which perfumed his linen.
Consequently

continue the tale as follows

the king Ra-Apopi

And many

:]

summoned

days after

that,

his great chiefs, as well as

his captains and his prudent generals, but they could not
suggest to him a speech which was good to send to the king

So the
Soqnun-ri the chief of the country of the South.
They
king Apopi summoned his scribes versed in magic.
1

Thebes.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

42

him

and they
suggested to the king Ra-Apopi the discourse which he
desired
Let a messenger go to the chief of the city of
the South and say to him
The king Ra-Apopi sends to
said

to

"

suzerain,

our

master."

"

Let the hippopotamuses which are in the canals of

say
the country be chased on the pool, in order that they may
allow sleep to visit me night and day. ..."
:

line

[A

and a half, perhaps even more, still remains to

Here again, the sequel permits us to restore

be supplied.

the sense, if not the letter, of what is wanting in the text.

see that after having received the message recounted

We

above, king Soqnun-ri assembles his council, which is per

plexed and at a loss for an answer ; whereupon king Apopi
It is evident that the embarrass
sends a second embassy.

ment and
scribes of

silence

of the Thebans were foreseen by the

that the part of their advice which

Apopi, and

preserved at the top of page 2 contained the end of the

second message which Apopi was to send, if the first met
is

In similar stories, some extraordinary action

with no reply.
described which has to be performed by one of two

is

kings ; the penalty is always stated to which he must sub

mit in case of ill-success and the reward he will receive in
There must have been a similar de
case of success.
scription in the

Legend, and

the text as follows

therefore propose to restore

:]

He will not know what to answer, whether good or bad

The king Rathen thou shalt send him another message
Apopi sends saying If the chief of the South cannot
answer my message, let him serve no other god than SUTEBut if he answers it, and does that which I bid
KHU
him do, 2 then I will take nothing from him, and I will no
more bow down before any other god of the land of EGYPT
:

"

AMON-RA the king of the gods

And many days after that, the king Ra-Apopi

except

!"

sent to

the prince of the country of the South the message which

his scribes versed in magic had suggested to him ; and the

messenger of the king Ra-Apopi came to the chief of the

1

This

The

line

must contain a compliment

part of the text which

is

to the king.

preserved recommences here.

THE EXPULSION OF THE HYKSOS

He

land of the South.

"

Ra-Apopi
the South

messenger of the king

dost thou bring to the land of

said to the

What message

hast thou

Why

43

made

"

this

journey ?
king Ra-Apopi sends to

The

The
messenger replied
say
Let the hippopotamuses which are in the canals of the
country be chased on the pool, in order that they may
"

allow sleep to visit me day and night. ..."

The chief of
the land of the South was astounded and knew not what

answer to make to the messenger of the king Ra-Apopi.

So the chief of the land of the South said to the messenger
This is what thy master sends to ... the chief of the
land of the South
the words which he has sent me
:

"

The chief of the land of the South

caused all kinds of good things, meats, cakes,
(and)
wine to be given to the messenger then he said to him
Return and tell thy master ... all that which thou hast
said, I approve. ..." The messenger of the king RaApopi set himself to return to the place where his master
was.
Then the chief of the South summoned his great
chiefs as well as his captains and his able generals, and he
repeated to them all the message which the king Ra-Apopi
had sent to him. Then they were silent with a single
mouth for a long moment (of time), and did not know what
answer to make whether good or bad.
The king Ra-Apopi sent to the chief of the land of the
South the other message which his scribes versed in magic
.

his goods.

..."

"

had suggested

to him.

broken just in this

of Soqnun-ri
reigned during a troublous period and must have left en
during memories in the minds of the Theban people.
They were active and warlike princes, and the last of them
[It

place.

is

unfortunate that the text

The

three Pharaohs

is

who bore the name

perished by a violent death, perhaps in battle against the

He had shaved his beard the morning before,
Hyksos.
arraying himself for the combat like the god MONTU," as
His courage led him to
the Egyptian scribes would say.
penetrate too far into the ranks of the enemy ; he was sur
"

rounded and slain before his companions could rescue him.

The blow of an axe removed part of his left cheek and laid

RECORDS OF THE PAST

44

bare the teeth, striking the jaw and felling him stunned to
the ground ; a second blow entered far within the skull, a

dagger or short lance splitting the forehead on the right

little above the eye.
The Egyptians recovered the
body and embalmed it in haste, when already partially de

side a

composed, before sending

The

his ancestors.

it

to

Thebes and the tomb of

features of the

mummy, now

in the

Museum

of Boulaq, still show the violence and fury of the

struggle ; a large white piece of brain is spread over the
forehead, the retracted lips uncover the jaw and the tongue
1
is bitten between the teeth.
The author of the Legend

may

probably have continued his story

end of his
on which

hero.

The

scribe to

down

to the tragic

whom we owe

the papyrus

inscribed must certainly have intended to

complete the tale ; he had recopied the last lines on the
reverse of one of the pages, and was preparing to continue
it

it

is

when some accident intervened

to prevent his doing so.

whose dictation he appears to have

It
written did not himself know the end of the Legend.
is probable, however, that it went on to describe how Soqnun-ri, after long hesitation, succeeded in escaping from
the embarrassing dilemma in which his powerful rival had
His answer must have been as
attempted to place him.
odd and extraordinary as the message of Apopi, but we
have no means even of conjecturing what it was.]
Perhaps the professor

Maspero

PP. 14, 15-

at

Les Alomies royales

d Egypte

rt cemment

mises

au jour,

THE STELE OF THOTHMES IV (OF THE

EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY)
TRANSLATED RY D. MALLET

THIS

stele

had been buried

for ages,

under the sand

which again and again has covered the body of the

Sphinx, when it was disinterred in 1 8 1 8 by an
Englishman, Captain Caviglia. Salt, who had taken
part

his

in

account

of

friend s

the

preserved in

published

by

disinterment,

MS.

and

at the British

Col.

gave a detailed

excavations,

appendix

work on the Operations carried on at

of Gizeh (Svo, London 1842, vol.
After uncovering all the hinder
Sphinx,

found

Caviglia

the

at

narrative,

Museum, has been

the

in

Vyse

his

tJie

iii.

to

his

Pyramids

pp. 107 sqq^)

portion of the
end of the long

passage which lay between the paws, a small temple,

ten feet in length

by

below the chin of the

five

in

figure.

was occupied by a block of

breadth, immediately
The extremity of it

granite, fourteen feet in

covered with sculptures and

recording the name of Thothmes IV

height,

the stele of which

It

was

set

we

hieroglyphics
this block is

are about to give a translation.

up against the breast of the Sphinx,

RECORDS OF THE PAST

46

without, however, actually touching

walls, built along the

The two

it.

at right angles to that

paws
had been adorned with two
one of
other stelae of smaller size and of limestone
of
was
still
the
name
Ramses
II,
them, containing
at the

end of the

shrine,

had

in situ ; the other

chapel

among

fallen into the interior of the

other masses

of

in

rubbish,

which

fragments of the beard once attached to the chin of

the figure, as in the case of all Egyptian figures of
door
gods or kings, could still be recognised.

opened between the two walls of lesser elevation

which enclosed the shrine on the eastern side.
Before the temple, a sort of paved court extended
about three-fourths of the length of the paws, and
was also enclosed by two walls separated from one

another by a roofless opening

erected a square altar of granite.

before

which

was

Caviglia succeeded in uncovering the Sphinx as

far

as the

hundred

base,

feet.

over an

area of more

than one

Unfortunately the sand of the desert

soon recommenced

its

work, and later Lepsius, and

Due de Luynes, had

again to
subsequently
it
at
task
of
undertake the
great expense
removing
in order to reach the curious stele of Thothmes IV.

the

1880 Mariette undertook new and important

Like Caviglia, he
excavations on the same spot.
brought to light the huge staircase of two stages
which descends from the plateau of the desert and
In

led

the curious

and the devout

to

the

extremity

of the shrine, where the colossal image of the god

THE STELE OF THOTHMES IV

47

Harmakhis, as embodied in the Sphinx, rises from

and he recognised the remains of
ground

the

buildings, the existence of which had already been

noticed by his predecessor. Prof. Maspero, Mariette s

successor

Director -General

as

of

excavations

in

Egypt, was anxious to push the work of exploration

yet further. Ancient authors, Pliny among others, had

body of the Sphinx contained a royal

tomb, and Arab writers had recounted all sorts of
stated that the

marvellous legends on the subject.

monuments, moreover,

Certain Egyptian
represented the Sphinx as

lying on a lofty pedestal and adorned with those

prismatic grooves of which the architects of the Old
1

This pedestal might enclose

Empire were so fond.
the tomb of which Pliny speaks, and might have
the sand as far back as the age of
Khafri (Khephren) of the fourth dynasty.
To solve

been buried

in

the problem it was necessary to lower the level of

the soil as far as the rocky platform on which the

monument

stands,

condition in which

and
it

thus

to

restore

it

to

the

was towards the commencement

of the second century of our era.

would have to be taken

Then soundings

in order to see

whether the

A sum of 15,000
supposed tomb existed or not.
francs, collected by subscription by the Journal dcs
Debats, allowed the work of clearing away the sand
to begin in the winter of
1

1885-6 and

to be followed

See the picture which precedes that of our stele in Lepsius, Denkiii. pi. 68.
Cf. also ii. pll. 16, 17, where a similar decoration is
to be seen in the tomb of Nofri-t-keu, daughter of Snefru of the third
maler,

dynasty.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

48

1
After the departure of Prof.
up with great activity.
Maspero from Egypt, however, the work was

interrupted,

and the question accordingly has not

yet been settled.

The stele of Thothmes

IV

is

of peculiar import

ance for the history of the Sphinx.

fact,

two landmarks

one another.

for

It furnishes, in

periods very distant from

Towards the middle of

it,

mention

is

made

of Khafri, the third king of the fourth dynasty,

terms which the state of the stone unfortunately

in

does

not

permit

us

to

determine quite

exactly.

They have been held by some to imply that the

monument was constructed by that king.
It is
probable, however, that it is much more ancient,
mounting back, perhaps, to the ages preceding
To Khafri would have fallen the task of
Menes.
clearing

away

for the first

time during the historical

period the masses of sand which had already almost

Towards the fifteenth century B.C. the
covered it.

work had

to be

done again, and Thothmes IV,

in

consequence of a dream, undertook in his turn to

disclose the image of the god to the veneration of its

The work was doubtless difficult, and

worshippers.
he
determined to preserve the memory
once achieved
He accordingly caused a stele to be made,
of it.
and inscribed upon it an account of his vision and
of the labours which had been the result of it.
However, he did not go to any great expense
1

Maspero, Rapport sur

V Institut

tgyptien, 1886.

les

fouilhs de

1885-6

in

in

the Bulletin de

THE STELE OF THOTHMES IV

49

searching for stone instead of transporting a new

block from Syene he took one of the architraves of
;

"

the neighbouring

temple,

now

without

himself

troubling

the temple of

called

Sphinx, and engraved upon

the

it

even

his

to

inscription,

smooth

the

reverse."

As

the text,

for

1818, and

his

above.

had been copied by Salt

in

is at
the British
present
the papers which have been alluded

in

copy

Museum among
to

it

was published

It

Hieroglyphics (London, 1820,

by Young in his
80), and afterwards

pi.

reproduced more imperfectly in Vyse s work on the

Pyramids of Gizeli (London, 1842, iii. Appendix,
pi. 6).
Lepsius gave a new and more correct copy
of it in his Dcnkmdler (iii. pi. 68), but the copy was
less

complete

suffered

in certain parts, the

the

during

separated

his

interval

monument having
time

of

had

which

journey from that of Caviglia and

Salt.

Birch explained some fragments of the inscription

in the work of Vyse in
The historical
1842.
portion has been translated into
(Zeitschrift
sqq.},

and

fur

German by Brugsch

Sprache, 1876, pp. 89

has been reproduced in the

Aegyptisclie

this translation

German and English

editions

of

his

History

of

Egypt.

Birch gave the

first

complete translation of

it

in

the twelfth volume of the former series of Records of

the Past.

It

has been further explained word by

1

VOL.

II

Maspero, Rapport,

p. 47.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

So

word and commented on by M. Pierret in his lectures

Prof. Maspero,
at the Ecole du Louvre 1885-6.
finally,

has analysed the whole and translated several

in his Rapport a VInstitut tgyptien

lines of the text

sur

Ics fouilles

de

1885-6

(in

the Bulletin de Vlnstitut

^gyptien, 1886).

At

the head of the stele the solar disk, with

its

uraei serpents and two great wings, commands

the two scenes which occupy the first compartment.
On the left the king, in a wig crowned by the uraeus,

two

presents in his two uplifted hands a large-bodied

vase to the divine sphinx with human head, who
reclines

on a lofty pedestal.

Above

is

an inscription

The
which occupies all the length of the scene
King of the South and of the North, Men-khopiruRi Thothmos Khakeu who grants life stable and
"

pure."

stable

And
and

the god replies

I have given life
pure to the master of the two lands
"

Thothmos Khakeu." In front of the king is a short

legend, much injured, which contained the words
:

"

Homage of the
On the right

vase

Nemast."

the king, in a helmet, with the

hand presents the sphinx,

the other but

reclined

turned

left

on a pedestal

the opposite
in
incense
which
smokes
a vase, and
with
direction,
with the right hand offers a libation which he pours
Above the
over an altar of very elongated form.

similar

to

in

same formula as before

The King of the South and of the North, MenAnd Harmakhis
khopiru-Ri Thothmos Khakeu."

head of the king

"

is

the

THE STELE OF THOTHMES IV

have given the sword to the master of

"

replies

51

the two lands,

Thothmos

Khakeu."

Between the two scenes, below the disk, is a

which occupies all the upper part
of the first compartment and passes between the two
It
figures of the sphinxes, which lie back to back.
vertical inscription,

runs thus

"

have caused Men-khopiru-Ri to

on the throne of SEE, Thothmos Khakeu

function of

in

rise

the

TUM."

The

pedestals on which the two sphinxes recline

consist of three horizontal platforms, and of a wall

which

is

ornamented alternately with incised squares

and rectangles, interrupted towards the extremities

by four designs, symmetrically arranged and some
It
what resembling the leaves of trefoil.
decoration which has already been noted

and which

is

found

on

monuments

of

is

this

above,

the

Old

Empire.

An

irregular fracture,

which commences towards

the twelfth line of the inscription, runs from right to

left,

leaving intact only a part of the two following

The

measurements

taken

by Lepsius
68) allow us to determine the
The
extent of the text which has been destroyed.

lines.

(Denknidler,

iii.

monument was
II

ft.

in.

pi.

originally 7
in

height.

ft.

Now

in. in

length and

the hieroglyphics

have been destroyed to a height of nearly 4 ft. on

the left side, of 4 ft. 4 in. in the middle, and of 5 ft.

Taking no notice of the

4 in. on the right side.
forms
the upper compartment
which
double tableau,

RECORDS OF THE PAST

52

we see that nearly one half of the

has
become illegible.
inscription
The conclusion must have contained the answer

of the

of

stele,

Thothmos

recital of the

to

the words of the god, and then a

works which were executed

ance with his commands.

It

accord

in

ended, doubtless, with

a dithyramb in honour of the monarch, Harmakhis

assuring to him a glorious reign as a reward for his

As a matter of fact, Thothmos had hardly

piety.
ascended the throne before he commenced the work
and erected the

recommenced
far

stele.

Then

to rise little

by

the sand of the desert

little,

and probably

back as the fourteenth or thirteenth century

as

B.C.

In
the Sphinx was already enshrouded by it again.
the Greek and Roman epochs it was once more

removed several times. The

staircase

was constructed

numerous
gave
tourists were able to engrave their names on the
wall of the temple and the paws of the Sphinx.
In

which

spite of

access

much

to

the temple, and

trouble and expense, the savans of

the nineteenth century have not yet succeeded in

completely disinterring

this

unique

primeval Egypt or in discovering

its

monument
hidden

secret.

of

1.

The

first year, the third month of the inundation

(Athyr),
the igth day, under the Majesty of the HORUS, the
strong bull who produces the risings (of the sun), the

master of diadems, whose royalty is stable as [that of]

the golden hawk, prevailing with the glaive,
the vanquisher of the nine bows, 1 king of the South
and of the North, Men-khopiru-Ri,the son of the Sun,
Thothmos Khakeu, beloved of AMON-RA, king of
the gods, giver of life serene, like RA, eternally.
The good god lives, the son of TUM, who lays claim on

TUM,

2.

HARMAKHIS

the sphinx, the life of the universal

the omnipotent 2 who creates the beneficent
;
flesh of KHOPRI, beautiful of face like the chief his
!

lord

As soon

father.

as he issues forth,

he

is

furnished

with his forms, 3 [and the diadems] of HORUS are on

his head ; king of the South and of the North,
delight of the divine ennead,
3.

who

reigns

to

TUM,
7

wall,

in the

who

abode of PTAH,
6

presenting

it

purifies ON,
offering the truth

to the master of the southern

making endowments of

daily offerings

to the

god, accomplishing all that [now] exists and seeking

[new] honours for the gods of the South and of the

North, constructing their temples of white stone and

9
10
son of
confirming all their substance, legitimate
TUM, Thothmos Khakeu, like unto RA ;
1

That

Ur

is,

of the barbarians.
"

he whose vicissitudes are great.

This word appears only in Young, Hieroglyphics, pi. 80.

Or

"

sep, properly,

"

restores

On"

(Heliopolis).

wields thesceptre oftheabodeof PTAH," i.e. Memphis.

making it ascend (to the nostrils) of the god," as so often
depicted on the monuments.
7
The southern wall was the part of Memphis where the temple
Ptah.
8
A meni-t-u.
of the god stood.
10
9
of his loins."
Or their existences," pat-u.
Literally
Literally,

"who
"

Literally,

"

"

RECORDS OF

54

4.

TFIE

PAST

1
HoRUS, master of his throne, Men-khopiru-ri,
who gives life. Now, when his Majesty was a child, 2
in the character of HORUS in KHEB, S his beauty

heir of

[was] like that of [the god] who avenges his father

(OsiRis) ; it was regarded like that of the god
himself; the soldiers raised shouts of joy because
of him, the Royal sons and all the nobles sub

mitting themselves to
exploits
5.

valour

because of his

he has renewed the

for

his

circle of his victories,

even as

At that time he hunted 6 on the

the son of NUT. S
mountains of the Memphite nome, taking his
7

along the roads of the South and of the

9
with darts 10 of
shooting at the target
the
lions
and
the
bronze, chasing
gazelles of the
desert, advancing on his chariot with horses swifter
pleasure,

North,

6.

than the wind, together with only one of his servants, 11

without being recognised by any one.
Then carne
his time for allowing repose to his servants, at the

Or flesh of Horus."
Anup, with the determinative of "infant," is used in the sense of
when reference is made to the royal family.
"youth," especially
Here the word signifies "hereditary prince."
See Brugsch, Diet. p. 92.
3
I.e. in the north of Egypt, where Horus had passed his early years
under the charge of his mother Isis. The young prince is likened to Horus.
4
Literally, "being under his double solar power" (of North and
5
Here the god Set.
South).
6 The
word sam, which is without a determinative, may not signify to
"

"child,"

here.
Brugsch (Zeiischrift, 1876, p. 93) thinks that the sokheti-u
perhaps sam-ti-u), sometimes represented as holding a lance, were
warriors or huntsmen.
They were more probably shepherds, who when
fields
(sokhet, sam) were armed in order to
leading their flocks to the
defend their flocks and themselves.
8
7
Going from south to north.
Literally,
rejoicing his face.
u
Heb, with the determinative of a piece of wood on a base and

hunt"

(or

"

"

"

"

transfixed
10

by

featherless arrows.

Khomt means merely

If the determinative of heb

objects of bronze.
exactly represented in the copy the objects would be darts.
11
one, is repeated twice in the copies and hitherto the translation
Ud,
two."
I know no other example of such
one and one," i.e.
has been
an expression, however, and believe the second ua to be the result of error.
No doubt in the next sentence the servants are spoken of in the plural
is

"

(sAes-u),

ence

is

"

but the prince was evidently followed by an escort.

only to his companion in the chariot.

made

Here

refer

THE STELE OF THOTHMES IV

55

HARMAKHIS and 2 of SOKARIS in the

of RANNUTI 3 with the male and
necropolis,
female deities, 4 of the mother who engenders the
of

sopef*-

5
gods of the North, the mistress of the wall of the

South,
7.

SEKHET who
the

reigns in

Xois and

in the

domain of SET

that sacred place of the

magician ;
7
8
of the
creation,
[which goes back] to the days
masters of KHER, 9 the sacred path of the gods
towards the western horizon of ON ; for the sphinx

great

of KHOPRI, the very mighty, resides in this place,

the greatest of the spirits, the most august of those
who are venerated, when the shadow rests upon him. 10

The temples

of MEMPHIS and of all the districts which

on both sides [advance] towards him, with the
two arms extended to adore his face,
with magnificent offerings for his double (ka).
On one
of these days, the royal son, Thothmos, being
arrived, while walking at midday and seating himself
under the shadow of this mighty god, was overcome
n at the
by slumber and slept
very moment when
RA is at the summit (of heaven).
are

8.

9.

He

found that the Majesty of

this

august god spoke to

Sopt has hitherto been rendered "to make offerings," but the word
which has no determinative, denotes, I believe, a locality consecrated to
Here perhaps it signifies a. quarry or trench running,
the gods in question.
as is afterwards stated, in the direction of Heliopolis.
1

"

Literally,

by the

side

3
of."

The

divine nurse.

This sense of the words has been suggested by Prof. Maspero.

5
Young s copy here contains more characters than that of Lepsius.
6
The names of the divinities honoured in the locality mentioned seem
to me to be inserted in order to determine the place with more pre
cision
perhaps reference is made to the gorge which leads to the Sphinx.
The sentence is continued, not by heka-ur but by as-t zeser ten, in apposi
Ur-u appears to be in the plural and thus to refer
tion to what precedes.
to Sekhet and Set.
7
of the
Literally, "of the first time," an expression generally used
;

creation.
"

Or perhaps, "which extends to the domains of the masters of Kher.

An old name of the Egyptian Babylon, now Old Cairo. The road
mentioned here appears to be different from that followed by Piankhi when
going from Memphis to Babylon.
10
the time when the shadow rests upon him."
Literally,
11
Or a dream which sleep produces took him."
8

"

"

RECORDS OF THE PAST

56

own mouth, as a father speaks to his

Look upon me, contemplate me, O
my son Thothmos I am thy father, HARMAKHISKHOPRI-RA-TUM; I bestow upon thee the sovereignty
him with
son,

his

saying

10.

over

my

shalt

domain, the supremacy over the living; thou

wear its white crown and its red crown 2 on

the throne of SEE the hereditary chief. 3

May the
earth be thine in all its length and breadth ; may
the splendour of the universal master illumine (thee) ;
4
may there come unto thee the abundance that is

1 1.

in the double land, the riches brought from every

Thine is
country and the long duration of years.
5
thine
is
heart
heart
is
mine.
;
my
thy
my face,
Behold my actual condition that thou mayest protect all
6
my perfect limbs. The sand of the desert whereon
I am laid has covered me.
Save me, 7 causing all

that

is

in

my

that thou art

heart

to

For

be executed.
.

(?),

behold I am
Afterwards [the prince awakened] ; he understood
the word of this god and kept silence in his heart
The temples of the district consecrate offerings to
.

12.

know

son, my avenger
approach
I am [thy father]
with thee.

my

this
13.

14.

...
...

god

9
.

10

Khafri,
image
at the festivals

made
.

for

TUM-HARMAKHIS

The last words are found only in Young s copy.

The crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. The

feminine pronoun

is

suffixed to the words.

3

Common

title

of Seb, indicating the antiquity of his cult.

The

title

(erpa) dates from a period when as yet there was no snten or

king," and
recalls an age of primitive feudalism.
Amon, who became the supreme
Theban
deity in the time of the
dynasties, is suten or
king of the gods,
"

"

"

4
pointed out by Professor Maspero.
Literally,
provisions."
5
The two copies differ here I supply ab
heart
before k-n-a.
6
Restored from Young s copy
behold for thee my destiny, as being
7
in protection of my limbs."
Literally, "heal me."
8
That is, what my heart desires.
9
Brugsch conjecturally restores the passage thus
[Without thinking
of freeing from sand the work of king] Khafra, the image he had made
If we consider the Sphinx as really older
for the god Tum-Harmakhis."
than Khafri, the latter part of the proposed translation must be abandoned.
10
Khephren of the fourth dynasty.

as

"

first

("

")

"

"

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AMARNA RELATING

TO PALESTINE IN THE CENTURY
BEFORE THE EXODUS
TRANSLATED BY THE EDITOR

IN the winter of 1887 a very remarkable discovery

was made among the mounds of Tel el-Amarna in
Upper Egypt. Tel el-Amarna lies on the eastern
bank of the Nile about midway between Minieh and
Siout,

and

capital of
called

"

its

extensive ruins cover the site of the

Amcnophis IV,

Heretic King

or Khu-en-Aten, the so-

"

of the eighteenth Egyptian

Khu-en-Aten was the son of Amenophis

dynasty.
III by a Syrian princess Teie, who, as we now know
was the daughter of Duisratta, the king of Mitanni or
Nahrina, the Aram Naharaim of Scripture (Judges iii.
8), a Mesopotamian district which lay opposite to
the

Hittite city

Like

of Carchemish.

his

father,

Khu-en-Aten surrounded himself with Semitic officers

and courtiers, and after his accession to the throne
publicly professed himself a convert to the religion
of his mother, which consisted in the adoration of the

His
Egyptian.
of the faith of his fathers soon brought

winged solar
rejection

disk,

called

Aten

in

about

a rupture with the powerful priesthood of

Thebes, and Khu-en-Aten eventually left his ancestral
capital

and

and

built himself

his

capital further north, the site of

Here

as Tel el-Amarna.

new
now known

followers a

which

is

in the

neighbouring cliffs
and desert are found the tombs of the adherents of
the

new Egyptian

reigned and

creed,

and here

Khu-en-Aten

He was

succeeded by one or two

converts to the foreign religion
but their reigns were
brief, and after a short while the Pharaoh returned to
died.

the worship of the Egyptian gods, the new capital of

Khu-en-Aten was deserted, and the foreign faith
suppressed.

On
is

from Thebes, Khu-en-Aten had

him the archives of the kingdom, and it

his departure

carried with

a portion of these that ftiQ/ellakin discovered in

1887 among the foundations of the royal

They

palace.

consist of clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform

writing of the Babylonian type and in the Babylonian

The tablets are copies of letters and
language.

despatches from the kings and governors of Babylonia

and Assyria, of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Eastern

Kappadokia, of Phoenicia and Palestine, and they

prove that

all

over the civilised East, in the century

the Exodus, active literary intercourse was

carried on through the medium of a common

before

literary

language

that of Babylonia, and the compli

cated Babylonian script.

It is evident, therefore,

that

throughout Western Asia schools and libraries must

have existed, in which clay tablets inscribed with

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AMARNA

59

cuneiform characters were stored up, and where the

language and syllabary of Babylonia were taught

and learned.
Such a library must have existed in
Canaanite city of Kirjath-Sepher or "Book(Judges i. 11), and if its site can ever be

the

town"

recovered and excavated

its

collection

of books

we may expect
written

to find there

upon imperishable

clay.

Among

the

were

correspondents

of
of

the

Egyptian
Assyria and

Assur-yuballidh
Burna-buryas of Babylonia, which thus fix the date
of Khu-en-Aten to about 14306.0.
Palestine and

sovereigns

Phoenicia were garrisoned at the time by Egyptian

and there were as yet no traces of the Israelite

the land.
But the Canaanitish population was

troops,
in

already threatened by an enemy from the north.

These were the Hittites, to whom references are made

despatches from Syria and Phoenicia.

After the weakening of the Egyptian power in conse
quence of the religious troubles which followed the
in several of the

death of Khu-en-Aten, the Hittites were enabled to

complete their conquests in the south and to drive
a

wedge between the Semites of the East and the

With the revival of the Egyptian empire

West.
under the rulers of the nineteenth dynasty the south
ward course of Hittite conquest was checked, but the
wars of Ramses II against the Hittites of Kadesh on
the Orontes desolated and exhausted Canaan and
prepared the

Two facts

way

for the Israelitish invasion.

of special interest to the Biblical student

RECORDS OF THE PAST

from the discovery of the tablets of Tel elIn the first place, as has been seen, the

result

Amarna.

date of the

mined

shown

Exodus has been approximately

deter

at all events, the Egyptologists have been

to be right in not assigning

it

to an earlier

period than B.C. 1320, that is to say, the reign of

Meneptah the son and successor of Ramses II. In

the second place, light is thrown upon the statement

of Exodus (i. 8) that the Pharaoh of the oppression

was

"

a new king which knew not

Joseph."

We

learn

from the tablets that Khu-en-Aten was not only half

Semitic in descent and wholly Semitic in faith, he
also surrounded himself with officers

Phoenician or
himself,
is

who

and courtiers of

Canaanitish extraction.

The

Vizier

stood next to the monarch, and like him

addressed as

"

lord,"

Dodo and David

bore the

name

of Dudu, the

Old

Testament, which
Most
belonged specifically to the land of Canaan.
of the Egyptian governors and lieutenants from whom
of

the

the king received his despatches had similarly Semitic

names, and it is clear that not only were Semitic
culture and religion

dominant

in

Egypt, but most of

the offices of state were in Semitic hands.

The

rise

of the nineteenth dynasty under Ramses I. marked

the reaction against Semitic influence, and brought

with

once

it

the expulsion of the foreigner. Thebes became

capital of the kingdom, and the

more the

Egyptian priesthood and aristocracy took

their

re

Had the insurrec

venge upon the hated stranger.
tion of Arab! been successful, the Europeans would

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AMARNA

have fared

our day as the Semites fared

in

61

in

the

days of Ramses.

The
which

translations which follow are those of tablets

have copied at Cairo.

have selected

for

the most part the despatches which were sent from

The

Southern Palestine.
in

of Boulaq, with the exception of No.

was in the possession of M. Urbain

which

Ill,

originals are all preserved

Museum

the

Bouriant, the director of the

French Archaeological

School in Cairo, at the time

copied

it.

Translitera

tions of the texts, with notes, will appear in a paper

of mine on
Egypt";

"

The

tablets of Tel el- Amarna

now

in

a general account of the tablets at Boulaq and

be found in Dr. Hugo Winckler s BcricJit

in Berlin will

TJwntafeln von Tcll-el-Aniarna, in the

SitzungsbericJite der koniglicJi preussisclieu Akadcmie

ncber die

der Wissenscliaften

z^l

Berlin, No.

5 i,

December 1888.

be added that Amenophis III and his son

Amenophis IV Khu-en-Aten are addressed in the
It

may

by their/r^wwz/wtf, Nimmuriya and Nimutriya

corresponding to the name read Ma-nib-ri by Pro

tablets

Maspero, Napkhurururiya to Nofir-khopiru-ri.

Napkhurururiya is also found abbreviated into

fessor

Khuri(ya),

which explains

why

in

the Greek

Oros occupies the place of Khu-en-Aten.

lists

DESPATCHES FROM PALESTINE IN THE

CENTURY BEFORE THE EXODUS.
No.
1

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

gods,

by

letter

the king,

my lord,
3
my Sun-god,

Su-arda-ka 5
thy servant, the dust of thy feet
at the feet of the king my lord,
I

speak,

even

my

9.

gods, my Sun-god,
seven times seven do I prostrate myself.
The king of (the country of)
directed the mouth

o.

to

7.

8.

To
my

make war

KELTE

11.

in the city of

12.

he made war against thee the third time.

13.

14.

was brought.

cry (for assistance) to myself

My

city

belonging to myself
1 6. adhered to
me.
(?)
7
sends
17. Ebed-tob
1 8.
to the men of KELTE;
15.

No. XI

This

is

my forthcoming paper on the tablets of Tel el-Amarna.

a curious parallelism to the use of the plural Elohim in

in

Hebrew for the singular God."

3 The
Egyptian Pharaoh was
"

also identified with the

Sun-god

not only

"

the son of the

Sun,"

but was

himself.

Ki dhema atma.
Su-arda-ka is a purely Assyro- Babylonian name, and shows how far
the cultivated classes of Western Asia had gone in adopting the Babylonian
language.
c The Hebrew Keilah
(Josh. xv. 44, i Sam. xxiii.), now Kila.
7
Abd-Dhabba, which may, however, also be read Abd-Khima. Com
pare the names of Tab-Rimmon (i Kings, xv. 18), and Tab-el (Is. vii. 6).
4

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AMARNA

63

he sends 14 pieces of silver, and

they marched against my rear ;
21. and the domains of the king my lord
19.

2 o.

22. they overran.

KELTE

Ebed-tob
removed from my jurisdiction

my

23.
24.

city

25. the pleasure park (?) of the king

x
26. and the fortress of Bel-nathan
27.
28.

and the fortress of Hamor

before him and his justice

29.

he removed.

my

lord

from

Lab-api

the halting (?) in speech occupied

31. the fortress of ... NINU and

30.

now Lab-api

32.

together with Ebed-tob and

34. [his men] has occupied the fortress of
when the king to his servant
35.

33.

... NINU

Lacuna.

ON THE EDGE
1

2.

regards this matter, No

twice has the king returned (this) answer.

As

No. II

The commencement of the despatch

1.

2.

3.

4.

is lost.

(And) again the city of PIR(GAR ?),

a fortress which (is) in front of this country,
At the same time
I made faithful to the king.
the city of GAZA 5 belonging to the king which
the coast of the sea

(is)

on

Written ideographically EN-MU, in Assyrian Bil-nadin.

There is
Written with the ideograph of
emer, Heb. khamor.
a similar play upon the name of the Amorite in the Old Testament, Gen.
.}

"ass"

xxxiv. 2, etc. compared with xlviii. 22.

3
in my forthcoming Paper.
No.

to

The

show
5

traces of the last character

that

it

was gar.

Khazati-]s.\.

composing the name of the

city

seem

RECORDS OF THE PAST

64

5.

westward of the land of the

city of

GATH-K.ARMEL,

and the men of the

city of

GATH

6.

to Urgi

7.

fell

8.

and we made a march up

9.

Lab-api

away.

rode in

my

chariot

(?)

10.

and the country which thou holdest

to the confederates

12.

13.
14.

a second time,

(out of EGYPT),

1 1

and

with

Melech-Ar il 3 [attached themselves (?)] a second time,

and he took the children as hostages (?).
At the same time he utters their request

men

of the land of

15.

to the

1 6.

and then we defended the

17.

The men

1 8.

in

1 9.

collected.

Apis

it,

KIRJATH

4
;

5
city of URURSi.
of the garrison whom thou hadst left
G

my messenger
Addasi-rakan

20. in his house in the city of

all

(of

them)

GAZA

1
This seems to be the meaning of the words Gin-ti-Ki-ir-mi-il-a-ki.
But the first ki may be the determinative affix of locality, in which case we
The difficulty here is the strange name
should have to read Gath-Irmila.
It may, however, be compared with that of Jarmuth, now Yarmut
Irmila.

(Josh. x. 3, etc.)
2
Amili Khabiri. The Khabiri or "confederates" are spoken of in
the tablet next translated (line 13), where they are described as bordering
890, lines 4 and 8, in
upon Rabbah and Keilah. The word occurs in
the sense of "companions" (isiu pan khabiri-ya iptar sanni, "from the
Its use in these despatches
face of my companions he has separated me
as the name of a body of men who possessed territory in the south of
Palestine is very interesting, as it throws light on the origin of the name of
Hebron, and explains why the name is not met with in the Egyptian lists
Khebron (Hebron), in fact, denoted the "Con
of the Palestinian cities.
at the great sanctuary of Kirjath-Arba, the
federacy" of tribes who met
termination (-on) being that which, as in Jeshurun or Zebulon or Simeon,
In the list of Palestinian cities given by
distinguished territorial names.
Thothmes III at Karnak the place of Hebron seems to be taken by
Yaaqab-el, "Jacob is El" or "god."
3
Ar il is the Arel or hero of the Moabite Stone
Moloch is Ar
of the Old Testament (Isaiah xxxiii. 7) which appears as Ariel in 2 Sam.
Like
xxiii. 20, and Isaiah xxix. i, 2, who applies the term to Jerusalem.
the writer of the despatch, Isaiah considered the word to be a compound

").

"

"

"

il."

of /or

il,

"God."

The Kirjath meant is probably either Kirjath-Arba

But it may be Kirjath-Baal (Josh. xv. 60).
(Hebron) or Kirjath-Sepher.
5
I cannot identify
Written Ururusi in the next despatch (line 15).
4

Qarti-]a\.

the town.
6

Khapi.

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AMARNA

21.

To

[remained].

the land of

EGYPT

65

l
.

Lacuna.

ON THE EDGE

He

gave (the despatch) to the (king).

No. Ill

2.

To the king
speak thus

3.

Thy

4.

[at the feet of the king] seven times seven do

1.

lord

my

servant [says], even Arudi

3
:

pros

trate myself.

[Thy] servant (?)... (when) a raid was made

4
by Milki the son of Marratim

5.
6.

against the country of the king my lord,

at the head of the forces of the city of GEDOR, 5
the forces of the city of GATH

7.

8.

9.

and the

10.

forces of the city of

KEILAH.

the country of the city of RUBUTE

i 2.
dependent (?) on the country of the king,
13. belonging to the confederates;
1

1.

They took

4.

and again

entirely

the city of the land of URURUSI,

the city of the temple of UKAS, whose

15.
6.

name

is

MAR-

RUM/
i

the city of the king dependent

7.

(?)

Mitsri-Y\

No.

Ill in my Paper on
Babylonian Tablets from Tel el-Amarna
published in the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archceology, June
3
1888.
The name may also be read Aruki.
4
Marratim means the "sea-marshes" in Assyrian, and was specially
applied to the marsh-lands in the south of Babylonia (whence the Merathaim of Jer. 1. 21).
The scribe has transformed the title of the prince the
king (melech or milki} the son of the salt-marshes into -two proper names,
Milki and Marratim.
5
Gaturri-Y\.
Gedor (Josh. xv. 58, i Chr. xii. 7, 2) is the modern
Gedur north of Hebron.
"

"

"

"Of

"the

the

the princes.

capital,"

The

"

mentioned

The Aramaic mare,

title

of the supreme

VOL.

II

scribe, however,
in Josh. xv. 60.

"lord."

We

seems to have meant Rabbah,

learn from coins that

Marnas was

god of Gaza.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

66

8.

on the

9.

And

of the men of the city of KEILAH.

overthrew [the enemies (?)] of the king
district

The remaining

lines are too imich injured for translation.

No. IV

Diidu 2 my lord, my father,

even Aziru 3 thy son, thy servant;

1.

To

2.

I speak,

3.

at the feet of

4.

unto the

5.

my father I prostrate myself;

my father may there be peace

feet of

Dudu, now

[of the king

6.

[the daughter

my

(?)]

lord,

(?)]

Gama

the foundation

of the palace of my lord the king has been laid

and for a temple I have founded (it).

8.
9.

10.

This

11.

my

have done

father;

as for thee there

is

none

(else)

and now the

plantations,
12.
Dudu, my father, set in the ground,
1
3. and I will look after the girl.

14.

[And] thou

15.

[Verily]
[are] thy

father

and

my

lord.

look after the girl; the kings of the

4

AMORITES
1 6.

my

(art)

will

(?)
.

and

house

my

(is)

from

No. IX in my forthcoming Paper.

The Biblical Dodo (Judg. x. i, 2 Sam. xxiii. 24, i Chr. xi. 12, 26) or
Dod. The name punctuated David is also written Dod.
Hitherto the
name has not been found outside the Bible and the Moabite Stone (where
king Mesha states that he carried away the arels or "heroes" of Yahveh
and Dodah), though the name of the Carthaginian goddess Dido shows that
it also existed in Phoenician.
According to an Assyrian list of deities Dadu
was the name given to Hadad or Rimmon in Phoenicia and Palestine, thus
explaining the name of Bedad or Ben-Dad, the son of Dad," the name of
2

an Edomite king (Gen. xxxvi. 35).

In Assyrian Dadu,
was an epithet applied to Tammuz the Sun-god.
3
4

The Biblical Ezer.

The word is Amuri, which denotes

in other tablets of the collection, where,

terminative of country or people.

first person of an Assyrian verb

It is
"

"

the beloved

one,"

the Amorites of northern Syria

it is preceded by the de
therefore possible that here it is the

however,

have

seen."

TABLE7^S OF TEL EL-AMARNA

and the planting

17
1

67

8.

19.

20.
21.

have directed and ....

the planting I have accomplished.
I

[And] them to the presence

of my [lord], in the companionship

22

the foundation-stones of the palace

The next nine

I laid.

lines are too mutilated for translation.

32. [And]
(am) the servant of the king my lord,
33. [who comes] from (fulfilling) the orders of the king
lord
I

34.
35.

[and] from (fulfilling) the orders of Dudu

observe [all of them] until his return.

my

my

father.

he sends

36

[a

messenger],

37. he sends a soldier;

38. but let me come to thee.

No.
1.

2.

3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

[To] the great [king], the king of the world, the king
[of EGYPT],
I present myself, O creator of
everything which (is) great,
(I) the servant of the mighty lord, to the king
my [lord] at the feet of my lord, the Sun-god,
seven times seven I prostrate myself.
Verily is
the king my lord.
Lo, exceedingly powerful
;

is

he constituted.

Lo, a

mouth of judgment-

in

The men
thy presence exists.
S
9. of the city of TSUMURA
belonging to the king (are)
subjects
10. of the king.
Lo, the city of ZARAK (sends) this report
8.

1.

The

four sons of Abd-Asi[rti]

No. XIV in my forthcoming Paper.

Maspudh, the Heb. mishpadh.
The Simyra of classical writers, the
foot of Lebanon in Phoenicia.

the
4

Abd-Asirti or Abd-Asirta

is

have been captured,

Biblical

Zemar (Gen.

also called Abd-Asrati,

x.

18), at

and according

to

Winckler, in one of the Tel el-Amarna tablets, now at Berlin, the

word Asrrlti is preceded by the determinative of divinity. Asrdti is the
Dr.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

68

2.

13.
14.

15.
1

6.

no one who has brought the news

Behold
the servant of thy justice (am) I, and as for thee
what I have heard I have despatched to my lord.
A march has been made 1 against the city

and there

is

to the king, as well as counsel.

of

TSUMU[RA]
whose nest on a precipice

7.

which

8.

is

laid

19.
20.

is

exceedingly strong.
as for the messengers

21.

from the house of

22.

like a bird
.

And

the city of

I sent, into

whom

....
TSUMURA

have seen their entrance.

2
24. And Ya[pa]-Addu the wares (?)
did
not
with
me.
25.
place
26. They took also the men of ...

23.

27.
28.

his cavalry,

29.

the

of

my

and the stone

and
justice,
.

divine

image,

the

sceptres

(and)

the

stone of

sovereignty,

the god of the oracles of the king; 3 and

31. the king spoke to them.
didst .... the (seats) thou
32. And thou
30.

33.

as

34.

And

hast

se

lected

(?)

as the king created for them.

many

the son of the servant of the lord

and the

wife of

the father
which the cuneiform "syllabaries" explain by the words
and "sanctuary." It is the ashcrah of the Old
mistranslated "grove" in the Authorised Version,
The

plural of Asirti,
"high

place,"

Testament,

"oracle,"

Asherah was properly the upright post often seen upon Assyrian gems
which symbolised the goddess of fertility.
The latter bore the name of
Asherah, like her symbol, among the Southern Canaanites, and corresponded
to the Ashtoreth or Astarte of Phoenicia.
Abd-Asirti would signify
the
servant of Asherah.
1

Or

"counsel

"

has been

taken,"

and "counsel."
Kinanatu, "female slaves"

the Assyrian milik signifying both

"march"

in Assyrian,

but here perhaps

(like

Hebrew Chenaani, a merchant") derived from the name of Canaan.

3
Compare the Hebrew Urim and Thummim in the breastplate of
High Priest.
4
The reading and translation of this line are extremely doubtful.

the

"

the

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AMARNA

god of heaven and earth, the king, have

spoken to the men.
have collected?) all my servants;

35.

(even) of the

36.

(I

his

37
38
39
40.

...

to

....

he went up ....
before me, and ....
This line has been destroyed.

(Near) me there was no one at

42. of them, whether two or three
and the god 1 heard
43
41.

44.

69

all

the words of the servant of his justice, and the god

45. brought life to his servant ;

46. and the action of his servant he enquired after a second
time,

47. which may he requite

(?)

unto me, and

may

the great

lady
48.

who

(is)

with thee, and the female domestics of the

Verily Aziru and

palace.

49.

Yapa-Addu have taken up opposition

me, and have not marched up

50. towards

(the country)

any one (of them.) They held a conference

That place of observation
52. with me.
53. belonging to me, which my father gave me,
54. even the king, for ever, [implies]
55. the making of words on the part of me the servant of
51.

[thy] justice.

56.
57.

58.

59.
60.

And

I rejoiced also within myself at

these words (which) I have uttered, even I
the dust of thy feet, O king
!

father, thy father

not Aziru;
the world

is

he has not girdled 3

6 1. with his governors and his prophesying 4 [and]
62. [his] god and goddesses and the god Ku
.

the

work of

his servant,

63.

[It is]

64.

to defend (?) the

65.

against the country of

1

and

....

house of thy father

TARKUMIYA marched

That is, the Egyptian monarch.

Such seems to be the meaning of the expression
4
Sipti.
Igw.

istu sani.

the sons of Abd-Asirta, and

there took the country of the king belonging to them
the king of the country of MITANA-NANU l and the king

66.

67.
68.

69. of the country of TARKUSI

Of the HlTTITES. 2

The god who

70.

and the king of the country

inspires the king, the soldiers of the king

along with Yankhan the servant

72. of the king of the country of YARIMUTA
73. [and] the gate-keeper Milku-mi ....
74. [took with them?] ....
71.

they came forth [and]

he sends them.

75
76

No. VI
1

To

2.

by

3.

the king of EGYPT,

my

lord,

letter

speak (even

I),

the king of the country of ALASiYA

thy brother.
5.

Unto myself (is) peace,

and upon thee may there be peace

6.

To

4.

thy house, thy children, thy son,

many chariots,
EGYPT thy country

7.

thy wives, thy

8.

and

9.

may

in

thy horses,

there be abundance of peace

O my

brother, my messenger
a costly gift carefully
12. has carried to them, and has heard

10.

11.

13.

thy salutation.

1
Mitana or Mitanni lay on the eastern bank of the Euphrates north of
the Belikh according to the annals of Tiglath-pileser I. A docket attached
to one of the Tel el-Amarna tablets identifies it with the Egyptian Nahrina,
the Aram-Naharaim of the Old Testament of which Chushan-rish-athaim
was king (Judges iii. 8). What is meant by the suffix nanu I cannot

explain.
3

Yarimuta

is

Khata,

described in another tablet as situated upon the sea, to

the north of Phoenicia.

4
5

No. VI

in

Alasiya is
Egyptologists.

my
the

forthcoming Paper.
Syrian country called Alosha or Arosha

by the

TABLETS OF TEL EL-AVARNA

man

14.

This

15.

carefully the costly-gift

has he conveyed to them.

1 6.

17.
1 8

My

is

minister

my

minister,

my

ship

has not

19. brought
20. together with them.

O my

brother

71

THE INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

TRANSLATED BY ARTHUR AMIAUD
(Continued from

FOR an

account of

these

Vol.

/)

interesting

inscriptions,

which go back to the early dawn of Babylonian

history, and are written in the non-Semitic language
of primitive Chaldaea, the reader is referred to the
first volume of the new series of the Records of the
Past, pp. 42 sqq.

THE INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

INSCRIPTIONS OF
No.
1.

FOR

his king,

3.

5.

Ur-Bau,
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

8.

9.

has constructed.

7.

NO

4.

the god EN-KI,

the offspring begotten

by the god Nin-agal,
his temple

6.

NO.

UR-BAU

ON THE STONE OF A THRESHOLD

2.

2.

4.

(Continued}

3.

ON LARGE BRICKS 2

1.

For the god NIN-GIRSU,

2.

3.

the powerful warrior

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

Ur-bau

5.

the patesi

6.

of

7.

his

8.

has constructed.

ON

SHIRPURLA
temple

A SMALL ROUND OBJECT OF WHITE STONE

1.

For the goddess BAU

2.

the daughter of

ANNA,

Dtcouvertes en Chaldie par E, de Sarzec,

Dtcouvertes, pi. 37, Nos. i,

pi.
2.

27,

No.

2.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

74

3.

4.
5.

for the life

of Ur-bau
the patesi

7.

of SHIRPURLA,
Ur-Ellilla has brought this da

8.

and

9.

he has consecrated

6.

for the life of the wife of his

it.

son

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

VII. INSCRIPTIONS OF
No.

i.

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE

75

GUDEA
OF THE LOUVRE

Cartouche engraved on the right shoulder.

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

6.

Gudea,
the patesi

of SHIRPURLA,
who the temple

E-NINNU

of the god NIN-GIRSU

has constructed.

COLUMN

3.

4.

for his lady,

2.

5.
6.
7.

8.
9.

Gudea
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA

her temple of the city GIRSU-KI

has constructed.

COLUMN
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

Her sacred

altar

II

(?)

he has made.
The holy throne of her divinity
he has made.
In her sanctuary he has placed them.
From the mountains of the land of MAGAN

Dtcouvertes,

Ledrain

For the goddess NIN-GHARSAG,

the goddess who protects the city,
the mother of its inhabitants,

1.

pi.

20.

The

Communications a

Sept. i4th, 1883.

The Sinaitic Peninsula.

inscription has been translated by M.

des Inscriptions ct Belles-lettres,

Academic

RECORDS OF THE PAST

76

COLUMN

III

2.

a rare stone he has caused to be brought;

for her statue

3.

he has caused

1.

"

4.

5.

6.
7.

to

it

goddess who

be

of

Gudea

1.

the builder of the temple

prolong the

3.

2.

this

by
and

"

life

name he has named

in the

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE B OF THE LOUVRE

In the temple of the god NIN-GIRSU,

of SHIRPURLA,
who the temple

7.

has constructed

8.

o.

1.

i 2.

13.
14.
15.

The

the statue of Gudea,

the patesi

6.

9.

qa of fermented liquor,
qa of food,
half a qa of
half a qa of
such are the offerings which
i

it

institutes.

As for the patesi

who shall revoke them,
who the orders of the god NIN-GIRSU
shall transgress,

7.

let

8.

in the

first

E-NINNU
:

6.

Acaddmie

his king,

5.

the statue),

it.

1.

4.

(i.e.

2.

3.

it

temple he has placed

COLUMN

IV

2.

4.

of heaven

and earth,
NlN-TU
mother of the gods,
COLUMN

No.

cut.

fixes the destinies

the offerings instituted by him

temple of the god NIN-GIRSU

column has been translated by Dr. Oppert Communications

des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, March 1882.
:

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

9.

20.

be revoked
Let the commands of his mouth be annulled
!

COLUMN
1.

2.

3.

To

the

Gudea,
the architect

7.

II

god NIN-GIRSU,

5.

8.

the powerful warrior

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

6.

77

(?),

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,
the shepherd chosen by the unchangeable will

of the god NIN-GIRSU,

10. regarded with a favourable eye
11. by the goddess NINA,
9.

1 2.

13.
14.
15.
16.

dowered with power

by the god NIN-DARA,
covered with renown
by the goddess BAU,

17.

the offspring
of the goddess

18.

dowered

19.

supreme
by the god GAL-ALIM,

GUTUMDUG,

with

sovereignty

COLUMN

and

the

III

4.

proclaimed afar among living creatures

by the god DUN-SHAGA,
whose primacy has been firmly founded
by the god NIN-GISH-ZIDA

5.

his god.

1.

2.
3.

6.
7.

8.
9.

After that the god NIN-GIRSU

had turned towards his city a favourable gaze
(and)

Gudea

had chosen

as

the

faithful

shepherd of the

country
10.

11.

sceptre

(and) among the divisions

had established his power,

(?)

of

men

RECORDS OF THE PAST

78

then he purified the city and cleansed it.

He has laid the foundations (of a temple)
14. and deposited the foundation-cylinder.
1
15. The adorers of the demons (P),
i

2.

13.

COLUMN
r.

2.

IV

the evokers of spirits

the necromancers (?),

(?),

4.

the prophetesses of divine decrees

he has banished from the city.

5.

Whoever has not departed

6.

lias

3.

7.

8.

(?),

obediently,

been expelled perforce by the

The temple of the god NIN-GIRSU

warriors.

in all respects

pure place he has constructed.

has been destroyed (?),
11. no sepulchral urn has been broken
12. no son has ill-treated his mother.
9.

10.

13.

in a

No tomb

The

(?),

ministers,

the judges,
15. the doctors,
1 6.
the chiefs,
14.

7.

8.

during the execution of this work

9.

have worn garnments of ... (?).

During all the time (of its construction)

1.

in

COLUMN v
the cemetery of the city no ditch has

been

4.

excavated (?),
no corpse has been interred (?).
The Kaln ~ has performed his funeral music or
uttered his lamentations
the female mourner has not caused her lamen

5.

On

6.

of

2.

3.

tations to

be heard.

the territory

SHIRPURLA

give the translation of the lines which follow, as far as col.

inclusively, only with the greatest reserve.

The kalu were a class of priests.

v.

1.

4,

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

man

at variance (with his

7.

8.

to the place of oath

has taken no one

9.

12.

For the god NIN-GIRSU

13.

his

king
(Gudea)

14.

tions

has
(?)

made

his

17.

and
In

8.

the

dedicatory

inscrip

temple E-NINNU
darkness (?),
16. he has constructed

15.

neighbour)

a brigand
has entered the house of no one.

10.
1 1

79

which

illuminates

the

reinstated.
interior (of this temple) his favourite

the

gigunii
20.

of cedar-wood
he has constructed

After that the temple of the god NIN-GIRSU

9.

r.

for him.

he has had constructed,

the god NIN-GIRSU,
24. the king beloved by him,
25. from the Sea of the Highlands
26. to the lower Sea

22.
23.

(ELAivi)

has forcefully opened (the ways) for him.

In Amanum, 3 the mountain of cedars,
29. [joists] of cedar,

27.
28.

30.

whose

31.

[and

[length] was

joists]

70 spans,

of cedar

whose [length was] 50 spans,

4
[and joists] of box (?)
was
whose
spans,
25
34.
length
32.
33.

he has caused to be cut

from this mountain he has caused them to be

35.

36.

brought.
1
-

That
That

a court of

is,

the Persian gulf.

Amanus

justice.

northern Syria.
For its explanation see an article by the
Ball, Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archeology, xi. p.

Evidently

in

The Assyrian urkarinnu.

Rev. C.
143-

is,

J.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

8o

37-

The

38.

he has made.

39-

The

40. he has made.

41.

The

42. he has made.

43-

The

44.

he has made.

45.

As

for the cedars

(some) to form great gates

47. he has employed;
48. with brilliant ornaments
46.

he

has

enriched

49.

them (?),
and in the temple E-NINN

50.

he has placed them.

51.

(Others) in his sanctuary E-magh-ki-a-sig-de-da

52. he has used as beams.

53. Near the city of URSU,
54.

in the

mountains of IB-LA

55. joists of zabanum trees,

2
56. of great sha-ku trees,

57.
58.

of tulub um trees, and of gin

he has caused to be cut

COLUMN

temple of E-NINNU
he has caused them to be used as beams.

3.

From SHAMANUM

4.
5.
6.

in the

in the mountains of MENUA,

from SUSALLA (?) 3
in the mountains of MARTU, 4

8.

nagal stones
he has caused to be brought

9.

in slabs

Dr.

VI

2.

1.

trees,

Hommel

has proposed to read this

to read Tilla, explained

2
It is the tree called

name

Dalla.

by Urdhu in W. A. I., ii. 48,

ashuhu by the Assyrians.

should prefer

13.

3 The
reading is uncertain. Dr. Hommel reads Kasalla, comparing the
4
Kazalla of W. A. I., iv. 34. 31, 33.
Phoenicia.

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

Si

he has caused them to be cut ;

the Holy of Holies in the temple E-NINN^
12. he has constructed of them.
10.

1 1.

13.

From TIDANUM

14.

in the

15.

shirgal-ghabbia stones

mountains of

MARTU

he has caused to be conveyed

in the form of urpadda
he has caused them to be cut ;

1 6.

17.
1

8.

to (receive) the bars of the gates

in the temple he has arranged them.

19.

20.
2

From

1.

in the

22.

the country of KAGAL-ADDA-KI

mountains of Ki-MASH 3

caused copper to be taken,

the arm (?) from which one escapes not
25. he has employed it.
26. From the country of MELUGHGHA 4
5
he has imported ;
27. kala trees
28. he has caused to be made. 6
7
29. From Kilzanim
has
he
imported ;
30.
23.

24.

To make

31.

to

make

the

arm (?)...

he has employed it.

33. Gold-dust
34. from the mountains of
35. he has imported

32.

GHAGHUM

for the fabrication of the

36.

he has utilised
38. Gold-dust
37.

Identified

West"

W.
x.

Or
A.

(Syria

the

of

Abullat,"

or

perhaps the

"

city

Abullu-abishu,"

52, 55.

or Arabia Petrpea, the Mash of Gen.

the land of Mash
From Ki-mas was derived the Assyrian kemassi, "copper"

Perhaps

(W. A.
5

"

"

23.
4

by Dr. Hommel, with much probability, with Tidnu or

and Canaan) W. A. I., ii. 48, 12, etc.

"city

ii.

I.,

arm (?)...

it.

I.,

ii.

18,

54

iv.

28, 13).

In the vicinity of the Sinaitic Peninsula.

tree called ushu by the Assyrians..
If this line is not due to an error, the engraver must have omitted

The

something between lines 27 and 28.

7
Perhaps Kilzanim is the name of a country.
must have made some omission here.

VOL.

II

In this case, the engraver

RECORDS OF THE PAST

82

39.

40.

MELUGHGHA

from the mountains of

he has imported

41. to

make

the

E-M ARTU

42.

he has employed

43.

Zid-ri

it.

(?)

he has imported.
From the country of GUBIN
2
46. the land of the ghaluku trees,
47. ghaluku wood
48. he has imported
44.
45.

make pillars

49.

to

50.

he has employed it.

From the country of MADGA
in the mountains of the river
bitumen (?)
he has imported ;

51.

52.

53.
54.

(?)

the platform of the temple

56. he has constructed.
55.

GURRUDA

E-NiNNt>

57.

Im-gha-um

58.

he has imported.
From the mountains of BARSIP
nalua stones

59.
60.

6 1. in large boats
62.

63.

he has caused to be brought

the foundation of the temple E-NiNNft he has
circled with them.
;

arms, the city of

64.

By

65.
66.

he has conquered
its

ANSHAN

in the

country of

en

ELAM

spoils

67. to the god NIN-GIRSU

68. in the temple E-NiNNt>
69. he has consecrated.
70.

Gudea,

the patesi
72. of SHIRPURLA,
73. after that the temple
7

of the

E-NINN<>

West."
Ed.}
huluppu in Assyrian. [The Sumerian name may be
read ghaluf, of which huluppu would be an Assyrian modification.
Rd.~\

["Temple

The

tree called

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

83

god NIN-GIRSU
he had constructed,
76. has built an edifice
77. a pillared (?) temple
74.

to the

75.

COLUMN
1.

no

2.

for the

3.

god NIN-GIRSU
had constructed

4.

he has constructed

5.

He

6.
7.

8.

9.

10.
11.
1

2.

13.

it for him.
has written there his name
he has made dedicatory inscriptions
;

The

orders of the

of the god NIN-GIRSU

faithfully executed.

From

the mountains of the country of

a hard stone he has imported.

For his statue

he has caused
"

O my

it

to

be

cut.

whose temple
have

6.

7.

may

8.

By this
and in the temple E-NINNU

built,

life

be

"

my

recompense
name he has named (the
!

20.

he has erected

21.

Gudea

22.

unto the statue

has given command

23.

MAGAN

king,

19.

(?).

mouth

he has

14.
15.

VII

patesi

"

24.

To

statue),

it.

the statue of

my

king

"

25.
26.
27.
28.

speak

After that the temple E-NINNU,

his favourite
I

temple

had constructed,

have remitted penalties, I have given presents.

30. During seven days obeisance has not been exacted.
31. The female slave has been made the equal of her
29.

mistress
1

[The

Sinaitic Peninsula

and Midian.]

RECORDS OF THE PAST

32.

the male slave

33.

has been

34.

in

my

made

the equal of his master;

city the chief of his subject

35. has been made the equal.

36. All that is evil from this temple

have removed.

37.

38.

Over the commands

39.

40.

of the goddess NINA

and the god NIN-GIRSU

have carefully watched.

41.

42.

A fault

43.

all

44.

The house where

(?)

the rich

man

that he has desired

has not committed

the strong man has not
;

(?)

done.
it is its

daughter,
45.
46. has consecrated ;

there was no son,

who new

47.

for the statue of the

48

before the

offerings (?)

god

mouth she has placed them.

49.

Of

50.

neither in silver nor in alabaster

51.
52.
53.
54.
55.

56.
57.

58.

this statue,

nor in copper nor in tin

nor in bronze
let any one undertake the execution
Let it be of hard stone
Let a sacristy be established,
and of all that shall be brought there
let nothing be destroyed
The statue which is before thee,
!

god NIN-GIRSU,
59.
60. the statue
6

1.

of Gudea,

COLUMN
1.

2.
3.

VIII

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

who

the temple

E-NINNU

6.

of the god NIN-GIRSU

has constructed,
whosoever from the temple

7.

shall

4.
5.

remove

E-NINN&

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOII
8.
9.

10.
11.

85

(or) its inscription

shall efface ;

whosoever shall break it;

on the fortunate day of the commencement of
the year,

1 2.

whoever

13.

his

14.

and

15.

who

6.

17.
1

8.

19.
20.

in the place of

my

god,

god
it is

is

in the

NIN-GIRSU

my

king
country shall invoke

(whoever)

my

judgments

shall transgress,

my

gifts

revoke ;
(whoever) in the recitation of
22. shall suppress my name
shall

21.

23.

and

insert his

own

my

prayers

(whoever) of the Holy of Holies of the god NINGIRSU, my king,

25. shall abandon the service (?)
26. and shall not keep it (ever) before his eyes;
24.

27.
28.

from the most distant days,

all men of noble race,

of

30.

of the patesis
of SHIRPURLA

31.

who

32.

of the god NIN-GIRSU

29.

the temple

E-NINNU

33.

my

34.

38.

have constructed,
and who have made dedicatory inscriptions
the words of their mouth
let no one change
nor transgress their judgments

39.

Of Gudea,

35.
36.
37.

king

40.

the patesi

41.

of SHIRPURLA,

42.

whoever

43.

or transgress his judgments,

may the god ANNA,

44.

shall

change

his

words

(?),

RECORDS OF THE PAST

86

45.

46.
47.
48.

49.

may
may
may
may
may

the god ELLILLA,

the goddess NIN-GHARSAG

the god EN-KI, whose word is unchangeable,

the god EN-ZU, whose name none pronounces,
the god NIN-GIRSU

50. the king of weapons,

51.

may

the goddess

NINA

the mistress of interpretations,

53. may the god NIN-DARA
54. the royal warrior,
52.

55.

may

SHIRPURLA

the mother of

the august goddess GATUMDUG,

57. may the goddess BAU
58. the lady the elder daughter of ANNA,
56.

59.
60.

1.

62.

63.

may

the goddess

the king of abundance

may the god PASAG

64.

the master

65.
66.

may
may
may

67.

NINNI

the lady of battles,

may the god BABBAR

workman

of men,

the god GAL-ALIMA,

the god DUN-SHAGANA,
the goddess

NIN-MARKI

COLUMN
1.

2.

IX

the eldest daughter of the goddess NINA,

may the goddess DUZI-ABZU

3.

the mistress of KINUNIR-KI,

4.

may my god NIN-GISHZIDA,

5.

6.
7.

8.
9.
i

(?),

o.

change his destiny

Like an ox,
may he be slain in the midst of his prosperity
Like a wild bull
may he be felled in the plenitude of his strength
As for his throne, may those even whom he has re
duced to captivity
!

1 1.

overthrow

12.

To

13.

even of

efface

it

its

its

in the dust

traces

memory

(?),
(?),

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
they apply their care
in the temple of his god
they efface from the tablets!

14.

may

15.

His name,

6.

17.
1

8.

19.

may

May

his

god

for the ruin of the country have no look (of pity)

May he ravage it with rains from heaven

he ravage it with the waters of the earth

he become a man without a name
his princely race be reduced to subjection

23.

24.

like every

25.
26.

afar,

2 i.

22.

May
May
May
May

2 o.

87

this

man,

man who

has acted evilly towards his chief,

in no city whatsoever

under the vault of heaven,

find a habitation

27. Of the champion of the gods,

28. the lord NIN-GIRSU,
29.
30.

the greatness
the peoples proclaim

may

No.

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE

3.

COLUMN
1.

The god NIN-GISH-ZIDA

2.

is

4.
5.

who

6.

has constructed.

To

2.

the mistress of the world,

the goddess NINNI,

3.

to his lady,

4.

Gudea

5.

the architect

(?),

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

Partially translated

p. 460.

II

1.

7.
1

E-ANNA

the temple

COLUMN

6.

the god of Gudea,

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

3.

C OF THE LouvRE.

by Dr.

Hommel

Die Vorsemitischen Kulturcn,

RECORDS OF THE PAST

8.

9.
i

o.

1 1.

1 2.

13.
1

4.

15.
1

6.

17.
1

8.

19.
20.

who

the temple of

After that the goddess

her favourable regard

had

cast

upon him,

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

a man endowed with large understanding,

a servant to his mistress
devoted,
to

make

the tablet-like amulets

has ordered
22. of the ka-al

(?)

(?);

he has caused the splendour to shine.

COLUMN
1.

NINNI

Gudea,

21.

23.

E-NINNU

of the god NIN-GIRSU

has constructed.

His clay

III

(for the construction of the

2.

pure place
he has caused to be taken

3.

his bricks

4.

in a holy place

5.

he has caused to be moulded.

6.

Its site (?)

7.

he has cleaned and levelled

8.

\\&

9.

in the

foundation

temple) in a

(?)

(?)

....

he has firmly established (?).

IT. The favourite temple (of the goddess),
12. the temple of E-ANNA in GIRSU-KI,
13. he has built.
1 4.
From the mountains of the land of MAGAN
15. a rare stone he has imported ;
1 6.
for her statue
17. he has caused it to be cut.
10.

8.

"Of

9.

the builder of the temple

Gudea,

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
COLUMN

IV
"

she prolong the life

by this name he has named it
and in the temple of E-ANNA

may

2.

3.

(i.e.

the statue),

6.

he has placed it.

Whoever from the temple of E-ANNA
shall remove it,

4.
5.

break

7.

shall

8.

(or) shall efface its inscription,

9.

may

10.
1 1

12.

it,

the goddess NINNI,

the mistress of the world,

from top to bottom

overthrow him

Of

throne established
14. the foundations
5. may she not maintain
13.

his

17.

may
may

No.

4.

6.

she annihilate his race

she cut off the years of his reign
!

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE

OF THE LouvRE. 2

Cartouche on the right shoulder.

1.

Gudea,

2.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA.

3.

COLUMN
1.

To

the god NIN-GIRSU,

3.

the powerful warrior

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

to his king,

5.

Gudea,

2.

6.

the patesi

8.

of SHIRPURLA,
the architect (?)

9.

the constructor of the (sacred) bark

7.

Literally

"his

head

in his foundations."

Translated by Dr. Oppert in a Communication

Ddcouvertes, pi. 9.
a fAcaddmie des Inscriptions, June 23d 1882.
2

RECORDS OF THE PAST

go

o.

r.

1 2.

of the god ELLILLA,

the shepherd chosen by the immutable will
of the god NIN-GIRSU,

14.

the powerful minister

of the goddess NINA,

15.

covered with renown

13.

6.

17.
1

8.

9.

by the goddess BAU,

the offspring begotten
by the goddess GATUMDUG,

endowed with sovereignty and the

COLUMN

sceptre supreme

II

4.

by the god GAL-ALIM,

proclaimed afar among living creatures
by the god DUN-SHAGANA,
the governor

5.

who

1.
2.

3.

6.
7.

loves his city,

(who) has made dedicatory (?) inscriptions,

(and who) his temple of E-NINNU, which illumines

the darkness,
has constructed.
9. In the interior (of the temple) his favourite gigunu
10. he has made for him of cedar-wood.
1 1.
The temple of E-GHUD, his temple in 7 stages,
i 2.
he has constructed.
8.

13.
1

In

this

temple the offerings

BAU

4.

of the goddess

1.

his lady

2.

he has regulated.
His favourite bark

COLUMN

3.

4
5.
6.

III

named Kar-nun-ta-ea 2
he has caused to be made

on the Kar-zagin-kA-surra *

[Perhaps related to gdgunfi, "afield." Ed.]

should render
the quay which comes forth from the lord."
Ed. ]
3
Perhaps the name of a canal.
[I should translate it: "the quay
which runs from the white stone of the gate." Ed.~\
"

"

[I

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
7.

he has placed

8.

The crew

9.

and

its

it.

of this bark

he has organised.

1 1

The temple

1 2.

to the

15.

the daughter of

6.

17.

ANNA,

her temple of

URU-AZAGGA

1.

he has constructed.

2.

By

6.
7.

8.

IV

the power of the goddess NINA,

3. by the power of the

5.

(?).

for his lady

COLUMN

4.

of his lord

14.

summit he has raised

For the goddess BAU,

the good lady,

13.

captain

10.
.

god NIN-GIRSU,

Gudea
who has endowed with

to

the sceptre

the god NIN-GIRSU,

the country of MAGAN/
the country of

MELUGHGHA,

1 2.

2
the country of GuBi,
and the country of NrruK, 3
which possess every kind of tree,
vessels laden with trees of all sorts

13.

into

14.

have

15.

From

9.
i

o.

1.

6.

17.

91

SHIRPURLA
sent.

the mountains of the land of MAGAN

a rare stone he has caused to come ;

for his statue

COLUMN v
r.

he has caused
"

2.

it

to be cut.

king, for the force

4.

no country can resist

O god NIN-GIRSU,

5.

for

3.

[The

(?),

Gudea

Sinaitic Peninsula.]
3

immense which

The Tilmun

Perhaps Coptos

in

Egypt.

of the Assyrians, in the Persian Gulf.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

92

the builder of the temple

appoint a prosperous fate
8. by this name he has named (the statue),
9. (and) in the temple of E-NINNU
10. he has placed it.
6.

"

7.

No.

5.

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE

E OF THE LOUVRE.

Cartouche on the right shoulder.

j.

Gudea,

2.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA.

3.

COLUMN
1.

To

the goddess BAU,

2.

the

good

3.

4.
5.
6.
7.

8.

9.

lady,

the daughter of ANNA,

the mistress of URU-AZAGGA,
the mistress of abundance,
the lady who fixes the destinies of GIRSU-KI,
the lady who judges her city,

the lady beloved of mortals

the lady of death (?),

10.

to his lady,

11.

Gudea

(?),

the patesi
13. of SHIRPURLA,
12.

14.

15.
1 6.
i

7.

8.

19.

who

(the temple) of E-NINNU

of the god NIN-GIRSU
has constructed.

After that the goddess

his mistress
in her august heart

had chosen him

COLUMN
1

2.

3.
4.

BAU

II

as a servant full of reverential fear,

for his mistress

the greatness of his mistress

he has proclaimed,

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
5.

(and) in his clear intelligence

6.

to the

his lady
has entrusted himself.

9.

As the temple of E-NINNU,

10.
11.
1 2.

13.

14.
15.
1

6.

7.

8.

9.

the favourite temple

of the god NIN-GIRSU
his king

he had constructed,
so for the goddess BAU
the daughter of

ANNA

the mistress of URU-AZAGGA,

his mistress,

the temple of E-SIL-SIRSIRA,

her favourite temple,

2 i.

he has constructed
the city he has cleansed

2 2.

and

20.

(?)

BAU

goddess

8.

7.

levelled (?)

make

(?),

COLUMN
1.

to

2.

he has given orders

tablet-like

III

amulets
(?)

(?)

3.

of the ka-al

4.

he has caused the splendour to shine.

5.

Its

6.

pure place
he has caused to be taken

7.

its

8.
9.

93

clay (for the construction of the temple) in a

bricks in a holy place

he has caused to be moulded.

amulets (?) he

The brick-like
made

has caused to be

10.
1 1
i

2.

the dedicatory inscriptions he has

he has cleansed (?)

and

(?).

levelled (?)

its

foundations (?)
14. in the ....
15. he has firmly established
13.

composed

Its site

(?).

Perhaps the foundation-cylinders and clay cones with dedicatory

inscriptions.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

94

6.

For the goddess BAU,

17.

his mistress,

1 8.

the mistress

19.

directs,
in URU-AZAGGA,

20.

who URU-AZAGGA

COLUMN
1.

2.

IV

in a pure place,
he has built the temple.

The holy throne

of his divinity
he has made
6.
7.

in the place of her oracles

he has installed it.

8.

Her

9.

he has made

sacred altar

10.

in her sanctuary

11.

he has placed

12.

The

13.

he has made

14.
15.

(?)

tabernacle

it.

(?) (called)

NIN-AN-DAGAL-KI

in her sanctuary
he has installed it.

COLUMN v
1.

2.

3.

4.

At the commencement of the

ox

z
s/ie,

8.

sheep ni*
3 sheep she,
6 sheep nshf
2 lambs,

9.

o.

ii.

5.

6.
7.

1
["

year,

the festival of the goddess BAU

when offerings are made to her,
i

The

pat of

dates,

shab of cream,
shoots of a palm,
lady of the place of the maternal

2
["Young?"

Ed.}

3
["Fat?"

Ed,]

deity."

Ed.}

4
["

Male

?"

Ed.}

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOPI
12.

13.

14.

bird

15.

swans,

1 6.

1 8.

with

19.

20.

with

22.

15 cranes,
bird (?)...,

17.

21.

its

15 eggs

(?),

tortoise (?)

its 30 eggs (?),

30 garments of wool,
7 garments of
.

COLUMN
1.

garment of

3.

4.

on

5.

Gudea,

6.
7.

8.
9.

10.
11.

12.
1

VI

(such were) the offerings of the goddess

in the ancient temple

2.

3.

14.
15.
1 6.
1 7.
1 8.

95

that day.

the patesi

of SHIRPURLA,
after that for the god NIN-GIRSU
his king
his favourite temple,

the temple of E-NINNU,

he had constructed,
(and after that) for the goddess
his mistress

her favourite temple,

the temple of E-SIL-SIRSIRA,

he had constructed,
2 oxen she,

19.
20.

22.

23.

24.

25.

sheep
10 sheep
21. 2 lambs,

pat of

/,

she,

dates,

shab of cream,
shoots of a palm,
.

BAU

BAU

RECORDS OF THE PAST

96

COLUMN
1.

2.
3.

14
14

4.

5.

7 swans,

6.

15 cranes,
7 birds

bird

7.

bird (?)...
with its 15 eggs

8.

9.

10.

1 1.

with

(?),

tortoise (?)
its

12.

30 eggs (?),
40 garments of wool,

13.

14.

garments of
garment of

(such are) the offerings to the goddess BAU,

which in the new temple

15.
1

VII

6.

Gudea,

17.
8.

9.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

2 o.

the builder of the temple

21.

has added.

2 2.

The temple

23.

of the goddess
having been restored,

24.

its

BAU

prosperity

COLUMN

VIII

3.

having been assured ;

of the throne of SHIRPURLA
the foundation having been strengthened

4.

for

2.

5.

6.

Gudea,

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

command

7.

the sceptre of

8.

having been placed in the hand

9.

of his

life

10.

the days having been prolonged

1 1.

(then) his

12.

NIN-GISH-ZIDA

god

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
and the goddess BAU
into his temple of URU-AZAGGA

13.
14.

15.
1 6.

17.
1 8.

19.
20.

97

he has introduced.
In that year
from the mountains of the land of MAGAN
he has caused a rare stone to be brought
;

for his statue

he has caused

it

to

be

cut.

COLUMN
"

i.

O my

mistress

IX

3
4.
5.

6.
7.

8.
9.

10.

11.
12.

!"

by this name he has named (the

and in the temple he has placed

statue),
it.

(This) statue
of the man who the temple of the goddess
has constructed,
let no one from the place of its installation

remove it
His prescriptions
let no one transgress

BAU

No.

6.

INSCRIPTION ON STATUK F OK THE LOUVRE*

Cartouche on right shoulder.

1.

Gudea,

2.

3.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

4.

the

man

of the goddess

COLUMN

GATUMDUG.
I

1.

To

2.

the mother of SHIRPURLA,

3.
4.
5.

the goddess

Gudea
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,
1

VOL.

GATUMDUG,

II

Dtcouvertes,

pi. 14.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

98

6.

the

man

of the goddess

8.
9.

(and) the temple of

darkness
i

GATUMDUG,

thy favourite servant,

who has made the dedicatory

7.

o.

(?)

inscriptions,

E-NINNU which

illuminates the

(?),

(the temple) of the

god NIN-GIRSU

(who) has constructed,

12. the goddess GATUMDUG
11.

13.

14.

his lady,
who in SHIRPURLA,

15.

her favourite

1 6.

for the

city,

supreme rank

(?)

COLUMN
1.

2.

the temple of the goddess

4.

his lady
to construct

5.

has given him the order.

6.

Gudea

3.

8.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

9.

7.

10.
1 1.

II

has created him,

man endowed

GATUMDUG

with large intelligence,

a servant filled with reverential fear

for his mistress,

make tablet-like amulets (?)

has commanded (?) ;
14. of the ka-al
15. he has caused the splendour to shine.
1 6.
The clay (for the construction of the temple) in a
pure place
17. he has caused to be taken ;

1 2.

to

13.

8.

19.

its

bricks in a holy place

he has caused

be moulded.

to

COLUMN
1.

Its site

2.

and

3.

its

he has cleansed

levelled (?)

foundation

(?)

III

(?)

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
in the

4.

9.
o.

Her

6.
7.
8.

he has firmly established (?).

In URU-AZAGGA, in a pure place,
he has built the temple.
The holy throne of her divinity
he has made.

5.

sacred altar

(?)

he has made.
12. The oxen il-la^
13. he has formed into a herd,
11.

14.

15.
1

6.

17.
1

8.

19.
20.

their

herdsman

he has established.
To the sacred cows
he has added sacred calves
he has established.

To

21.

the sacred sheep

he has added sacred lambs

22.

their

23.

he has established.

24.
25.
26.

their drover

To

shepherd

the sacred she-goats

he has added sacred kids

their

goatherd

27.

he has established.

2 8.

Each herd

2 9.

with a herd

(?)

of dams, whatever be the species,

(?)

of younglings in addition

30. he has increased.

31. Their guardian
32. he has established.

No.

7.

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE

COLUMN

OF THE LOUVRE

To

2.

the god NIN-GIRSU,

the powerful warrior

3.

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

to his king,

1.

See

W.

A.

I.,

i.

66,

iii.

9.

99

RECORDS OF THE PAST

5.

Gudea

7.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

8.

who

9.

of the

6.

10.

E-NINNU
god NIN-GIRSU

the temple of

has constructed,

n.

for the

12.

his king,

13.

god NIN-GIRSU

the temple of E-GHUD, the temple of the

temple of E-GHUD,

14.

this

15.

from the summit whereof

7 stages,

the god NIN-GIRSU

17. dispenses favourable fortunes,
1 8. he has constructed.

1 6.

2.

(Besides) the offerings

which in the joy of his heart

3.

to the

4.

to the

1.

god NIN-GIRSU

5.

goddess BAU,
the daughter of ANNA,

6.

his favourite wife,

7.

he presented,

8.

for his

god

NIN-GISH-ZIDA
10. he has established others
9.

11.

Gudea

12.
13.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA

14.

from GIRSU-KI

15.

to

also.

URU-AZAGGA

has proclaimed peace.

17. In that year,
1 6.

COLUMN
1.

2.

III

from the mountains of the country of MAGAN

he has caused a rare stone to be brought;

3.

for his statue

4.

he has caused

it

to be cut.

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
Here

5.

o lines have been left blank it having been intended

to Jill them up with the name of the statue.
,

On

the day of the

commencement

7.

the festival of the goddess BAU,

when the offerings are presented,

8.

6.

ox

s/ie

of the year,

l
2

sheep m\
10. 3 sheep she,
9.

COLUMN
1.

6 sheep

2.

3.

4.

5.

6-

IV

ush?

lambs,
pat of dates,

shab of cream,
shoots of a palm,

7-7
8.

bird

9.

swans,

10.
11.

15 cranes,
i bird
(?)....

12.

with

13.

14.

15.
1 6.

17.
1

8.

19.
20.

21.

its

15 eggs

(?),

tortoise (?)

with

its 30 eggs
(?),
30 garments of wool,
7 garments of ...
i garment of ....

(such were) the offerings to the goddess

in the ancient temple

BAU

on that day.

Gudea
COLUMN V

2.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

3.

after that for his

4.

his

1.

1
["

god NIN-GIRSU

king

Young"?

Ed.}

["Fat"?

3
["Male"?

Ed.}

Ed.}

RECORDS OF THE PAST

5.
6.
7.

8.
9.

10.
11.
1 2.

his favourite temple,

the temple of E-NINNU,

he had constructed,
(and after that) for the goddess BAU,
his mistress,

her favourite temple,

the temple of E-SIL-SIRSIRA
he had constructed,

13.

14.

oxen

she,

15.

sheep ni,
10 sheep she,

1 6.

lambs,

17.

pat of

1 8.

19.
20.

21.

22.

14

dates,

shab of cream,
shoots of a palm,

COLUMN

VI

I-I4
2.

bird

3.

swans,

4.

10 cranes,

5.

7 birds

6.

7.

with

8.

i tortoise

9.

with

i o.

(?)

its

15 eggs

(?),

(?)

its 30 eggs (?),

40 garments of wool,

11.

12.

13.

bird

garments of ...
garment of ....

(such are) the offerings to the goddess

in the new temple

14.

which

15.

Gudea

the patesi
17. of SHIRPURLA,
1 8. the constructor of the temple,
19. has added.
1 6.

BAU

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOII
No.

8.

INSCRIPTION ON STATUE

COLUMN
1.

To

the goddess BAU,

2.

the

good

II

OF THK LOUVRE

lady,

4.

the daughter of ANNA,

the mistress of URU-AZAGGA,

5.

the mistress of abundance, the

6.

bright sky,
to his mistress

3.

7.

8.

9.

daughter of the

Gudea
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA.

COLUMN

II

2.

After that the temple of E-SIL-SIRSIRA,

her favourite temple,

3.

the temple which

1.

4.
5.
6.

103

is the marvel of URU-AZAGGA

he had caused to be constructed,
from the mountains of the country of MAGAN,
a rare stone he has caused to be brought
;

7.

for her statue

8.

he has caused

it

to be cut.

COLUMN

III

3.

divine daughter, beloved by the bright

mother BAU,
in the temple of E-SIL-SIRSIRA

4.

to

5.

give

1.

2.

"O

sky,

Gudea
"

life

7.

by this name he has named (the statue),

and in the temple of URU-AZAGGA

8.

he has placed

6.

it.

INSCRIPTION ON A STONE SERVING AS THE THRESHOLD

OF A DOOR
i.

For the god NIN-GIRSU,

1

Dtcouvertcs,

pi.

27,

No.

3.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

104

2.

3.

the powerful warrior

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

for his king,

5.

Gudea

7.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA

8.

has

9.

(and) his

6.

made

the dedicatory inscriptions

10.

darkness,
has constructed,

1 1.

and

restored.

INSCRIPTIONS ON

TWO UNPUBLISHED VOTIVE TABLETS

1.

For the goddess NINNI,

2.

the mistress of the world,

3.

for his mistress,

4.
5.

6.
7.

8.

Gudea
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA

her temple of E-ANNA in GIRSU-KI

has constructed.

1.

For the god GAL-ALIM,

2.

the favourite son

3.

of the god NIN-GIRSU,

4.

for his king,

5.

Gudea

6.
7.

(?),

temple of E-NINNU, which illumines the

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA

temple of E-ME-GHUSH-GAL-AN-KI

8.

his

9.

has constructed.

UNPUBLISHED INSCRIPTION ON A BRICK

1.

For the god NIN-GIRSU,

2.

the powerful warrior

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH
3.

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

for his king,

5.

6.
7.

8.
9.
i

o.

105

Gudea
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA
his temple of ENINNU, which illumines the darkness (?),
has constructed.
In the interior of this temple, a sanctuary of cedar wood,

1 1.

the place of his oracles,

12.

he has constructed

for him.

INSCRIPTION ON A BRICK
1.

For the goddess NINA,

2.

the lady of destinies (?),

the lady of oracles (?),

3.

4.

for his lady,

5.

Gudea

6.

the patesi

7.

of

SHIRPURLA

has made the dedicatory inscriptions (?).

9. In NINA-KI, her favourite city,
2
10. her temple of E-UD-MA-NINA-KI-TAG
8.

11.
12.
1

to

which rises from the Kur-e^

he has constructed.

Dtcouvertes,

pi.

37,

No.

come from Zerghul (W.

A.

See the inscription on a cone supposed

3.
I.

i.

5,

No.

xxiii. 2).

The

attributes in lines

the goddess
2 and 3 of the cone oblige us to restore dingir Nina,
in the first line.
The house of light which illuminates the ship of NINA-KI."
The mountain of the temple." Ed. ]
"

["

:!

["

Nina,"

Ed.~\

RECORDS OF THE PAST

io6

INSCRIPTIONS OF UR-NIN-GIRSU

VIII.

No.

L>

1.

Ur-nin-girsu,

2.

the priest of the god ANNA,

the priest of the god EN-KI, S
the favourite priest of the goddess NINA.

3.

4.

No.
1.

To

INSCRIPTION ON A BRICK*

2.

the god NIN-GIRSU,

3.

the powerful warrior

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

for his king,

5.

Ur-nin-girsu,

6.

the patesi
of SHIRPURLA

2.

7.

8.
9.

the son of Gudea,

the patesi

SHIRPURLA

10.

of

1 1.

who

13.
4.

E-NINN&
god NIN-GIRSU

the temple of

12. of the

INSCRIPTION ON A BRICK

i.

has constructed.

His favourite gigunu

15. of cedar- wood

1 6. he has constructed for him.
1
["

The

Ddcouvertes,
5

creature of the
pi.
4

37,

No.

god

NIN-GIRSU."
3

8.

Dfcouvertes,

pi.

37,

[Perhaps related to gagunO,

"

No.
a

Ed.}
"

[Or

Ea. "Ed.}

9.

field."

Ed.}

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

IX.

INSCRIPTION OF NAM-MAGHANI

Ox A STONE FROM THE THRESHOLD

1.

For the goddess BAU,

2.

3.

the good lady,

the daughter of

4.

the mistress of URU-AZAGGA,

5.

his mistress,

6.

OF A

Doou

ANNA,

Nam-maghani,
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA,

7.

8.

her powerful minister,

as the stone of a threshold

9.
i

107

o.

has

ii.

made
1

Literally

this.

Dc coitvertes,

pi. 27,

No.

i.

the stone of the foundation of a gate.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

io8

X.

INSCRIPTION OF GHALA-LAMMA

ON THE FRAGMENT
COLUMN
1.

2.
3.

4.

[To the god

^the

.]RA,

for] the life

[ofDunjgi,
[the] puissant [prince],

1.

the king of
the king of

COLUMN

4.
5.
6.

BAU

[for his] mistress,

6.

3.

daughter of the goddess]

5.

2.

OF A STATUE 1

II

UR,

SHUMER and ACCAD,

Ghala-lamma,
the son of Lukani,
the patesi
of SHIRPURLA.

Published in the Revue Archcologique, 1886,

pi.

7,

No.

i.

INSCRIPTIONS OF TELLOH

XL

INSCRIPTIONS OF DUNGI, KING OF

No.

i.

1.

For the god NIN-GIRSU,

3.

the powerful warrior

of the god ELLILLA,

4.

for his king,

5.

Dungi^

6.

the puissant prince,

the king of UR, 2

7.

9.

10.

11.

the king of SHUMER and AccAD, 3

the temple of E-NINNU
his favourite temple
has constructed.

No.

2,

INSCRIPTION ON A TABLET 4

1.

For the goddess NINA,

2.
3.

the lady of destinies (?),

the lady of oracles (?),

4.

for his mistress,

5.

Dungi

6.

the puissant prince,

the king of UR,

7.
8.
9.

10.
11.

UR

INSCRIPTION ON A TABLET 1

2.

8.

109

the king of SHUMER and ACCAD,

the temple of E-SHISH-SHISH-E-MA-RA,

her favourite temple,

has constructed.

Ddcouvertes, pi. 29, No. 3.

Ed.}
[Ur, the city of Abraham, now Mugheir.
[Shumer and Accad were the southern and northern divisions of
Accad near
Babylonia, Accad taking its name from the city of Agade or
2
3

Sippara.
4

Ed.~\
Dttcouvertes, pi. 29,

No.

4.

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONOLOGICAL

CANON
BY THE EDITOR

CHRONOLOGICAL

records were kept in Assyria

by

the help of certain officers called limmi, who corre

sponded to the eponymous archons of Greek history.

At

the beginning of each year a liinuiu or

was appointed, who gave

the age of the

first

for the

king to

office

later,

his

name

Assyrian Empire

commence

it

In

was customary

by taking the
which the king became
his

the year in

reign

eponym was regulated by no fixed

maneser II held the office twice during
of thirty-five years

eponym

to the year.

once

the

Shal-

rule.

his long reign

year of his
thirtieth year.
Otherwise
reign and again
there is no example of the same king being twice
in

first

his

The system was

eponym.

in

of ancient

origin.

An

Rimmon-nirari I, the great-grandson

of Assur-yuballidh and the father of Shalmaneser I,
inscription of

dated in the

eponymy
who may have been his
is

maneser

is

of a certain Shalmaneser
son.

The

date of Shal

determined

approximately
inscription engraved on a seal belonging to

by an
his son

THE ASSYRIAN CANON

Tiglath-Uras

The

I.

seal

had been

carried

away

to

Babylon and there recovered by Sennacherib 600

years afterwards, so that its deportation must have
"

"

taken place about

B.C.

Whether

1290.

it

was

carried

away during the reign of Tiglath-Uras or after his

in any case Shalmaneser
death, we cannot say
;

who, it
Calah

added, was the builder of the city of

would have lived before the close of the

may be

fourteenth century

B.C.

eponyms drawn up in their chronological

order were carefully kept, as well as other lists in
which notice was taken of the principal events
Lists of

occurring during their term of

copies of these

lists

office.

Fragmentary

have been preserved, thus en

abling us to restore the chronology of the Assyrian

Empire during the most important period of its ex
istence.

Sir

The

copies were

first

brought to light by

Henry Rawlinson, who gave them

the

name

of

the Assyrian Canon, and pointed out their character

and bearing on the vexed questions of chronology

Four of the
pages of the Athcntzuni (1862).
copies have been published in the Cuneiform Inscrip
tions of Western Asia, vol. ii. pll. 52, 68, 69; and
in the

vol.

iii.

pi. i.

None

of

them

is

complete, but a

com

parison of the several texts supplies their individual

deficiencies,

and allows us to compile a continuous

Assyrian chronology from B.C. 893, or 909 (if we

accept Mr. George Smith s restoration), to B.C. 659.

Two

fixed dates are given within this period

capture of Samaria

B.C.

722, which took place

by

the

in

the

RECORDS OF THE PAST

first

year of the reign of Sargon, and the solar eclipse

i
5th of June B.C. 763, which occurred in the

of the

line
ninth year of the reign of Assur-dan III.
tablet marks the commencement

drawn across the

of a

new

An
given

reign.

exhaustive account of the Canon has been

by George Smith

in

his

Assyrian Eponym

Canon (Bagster and Sons), and a translation of it,

with dates and notes attached, will be found in Prof.
Schrader

Cuneiform Inscriptions and

ment, vol.

ii.

(English translation

inschriftlicJie BibliotJick, vol.

Old Testa

the

1888); and Keil-

(1889).
Supplement
ary copies of the Canon from fragments in the British
Museum have also been published by Prof. Fr.
the second

i.

Delitzsch

in

Lcsestiicke,

and by Dr. Bezold

tJie

in the

Society of Biblical ArcJiceology for

Two
in

edition of his Assyrische

different versions of the

Assyria,

eponyms
added

one

1889.

Canon were current

merely a

list

of

the

in their chronological order, while the other

their titles

tinguished their
latter the

containing

Proceedings of

May

and the principal events which dis

We may call the
term of office.

Assyrian Chronicle.

THE ASSYRIAN CANON

B.C.

B.C.

909.

... pa 1
mur

908.

907.

mu

906.
905.

iddin

890. Assur-la-yukin
4
889. Tiglath-Uras the king
888. Taggil-ana-beli-ya

tag-gil (?)

904. Muh (?)...

903. Assur-dan
.

885. Yarf
884. Assur-sezib-ani

883. Assur

(?)

sarra

natsir

pal

the

king
882. Assur-iddin

893.
892. Uras-zar-ibni
891. Dhaba-edhir
.

break offouryears^
.

902. Assur-sallim-ni

901. Mas
2
900. Abu-iliya
899. Assur-taggil
898. Assur

887. Abu-A
886. Ilu-milki

ma

88

Bel-Sin

1.

8
(?)

880. Sa-same-damqa

879. Dagon-bela-natsir
878. Uras-pi-ya-utsur

From

the form of the fragment on which this and the following twelve
are preserved, it has been conjectured by George Smith that the first
year of the reign of Rimmon-nirari II, the father and predecessor of Tig
lath-Uras II, was B.C. 911.
2
Or perhaps Abu-A, like the eponym of B.C. 887.

names

According

to

George Smith.

Or Tiglath-Baru.
Not Malik. For

He

the second king of the

is

name known

to us.

god or goddess A, the wife of the Sun-god, see

Hibbert Lectures on The Religion of 1 he Ancient Babylonians, pp 177

my

the

.9,7,7.

The

"

Biblical Elimelcch,

Assur save

The reading

me

of the

"

El

is Moloch."

"

name

Annals of A ssur-natsir-pal,

ii.

is

doubtful.

49.

It is differently

Perhaps

it

written in the

should be pronounced Bel-

aku.

VOL.

II

RECORDS OF THE PAST

114

May the priest of Assur live long

Also given as Samas-yubla.
Also written Bir-Raman (Bir-Rimmon).
Or perhaps Ner-Istar.
"

8
4
5

"(Born)

6
7

in the

month

"

Elul.

Shalmaneser was twice eponym.

is
"The Sun-god
Rimmon," like the name of Hadad- Rimmon,

Hadad

is Rimmon,"

in Zech.

xii.

n.

THE ASSYRIAN CANON

1
The ideograph khal represents asdpu, "to prophesy" or "divine."
See the name of the eponym for B.C. 670.
2
The proper eponym of
According to other lists, Nebo-sarra-utsur.
the year may have died during his term of office, and a supplementary

eponym appointed

in his place.

4
Shalmaneser III.
Omitted in the Chronicle.
like Jiphthah-el in Josh. xix. 14, or
or
"The Sun-god is
?
Ya
is
the Palestinian town of
Hebron) and Yesephaqab-el ("Jacob
el
Joseph is El"), mentioned by the Egyptian king Thothmes III.
6 Or more
I see not the face of Assur
probably Pan-Assur-la mur,

3
5

El"

"god,"

El,"

("

"

"

cf.

Exodus

xxxiii. 20.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

3
4
5
6
7

"

(He

I.e.

is)

my

Zadkiel.

son."

Comp.

the

Hebrew name Zedekiah.

Also written Beli-taggil, "he trusts

Also written Qi su.
Also written Assur-bela-yukin.
T
The line is drawn here by List IX

in

Bel."

The

line

is

pileser III seized

drawn here by Lists II and III.

Probably Tiglaththe crown in B.C. 745, but was not universally recognised

as king until
8

"

R. C. 743.
Bel of Harran (Genesis

xi.

31) protect the

lord."

THE ASSYRIAN CANON

117

The line is drawn here by List III.

The name of Sennacherib the king is inserted here in List II. In
List IV the dividing-line is drawn after the name of Yupakhirra-Belu, and
is followed by the name of Sennacherib.
3
He who belongs to the god of fertility," who was the god of
Andakhu according to W. A. I., v. 16, 38.
4 Sin-akhi-erba
In List
the Moon-god has increased the brethren."
III the name is written by error Assur-akhi-[erba] and a line is drawn both
1

"

"

"

"

before and after

5

it.
"

Nabu-sarra-utsur,
"The

father

Biblical Abrani.

(Bel)

O Nebo
is

protect the king!"

the name is

exalted":

identical with

the

RECORDS OF THE PAST

u8

1
Atar is El." Atar or Athar, as Schrader has shown, was the name
of the goddess of the North Arabian tribe of Kedar, and enters into that of
Atar-samain or
Athar of heaven mentioned by Assur-bani-pal.
2
Born in the month of Tebet.
"

"

"

3
5
6

The
List

4
The Arbelite.
is taken from George Smith.
ends here. The names which follow are derived from List III.

"

date
I.

"

Assigned to the year B.C. 656 by George Smith.

List III ends here.
The names which follow are derived by George
Smith from various dated documents.
7

THE ASSYRIAN CANON

the

"

Rimmon

have mercy on

me,"

119

Barku or Barqu,

Hebrew Baraq, being a name of Rimmon.

2
Daddi, whose name indicates his Syrian

origin,

reign of Sin-sar-iskun, one of the last kings of Assyria.

"the

lightning,"

was eponym

in

the

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONICLE

B.C.

858. Shalmaneser king of ASSYRIA

land of]
.

(campaign) against [the

l
857. Assur-bela-kain the tartan;
2
the
Rab-BI-LUL
856. Assur-bani-apla-utsur
855. Abu-ina-ekalli-lilbur the governor of the palace;
854. Dan-Assur the tartan ;
S
853. Samas-abua the prefect of the city NA SIBNA;
852. Samas-bela-utsur of the city of CALAH ;
851. Bel-bani-pal-a the governor of the palace ;
..;...
850. Khadi-lipusu of the city of
.

840. [Sallimmu-bela-ramur] of the river of SUKHINA ;

against the land of [QuJE.
839. [Uras-kib si-utsur] of the city of RATSAPPA (Rezeph) ;
KHI.
against the land of MA(?)
838. [Uras-A]of the river of SUKHINA ; against the land of
.

DANABI.
837. [Qurdi-Assur] of the city of SALLAT ; against the
country of TABALI (Tubal).
836. [Ner-sarri] of the country of [KIR]RURI ; against the

land of MELIDI (Malatiyeh).

835. [Nergal-mudammiq] of NINEVEH; against the land
of NAMRI.

[Yakhalu] the seer; against the land of QUE.

833. [Ulula] of the city of [KAL]ZI ; against the land of

834.

QUE.
832. [Sarru-pati-beli]

god went

great
1

Turtanu,
Perhaps

"

against the land of

commander-in-chief

"

see Isaiah xx.

"

"

QUE;

the

to the city of DIRI.

the chief of the cup-bearers.

i,

xviii. 17.
Nisibis.

Kings
3

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONICLE

B.C.

against the land of ARARAT.

[Nergal-A] of [NISIB]IS
830. [Khuba] of the city of [CAL]AH ; against the land of

831.

UNQI.
of [ARBA]KHA

829. [Ilu-kin-akha]

against

the land

of

ULLUBA.
828.

the

[Shalmaneser

the

against

king];

land

of

the

MANNA.
Insurrection.
827. [Dan-Assur]
826. Assur-bani-pal-a-utsur]
Insurrection.
.

825.
824.

Yakhalu]

Insurrection.

Bel-bani-pal-a]

Insurrection.

Insurrection.
823. [Samas-Rimmon the king].
822. [Yakhalu]
Insurrection.
.

817. [Assur-bani-apla-utsur] the Rabagainst the land

of TILLE.
8 1 6. [Sarru-pati-beli of the city of NI]SIBIS ; against the
land of ZARATI.
.

815. [Bel-baladh, the tartan?]; against the city of DIRI

the great god went to the city of UIRI.
814. [Musiknis of the land of] KIRRURI
of AKH SANA.

813. [Nergal-utsur of] SALLAT

(?)

against the land

against the land of the

KALDI. 1
812. [Samas-kumua of] ARBAKHA
8 1 1. [Bel-qati-tsabat of the city

2
;

against Babylon.

MAZAMUA

of]

in

the

country.

810. [Rimmon-nirari king of] ASSYRIA; against the land

of A.
4
809. [Nergal-A the] tartan against the city of GozAN.
;

The

Chaldosans, at this time a tribe in the marshes of Southern

2
Arrapakhitis.
That is to say, the troops stayed at home no military expedition

Babylonia.
3

took place.
4

On

the river

Khabour

see 2

Kings

xix.

12.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

B.C.

808. [Belu-dan, the ner of] the palace

Of the MANNA. 1

807.

805.
804.

Rab-]BI-LULj

land

the

against

of

MANNA.

the

806.

the

[Tsil-beli,

against the land

2
against the land of
Assur-taggil] the seer;

ARPAD.

against the city of KHAZAZI.

S
Nergal-esses of the country of] RATSAPPA;
against
the city of BAHLI.
.

the

.]

ARBAKHA

803. Assur-nes-nisi of the city of

sea-coast.

against

the

pestilence.

802. Uras-A of the city on the banks of the ZUKHINA ;

against the city of KHUPUSKIA.
80 1. Ner-Istar of the city of NISIBIS ; against the country
of A.
800. Merodach-isip-anni of the city of AMEDI 4
against
;

the country of A.

799. Mutaggil-Merodach the Rab-shakeh

of LUSIA.

against the city

CALAH

798. Bel -tartsi- same of the city of

country of NAMRI.
797. Assur-bela-utsur of the city of
city of MANTSUATE.

5
;

KIRRURI

against

the

against the

796. Merodach-saduni of the city of SALLAT; against the

city of DERI.

795. Kin-abua of the city of

DERI.
794. Mannu-ki-Assur of the
country of A.

TUSKHAN
city

of

against the city of

GOZAN

against the

of the Old Testament, the Mana of the Vannic inscriptions,

extended from the Kotur mountains, the eastern frontier
of the kingdom of Ararat or Van, towards Lake Urumiyeh. The name has
no connection with that of Van.
2
Abarakku, from the Accadian abrik ; in Genesis xli. 43 Joseph is
See
called abrek, a word erroneously supposed to be of Egyptian origin.
my Hibbert Lectures on Babylonian Religion, p. 183, where, however, I
have erroneously translated abrikku or abarakku "vizier." Joseph s cup
of divination is referred to in Genesis xliv. 5.
3
The Rezeph of Isaiah xxxvii. 12.
4
Amida, now Diarbekir.
5
the chief of the princes," or Vizier.
Rab-saki,
1

The Minni

whose

territory

"

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONICLE

123

B.C.

Musallim-Uras of the

city of TILLE; against the

country of A.
792. Bel-qais-ani of the city of MEKHINIS ; against the land
of KHUPUSKIA.

793.

791. Ner-Samas of the city of I SANA; against the land of

ITUHA.
790.

Uras-kin-akha of the city of

land of A.

789.

Rimmon-musammir of the city of KALZI against the

land of A.
The foundation of the temple of NEBO
in NINEVEH [was laid].

against

the

;
against the land of
[entered] the (new) temple.
Nebo-sarra-utsur of the city of
[against the

788. Tsil-Istari of the city of

NEBO

KI-?-KI.

787.

NINEVEH;

land of KHUPUSKIA.]
The great god entered the
city of DERI.
785. Merodach-sarra-utsur of the city of KURBAN ; against
the land of KHUPUSKIA.
783. Uras-natsir of the city of MAZAMUA ; against the land
of ITUHA.
782. Samu-lih of the city of NISIBIS ; against the land of

ITUHA.
781. Shalmaneser king of ASSYRIA;

against the land of

ARARAT.
780. Samsi-ilu the tartan ; against the country of ARARAT.
779. Merodach-rim-ani the Rab-BI-LUL; against the land
of

ARARAT.

778. Bel-esir [the governor] of the palace

of ARARAT.
777. Nebo-isdi-ya-yukin

the

seer;

against the land

against the country of

ITUHA.
776.

[Pan-Assuri-Pamur

of]

against the land of

the

(ASSYRIAN)

Or perhaps
country of the
1

"The

ARARAT.

775. [Nergal-esses of the country of]

the country of ERiNi. 2
a

country;

"the

prefect"

cedar-trees,"

RATSAPPA

against

(saladh).

i.e.

Mount Amanus.

RECORDS OF THE PAS T

124

B.C.

774. [Istar-duru of the city of] NISIBIS;

countries of ARARAT and NAMRI.
the

773.

[Mannu-ki-Rimmon

772.

against the city of DAMASCUS.

[Assur-bela-utsur of the city of]
1
COimtry of KHATARIKA.

of]

against

(ASSYRIAN)

CALAH

the

country;

against the

771. Assur-dan the king of ASSYRIA; against the city of

GANANATI.
770. Samsi-ilu the tartan
769. Bel-A of the city of

MARAD.

against the city of

ARBAKHA

against the country of

ITUHA.
768. Abla-ya of the city of MAZAMUA ; at home.
767. Qurdi-Assur of the city on the banks of the
766.

against the country of GANNANATI.

Musallim-Uras of the city of TILE;
country of A.

ZUKHINA;

against

765. Uras-mukin-nisi of the country of KIRRURI

A pestilence.
the country of KHATARIKA.
764. Tsidqi-ilu of the country of

TUSKHAN

at

the

against

home.

Insurrection
763. Isid-Raki s-rabe of the city of GOZAN.
in the city of ASSUR.
In the month Sivan the sun

was eclipsed. 2
of the
Dhabu-Bel
762.
city of ASSUR.
761.

city of

Nebo-kin-akhi of the
in the city of

AMEDI

city of

Pan-Assur-1

amur

in the city of

insurrection in the

NINEVEH;

insurrection

ARBAKHA.

760. Laqipu of the city of KALZI

of ARBAKHA.
759.

of the city of

GOZAN.

insurrection in the city

ARBELA

insurrection

pestilence.

758. Ana-beli-taggil of the city of I SANA ; against the city

Peace in the country (of ASSYRIA).
of GOZAN.
757. Uras-iddin of the city of KURBAN ; at home.
1
-

The

eclipse

The Hadrach

was

visible at

of Zech.

ix.

i.

Nineveh on the

151!! of

June.

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONICLE

125

B.C.

756. Bel-sadiia of the city of PARNUNNA (?) ; at home.

755. Iqi sti of the city of MEKHINIS ; against the country
of

KHATARIKA.

754. Uras-sezib-ani [of the city] of RIMU SI ; against the

1
From the city of ASSUR a
of ARPAD.
country
return.

753. Assur-[nirari king of] ASSYRIA; at home.

752. Samsi[-ilu the tar]tan ; at home.
751. Merodach-[sallim-anni the governor] of the palace

at

home.
750. Bel-[dan the Rab-]BI-LUL; at home.
749. Samas-[mukin-duruk the] seer; against the land of

NAMRI.
748.

an ASSYRIAN

[Rimmon-bela-yukin],

2
;

the

against

land of NAMRI.
747.

[Sin-sallim-anni of the country] of

RATSAPPA

in the

country.

746. [Nergal-natsir of the] city of NISIBIS; insurrection in

the city of CALAH.

on the
[Nebo-bela-utsur of the city of ARRAKHA
1
3th day of the month lyyar Tiglath pileser
ascended the throne ; in the month Tisri he

745.

marched

to the river

[EUPHRATES].

744. [Bel-dan] of the city of

against the land of

CALAH;

NAMRI.
743.

The king

742.

troops of the land of

[Nebo-danin-anni] the

of ASSYRIA; in the city of ARPAD.

The

ARARAT were
tartan;

slaughtered.
against the city

of

ARPAD.
741.

it was captured.
[Nebo-edhir-anni] the
of ARPAD.

740.

[Bel-Kharran-bela-utsur] the governor of the palace ;

After three years (siege)
against the same city.

"

"

City

in

another copy.

Rab-BI-LUL
-

Or

against the city

"

the

prefect."

RECORDS OF THE PAST

126

B.C.

land of ULLUBA.

[Sin-taggil] the seer; against the

739.

city of

The

BIRTU was taken

(?).
2

bela yukin] an ASSYRIAN;

(the king)
8
captures the city of KuiXANi.
Bel-emur-anni] of RATSAPPA ; against the land of A.

[Rimmon

738.
737-

736.

"Uras-A]
-

735-

of NISIBIS

sallim

against the foot of Mount NAAL.

of the country of ARBAKHA ;

^Assur
anni]
against the land of ARARAT.
4
734. [Bel-dan] of CALAH ; against the land of PiusxA.
733. [Assur-danin-anni] of the city of MAZAMUA ; against
the land of DAMASCUS.
[Nebo-bela-utsur] of the city of
land of DAMASCUS.

732.

SiHME;

against the

731. [Nergal-yuballidh] of the city on the banks of the

ZUKHINA ; against the city of SAPIYA.
730. [Bel-ludari] of the city of TILE ; at home.

729. [Napkhar-ilu] of the land of

the hands of BEL. 5

KIRRURI

the king took

728. [Dur-Assur] of the city of TUSKHAN ; the king took

the hands of BEL ; the city of DI(RI)
.

[Bel-Kharran-bela-utsur] of [Go]zAN ; against the city

of ... [Shalman]eser [ascended] the throne.

727.

Merodach-bela-utsur of AME]DI

726.

at

725. [Makhde] of NINEVEH ; against

724. Assur-isip-anni of KAL]ZI ; against

Shalmaneser king of] ASSYRIA

723-

716.

[Dhabu-tsil-E-sarra]

[home].
.

against

against

the city of the

MANNA.
715.

[Taggil-ana-Bela]

prefects were appointed.

Or

Probably the Calneh of Genesis

The

This ceremony was performed at Babylon, and implied that the king

cannot explain the grammatical construction of tsabtat.

"

the

prefect."

x.

10

Isaiah

x.

9.

Philistines.

was recognised

as legitimate sovereign of Babylonia.

THE ASSYRIAN CHRONICLE

127

B.C.

...

the city of MUZAZIR of the (god)

[was captured].
the great ... in the country of
713. [Assur-bani]
ILLIPA ; the god
entered the new [temple].
the city of MUZAZIR.
712. [Sarru-emur-anni]

714.

[Istar-dur]

KHALDIA

711.

Uras-alik-pani]

at

home.

;
710. [Samas-bela-utsur]
against the city of MARQA SA.
;
against the city of BIT709. Mannu-ki-Assur-lih
ZIRI ; the king poured out a sacrificial libation in
.

the city of Kis

708.

Sargon took the hands of BEL.

[Samas-yupakhkhir of KIRRU]RI; the city of KUMUKH

was conquered ; a prefect was appointed (over it).

707. Sa-Assur-dubbu the prefect of TUSKHAN ; the king

made a pilgrimage to BABYLON. [Its] temples and
[palaces] he restored. On the 22d day of the month
Tisri the gods of the city of DUR-YAKIN l were

brought

forth.

the king
prefect of GOZAN
destroyed the city of DUR-YAKIN the 6th day of the

706. Mutaggil

Assur the

To their temples [the gods] returned.

the
prefect of AMEDI
705. Yupakhkhir-Bel
Mukh(?)kaespai the KULUMMITE in the country of KARALLA
month

lyyar.

...

On

soldier
1

murdered the king of ASSYRIA.

2th day of the

[ascended the throne].
the

month Ab Sennacherib

the
704. Nebo-dini-epus the governor of NINEVEH
cities of LARAK and SARABANU [were captured ?].

palace was built in the city of KALZI.

According to the text published in W. A. I. ii. 69, Dur-Sargon (now

The text published by Dr. Bezold, however (Proceedings of
Khorsabad).
the Society of Biblical Archtzology, xi. 7), gives Dur-yakin, the ancestral
capital of Merodach-baladan in the southern marshes of Babylonia.
1

THE STANDARD INSCRIPTION OF

ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL
BY THE EDITOR

THIS long

inscription

of Assur-natsir-pal, inscribed

forms across the bas-reliefs of his palace,

ranks next in geographical importance to the annals
in various

of Tiglath-Pileser
B.C.

I.

Assur-natsir-pal reigned from

more than 200 years after his

But this interval of 200 years
predecessor.

883 to B.C. 858,

illustrious

was almost a blank

witnessed the

indeed

it

rise

in the history of Assyria.

It
of no great king or conqueror
;

would seem that the feeble successors of

Tiglath-Pileser lost territory rather than gained

it.

With Assur-natsir-pal, however, a new era commenced.

Once more the armies of Nineveh went forth to
conquer, and once more it was towards the north and
the west that their marches were usually directed.
The Armenian kingdoms on the north, Carchemish

were the main objects of attack.

Tiglath-Pileser had been unable to penetrate be
yond the Hittite fortress of Carchemish, and force the

and Syria

to the west,

fords of the Euphrates v/hich

made

his

way

it

further to the west

protected.
it

If

he

was along the

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

129

northern range of mountains which led him into

But
plain of Malatiyeh.

Kilikia or to the fertile

Assur-natsir-pal

The merchant

was attended with better

princes of Carchemish

lost their ancient

prowess and military

were glad to buy

in his rear

in his

spirit,

off the threatened

Assyrians with a rich bribe.

Carchemish

had

fortune.

day
and they

attack of the

Assur-natsir-pal

left

and pressed onward towards

Phoenicia and the Mediterranean coast.

of his son and successor

In the time

Shalmaneser

II, Assyria
has already entered within the horizon of the western
nations, and has come into contact, not only with

the kings of Damascus, but with the kings of Israel

as well.

The

annals of Assur-natsir-pal present us with an

picture of Western Asia in the ninth

invaluable

century before our

as yet
is

era, before

changed the

interesting to

by the annals

map

political

compare

it

Assyrian conquest had

of the country.

It

with the picture presented

of Tiglath-Pileser two centuries earlier.

is chiefly in the Armenian highlands that a change

has taken place, or, it may be, is in process of taking
The land of Nahri or the rivers of Tiglathplace.

It

"

"

Pileser has shifted

its

position

and has passed from

the districts at the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates

1
The rise of the
to the southern shores of Lake Van.

kingdom

Western Asia, was,

1

it

in

TI

the

future

history of

would appear, the immediate

See the Records of the Past, new

VOL.

was destined to

of Ararat or Van, which

play a considerable part

series, vol.

i.

p.

106, note 7.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

130

consequence of the campaigns of Assur-natsir-pal in

the north. The cuneiform inscriptions of Armenia
begin with Sari-duris I, the antagonist of Shalmaneser
IT, the son and successor of Assur-natsir-pal, and are
not only written in the syllabary of Nineveh, but are
modelled on the inscriptions of the Assyrian king.
As the city of Dhuspas or Van was founded by Sari-

never given the title

of king, it is probable that he was the founder of a
new dynasty as well as of a new kingdom. At all
events Arrame, who appears in the annals of Shal
duris, while his father Lutipri is

maneser as the predecessor of

had

Sari-duris,

capital at Arzaskun, to the west of

his

Lake Van and

at

a long distance from what was afterwards the central

point of the kingdom of Ararat. The wars of Assurnatsir-pal

and

Shalmaneser

not

civilisation into the north,

only introduced
but also resulted

Assyrian
in the union of a number of small principalities into
a single monarchy, which, under the varying names
of Ararat and Armenia, long continued

to

for

lies

two centuries over the map of Western Asia

we see that few changes have taken place in

lifted,

On

an

fill

important place in Asiatic history.

On the whole, however, when the veil which

the east the Kurdish mountains are

wild

and

independent

tribes,

still

who form

held

is
it.

by

barrier

between the inhabitants of the valley of the Tigris

and the Aryan population of Media. South of them

comes the ancient and cultured kingdom of Elam,

stretching from its capital of Susa to the shores of

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

the Persian Gulf.

The

valley of the Euphrates

131

is

occupied by the Babylonian monarchy, whose history

and civilisation mount back into the night of time,

and whose armies had penetrated to the shores of the

Mediterranean, and even to the distant island of
Cyprus, ages before the very name of Assyria had been
The western bank of the Euphrates is the

known.

home

of the Bedouin Sukhi or Shuhites,

who extend

from the vicinity of Carchemish to the frontiers of

Babylonia and the intervening district of Mesopotamia
is rilled with flourishing cities, each governed by a
;

prince

who

claims jurisdiction over a small tract of

surrounding country. They all belong to the Semitic

family, and to the north press hard upon the Hittites,

who are already in full retreat towards their old

homes in the Taurus mountains. Carchemish, how
ever, now Jerablus, with its command of the caravan
trade from east to west,

Westward

is still

in their

hands.

them are the Patinians, a tribe of

whose territory stretches from Khazaz

of

Hittite origin,

(now Azaz), near Aleppo, across the Afrin to Mount

Amanus, with its forests of cedars, and to the shores
of the Gulf of Antioch.

we

are again

held

among

But south of the Patinians

the Semites.

The

sea coast

is

by the wealthy trading cities of the Phoenicians,

among them being Arvad and Gebal, Sidon

foremost

and Tyre

while Syria proper is divided into two

kingdoms, that of Hamath, which has ceased to be
Damascus had risen
Hittite, and that of Damascus.
;

upon the ruins of David

empire, which for a brief

RECORDS OF THE PAST

132

space had extended from the Gulf of Aqabah to the

banks of the Euphrates. With Damascus, Samaria

was brought into

but more usually

sometimes

close relation,
Its

hostile.

first

Assyrian monuments, however,

is

in

friendly,

mention on the
connection with

Ahab of
the battle of Qarqar in B.C. 853, when
Israel
sent a contingent to the help of Hadadezer
"

"

or Ben-hadad against his Assyrian assailants.

The wars
the

first

of Assur-natsir-pal, like most of those of

Assyrian empire, did not lead to permanent

conquest or annexation. They were little more than

raids, carried on partly for the sake of plunder, partly
order to exalt the glory and power of the great
god Assur, partly to open a road to the west for the
in

merchants of Nineveh.

It

is

possible also that the

wars against the hardy mountaineers of Kurdistan or

Armenia were intended to prevent the latter from
descending into the
their

fields of

Assyria and disturbing

It was not until the

more peaceful neighbours.

of the second Assyrian

empire, until the age

of Tiglath-Pileser III, of Sargon and of Sennacherib,
that Assyrian conquest meant absorption into a single
rise

great organised power.

Assur-natsir-pal,

defended the

son,"

whose name

signifies

"Assur

has

was the son and successor of

Tiglath-Uras II, and was himself succeeded by his

son Shalmaneser after a reign of twenty-five years.

His

"

proved of high value in

the early days of cuneiform decipherment, on account
"Standard

Inscription

of the numerous variants presented

by the

different

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

copies of

it

which we possess.

published

in

Character,

pll.

has been partly

It

s Inscriptions in the

Layard
i-n, and more

fully

Cuneiform
and accurately in

the Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, vol.

pll.

133

i.

17-26.

The

translation of

Records of the Past

given in the

it

(vol.

iii.

first

series

of

pp. 37-80) belongs to the

days of Assyrian study, and it has therefore

become necessary to replace it by one more accurate
earlier

Not only is it now possible to

the
chief
localities mentioned in the text, but
identify

and trustworthy.

the progress of Assyrian philology has also made it

possible to translate the text with a precision which
fifteen years ago was unattainable.
Like most of the
historical inscriptions,

rendering of which

importance and

is

it

now

offers

historical

but few words the

And

doubtful.

interest

who

its

geographical

alike

make

it

not an Assyriologist
should possess the text in a trustworthy form.
translation of the introductory lines has been published
desirable that the student

is

by Lhotzky, Die Annalcn Asstirnazirpal s (Munich,

and the whole inscription has been translated
by Dr. Peiser in Schrader s KcilinscJiriftlicJie Biblio1884),

tkek (1889), vol.

i.

pp. 51-129.

THE ANNALS OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

COLUMN
1.

2.

To URAS,

the strong, the almighty, the supreme, the

firstborn of the gods, the lusty warrior, the unique

one, whose onset in battle is unrivalled, the

eldest son, the crusher of opposition, the firstborn of
EA, the powerful warrior of the angels (fgigi\ the
counsellor of the gods, the offspring of the temple

of the earth, 1 the binder of the bonds

3.

of heaven and earth, the opener of fountains, who

treads down the widespreading earth, the god with

out
4.

5.

whom

the laws of heaven

and earth are unmade,

the strong champion (?) who changes not the command

of his mouth, the firstborn of the zones, the giver

of the sceptre and law to all cities, the forceful

the utterance of whose lips alters not,

minister,

in

augur of the gods, the ex

alted one, the meridian Sun-god, the lord of lords,
who the extremities of heaven

power

6.

far-reaching, the

(and) earth superintends with his hand, the king of

battle, the illustrious one who overcomes opposition,
the sovereign, the unique one, the lord of fountains

and

seas,

1
It repre
E-kur, opposed to E-sarra, the temple of the firmament.
sented the earth and the lower world, and so became synonymous with
Aralu or Hades. Temples were built after the supposed likeness of this
"temple of the earth," and the name consequently came to signify a
Uras was the messenger of Mul-lil "the lord of
"temple" in general.
the ghost-world," worshipped at Nipur or Niffer, and identified by the
Semites with their supreme Bel.
His connection with the ghost-world or
Hades explains why Uras should be called the offspring of the temple of
"

the

earth."

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

7.

8.

9.

135

the strong, the unsparing, whose onset is the deluge

that sweeps away the land of the enemy, the slayer

of the wicked, the lusty god whose counsel is un

changing,
the light of heaven (and) earth, the illuminator of the
recesses of the deep, the destroyer of the evil, the
subduer of the disobedient, the uprooter of the
hostile, whose name in the assembly of the gods
no god has changed, the giver of life, the god of mercy
to whom prayer is good, who dwells in CALAH, 1 the
great lord, my lord ; [I] Assur-natsir-pal the power
ful king,

10.

the king of hosts, the king unrivalled, the king of all

the four regions (of the world), the Sun-god of
multitudes of men, the favourite of BEL 2 and URAS,
the beloved of

1 1

ANU

and DAGON, 3 the hero of the great gods who bows him
self (in prayer), the

the favourite of

2.

high-priesthood
has seemed good to thy great divinity so that thou hast
established his reign, the warrior hero who has
marched in the service of ASSUR his lord, and

among
13.

4.

the princes

regions (of the world) has no rival, the

shepherd of fair shows who fears not opposition, the
4
unique one, the mighty, who has not
an opponent, the king who subdues the unsubmissive,
who has overcome all the multitudes of men, the

of the

four

powerful hero,
15.

beloved of thy heart, the prince,

BEL whose

upon the neck of

that

is

hostile,

who

treads

who tramples upon all

breaks in pieces the squadrons

his enemies,

who

Now

represented by the mounds of Nimrud at the junction of the

or Great Zab and the Tigris.
This is Bel of Nipur, the Accadian Mul-lil, not the younger BelMerodach of Babylon.
3 The
Assyrian Dagon was a word of Accadian origin meaning "ex
alted."
He was usually associated with Anu the sky-god, and the worship
of both was carried as far west as Canaan.
Anat, the wife of Anu, gave
her name to the Canaanite town of Beth-Anath (Josh. xix. 38).
4
a flood here.
Edu, which of course does not mean
1

Upper
2

"

"

RECORDS OF THE PAST

136

who

of the mighty,

in reliance

on the great gods,

his lords,
1

has marched, and whose hand has conquered all lands,

has overcome the mountains to their furthest bounds,

6.

and has received

their tribute,

who has taken

hostages, who has established empire over all lands.

At that time ASSUR the lord, the proclaimer of my

17.

8.

name, the enlarger of my kingdom,

entrusted his weapon that spares not to the hands of
my lordship, (even to me) Assur-natsir-pal the ex

19.

alted prince, the adorer of the great

1
gods, the mighty monster, the conqueror of cities and
mountains to their furthest bounds, the king of

lords, the

consumer of the

violent,

who

is

crowned

with
20.

terror,

who

fears not opposition, the valiant one, the

supreme judge who spares

not,
resistance, the king of all princes,
2 1.

who overthrows

the lord of lords, the shepherd-prince, the king of kings,

the exalted prophet, named by URAS the warrior-

god (and) hero of the great gods, the avenger of

his

fathers,

22.

23.

who has marched with justice in reliance

on ASSUR and SAMAS, 2 the gods his helpers, and
powerful countries and princes his foemen

the king

he has cast down like a reed (and) has subjugated all

their lands under his feet, the supplier of the free

will offerings for the great

24. gods, the established prince, who is provident to direct
the laws of the temples of his country, the work of

25.

whose hands and

gift of whose sacrifices the great gods of heaven and
earth desire and have established his high -priest
hood in the temples for ever
their strong weapons have they given for the spoil of
the

26.

my

lordship

the terror of his weapon, the glory of

his lordship, over the kings

1

Usumgal, a fabulous beast which was supposed

of the dead.
2

Comp.

The Sun-god.

Isaiah

xiii.

21, 22

xxxiv. 14.

to

devour the corpses

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NA TSIR-PAL

27.

137

of the four regions (of the world) have they made strong
for him ; the enemies of ASSUR to their furthest

bounds above and below he has combated, and

and gifts
he has laid upon them (he), the conqueror of the foes
tribute

28.

of ASSUR, the powerful king, the king of ASSYRIA,

the son of Tiglath-Uras, the high priest of ASSUR,

who upon
29.

30.

all his

foemen

has laid the yoke, has set up the bodies of his adver
saries upon stakes ; the grandson of Rimmon-nirari
the high-priest of the great gods,
the overthrow of those

not obey him, and overcame the world

grandson of Assur-dan, who
31.

who would

who brought about

founded

fortresses (and) established shrines

the greatl

in those

days from the mouth of ASSUR (and) the great gods

kingdom, sovereignty (and) majesty issued forth.
32.

am
I

am sovereign, I am exalted, I am strong,

glorious, I am lusty, I am the firstborn, I am

king, I

am

the champion, I am the warrior,

a lion, I am a hero ; Assur-natsir-pal, the power
ful king, the king of ASSYRIA, named of the MOON

am

33.

34.

mightiest
a
(am) I

GOD, the
;

favourite of

ANU, the beloved of RIMMON

the gods,
weapon that spares

among

not,

which brings

a
land of his enemies, (am) I
king valiant in battle, the destroyer of cities and
mountains,
35. the leader of the conflict, the king of the four regions
(of the world), who lays the yoke upon his foes,
who ens/aves (?) all his enemies, the king of all the
slaughter to

36.

the

zones of all princes,

every one of them, the king who subjugates the un
submissive to him, who has overcome all the multi
tudes of men.
This is the destiny which from the

mouth

of the great gods

1
Isriti or esrcte, of the same origin as the Hebrew asher&h, the sym
bol of the goddess of fertility, mistranslated "grove" in the authorised
version of the Old Testament.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

138

and they have established (it)

According to the desire of
and the stretching forth of my hand IsxAR, 1

37. has issued forth for me,

38.

my

firmly as
my heart

my

destiny.

the lady

who

loves

high-priesthood, looked with favour upon me and

set her heart to make combat and battle, and in
those days Assur-natsir-pal, the exalted prince, the

worshipper of the great gods,

has caused to obtain the desire of his heart
so that his hand conquered the lands of all princes
who submitted not unto him, the conqueror
40. of his foes who in difficult places has broken through the
squadrons of the mighty at that time ASSUR my
great lord, the proclaimer of my name,
41. the enlarger of my kingdom over the kings of the four
regions (of the world), has mightily magnified my
name, the weapon that spares not unto the hands of

39.

whom BEL

42.

he has given to hold.

my

lordship

To

effect

the submission and

homage of countries and mighty mountains power

In reliance on ASSUR my
fully has he urged me.
lord
43.

traversed impassable paths (and) trackless mountains

with the forces of my armies
a rival unto me
:

At the beginning of my reign,

my first year, when the SUN-GOD the judge of the
zones (of the world) had thrown his kindly shadow
over me, on the throne of royalty mightily I had
existed not.

44.

45.

in

sat, (and) the sceptre

that shepherds mankind he had caused my hand to
Im
hold, I collected my chariots (and) armies.
roads
trackless
which
mountains,
passable
(and)

for the passage

46. of chariots

and armies were not

against the

land of

NIMME

suited,
I

traversed

marched

LIBE

The Ashtoreth of the Old Testament.

This must be a different Nimme from the Armenian one, in the neighhourhood of the modern Mush, mentioned by Tiglath-Pileser I. See vol.
1

i.

p.
3

106, note

i.

The name can

also be read, but with less probability, Gubbe.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

their

strong

city

the

(and

cities

139

SURRA,

of)

APUQU,
47.

ARURA

(and) ARUBE, which are in sight of the moun

X
URINI, ARUNI (and) ETINI, strong cities, I

tains of

captured
48.

in

49.

their fighting-men
their spoil, their
;

numbers I slew
oxen I carried

goods (and) their

away.
(Their) soldiers sought
the
mountain.
The inaccessible
inaccessible
mountain they reached.
With (my) forces after

them
marched. 2

The summit

of the

mountain was

like

point of an iron blade, and the flying bird

of heaven had not swooped upon it.
Like a

the

nest
50. of hawks

in the

(?)

their stronghold.

midst of the mountain they made

Into the midst of them where

none among the kings

had penetrated,

fathers

my

in three days

51.

the hero beheld the

mountain

against

it

did his heart

offer opposition
he ascended the mountain
feet ; he overthrew (and) destroyed their nest
:

on
;

his

their

forces
52.

shattered; 200

he

Their

weapons.

of

warriors he slew with

multitudinous as a flock of

their

spoil,

sheep, I carried away.

53.

With

their

The

blood

dyed the mountain

like

wool

(?).

ravine (and) torrent of the mountain devoured 3

what was left of them.

Their cities
From
overthrew, dug up (and) burned with fire.
the country of NIMME I departed ; into the country
of KiRRURi 4 I descended, the tribute of the countries

54.

55.

SiME si, 5 (and) SIMERA, the

of

KIRRURI

The Mount

Lallik for lu allik.

Akul

for

city

of

ULMANIA, (and)

Etini in eastern Kurdistan mentioned in col.

yakul

ii.

line 62.

after sade.

Gurruri) was the district under Mount Rowandiz in

Kurdistan, eastward of Assyria, from which a pass led directly into the
city of Arbela.
5
Sime si lay immediately to the north-east of the pass of Holwan.
4

Kirruri (or

RECORDS OF THE PAST

140

the countries of AnAus, 1 of the MURGIANS, (and) of

the MuRMA siANS, 2 horses, mules, 3
56.

oxen, sheep, wine, (and) a bowl of copper, as their

tribute I received.
I established a governor over

them.
When in KIRRURI
was
57.
slaying, the glory of ASSUR my lord overwhelmed
the people of GOZAN and KHUPUSKA: 4 horses, silver,
58. gold, lead, copper (and) a bowl of copper as their
tribute they brought before me.
From KIRRURI I
I

departed,
the lowlands of the city of KHULUN, into the
5
The
country of QURKHI of BETANI I descended.
cities of K.HATU, 6 KHATARU, NISTUN, IRBIDI,

59.

into

60.

MITQIA, ARZANiA, TELA, (and) KHALUA, the

of QURKHI which in sight of the mountains of

cities

U su,

ARUA
61.

(and) ARARDHi,
mighty mountains, are situated, I
their soldiers in multitudes I slew ; their
captured
;

62.

spoil (and) their goods I carried away.

[Their] soldiers sought the peak (of the

mountain);

they reached the summit which (is) at the entrance

to the city of NISTUN, which hangs from the sky
like a cloud.
Into the midst of them, where none
1

Adaus is mentioned by Tiglath-Pileser I see

Or Kharga sians.
The word is expressed by ideographs which
;

vol.

i.

signify

p.

102.

"animals

with

It is therefore probable that a species of horse, like our cart

large feet."
horse, is meant rather than mules.
4
Gozan lay to the south of the kingdom of Ararat between the northern
bank of the Tigris and Lake Van. Whether the country of Gozan had
anything to do with the city of Gozan which gave its name to Gauzanitis
in classical times is doubtful.
The city seems to be meant by the Gozan
of Scripture (2 Kings xix. 12) which lay on the river Khabour.
Khupuska
lay to the north of Assyria and the Upper Zab.
5
of
of
Diarbekir
Betani
or
Armenia
extended
eastward
Qurkhi
along

the northern bank of the Tigris.

See vol. i. p. 96, note
the eastern boundary of the Hittite tribes.
6

The name^of

this city

seems

to signify

3.

Qurkhi formed

"

Hittite."

variant text gives Artsuain.

It may be the Artsuinis of the Vannic
inscriptions, the modern Sirka near Van.
8
Perhaps the modern Tilleh, at the junction of the Sert river and the
Tigris.
9

lical

This seems to be the

Ararat.

earliest

form of the name of Urardhu, the Bib

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

among

the kings

warriors flew
64.

my

fathers

upon them

141

had penetrated,

like birds

my

260 of

their fighting-men I slew with weapons

I cut off (and) built into a pyramid.
rest of them like a bird

their

The

heads
65.

66.

made

Their
(their) nest in the rocks of the mountain.
spoil (and) their goods from the midst of the moun
tain I brought down.
The cities which in the midst

of the mighty ranges were situated I overthrew, I dug

All the soldiers who had
up, I burned with fire.

from the face of

fled

my weapons

descended

my

feet

67.

68.

Tribute, gifts, and a satrap I imposed

the son of Buba, 1 the son of

they embraced.
upon them.

Bubu

the chief of the city of NISTUN,

in the city of ARBELA (and) clothed the wall
of the fortress with his skin.
At that time I made

I flayed

an image of my person
abundant power
69.

inscribed

upon

(it).

the glorious deeds of

erected

(it)

my

mountains

in the

of the land of EQI in the city of ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

2
In the year when
at the head of the river-source.
3
I was eponym
on the 24th day of the month Ab, 4
70.

by the command of ASSUR (and) ISTAR the great gods

my lords I departed from the city of NINEVEH
against the cities which at the foot of the mountains
of NIBUR and PAZATE, mighty mountains,
;

71.

I marched; I conquered the cities of

ATKUN, USKHU, PILAZI (and) 20 (other) cities de
Their numerous fighting-men I
pendent on them.

are situated

slew

goods I carried away the cities

All the soldiers who had fled
burned with fire.
from the face of my weapons descended
I imposed tribute upon
(and) embraced my feet.
I departed from the cities which (are) at
them.

72. their spoil (and) their

73.

The

1
variant text gives Babua.
Tigris seems to be referred to rather than the Euphrates.

B.C. 883.

July.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

142

the foot of the mountains of

The

river

TIGRIS

to the land of

74.

crossed

KUMMUKH

NIBUR

approached.

countries of

the tribute of the

(and) PAZATE.

received

KUMMUKH

(and)

MusKi, plates of copper, oxen, sheep (and) wine.

While in the land of KUMMUKH
I was staying, they brought me back news that the
SuRU of BIT-KHALUPE 3 had revolted (and) had
murdered their governor Khamata. 4
5
Akhi-yababaa plebeian whom they had brought from

75.

76.

6
Bix-ADiNi, they raised to the sovereignty over
With the help of ASSUR (and) RIMMON,
them.
77. the great gods, the enlargers of my sovereignty, I as

sembled (my) chariots (and) armies, I occupied the

banks of the KHABUR. ? On my march the tribute
78. abundant of Sallimmanu-khaman-ilani of the city of
S
9
SADIKAN, the son of Ilu-Rimmon of the city of

QATNA,

I()

silver, gold,

lead, plates of copper,

79.

variegated cloths, (and) linen

To the city of SuRi of BIT-

vestments

I received.

KHALUPE

approached

the fear of the glory of

80.

ASSUR my

lord overwhelmed

The Komagene of classical geography see vol.

The Moskhi of classical geography, the Meshech

ment

i.

note i.
of the Old Testa

p. 95,

note 3.
the western bank of the Euphrates, midway
between the mouths of the Balikh and the Khabour.
The classical Sura
(now Surieh), a little above the mouth of the Balikh, preserved the name
of the Suru.
3

4
5

see vol.

i.

p. 94,

The modern Helebi on

The name means

"

the Hamathite.

"

"

the son of nobody.

c
Bit-Adin was on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, not far from its
It may be the Eden of Ezek. xxvii. 23 and 2
junction with the Balikh.
"

Literally

Kings
7

xix.

12.

The modern Khabour, which

joins the Euphrates at the site of Cir-

cesium.
8

Now

Arban, on the eastern bank of the Khabour, where Sir A. H.

Layard discovered the remains of a palace. Dr. Peiser may be right in
reading the name Gar-dikan.
u Or
Hadad is god." Dadu or Hadad was the Syrian
Ilu-Dadu,
name of the deity which the Assyrians identified with their Rimmon. The
compound Hadad-Rimmon is found in Zech. xii. n,
10
may compare the name of Yoktan in Gen. x. 25. In W. A. I. ii.
60, 30, mention is made of
Qatnu the god of the city of Qatan."
"

We

"

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

143

8 1.

them the nobles (and) the elders of the city, to

save their lives, came forth to meet me ;
they took my feet, saying, Thou wiliest (it and) it is
death, thou wiliest (it and) it is life, the will of thy
heart will we perform.
Akhi-yababa, the son of a

82.

whom

plebeian
they had brought from BIT-ADINI I seized by
In the prowess of my heart and the
the hand.
violence of my weapons I attacked the city.
All

the soldiers who had rebelled

I brought my
they had seized (and) delivered up.
nobles into its palace (and) its temples
its silver,
its gold, its goods, its spoil, copper,
84. iron, lead, plates of copper, sacrificial knives of copper,
sacrificial bowls of copper, (other) objects of copper

83.

in abundance, alabaster, a cup

l
85. with handles, the amazons of its palaces, its daughters,
the spoil of the soldiers who had rebelled along with

86.

their goods, its gods along with their goods,

precious stones from the mountain, its chariot(s), (its)
yokes of horses bound to the yoke, the trappings of

the horses, the accoutrements of the soldiers,

87.

variegated cloths, linen vestments, a beautiful altar ot

cedar-wood, sweet-smelling herbs, a shrine of cedar,

88.

red purple (and) blue purple garments, 2 its wagons, its

oxen, (and) its sheep, its exceeding spoil, which like
the stars of heaven could not be numbered,

89.

Aziel I appointed over

carried away.

them

as

my

I erected a pyramid at the approach

vicegerent.
to its chief gate.
The nobles, as many as
90. had revolted, I flayed ; with their skins I covered the
Some (of these) I immured in the midst
pyramid.

of the pyramid
91.

from
1

others above

the pyramid I impaled on stakes; others round about

the pyramid I planted on stakes ; many at the exit

"

Literally

Argamanu

26, xxvi. 4.

my own
female

country

soldiers."

takiltu, the

Hebrew argaman and

thckeleth,

Exod. xxv.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

144

92.

with their skins I clad the fortress -walls.

limbs of the chief officers who (were) the
chief officers of the kings who had rebelled I cut

flayed;

The
off.

93.

brought Akhi-yababa to NINEVEH (and) flayed him

with his skin

clad the fortress-wall of NINEVEH.

Power and might

1
upon the land of LAQE.

While I was staying

SuRi the tribute of the kings of the
land of LAQE every one of them,

I laid

94.

in the city of

gold, lead, copper, a plate of copper, oxen,

sheep, variegated cloths (and) linen vestments, as

95.

silver,

96.

and

tribute
gifts I

K.HINDAN,

silver,

umu

gold, lead, copper,

97.

of

98.

garments,

(and)

received.

At

my

stone, alabaster (?), red purple

asses (?) as his tribute I

wild

that time an

power and exaltation

midst of his palace

(the

set

(it)

story

upon

up.

(it)

of
;

my)

in the

erected

my

my strength I inscribed
the gate of his (city) I placed
In the same year during my eponymy, 3
(them).
of ASSUR my lord and URAS who
the
command
by

upon (them)

loves

my

at

priesthood,

whereas in the time of the kings my fathers no one ot

the country of the SHUHITES 4 had gone to the
land of ASSYRIA, Ilu-epus 5 the SHUHITE, to save

100.

his

I inscribed

(the story of) the exaltation of

99.

image

made

majesty grandly

stelae

upon them. At
Khayanu of the city of

prescribed (and) imposed

that time the tribute of

life,

together with his brothers (and)

The land

of Laqe adjoined the territory of the Suru on the north.

Khindan may be the Giddan of classical geography, on the eastern

bank of the Euphrates.

3

in the eponymy of the year of my name."

Literally
Their territory extended along the western bank of
Assyrian Sukhi.
the Euphrates, from the mouth of the Balikh to the mouth of the Khabour.
It was to the Shuhites that Bildad (Bel-Dadu), the friend of Job, belonged
"

(Job

ii.

n).

Or, as

it

may

also

be read, Ilu-bani.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NA TSIR-PAL

sons

101. his

silver

brought

Nineveh to

my

145

(and) gold as tribute to

In the course of the

presence.

l
eponymy I was
when news

NINEVEH

staying in the city of

was brought that the ASSYRIAN colonists whom

Shalmaneser - king of ASSYRIA, a prince who went
before me,
3
1
03. had planted in the city of KHALZi-DiBKHA, had revolted
Khula
the
lord
of
their
(with)
city (and) were on
102.

march

the

MU
By

104.

to capture

my

royal

of

city

DAMDA-

SA.

the

command

of ASSUR, SAMAS, and

RIMMON,

the

assembled my chariots (and)

armies.
At the head of the sources of the river
4
SuPNAT, where the image(s)

gods

of

105.

my

ministers

Tiglath-Pileser

Assyria

my

and Tiglath-Uras 5
had been erected,

fathers

an image of

my

royal self (and) erected

king(s)

of

executed

by the

(it)

side of theirs.
1

06.

107.

At

that time the tribute of the country of IZALA,

I crossed the
oxen, sheep (and) wine I received.
mountain of KASYARI.
To the city of KINABU,

the fortified city of Khula, I approached.

With the
strength of my army (and with) violent battle I

attacked the city.

I captured
of their fighting men
1

08.

slew

with the

captives

I built their

o.

3
4

their
alive

Their young

bodies into pyramids.

(and) their

Khula the lord of

I

to

fire.

the lord of their city I captured alive with (my) hand.

men
1 1

Three thousand of
I left not one
become a hostage. Khula

sword.

burned with

among them
109.

Six hundred

(it)

maidens

burned

to ashes.

their city I flayed.

clad the fortress-wall of the city of

Limesatnma.
Shalmaneser

I,

With

his skin

DAMDAMU SA.

the builder of Calah, B.C. 1300.

Or Khalzi-lukha.
The Sebbeneh Su, which

Tiglath-Pileser
referred to.

VOL.

II

I,

falls into the Tigris to the north of Diarbekir.

1130, and Tiglath-Uras, B.C. 889-883, are
The Mount Masius of classical geography.

B.C.
6

RECORDS OF THE PAST

146

The

city I

threw down, dug up (and) burned with

fire.

captured the city of MARIRU which (was) dependent

on them.
Fifty of their warriors I slew with
weapons; 200 of their captives I burned with

in.

112.

soldiers of the country of

332

fire;

the

field.

NIRRI

brought away

slew in combat in

oxen

The

(and) their sheep.

NIRBU which

their spoil, their

(lies)

(people of the) country of

at the foot of Mount UKHIRA

2
Against the city of TELA,
their stronghold, I descended.
From the city of
KINABU I departed. To the city of TELA I

113. encouraged one another.

114.

approached.
city was very
surrounded (it).

The

Three

strong.

The

fortress-walls

inhabitants trusted to their

strong walls and their numerous army, and had

not descended (into the field).
115.

did not embrace

They

my

feet.

With combat and

slaughter I attacked the city (and) captured (it)

3000 of their fighting men I slew with the sword.

Their
1 1

6.

spoil,

their oxen (and) their sheep I carried

Their numerous captives I burned with
I captured many of the soldiers alive with
fire.
the hand.

their goods,

away.

cut off the hands (and) feet of some ; I cut off the
noses, the ears (and) the fingers of others ; the
eyes of the numerous soldiers I put out.

T i

7.

8.

I built

up a pyramid of the living (and) a pyramid of

In the middle (of them) I suspended
their heads on vine-stems in the neighbourhood of
heads.

their city.

Their young

COLUMN
i.

(and)

The

maidens

"lowlands"

the Hittites
2

their

in the

men

II

burned as a holocaust.

neighbourhood of Diarbekir.

"

lay immediately to the east of them.

Possibly the same as the Tela of line 60.

The

The

"land

of

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

dug up (and) burned with

city I overthrew,

2.

annihilated;it.
(and) their strong

The

147

fire.

of the land of NIRBI

cities

fortress-walls I overthrew, dug up

At that time from the
(and) burned with fire.
To the city of
country of NIRBI I departed.

TUSKHA 1
3.

approached.
old wall

Its

The
I

TUSKHA

city of

Its

changed.

A new

strength I took (in hand).

4.

5.

from

its

foundations to

coping

restored afresh.

purified.

Its

wall

I built up,

completed

I erected a palace for the seat

(and) strengthened.
of my majesty at its gates. 2
built this palace up from its foundations to its coping.
I made an image
The might

6.

its

site

of

of

my

person of white limestone.

power, the record and history of my conquests

3
I
I achieved in the countries of NAIRI
In the city of TUSKHA
inscribed upon (it).
I inscribed a tablet of stone.
In its
set (it) up.
wall I placed (it).
Those colonists from ASSYRIA,
who in consequence of a famine to other lands

my

which

7.

8.

(even) to the land of RURE had ascended I brought

In the city of TUSKHA I planted them.
back.

This
9.

took.

city for

myself
Grain and straw from the land of NIRBI

heaped up within (it). The remaining inhabitants

of the land of NIRBI who had fled from the face of

my weapons
descended (and) took

my feet. Their cities (and)

houses (which were) suitable I caused them to
As tribute and gifts, horses,
occupy.
11. mules, oxen, sheep, wine, (and) plates of copper, in
10.

their

addition to what

upon them.

formerly prescribed

imposed

Their sons as hostages

1
It lay between Mount Masius and the Tigris,
Also called Tuskhan.
south of Diarbekir.
2
variant
text
I founded a palace for the seat of my
Or according to a
I made doors
at its gates I erected (them)."
majesty in the midst (of it)
3
The district between Lake Van and the northern frontier of Assyria
"

see vol.

i.

p.

106, n. 7.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

148

1 2.

tribute of

13.

I was staying in the city of TUSKHA the

1
Ammi-bahla, the son of Zamani, of. Ilu-

While

I took.

Khite 2 of the land of K.URE,

of Labdhuri the son of Dhubu si of the land of NIRDUN,
tribute of the country of URUME of
(and) of the kings of the land of NAIRI,
chariots, horses, mules, silver, gold, plate(s) of copper,

and the
BITANI

4.

15.

oxen, sheep (and) wine, as their tribute I received.

established a lord of the inarches over the lands of

On my

NAIRI.

the land of
1

6.

KASYARI

the mountain of

To

left.

they

return from the lands of NAIRI,

(is) within

NIRBU which

Their nine

revolted.

the city of ISPILIPRIA

cities

their strong

hold and the inaccessible mountain

1

7.

8.

they trusted, and the summits of the mountain I

In the midst of the mighty
attacked (and) seized.
mountain I slew their warriors. With their blood
like
I

wool

(?)

the mountain

What was left of them was swallowed up by

dyed.
Their
the ravines and torrents of the mountain.
spoil (and) their goods I carried away.
of their fighting-men

19.

cut

I built

off.

up a column

their city.
Their young
I burned as a holocaust.
city of

20.

(of

them)

The heads
at the

top of

men

(and) their maidens

Into the lowlands of the

BULIYANI

descended. The banks of the river LUQIA I occupied.

In my passage the cities of the land of QURKHI 5

or Ammon was the

Ammi-nadab, a king of
Ammon in the time of Assur-bani-pal. Dr. Neubauer has shown that the
name also occurs in the compounds Rehobo-am (the son of an Ammonitess),
Balaam came from the land of the children of
Jerobo-am, and Bal-aam.
Ammo" (rendered "his people" by the A. V.
Numb. xxii. 5).
2
A god is
Ankhite.
But the name seems to mean
Or, perhaps,
1

The name means

"Ammi

supreme god of Ammon, as found

is

Baal."

in the

Ammi

name

of

(? the Hittite deity).

3 Bitani is the
Urume may be the Urima
district south of Lake Van.
of classical geography, the modern Urum.
See vol. i. p. 99, n. 3.
4
One of the Vannic gods was called Elipris, and a Vannic chieftain had
the name Lut-ipris.
The suffix -a in Vannic denotes "the people of."
Khite"

See above,

p. 140, n. 5.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

21.

22.

which (is) in the lowlands I conquered.

Their
numerous soldiers
The cities I
I slew.
Their spoil I carried away.
burned with fire. To the city of ARDUPA I came
At that time the tribute
forth.
of Akhi-ramu l the son of Yakhiri of the country of
2
ZALLA, of the son of Bakhiani of the country of
the HITTITES, and of the kings of the country of

KHANi-RABBAT,
23.

24.

149

silver, gold,

lead, plate(s) of copper, oxen, sheep (and) horses as

In the eponymy of Assurtheir tribute I received.

idin 4 news was brought that

Tsab-Dadi 5 the prince of the country of DAGARA had
revolted.

6
(people cf the) country of ZAMUA
circuit encouraged one another.
The

The

throughout its
lowlanders of the city of BABITE
To make war and battle they came
25. built up a wall.
In reliance on ASSUR the great lord,
against me.
26.

my lord, and NERGAL

who marches before me, with the forceful weapons
which ASSUR the lord gave unto me, my arms (and)

27.

of the

armies

assembled

of BABITE

city

to the lowlands
I

marched.

The

inhabitants

trusted to the strength of their armies and offered

In the powers supreme of NERGAL who
battle.

marches
28.

me

I made a destruction
fought with them.
I shattered their forces; 1460 of their
fighting-men in the lowlands

before

of them.

The same name

as that of Hiram king of Tyre.

Called Azalla in col. iii. line 59.
It bordered Bit-Adin on the north
west, the district belonging to "the son of Bakhian
being again to the
north of it.
3
Khani the great," so called to distinguish it from another Khani
nearer Babylonia.
It was the district of which Malatiyeh was the capital.
4
B.C. 882.
5
"The man of Hadad
or Rimmon.
The name may also be read
the light of Hadad."
Nur-Dadi,
6
Zamua lay among the mountains of eastern Kurdistan, between
Sulamaniyeh and the Shirwan, and must be distinguished from another
Zamua, called "Zamua of Bitani," and more correctly Mazamua, which
adjoined the shores of Lake Van.
2

"

"

"

"

RECORDS OF THE PAST

150

29.

The

slew.

of UZE, BIRUTU, (and)

cities

LAGALAGA

100 towns dependent

their stronghold, together with

on them, I captured.
30. Their spoil, their possessions, their oxen (and) their
Tsab-Dadi, to save his life,
sheep I carried away.
to an inaccessible mountain
31.

ascended; 1200 of their soldiers

the city of

BARA

DAGARA

departed.
The city of

approached.

From

I transported.

To
BARA

the city of

Three hundred and twenty of their soldiers

captured.
Their oxen, their sheep (and)
I slew with weapons.

32.

33.

Three hundred of

their

heavy spoil

brought away.

I transported.
On
1
5th day of the month Tisri I departed from
the city of KALZi. 2
Into the lowlands of the city

the

their soldiers

of BABITE I descended.

To the country
the city of BABITE I departed.
of NIZIR which they call the land of LULLU (and)
the land of KINIPA 3 I approached.
The city of

34.

From

35.

BUNA SI their stronghold

belonging to Mutsatsina and 20
it

captured.

The

soldiers

cities

dependent upon

banded together

occupied an inaccessible mountain.

pal the hero after them
36.

pursued

like

he utterly destroyed.

The

they

In the mountain of NIZIR he

birds.

scattered their scouts;

37.

Assur-natsir-

326 of
Its

their fighting

men

horses he seized.

and torrents of the mountain devoured

remnants.
Seven cities which (are) in the
country of NIZIR, which they had made their strong
Their warriors
holds, I captured.
ravines

their

38.
1

I slew.

Their

spoil, their

goods, their oxen (and) their

September.

Now Shamamah (Hazeh), south-west of Arbela.

The mountain of Nizir was that on which the ark of the Chaldoean
Noah was believed to have rested. It lay among the Kurdish mountains
of Pir Mam, a little to the south of Rowandiz, between latitudes 35 and
36. The sentence may also be rendered "which the (people of) Lullu
call Kinipa," and Lullu may be identified with the country called Lullubu.
2
3

Cp. line 77.

"

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

carried away.

sheep

At

fire.

my camp

The

thereupon

cities
I

made

151

burned with
a halt.

camp I next departed. To the cities in the

of
the land of NiziR, 1 whose site had been
plain
seen by no one, I marched.
The city of LARBU SA,
40. the stronghold of Kirtiara (and) 8 cities dependent on

39.

From

it

this

The men banded

captured.

together

they

The mountain
occupied an inaccessible mountain.
like the blade of an iron sword
2
of his armies.
After
41. was in appearance, the lair (?)
them I ascended. Into the midst of the mountain
I threw their bodies; 172 of their warriors I slew;
the soldiers
42.

piled

up on the rocks of the mountain. Their spoil,

oxen (and) their sheep I brought

their goods, their

43.

The

away.
burned.

cities

with

fire

heads on the vines of the

Their young men (and) their maidens
burned as a holocaust.
Thereupon I made a
I

their

hung

mountain.
I

my camp
camp I next marched

halt at

44.

from

this

and

fifty

forth.

of the citizens of

cities

LULUMA, BUNAI SA (and) BARA

45.

The

cities I

Fifty

bat in the

captured.

Their spoil I carried away.

threw down, dug up (and) burned with

Their warriors
fire.

One hundred
LARBU SA, DUR-

slew.

men

of the city of

BARA

slew in

com

field.

46.

At that time the kings of the country of ZAMUA, every

one of them, were overwhelmed by the fear of the
glory of ASSUR my lord.
They embraced my feet.

47.

48.

Horses, silver (and) gold

I made all the country to turn (to me)
I laid on them a present of horses,
with one voice.

received.

silver, gold,

grain (and) straw.

departed from the city

atsbat?
1

The

foot

(I

had named) Tukulti-Assurmountain of NISPI I

of the

Not above the mountain of Nizir,"

couch."
Manta, from manitu,
"

"a

3
"I

have put

"

my

trust in Assur,

as Peiser reads.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

152

All the night I pursued (my march).

whose situation (is) remote, which in sight
of the mountain of NISPI 1
are situated, which Tsab-Dadi had made his strong

occupied.

To

49.

cities

The city of BIRUTU I captured

During the eponymy of
(and) burned with fire.
Bel-aku 2 I was staying in Nineveh when news
holds, I marched.

50.

was brought that Ameka (and) Arastua had withheld

the tribute and dues of ASSUR my lord.
By the

command of ASSUR the great

NERGAL who goes before me,
51.

on the

first

lord,

day of the month Sivan

my

lord, (and)

time

for the third

against the country of ZAMUA I made a campaign.

The face of my chariots and armies I could not see.

From
ZAB

52.1

The

the city of KALZI I departed.

lower

Into the lowlands of the city of BABITE I

The river RADANU I crossed. To the
foot of the mountain of the country of SIMAKI I

crossed.

entered.

was continually 7 approaching.

Oxen,
53. sheep (and) wine, the tribute of the country of DAGARA
I received.
From the foot of the mountain of
SIMAKI strong chariots 8 (and) riding-horses which
had been bred there I brought away with me in
store. 9

54.

dawn

(All) night long

till

The

pursued (my) march.

crossed.

In a car

proached the

city

of

DHURNAT

river

of dark -blue

(?)

AMMALI

stone

I()

ap

the stronghold of

Arastua.
1

variant text has

"

in sight

of the whole mountain (and) the plain

"

(RniNu).
2

B.C. 881.

May.

The Kapros

The reading

of the

name
4

of the

eponym

Literally

"a

is

uncertain.

muster."

of classical geography, which flows from the east into

Kalah Sherghat (the ancient Assur).
The modern Adhem, which passes through the district of Radhan. It
was the Physkos of classical geography, joining the Tigris at Opis.
7
8
variant text has "gift-chariots."
Literally "all my days.
9
I deposited with myself."
Literally
10
The Tornadotus of classical geography, the modern Diyaleh, which
falls into the Tigris a little below Bagdad.

the Tigris a

little

to the south of

"

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

55.

56.

153

With combat (and) slaughter I attacked the city; I

captured (it); 800 of their fighting-men I slew with
With their bodies I filled the streets of
weapons.
their city.
With their blood
I

dyed

their houses.

the hand.

The

city

I captured the soldiers alive with

Their numerous spoil I carried away.
overthrew, dug up (and) burned with

Their young men

57. (and) maidens I burned as a holocaust.
fire.

KIZIRTU
58.

59.

stronghold belonging to Zabini and the

The

city of

cities

which

their

Their
(were) dependent upon them I captured.
warriors I slew.
Their spoil
carried away.
The cities of BAR A belonging to
Kirtiara, of DURA (and) of BUNI SA as far as the
lowlands of the country of KHASMAR I overthrew,
dug up (and) burned with fire.

60.

To mounds and

6 1.

for the passage

of chariots and soldiers

ruins I reduced (them).

From the
midst of the cities of Arastua I departed.
Into the
lowlands which (are) in sight of the mountains of

LARA

(and) BIDIRGI, inaccessible mountains, which

were not suited,

descended.

To the city of ZAMRI l the royal city of Ameka the

ZAMUAN I approached. Ameka from the face of
my mighty weapons (and) my battle
62.

vehement
sible

fled

his chariot
I

away and betook himself

The

mountain.

departed.

carried

The

to an inacces

furniture of his palace (and)

From
LALLU I

off.

river

the city of
crossed.

ZAMRI

To

the

mountains of ETINI,
63. a difficult locality, which for the passage of chariots and
armies was unsuited, into the midst of which none
of the kings my fathers had penetrated, I marched.
The king leaving his armies to the mountains of
ETINI
His property (and) his goods, numerous
64. ascended.
utensils of copper, a wild bull of copper, a plate of
1

Compare

the Zimri of Jcr. xxv. 25.

XECOADS OF THE PAST

154

copper, bowls of copper, rings (?) of copper, the

treasures of his palace (and) his treasury
At my
65. from the midst of the mountains I carried off.

66.

camp thereupon I made a halt. In reliance upon

ASSUR (and) SAMAS the gods my helpers from that
camp I next departed. After him
To
betook myself.
The river EDIR I crossed.
SUANI and
sight of the mountains of
ELANIU, mighty mountains, I slew their numerous
warriors.
His property, his goods, a wild bull of
within

67.

copper,
of copper, bowls

plates

of copper,

of copper, cups

numerous

68.

utensils of copper, a dish of gold with a

handle, their oxen, their sheep, their goods,
(and) their heavy spoil I carried away from the foot

of the mountains of ELANIU, I stripped him of his

horses.
Ameka, to save his life, ascended to the

mountain of SABUA.
69.

The

cities

of

ZAMRU, ARA SITKU, AMMARU, PAR SINDU,

IRITU (and) SuRixu his stronghold, together with

150 cities
70. which (were) dependent on it I overthrew, dug up (and)
To mounds and ruins I reduced
burned with fire.
While I was staying at the entrance to the
(them).
city of

PAR SINDU, upon

riding-horses (I

made) the

eunuchs
7

i.

sit

as a seat.

the

field.

Fifty fighting-men of

Their heads

cut

off.

Ameka

On

slew in

vines in the

arbour of his palace I hung (them).

In
soldiers I captured alive with the hand.
From
the wall of his palace I immured (them).
the city of ZAMRI I carried the riding-horses (and)
eunuchs along with me.
73. To the cities of Ata the ARZIZAN, into which none of
the kings my fathers had penetrated, I marched.

72.

Twenty

74.

his

cities of ARZIZU (and) AR SINDU

stronghold, together with ten cities which (were)
dependent on it, which are situated in the midst

The

of the mountain of NISPI, an inaccessible mountain,

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASS UR-NA TSIR-PA L

I

conquered.

Their warriors

The

I slew.

155

cities I

overthrew, dug up (and) burned with fire.

To
75.
my camp thereupon I returned. At that time
copper, tabbili of copper, rings of copper (and)
bracelets, the tribute of the country of SiTAMMENA,

which
76. they wear,

like
1

women
From

I received.

parted.

ZAMRI

the city of

de

To

the mountain of LARA, an inaccessible

which for the passage of chariots and

mountain,
armies was unsuited, with axes of iron

hewed (my

way).
77.

With picks of bronze

excavated (my path).

made

To the
a passage for the chariots and soldiers.
city of TuKULTi-AssuR-ATSBAT which the people of
call ARAKDI I descended.
The kings
country of ZAMUA, every one of them, were
terrified at the appearance of my weapons and the

LULU

78.

of the

magnitude of my sovereignty, and embraced

my

feet.

Tribute (and) gifts of silver, gold, lead,

79. copper, plates of copper, variegated cloths, horses,
oxen, sheep (and) wine in addition to what I had
Their
before prescribed I imposed upon them.

governor

CALAH

I appointed.
While I was stay
the
cities
of KHUDUN,
of
ZAMUA,
country
4
3
KHARTis, KHUPUSKA (and) GOZAN the fear

80.

in the city of
ing in the

of the glory of ASSUR my lord overwhelmed.

Tribute
(and) gifts of silver, gold, horses, variegated cloths,

1.

As for
oxen, sheep (and) wine they brought to me.
the men,
82. as many as had fled from the face of my weapons (and)
had ascended the mountains, I marched after them.
In sight of the countries of AZIRU and SIMAKI they
had encamped. The city of Mr. su their strong
hold
83.

they had made.

1
-

Now

The

land of AZIRU I overthrew (and)

Tsapruni ; not from tsapani,

to

murmur.
3

Niinrud.
4

See above,

p.

140, note

4.

Or

"

Murtis,

RECORDS OF THE PAST

156

From within sight of the country of

as far as the river DHURNAT I piled up
their corpses.
Five hundred of their fighting-men
dug up.
SiMAKi

I utterly destroyed.
I burned the cities
84. Their heavy spoil I carried away.
with fire.
At that time in the country of ZAMUA

KAR-DUNI-

the city of ADLILA, which Sibir king of

AS l after capturing it had destroyed
85.

(and) had reduced to mounds and ruins, Assur-natsirIts wall I

pal king of ASSYRIA restored again.

encircled.

middle

the

palace for the seat of my majesty in

I
founded, adorned (and)
it)
In addition to what I had before

(of

strengthened.

prescribed
86. grain (and) straw from
within
the

(it).

of

all

called

day of

first

eponymy
87.

the country

the

Sa-samu-damqu

chariots (and) armies.

The river TIGRIS I crossed.

KUMMUKH

land of

KUMMUKH.

occupied

heaped up

(?)

assembled

Into

land

the

my
of

descended.

TILULI

name DuR-AssuR. 2 On
month Sivan, during the

its

palace in the city of

I received the tribute of the

From

the land of

Into the lowlands

departed.
88. of the land of the ASTARTE goddesses

KUMMUKH

In

the city of

KIBAKI

made

sheep, wine (and) plates of copper

the tribute of the city of KIBAKI.

of KIBAKI
89.

The

captured

Oxen,

received as

From

the city

departed.

2,800 of their soldiers

numerous spoil
weapons
All the men who had fled from
:

The city of
city of MATTEYATE I approached.
MATYAUTE (sic) together with the city of KABRANISA
I

90.

descended.

a halt.

their

slew with

carried away.
the face of

my

Babylonia.

3
Assur.
B.C. 880.
the treaty concluded between Ramses II and the
Hittites that the Hittites worshipped Astarte by the side of their supreme
god Sutekh. The goddess who presided over Hierapolis, the successor of
Carchemish in classical times, was Alargatis, that is Atar- Ati or Astarte4

Ati.

"

The fortress of
know from

We

"

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

weapons embraced my
them occupy. Tribute,
l
appointed
upon them

Their

feet.

gifts

cities

157

let
I

(and) governors

91.

imposed.

power of

An
my

image of
strength

my
I

the city of MATTEYATE I erected

city of MATTEYATE I departed.

made.

person

inscribed

upon

From

(it).

To

(it).

The
In
the

the city of

ZAZABUKHA
directed (my) camp.
The tribute of the country of
QURKHI, oxen, sheep, wine, plates of copper, wild
bulls of copper (and) bowls of copper I received.

92.

93.

From the city of ZAZABUKHA I departed.

In the city of IR SIA I made a halt. I burned the city
of IR SIA with fire.
The tribute of the city of
SURA, oxen, sheep, wine (and) plates of copper
received in the city of IR SIA.

94.

From

In the midst of
a halt.
The
cities
which (were)
two
(and)
I captured.
Their warriors I

the city of IR SIA I departed.

the mountain of
city of

KASYARI

MADARANZU

dependent upon

it

made

slew.

95.

Their spoil

For

fire.

I burned the cities with

carried away.
six days in the heart of the mountain

of KASYARI, a mighty mountain, a locality difficult

(of access), v/hich for the passage of chariots and

armies

was unsuited, the mountain with axes of iron I hewed,

I made a
with picks of bronze I excavated.
In the
soldiers.
for
the
chariots
and
passage
cities by the side of the bridge which (is) in the
mountain of KASYARI
97. oxen, sheep, wine, plates of copper (and) bowls of
I crossed Mount KASYARI in
copper I received.
the centre.
For the second time I descended
96.

into

98.

the

SINIGISA 2
made a halt.

lands

of

From

NAIRI.

(In)

city

of

the city of SIGISA I departed

Or

the

Literally "strengthened."
Sigisa, according to a variant text.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

158

To

the

city

of

the

MADARA,

stronghold

of

Labdhuri the son of Dhubu si I approached. The

Four walls
city was very strong.
I attacked the city.
They dreaded
99. surrounded (it).
the face of my powerful weapons, and its spoil, its
In
goods (and) their sons I received in ransom.
1
place of their lives I accepted them.
100. Tribute, gifts (and) governors I imposed

The
and

MADARA
1

01.

upon them.

To

overthrew (and) dug up.

ruin I reduced (it).
From

city I

the

mound
city

of

Into the city of TUSKHAN 2

palace in the city of TUSKHAN I
The tribute of the country of

departed.

descended.

commenced. 3
NIRDUN, horses, mules,

plate(s) of copper, bowls

of copper, oxen, sheep
Sixty
(and) wine in the city of TUSKHAN I received.
cities (and) strong fortresses in the mountain of

102.

KASYARI

belonging to Labdhuri the son of

To mounds
overthrew (and) dug up.
In reliance on ASSUR
103. (and) ruins I reduced (them).
my lord I departed from the city of TUSKHAN.
4
Gift (?) chariots
(and) riding-horses bred therein
I carried off in store with me.
By means of

Dhubu si

104.

ropes
All night
crossed the TIGRIS.
To the city of PITURA the

DIRRANS

pursued (my way).

stronghold

The

approached.

city

of the

was very

difficult (of access).

105.

Two

walls surrounded

like the

06.

Its citadel

(it).

peak of a mountain.

was situated

Through the hands

supreme of ASSUR my lord, (and) with the might

of my armies and my vehement battle,
After two days, towards midday
fought with them.
I roared upon them like RIMMON the inundator of
With
the plain.
I rained destruction upon them.
violence

to the preservation of their lives I turned

"

Literally

2
3
4

Also written Tuskha.

"

laid out broadly.

Or, perhaps,
printed text has
weapons."
"

The

"

them."

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

107. and power

08.

fighting-men I slew with weapons ; their heads

cut off.
Many soldiers I took alive with the hand
the rest of
spoil I

109.

fighting-men flew upon them like the

captured the city ; 800 of their

my

vulture.

159

them

burned with

carried away.

(and) of heads
I built up at the entrance to

700 men upon stakes

its

at

The city I
mound and

great gate.

reduced to a

Their heavy

fire.

pyramid of the
chief gate.

the approach

living

impaled
to their

dug up (and)
Their young men

overthrew,
ruin.

The
(and) their maidens I burned as a holocaust.
of
the
which
at
the
mouth
KUKUNU
of
city
(is)
I
pass of the mountain of MADNI I captured.
slew with weapons 700 of their soldiers.
111. Their numerous spoil I carried away.
Fifty cities of
Their warriors
the country of DIRRA I captured.

10.

Their spoil I carried away.

captured alive with the hand.

I slew.

Fifty soldiers

The

cities

overthrew,
112.

I outpoured upon
dug up (and) burned with fire.
them the splendour of my sovereignty. From the
1
I departed.
Into the city of
city of PITURA
in
the
ARBAKI
country of QURKHI of BETANI I

descended.
113.

They were

terrified

before the glory of

my

majesty,

and deserted

To

their cities (and) their strong fortresses.

save their lives they ascended Mount MADNI,

a mighty mountain.
114.

pursued

men

them.

after

thousand of

their fighting-

cut to pieces in the midst of the inaccessible

mountain. With their blood I dyed the mountain.

115.

With their bodies the valleys

I took 200
I filled.
(and) torrents of the mountain
I cut off their hands.
soldiers alive with the hand.
I

carried

their
1 1

6.

away 2000

captives.

Their oxen (and)

sheep

to a countless

number
1

took home.

Also written Bitura.

The towns

of

RECORDS OF THE PAST

160

IYAYA (and)
I carried
I

117.

away

in

strong

slew their warriors.

captured.

the

cities

250

countries of

whose walls
NAIRI.

To

reduced (them).
The
harvests of their mountain I reaped ; the corn
(and) straw I accumulated in the city of TUSKHAN.
Against Ammi-bahla the son of Zamani his nobles

mounds

8.

and

ruins

and murdered him.

In order to avenge
Before the appearance of
my weapons and the grandeur of my sovereignty
20. they had fear, and chariots (with) yokes of horses,
trappings of men (and) horses, 460
revolted

1 1

their spoil.

overthrew (and) dug up

(were)

1 1

SALANIBA, the strongholds of the

ARBAKI

city of

Ammi-bahla

9.

marched.

bound to the yoke, 2 talents of silver, 2 talents

of gold, 100 talents
122. of lead, 100 talents of copper, 300 talents of iron,
121.

horses

100 plates of copper, 3000 handles of copper,

bowls of copper, cups of copper,

1000 variegated cloths, linen vestments, a dish of

black wood, ivory (and) gold, the possessions
124. (and) treasure of the palace, 2000 oxen, 5000 sheep,
his wife with her rich dowry (and) the daughters

123.

nobles with their rich dowries

125. of the
1

received. 1

An

inscription of Assur-natsir-pal, engraved on a monolith found

the ruins of Kurkh on the Tigris (20 miles below Diarbekir), has
the following variant account of the campaign
(42) I flayed the skin
of Bur-ramanu the rebel
I covered (with it) the wall of the city of SiNABU.
Arteanu his brother I raised to the chieftainship (43) 2 manehs of gold,
I
13 manehs of silver, 1000 sheep (and) 2000 ... as tribute
imposed upon him. The cities of SiNABU (and) TIDU, the fortresses which
(44) Shalmaneser king of Assyria, a prince who went before me, had
occupied for himself against the country of NAIRI, which the ARUMU
[Aramaeans] had taken away by force, to (45) myself I restored the men
of the city of ASSUR who had garrisoned the fortresses of (the god) ASSUR
in the land of NAIRI, whom in the land of ARUMU (the ARAMAEANS) (46)

among

"

...

had oppressed,
been destroyed

Fifteen

seats.

their cities [and] their farmsteads

I caused them to occupy (and)

(?)

hundred

(47)

ARMAN

them in quiet
from the country of
Ammi-pahli the son of Zamani I

soldiers,

to

[bit-kummi] which had

I

settled

AKHLAME

[Aramaeans ?] belonging
removed, to ASSYRIA I brought (them).

harvests of

down

SA,

in the cities

the benefit of

my

of

The
TUSKHA, DAMDAMU

country

stored

(them) up.

NAIRI (48) I cut

SINABU (and) TIDU for
(49) The cities of the

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

161

Assur-natsir-pal the great king, the powerful king,

the king of multitudes, the king of ASSYRIA, the

son of Tiglath-Uras the great king, the powerful

king,
the king of multitudes, the king of ASSYRIA, the son
of Rimmon-nirari the great king, the powerful
king, the king of multitudes, the king of the same

126.

ASSYRIA

who

has marched in

lord,

and among the

the hero warrior

upon ASSUR

reliance

his

kinglets

of the four zones has

127.

from the fords

i

28.

had no

of the

LEBANON and the great sea, 1

LAQE throughout its

the land of

SHUHITES
subdued beneath

the

land of

circuit (and) the land

as far as the city of

his feet ; from the

of the

who

rival; the king

TIGRIS to

2
RAPIQI has
head of the

sources

SupNAT 3 as far as the lowlands of BITANI his

hand has conquered
from the lowlands of
KIRRURI to the country of GOZAN, from the fords
of the Lower ZAB

of the

129.

130.

TEL-BARI which

to the city of

ZABAN,
the

from the
of the

city

KHIRIMU

(and)

(is)

above the land of

5
of
city of the Tel

APTANI

to

Tel of ZABDANI, the cities of

KHARUTU (and) the country of

B RATE 6
i

131. belonging to

country

KAR-DuNiAS 7

to

have restored (the

the frontiers of
territory),

my

and the

broad regions of the countries of NAIRI throughout

countries of
countries of

NIRDUN (and) LULUTA, the city of KI(?)RRA (and) the

AGGUNU, ULLIBA, ARBAKI and NIRBE I conquered, their

I slew, (50) their spoil I carried away, their cities I threw

down, dug up (and) burned with fire. To mounds and ruins I reduced
Taxes (Heb. haldk), tribute, and a governor I imposed upon the
(them).
country of NAIRI.
they
(51) My own prefect I imposed upon them
performed homage. The sight of my weapons (and) the terror of my
sovereignty I outpoured upon the land of NAIRI."

fighting-men

The Mediterranean.

On

The Sebbeneh

Zaban was on the southern

Or

the north-western frontier of Babylonia.

Su, which joins the Tigris north of Diarbckir.
side of the Lower Zab.
f>

"mound."

VOL.

II

"Fortresses."

Babylonia.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

162

whole extent

its

CALAH

city of

132.

133.

(in

I took the
have conquered.
The old mound
hand) anew.

deepened (it) as far as the level of the

a depth of 120 tikpi I consolidated
The
temple of URAS my lord upon the
(it).
At that time
middle of it I founded.
made an image of the same URAS which did not

changed.

waters.

To

previously exist in the inventiveness of my heart,

even a colossus of his great divinity, with the best
134.

135.

of mountain-stone and fine gold.

accounted him my great divinity in the city of
His festivals I ordained in the months
CALAH.
His sanctuary which had not
Sebat and Elul. 1
been built 2 I designed.

URAS my lord I constructed

it.
The temple of BELTIS,
3
SiN, and GULA, the image of EA the king (and)
the image of RIMMON the master of heaven and

The

holy of holies of

firmly in the midst of

earth

erected.

COLUMN

month
eponymy of

In the

1.

Sivan,

III

22d day, during the

on the

departed from the

Dagon-bil-natsir,

CALAH. The TIGRIS I crossed. On the

further bank of the TIGRIS
abundant tribute I received.
In the city of TABITE I
city of

2.

a halt. On the 6th day of the month Tammuz

I occupied
departed from the city of TABITE.
the banks of the river KHARMis. 5
From the
In the city of MAGARI SI I made a halt.
I occupied the
city of MAGARI SI I departed.
of
banks of the river KHABUR. G
(In) the city

made
I

3.

SADIKANNI
4.

a halt.

The

made

tribute of the city of

SADIKANNI,

silver,

gold, lead, plates of copper, oxen, (and) sheep

received.
From the city of SADIKANNI
1

January and August.

The Moon-god.
The classical Hermos

was

built

upon

its

banks.

Or perhaps

"

with bowing
B.C. 879.

down."

or Hirmas, flowing into the Khabour.

6

Nisibis

The modern Khabour.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

I

5.

I made a halt.
The
QATNIANS I received.

In the city of QATNI

departed.

of the

tribute

163

city

of the

From the city of QATNI I departed.

In the city of UuR-KADLiME 1 I made a halt.
From
In the city
the city of DUR-KADLIME I departed.
The tribute
of BIT-KHALUPE I made a halt.
of the country of BIT-KHALUPE, silver, gold, lead, plates

6.

7.

of copper, variegated cloths, linen vestments, oxen

(and) sheep I received.
the country of BIT-KHALUPE

From

I departed.
In the
The tribute of the
SiRQi I made a halt.
city of the SIRQIANS, silver, gold, lead, plates, oxen
From the city of SiRQi I
(and) sheep I received.
In the city of TSUPRI I made a halt.
departed.
The tribute of the city of the TSUPKIANS, silver,

8.

city of

9.

10.

gold, lead, plates,

the city of
11.

oxen (and) sheep

TSUPRIA

NAQARABANI I made
The tribute of the

halt.

gold,

lead,

city of

In the city of

NAQARABANI,

oxen (and) sheep

plates,

From

I received.

departed.

silver,

received.

From
12.

13.

the city of NAQARABANI

At the approach to the city of KHINDANI
made a halt.
On the further bank of the

departed.

KUPH RATES it is
The tribute of the
gold,

lead,

situated.
city

of the

KHINDANIANS,

oxen (and) sheep

plates,

silver,

received.

From
14.

the city of KHINDANI

In the mountains above the EUPHRATES
made a halt. From the mountains I departed.

departed.
I

In BiT-SABAYA

15.

KHARIDI
made a halt.

at

The

the approach

city of

KHARUDU

to

the city of

(sic) is

situated

on the further bank of the EUPHRATES. From BITSABAYA I departed. At the head of the city of

ANAT 4
1

Or Dur-Kumlime.
The Circcsium of classical geography,

and the Khabour.

3
Sabaya is the name of a

chief.

at the junction of the

4

Euphrates

The modern Anah.

RECORDS OF THE FAST

164

6.

made

ANAT is situated in the

From the city of ANAT
The city of SuRU l the stronghold of
land of the SHUHITES I attacked.
To
The

a halt.

city of

middle of the EUPHRATES.

I

17.

departed.

Sadudu of the

the far-spread soldiers of the country of the KASSI

1

8.

19.

he trusted, and to make war and

he came.
The city I attacked.
Before my
fought within (it).
Saduta (sic) and 70 of his soldiers
save his
the

20.

life

city.

battle against

For two days I

mighty weapons
to

plunged into the EUPHRATES.

Fifty

me

riding-horses and

(their)

captured
grooms,

the property of Nebo-baladan 3 king of KAR-DUNIAS

(and) Zabdanu his brother together with 3000 of their
soldiers, (and) Bel-bal-iddin the prophet who went be
fore their hosts I carried off captive along with them.

21.

Many

soldiers I slew with weapons.

plates,

22.

of his palace,
chariots, horses trained to his yoke, the trappings of

the

23.

Silver, gold, lead,

precious mountain-stone for the adornment

soldiers,

the

trappings

of

the

horses,

the

amazons 4 of his palaces, his spoil

abundant I carried a\vay.
The city I overthrew (and)
dug up. My prowess and power I laid upon the
The fear of my sover
country of the SHUHITES.
eignty prevailed

as

far

as

the

country of KAR-

DUNIAS.
24.

The

my weapons overwhelmed
On the countries beside
An image
outpoured terror.

descent of

of K.AI.DU. 5

RATES
1

note
2

This must be a different

the country
the EUPH

Suru from that mentioned above

(p.

142,

3).

The

Kassi, or Kossreans, originally a tribe from the mountains of

Elam, had occupied a part of Babylonia, and imposed a dynasty of kings
upon that country. The Kassi mentioned here were those who had settled
in

Babylonia.

3
Nebo has given a
We may compare the
Nabu-bal-iddina,
4
name of Merodach-baladan.
female soldiers.
Literally
5
The Kalda were a tribe who were settled in the marshes at the head
This is the first time that we hear of their name, but
of the Persian Gulf.
"

son."

"

"

a later period, under Merodach-baladan, the son of Vagina, they occupied

Babylonia and became so integral a part of the population as to give their
name to its inhabitants among Greek and Latin writers.

at

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

165

My prowess and power I

In the city of SuRU I erected
Assur-natsir-pal the king whose fame
(it).
26. (and) power are everlasting, and whose face has been
directed towards the desert ; for his rule (and) his
In the city of
protection (?) his heart cries out.
25.

of

my

27.

person

inscribed

made.

upon

(it).

CALAH I was staying

l
(when) news was brought that the men of the country
of LAQE, of the city of KHINDANU (and) of the
country of the SHUHITES had revolted, every one of
them

the river

EUPHRATES

28.

On the i8th day of the month

they had crossed.
Sivan I departed from the city of CALAH.
I crossed
the TIGRIS.
I entered the desert.
To the city of

29.

in

30.

the

SURU
BIT-KHALUPE

I approached.
Boats for myself 1
constructed in the city of SuRU.
I occupied the
water towards the source of the EUPHRATES.
As
far as

narrows

of

the

EUPHRATES

The

cities

the country of

LAQE

stream).

descended (the

of Khenti-el (and) Azi-el of

I captured.
Their warriors I

Their spoil
carried away.
The cities I overthrew, dug up (and)
burned with fire. In the course of this campaign
slew.

31.

encompassed the lakes

of the river

KHABUR

as

far as

32.

the city of TSIBATE in the land of the SHUHITES.

The cities on the hither bank of the EUPHRATES
in the land of LAQE (and) in the land of the

SHUHITES

overthrew, dug up (and) burned with

I cut down.
Four hundred
(?)

Their crops
and seventy
fire.

33.
1
"

of their soldiers I slew with weapons.

variant text has

We
A

captured 20

city.

must read tamati.

variant text has

as far as the city of Tsibate in the land of the

Shuhites (and) the cities on the hither bank of the Euphrates in the land
of Laqe," omitting the following words.
4
A variant text has 30."
"

"

RECORDS OF THE PAST

66

alive (and) impaled (them)

I had constructed,

on

stakes.

In the boats

34. the boats of hardened (?) skin, which were fastened from
both sides 1 in the form of a pontoon, I crossed the

EUPHRATES
35.

of KHARIDI.
The people of
SHUHITES (and) of LAQE

at the city

the countries of the

(and) of the city of KHINDANU trusted to the strength

of their chariots, their armies (and) their forces, and
mustered 6000 of their soldiers to make war and
battle.

When

they came forth against me, I fought with

Their chariots I
them.
I utterly destroyed them.
minished.
I slew 6500 (sic) of their fighting-men
with weapons.
What was left of them
37. was devoured by the EUPHRATES amid famine in the
2
From the city of KHARIDI in the country
desert.
of the SHUHITES as far as the city of KIPINA the
36.

cities

38.

(and) of

of the people of

LAQE which

EUPHRATES)

KHINDANU

(are)

on the further bank

captured.
Their spoil I carried away.
dug up (and) burned with
39.

Their warriors

trusted to his forces

The
fire.

cities I

overthrew,

Azi-el the

and occupied the

(of the
slew.

LAQIAN

fords at the city

I fought with them.

(Starting) from
A
of KIPINA I utterly destroyed them.

of KIPINA.
the city

thousand
40.

of his soldiers

abundant

To

off.

spoil I

save his

His
I minished.
His gods I carried
Mount Bi suRU, 3 an inacces

His chariots

I slew.

carried away.
life

mountain towards the source

For two days I pur
41. of the EUPHRATES, he occupied.
The relics of his army I slew with
sued after him.
The mountain (and) the EUPHRATES
weapons.
devoured those I had destroyed of them. 4 As far
sible

as
42.

the cities of

DuMMETE 5

Kllallan.

Or perhaps

Probably the modern Tel- Basher.

Idulani

"

Literally

"

is

from edilu,

(and) amid

AZMU, the

(and)

"

to

be

cities

of the

bolted."

disease."

their destruction."

Called

Dummut

in line 44.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

167

son of Adinu, I pursued him.

The relics of his
army I slew with weapons. His abundant spoil,
his

which

43.

oxen (and)

his sheep,

like the stars of

At

away.

his chariots (and)

soldiers.

To my

44.

cities

46.

I carried

LAQIAN,
yokes of horses, (and) 500 of his

country of ASSYRIA
of DUMMUT and

threw,

45.

heaven were numberless

that time I carried off Ila the

The

brought (them).

AZMU

captured,

dug up (and) burned with

fire.

over

From

the

narrows of the EUPHRATES I came out.

In the
course of this campaign
Before my mighty weapons, in
encompassed Azi-el.
order to save his life, he ascended (the country).
Ila, the prince of the land of LAQE, his soldiers,
his chariots (and) his teams
carried

off.

To my city of ASSUR

brought (them).

Khimti-el the

47.

LAQIAN I besieged in his city. By

the help of ASSUR my lord before my mighty wea
pons, my vehement battle
(and) my enormous forces he was terrified, and the
of his palace, silver, gold, lead, copper,
plates of copper (and) variegated cloths, his abundant
spoil, I received, and tribute

booty

48.

gifts above what I had before prescribed I im

At that time 50 strong wild
posed upon them.
bulls on the further side of the EUPHRATES I killed

(and)

8 wild bulls
49.

captured alive with the hand ; 20 esir-birds I killed

20 j*V-birds I caught alive with the hand.
1

founded two cities upon the EUPHRATES, one on

the hither bank
50. of the EUPHRATES whose name I called KAR-ASSUR2
NATsiR-PAL, the other on the further bank of the
EUPHRATES whose name I called NiBARTi-AssuR. 3
1
Now Kaleh Shcrghat, on the western bank of the Euphrates a little
above the mouth of the Lower Zab.
The statement in the text seems
to be derived from the memorandum of some scribe other than the one
who furnished the account in lines 43, 44.

"

The

fortress of Assur-natsir-pal."

"

The

ford of

Assur."

RECORDS OF THE PAST

68

On the

2oth day of the month Sivan

departed from

the city of CALAH ;

51. I crossed the TIGRIS; to the country of BIT-ADINI I
marched.
To the city of KAP-RABI l their strong

hold I approached.
The city was very
Like a cloud of heaven it was elevated.
52.

The

inhabitants trusted to their

numerous

strong.

and

soldiers

my feet. By the com

mand of ASSUR the great lord, my lord, and NERGAL
who marches before me I attacked the city.
descended not

53.

With mounds
I

(?)

captured the

slew.

to

embrace

overthrowing (?) (and) battering-rams

Their numerous warriors I
city.

I utterly

destroyed 800 of their fighting-men.

This spoil (and) their goods

54.

of their soldiers
I

carried

off.

The

transported (them).

up (and) burned with

fire.

laid the fear of the glory of

55.

At

I carried

away; 2400

To

the city of CALAH

city I overthrew, dug

put an end to

ASSUR my

lord

it.

upon

BIT-ADINI.
that time the tribute of Akhuni the son of Adini
3
(and) of Khabini of the city of TEL-ABNA,

copper,

gold, lead,

variegated

cloths,

linen

silver,

vest

ments (and) beams

56.

of cedar, the treasures of his palace,

received.

took their hostages.

I extended mercy to them.
On the 8th day of the month lyyar 4 I departed
from the city of CALAH.
The TIGRIS

57.1

58.

To the city of CARCHEMISH 5 in the country

of the HITTITES I took the road.
To the country
of BIT-BAKHIANI I approached.
The tribute of the

crossed.

son of Bakhiani, chariots, teams, horses, silver,

gold, lead, copper (and) plates of copper I received.

The chariots, riding-horses (and) grooms of the son

of Bakhiani I took away with me.
From BITBAKHIANI
1

The

I departed.
"

in Aramaic.
great rock
2
4
3
The mound of the stone."
Billim.
April.
5
Written Gargamis, the Hittite capital on the western bank of the
Euphrates, now marked by the ruins of Jarablus, a little to the north of the
"

"

junction of the Sajur

and the Euphrates.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

169

l
I approached.
The tribute
the country of AZALLI
2
the [A]ZALIAN, chariots, teams,
of Dadu-imme
horses, silver, gold, lead, copper,
60. plates of copper, oxen, sheep (and) wine I received.
The chariots, riding-horses (and) grooms I carried

59.

To

From the country of AZALLI

me.
BIT-ADINI I approached.
Akhuni the son of Adini, silver, gold,

off in store with

I

1.

The

To

departed.
tribute of

lead,

copper,

couches of

plate(s)

ivory,

of copper,

dishes of ivory,

yokes of ivory,

made of ivory, of silver (and) of gold, torques

of gold, beads 3 of gold in large quantities, pend
ants (?) of gold, a sword -blade of gold, oxen,

62.

thrones

63.

The

sheep (and) wine as his tribute

received.

chariots, riding-horses (and) grooms of Akhuni I

At that time the tribute of
carried off with me.

Khabini of the city of TEL-ABNA, 4 manehs of silver

(and) 400 sheep I received from him.
64. Ten manehs of silver in his first year as a tribute I
imposed upon him. From the country of BIT-ADINI
I

departed.

hardened
65.

crossed.

The TIGRIS

at

its

skin thereupon
To the country of

flood in boats of

(?)

CARCHEMISH

ap

The tribute of Sangara king of the

proached.
country of the HITTITES, 20 talents of silver, beads
of gold, a chain of gold, sword-blades (?) of gold,
100
66.

talents

of copper, 250 talents of iron, sacred bulls of copper,

bowls of copper, libation-cups of copper, a censer (?)
of copper, the multitudinous furniture of his palace,
of which the like

67.

68.
1

was never received, 4 couches, seats (and) thrones, dishes

(and) weapons made of ivory, 200 slave-girls, varie
gated cloths,
vestments,

linen

See above,

col.

ii.

black transparent

line 22.

3
Sahri, the Hebrew Saharonim, translated
vised Version of Isa. iii. 18.
4

Or,

mated."

making KI-LAL ideographic

stuffs

(and) gray

Also written Dadu-ihme.

"whose

"crescents"

in the

weight could not be

Re
esti

RECORDS OF THE PAST

170

transparent stuffs, sirnuma stones, the tusks of ele

phants, a white chariot, (and) small images of gold in
quantities, the ornaments of his royalty, I received

The

from him.

chariots,

riding-horses (and) grooms of the city of CARCHEMISH

All the kings of the (sur
I carried off with me.

69.

rounding) countries came to my presence and em

Their hostages I took.
braced my feet.
To the land of LEBANON
70. They rejoiced at my face.
of CARCHEMISH I de
From
the
went.
city
they
In sight of the countries of MUNZIGANI
parted.
71.

(and) KHAMURGA I took (my way).

To the
passed the country of AKHANU on my left.
l
belonging to Lubarna the PATIcity of KHAZAZI

NIAN I approached gold, cloths (and) linen vest

ments I received.
I crossed (it) making a
forded the river APRE. 2
;

7 2.

From

halt.

To

APRE I departed.
the capital of Lubarna

the banks of the

the city of

KUNULUA

the PATINIAN

The face of my powerful weapons

approached.
(and) vehement battle he feared, and to save his
life he embraced my feet.
Twenty talents of silver,

73.

74.

one talent of gold,

100 talents of lead, 100 talents of iron, 1000 oxen,
10,000 sheep, 1000 variegated cloths (and) linen

75.

vestments, small images (and) weapons in quantities,

the legs of couches, seats (and) couches in quantities,
dishes of ivory (and) numerous utensils, the multi

76.

tudinous furniture of his palace, the like of which

had never been received, 10 female musicians, rings
5
4
(and) the great maces (?) of
(and) numerous
the great lords, as his tribute I received from him.
Mercy unto him
.

Now

The modern

Azaz, a few miles north-west of Aleppo.

Afrin.

Kunulua seems to be the Gindarus of the classical writers. It

called Kinalua by Shalmaneser II, and Kunalie by Tiglath-Pileser III.
4

Kam\jnate\
\ind\hdi.
Pagutu, written pagiti in S 2037,
.

n.

is

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

171

The chariots, riding-horses (and) grooms

His host
of the PATINIANS I carried off with me.
At that time the tribute of Gu si 1
ages I took.

extended.

77.

7 8.

the

79.

the

YAKHANIAN, silver, gold, lead,

[copper], oxen, sheep,

variegated cloths, (and) linen vestments, I received.
From the city of KUNULUA the capital of Labarna

PATINIAN

From

On

crossed.

The river [ORON]TES I

departed.
the banks of the ORONTES I halted.
ORONTES

the banks of the

departed.

In

sight

So.

(my

On

way).
the banks of

halt).

1.

of YARAOI 3
The country

of the countries

From

the

YAHTURI I took
KU I traversed.
the river SANGURA 4 I made (a
banks of the river SAGURA (sic) I
(and)

of

In sight
departed.
of the countries of SARATINI (and) KALPANI 5 I took
(my way). On the banks [of the river] ... I

made

Into the

[offjerings.

city

of

ARIBUA

the

stronghold of Lubarna I entered.

82. The city I took for myself.
The corn and straw of
the country of LUKHUTI I harvested (and) heaped
I made a feast in his palace.
Col
up within (it).
onists

83.

from ASSYRIA
While
(it).

I was staying in the city

conquered the cities of the land of
I
Their numerous warriors I slew.
overthrew, dug up, and with fire

settled within

ARIBUA
LUKHUTI.

of

captured (some) soldiers alive with the

I impaled (them) at the approach
to their cities.
At that time I occupied the slopes
of LEBANON.
To the great sea
of
I
At the great sea I hung up
PHOENICIA
ascended.
85.
my weapons. I offered sacrifices to the gods.
The tribute of the kings of the coasts of the sea,
84.

burned.

hand.

Called

There

On stakes

Agu si by Shalmancser
is

a lacuna here in the

IT,

the successor of Assur-natsir-pal.

text.

Yaraqi was a district of Hamath in the time of Tiglath-Pileser 111.

4
The modern Sajur, which flows from the north-west into the Euphrates
near the site of Pethor and a little to the south of that of Carchemish.
5 Not
Duppani, as Dr. Peiser reads.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

86.

of the TYRIANS, the SIDONIANS, the GEBALITES, the

MAKHALLATIANS, the MAIZIANS, the KAIZIANS/ the

PHOENICIANS, and of the citizens of ARVAD

middle of the sea, silver, gold, lead,

87. in the

copper,

plate[s] of copper, variegated cloths, linen vestments,

88.

89.

great maces (?) (and) small maces (?),

usu wood, seats of ivory (and) a porpoise the offspring
of the sea, as their tribute I received.
They em
braced my feet.
To the mountains of KHAMANI 2
I ascended.
Logs

of cedar, sherbin, 3 juniper (and) cypress I cut.

I
I erected a memorial
offered sacrifices to my gods.

of
90.

my

warlike deeds.

Upon

it

wrote

(?)

logs of cedar were transported (?) from the moun

tain of AMANUS, as materials for E-SARRA, S for my

The

temple have I stored (them), even (for) the Temple

of Rejoicing (and) for the temple of SIN and
SAMAS the holy gods.
6
I went.
The country of
91. To the country of fir-trees
fir-trees thoughout its whole extent I conquered.
Logs of fir I cut. To the city of NINEVEH
I
To ISTAR the lady of NINEVEH,
92.
brought (them).

my

I
offered (them).
During the
of Samas-nuri, 7 by the command of ASSUR
great lord, my lord, on the 2oth day of the

benefactress

eponymy
the

month lyyar from

the
The TIGRIS I crossed.
93.
city of CALAH I departed.
The tribute
Into the land of QIPANI I descended.
of the city-chiefs of the land of QIPANI in the city
of
94.

KHUZIRINA

received.

While

was staying

in

this

city

of

1
The three cities of Makhallat, Maiz, and Kaiz are identified by Prof.
Delitzsch with the later Tripolis (now Tripoli).
2
Amanus, bordering on the Gulf of Antioch.
3
4

The smaller cypress or Oxycedrus.

The reading of the word is uncertain.

saqapu

It

is

perhaps asqup, from

to cover.

"

the temple of the firmament,

E-sarra,
name of the sky but actual temples were
;

Babylonia and Assyria.

6
Mekhri.

was properly the mythological

named

B.C. 867.

after

it

in the cities of
8

April.

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

KHUZIRINA
Giri-Dadi

oxen

95. gold,

the tribute of Ittih the

173

ZALLIAN (and)

the ASSAIAN, silver,

(and) sheep, I received.

beams of

cedar, silver

(and)

gold,

In those days
the tribute of

Qata-zili

KOMAGENIAN

96. the

From

I received.

the city of

KHU-

ZIRINA I departed.
The banks of the EUPHRATES
towards (its) upper part I occupied.
The country
of

KUPPU

I entered the midst of the cities of the

countries of ASSA (and) QURKHI which (are) opposite
to the land of the HITTITES.
The cities of UMALIA

97.

I traversed.

98.

(and) KHIRANU
the strongholds which are situated in the neighbourhood
of the country of ADANI I conquered.
Their

numerous warriors
amount

Their spoil to a count

I slew.

less

99.

The cities I overthrew (and) dug up.

away.
burned with fire 150 cities which were dependent
on them.
From the city of KARANIA

I carried

100.

AMADANi
1

01.

Into the lowlands of the

departed.
2

fire.

The country of
ARQANIA I
MALLANU I

the country of
the country of

departed.
Into the cities of the country of ZAMBA on the banks
of the bridge (I entered and) burned (them) with
fire.

The river TSUA

I made (a halt).

TIGRIS
103.

The cities in sight

ARQANIA I burned
MALLANU which adjoins
took for myself.
From

country of DIRRIA I entered.

of the countries of AMADANI (and)
with

102.

country of
Into the midst of the

descended.

On

crossed.

The

the river

cities

on the hither and further side of the TIGRIS, in the

country of ARKANIA (sic) I reduced to mounds and
ruins.
All the land of QURKHI was afraid and

my

feet

104. embraced.

Their hostages

took.

appointed a

Called Kigiri-Dadi by Shalmaneser II.

Instead of Zallian we have
Azallian above, line 59.
The country surrounding the classical Amida, now Diarbekr. The
capital

Amedi

is

mentioned

in line 107.

RECORDS OF THE PAST

174

From the
governor of my own to be over them.
lowlands of the country of AMADANI I came out
at the city of BARZA-NiSTUN. 1
105. To the city of DAMDAMMU SA the stronghold of Hani
the son of Zamani 2 I approached.
The city I

My

besieged.

warriors

flew

like

bird(s)

upon

them.
1

06.

slew

600 of

off their

I cut
weapons.
captured 400 soldiers alive

their fighting-men with

heads.

with the hands.

brought away 3000 of their captives.

107.

for

city

heads
1

08.

I built

The

myself.

brought to the

living
city of

soldiers

AMEDI

took this
(and) the

his capital. 3

up a pyramid with the heads at the approach

main gate. The living soldiers I impaled

to his

on stakes at the gates of his city.

I cut down
fought a battle within his main gate.
his plantations.
From the city of AMEDI I departed.
Into the lowlands of Mount KASYARI (and) of the

109.

city of ALLAB SIA

no. which none among my fathers had

cut off or proclaimed

4

(war)

The

I
descended.
against (and) approached,
of
the
of
the
UDA
Labdhuri,
city
stronghold

son of

in.

Dhubu si
The

approached.

city I attacked.

With mounds

(?)

battering-rams (?) and war-engines I captured the

I slew
city.
i4[oo] of their soldiers with weapons.
112.

Five hundred and eighty men alive

took with the hand.
I brought away 3000 of them
The soldiers (I had captured) alive I im
captive.
Of some
paled on stakes round about his [city].

1
In
Perhaps identical with the Nistun mentioned in col. i. line 63.
the Vannic language of ancient Armenia barza-nis signified "a chapel."
2
Or "the son of a rebel." According to col. i. line no, Assur-natsir-

had already destroyed

pal

3
4

(and)

See

Damdamu sa.

173, note 2.
of which
Literally
p.

approach."

who determined by
engage

in battle.

none had made a cutting off or a proclaiming

An army was accompanied by an asipu or "prophet,"
"

his sipti or
whether or not it should
proclamations
Compare line 20 above. Dr. Reiser s corrections of

the text are quite unnecessary.

"

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

113.

The

put out the eyes.

them

rest of

175

I transported
I took for

The city
(and) brought to ASSYRIA.
Assur-natsir- pal the great
[myself].

king,

the

powerful king, the king of ASSYRIA the son of

Tiglath-Uras,
114. the great king, the powerful king, the king of multi
tudes, the king of ASSYRIA ; the son of Rimmonnirari the great king, the powerful king, the king
of multitudes, the king of the same ASSYRIA
the
warrior hero, who has marched in reliance upon
;

ASSUR

and among the

lord

his

kinglets of the

four zones

115.

1 1

6.

has no rival; the shepherd of fair shows who fears

not opposition, the unique one, the strong one
who has no confronter, the king who subdues the
disobedient, who all
the legions of the mighty has conquered; the powerful
male who tramples on the neck of his enemies,

who

treads

hostile

upon

lands,

pieces the squadrons of the strong,

on the great gods

who breaks in
who in reliance

117. his lords has marched, and his hand has overcome all
countries, has conquered all mountains and has

received

their tribute

all

the exacter of hostages,

who has
1 1

8.

over

all

established empire
the world.
At that time

proclaimer

of

sovereignty, his

119.

my lordship
entrusted.
The
LULLUME

the help of

ASSUR

the lord the

my

name, the magnifier of my

unsparing weapon to the hands of

widespread forces of the land of

slew with weapons in

mid

battle.

By

SAMAS

120. and

RIMMON, the gods my ministers, over the forces

of the countries of NAIRI, the country of QURKHI,
the country of SUBARI and the country of NIRBE l
I

i2T.

The

roared like
king,

RIMMON

who from

the mountains of
1

"

the inundator.

the fords of the river TIGRIS to

LEBANON and

The

lowlands."

the great sea, the

RECORDS OF THE PAST

76

land of LAQE throughout its circuit, the land of

the SHUHITES as far as the city of RAPIQI
122. has subdued beneath his feet.
From the head of the
sources of the river SUPNAT to the lowlands of
BITANI his hand has conquered.
From the low
lands of

KIRRURI

to

123. the country of GOZAN, from the fords of the Lower

ZAB to the city of TEL-BARI l which is above the

ZAB as
and the

far as the city

city of the

of the

Mound

of ZABDANI

Mound

124. of APTANI, the city of KHIRIMU, the city of KHARUTU,

the country of BiRATE 2 belonging to BABYLONIA

have restored to the frontiers of my country.

the lowlands of the city of BABITE
125. to the country of KHASMAR I have accounted (the
In the
inhabitants) as men of my own country.
lands which I have conquered I have appointed
my governors.
They have done
homage.
Boundaries
126. I have set for them.
Assur-natsir-pal, the exalted
I

From

prince, the adorer of the great gods, the unique

monster, the lusty, the conqueror of cities and
mountains to their furthest limits, the king of
lords, the consumer
127. of the strong, the hero who spares not, the annihilator
of opposition, the king of all kinglets, the king of
kings, the exalted prophet, named by URAS the
warrior, the hero
128. of the great gods, the king who in reliance upon
ASSUR and URAS the gods his ministers has

129.

marched in righteousness, and trackless mountains

and hostile princes (with) all
their countries has subdued beneath his feet.
With
the foes of ASSUR above and below he has con
tended and has imposed upon them tribute and
gifts.

Assur-natsir-pal

130. the powerful king,

1

Or

"the

Fortresses."

"The

named by
Mound

of

SiN,

the

Bari."

The Moon-god.

servant of

THE INSCRIPTION OF ASSUR-NATSIR-PAL

ANU/

the favourite of

177

the strongest of
the gods, the weapon unsparing, the slaughterer of
the land of his enemies (am) I. The king (who is)

RiMMON,

strong in battle,
the destroyer of cities and mountains, the firstborn
of battle, the king of the four zones, the subjugator
of his foes, of mighty countries (and) of [trackless]

131.

Kings valiant and unsparing

mountains.

(?)

from

the rising
of the sun to the setting of the sun have I subdued

132.

beneath

my

eser

me,

built,

133. this city

One speech have I made them

city of CALAH which ShalmanASSYRIA, a prince who went before

feet.

The former

utter.

king of

had

into

fallen

decay and had become a

mound and a ruin. To restore this city anew I

worked.
The men whom I had captured from
the countries I

had conquered, from the land of

the SHUHITES, from the land of LAQE

134. throughout its circuit, from the city of SiRQi at the
ford of the EUPHRATES (and) the country of

ZAMUA

to

its

135.

PATINIAN, I took (and) planted within (it).

from the Lower ZAB I excavated (and) the
river PATI-KHIGAL 4 I called its name.
I estab

canal

lished plantations in
fruit

of
I

136.

and wine

my

The Sky-god.

Shalmaneser

neighbourhood.
lord

brought

and the temples

country.

*
I,

about

B.C.

The

Air-god.

1300.

opening of fertility," also called Babelat-khigal,

(W. A. I., i. 27, 6).

"The

VOL.

its

ASSUR my

coping-stone.

fertility"

for

changed the old mound. I dug deep as far as the

level of the water.
I sunk (the foundations) 120
I built
I built up its wall.
tikpi to the bottom.
to
(it) up (and) completed (it) from its foundation
its

BiT-ADiNi and
and from Liburna the

furthest limits, from

the land of the HITTITES,

II

"

bringer of

SPECIMENS OF ASSYRIAN CORRE

SPONDENCE
BY THEO.

THERE

G. PINCHES.

probably no branch of Assyro-Babylonian

literature that is more attractive than the correspond
ence.

is

Not only do

the letters which have been found

Assyria and Babylonia

furnish the student with specimens of the modes of
in the ancient record-offices of

thought and expression of the ordinary people, and

enable him to see in what consisted their communi
cations,

sorrows
lights

what were
;

their intrigues, their joys,

and

their

but they also furnish him with valuable side

upon the

history, religion, manners, customs,

and

not

last,
least, important philological information
the peculiar idioms and pronunciation of different

districts,

the varieties of style of the different scribes.

Collection contains several hundred

The National

tablets bearing inscriptions of this class, addressed to

and from various persons

in different

parts

of the

Assyrian empire, implying a very perfect system of

communication between Nineveh, the capital, and the
outlying

districts.

The

subjects treated of vary from

simple greetings to descriptions of hostile demonstra-

ASSYRIAN CORRESPONDENCE

179

tions, congratulations, claims

upon the royal clemency,

answers to astrological, philological, and other ques
tions, medical and other reports, proclamations, etc.
etc.

These

baked

letters are generally

oblong tablets of

clay, across which the lines of writing are in

scribed the narrow way.

It is not unlikely that

of the documents of this class which have come

many

to us are copies, the originals having been sent

away

down

Papyrus was probably used for these

but
documents,
clay letters were also sent about.
an envelope of clay around
These latter sometimes
from Nineveh.

>had

them, addressed and sealed with the sender s cylinder.

The number of dated letters is very small in com
parison with those without dates, so that we can only
arrive at an idea as to when they were written by in
ternal evidence, such as names, places,
events.

The

precise dates of

many

and

historical

of them, however,

must always remain uncertain.

These documents vary in length from one to six
and

width from three-quarters of an inch

The present texts
to about two inches and a half.
inches,

in

are of sizes about

midway between

these two ex

tremes.

NUMBER
This text

is

letter

from Arad-Nana, who seems

to have been a physician, to the king of Assyria at

the time, concerning a

prince and near relation

man, possibly an Assyrian

of the king, who was ill.
In-

RECORDS OF THE PAST

i8o

deed, so

ill

he would

was

live

he, that the writer did not

expect that

more than seven or eight days longer

(see the last sentence of the translation).

One ray

comfort only does the writer hold out, and that

that the sufferer might recover,

if

of
is,

the king would only

cause prayer to be made to his gods.

Judging from the text, it is hardly likely that the
sickness from which the man was suffering was a

He had

natural one.

doubtless received a

perhaps several

injury

and

it

wound

or

was very probable

that one of these, which he had received in his head,

would prove mortal.

The number

of the tablet

is

1064.

TRANSLATION

To the king my lord, thy servant Arad-Nana. May

May
there be peace for ever and ever to the king my lord.
1
the god NiNEP and the goddess GULA give soundness of
Peace
heart and soundness of flesh to the king my lord.
for ever.

To

2
reduce the general inflammation of his forehead,

His face is swollen. 3

bandage upon it.
the
wound which had
I
opened
formerly,
been received in the midst of it. As for the bandage which
was over the swelling, matter was upon the bandage, the
Thy gods, if the whole
size of the tip of the little finger.
of the flesh of his body they can restore unto him, cause
4
Peace for ever.
thou to invoke, and his mouth will cry
the heart of the king my lord be good."
I

have

tied

Yesterday, as

"

May
i

"

Literally
Literal v

Ed, ]

[Or Uras.

In his iace

"

give."

it

"

Literally

rises,"

or

"

of the wall of his eyes.

there

is

rising."

"

ASSYRIAN CORRESPONDENCE

He

will live

The

181

seven or eight days. 1

text of which the translation

given above
forms one of a number published by the Rev. S. A.

Smith
Heft

in his

book Die

is

KdlscJirifttexte Asnrbanipals,

II (the I7th plate), to

which publication

con

2
rendering, with philological notes.
translation here given differs slightly from that

tributed a

The

which

The

German

published in

alterations are

S.

two

A. Smith

Keilschrifttexte.

number, the

in

first

being

in

the eleventh line of the original, where, instead of

which is around his eyes," I

reading sa kuri cna-su,
of the wall of his eyes,"
sa
kutal
read
now
cna-su,
"

"

most

likely

his

meaning

the other change

is

or

"brows/

"forehead;"

the nineteenth and twentieth

in

lines of the original text, where, instead of

as a verb, with the

;//////

meaning

of

regarding

"

raised,"

"took

took off the bandage which was around it

I now take it to be a noun with the meaning of
Though the sense of the whole is pretty
swelling."
I

off"

"),

("

"

clear,

the translation will probably be

still

im

further

proved as time goes on.

Other tablets of
1
"

Ana

this class exist,

and one of them,

give here a transcription of the original text for the use of students:

Lusulmu addannis addannis ana

arad-ka Arad-Nana.
Ninep u Gula dhub libbi, dhub sere, ana sarri belia liddinu.

sarri belia,

sarri helia

Sulmu addannis.

Ana

laku sigru khaniu sa kutal ena-su,

tal

itam ina

eli

Ina timali, kt badi, sirdhu sa ina libbi tsaburtakis, ina appisu irtumu.
Tallitam sa ina eli utuli, sarku ina eli tallite ibbassi, ainmar
ituni aptadhar.
ubanni
tsikhirte.
Ilani-ka, summa memeni sere ida-su ina eli
qaqqadi

Sulmu addannis. Libbu sa sarri belia

samantu ibaladh."
Afterwards published separately under the title Zu d assyrischc Briefe

umeduni, sutamma pl-su

Adu ume

lu-dhaba.
2

iibersetzt
3

nnd

ittidin

sibittu

erkldrt von Theo. G. Pinches (Pfeiffer, Leipzig, 1887).

the brow."
is shown by Km.
Ed.
268.6, to signify
"

{Kutalli

RECORDS OF THE PAST

182

is

519,

of great interest in connection with the text

above translated.

This other text

is

Arad-

also from

Nana, and probably refers to the same sick man, who

seems to have been the king s son.
Concerning the
sick man," Arad-Nana says, "from whose face blood
"

the

flows,

Rab-mugi (Rab-mag?)

much

Yesterday, as before,
took off those bandages

has said thus:

He

blood flowed.

(?)

dmmute) with care.

face it was inflamed (?).

(lippi

Upon the wounds (?) of his

The injuries are improving. Before the blood 3 flows,
4
the breath 5
let him make the opening of the nostril
come through,

will

greatly adding to

it is

the difficulties of a

The important

naturally difficult text.

few more

rather defaced here and

is

exceedingly interesting,

there, thus

stop."

This document, which

end the communication.

lines
is

the blood will

point about

that, besides the interesting words that

tains,

surgical operation.

Whether

con

what may be called a

communication pre

gives the record of

it

it

this

ceded, in order of time, the text of which the

translation

is

given above,

doubtful

is

into consideration the hopeful tone of

despairing tone of S

former

is

[This
xxxix. 3.
-

Or

1064,

full

though, taking
519, and the

the precedence of the

exceedingly probable.

is an important
Ed. ]

"skill"

identification.

(lamudanute, from

the

For the Rab-mag see

root

Idb.

Cf.

Jer.

Heb. 11B7,

expert

).

3
blood
It must here be remarked, that the word
(damu) is always
before
The phrase in the original is
used, as in Hebrew, in the plural.
the bloods have flowed
(ultu pani ddme utsfini}.
*
PI nakhiri liskunu, literally the mouth of the nostril may he make."
5
wind," saru, a word which seems to mean also
spirit."
Literally
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

ASSYRIAN CORRESPONDENCE
In the introduction

it

sometimes named Nin-azu,

His more usual title, however,
is

also

named

"

be noticed that Ninep

will

The

and Gula are invoked.

to

"remove

the

lord

the

"

is

lord of the

physician."

and he

warrior,"
"

weapon
him this

the

was

former, as a star,
"

though the text which gives

him

183

The

sickness."

(bcl kakki},
title

invokes

"warrior,"

able to

cause wounds, was supposed to be able also to remove

them. Gula, the great lady," who is also called the
"

"

or Karrag, was the consort of Ninep,

lady of Isin
especially under his name of Utu-gisgallu. Another
"

of her

names

those already mentioned, Akkadian)

the lady giving life to the dead."
Nin-tin-badaga,
(like

"

is

Nebuchadnezzar speaks of her

perfecter of his

life

of Karrag

and

"),

great,"

she

is

man

s)

to

"

body."

"

("

and
In

lady

the physician, high

take far away the grief

In this text her name

occurs between Istar and Bau,

other forms of the

nabistia).

named Nin-Karrag

spoken of as

is

and invoked

of his (the sick

gamilat

(edkirat,

another text, where she

as the preserver

same goddess.

NUMBER

who

are apparently

a letter containing a complaint to the king

concerning some gold which seems to have been miss

This

ing.

is

The

text

is

numbered

538

in

the National

Collection.
1
Lizziz Nineb, bel kakki, linissi muttalliki,
may Ninep, lord of the
weapon, remain, may he remove the sickness."
See Prof. A. H. Sayce s Lectures upon the Religion of the Ancient
Babylonians (Hibbert Lectures for 1887), pp. 267, 268.
"

RECORDS OF THE PAST

84

To the king my lord, thy servant Arad-Nabu. May there

be peace to the king my lord ; may the gods ASSUR, SAMAS, 1
2
3
4
BEL, ZlRPANITUM, NABU, TASMETUM, ISTAR of NlNEVEH 5 (and) ISTAR of ARBELA, C these great gods, lovers of thy
king my lord live for a hundred years.
May
they satisfy the king my lord with old age and offspring.
The gold which, in the month Tisri, the ittu, the prefect
2 talents of standard
of the palace, and I with them, missed
rule, let the

gold (and) 6 talents of gold not standard

(this gold) the
7
placed in the house, he sealed it
8
and for the
up, (and) the gold for the image of the kings

hands of the rab-danibc

image of the king

mother he gave

Let the king

not.

my

lord give command to the ittu (and) the prefect of the

The beginning
palace, that they may discover the gold.

month is good. 9
them do the work. 10
of the

Let them give

it

to the

translation of this interesting

by me

tributed

to the

Let

text was con

Records of

series of the

first

men.

10

Since that time the text

Past, eleven years ago.
itself, with a translation, has been published by the
Rev. S. A. Smith in his Keilsclirifttexte Asurbanipals
tJie

(Heft
1
2

II,

plate

The Sun-god.
The consort

7,

and pp. 30-33); and

of Bel-Merodach,
3

creatress."

4
6
7

8
9

also con-

given as Zir-banitum,

also

"seed

"

Nebo,

"

the teacher.

She who hears," Nebo s consort.

Goddess of war.
chief of the
Apparently this word means
for the image of our king."
Or,
Apparently
good to begin the work."

"

10

Goddess of

love.

"

metal-workers."

"

"

The

following

is

arad-ka Arad-Nabu.

a transcription of the original text

Lusallmu ana

"

Ana

sarri belia,

sarri belia.

Assur, Samas, Bel, Zirpanitum, Nabu, Tasmetum, Istar sa Ninua, Istar sa Arba -ili, ilani annuti
raimuti
rabuti,
sarruti-ka, estin me sanati ana sarri belia luballidhu
sibutu littutu, ana sarri belia lusabbiu khuratsu sa ina arakh Tisriti ittu aba-egala
;

u anaku

issi-sunu nikhidhuni, salsu bilti khuratsu sakru, sissu

sakru
khuratsu ana tsalam sarrani,
Sarru beli ana itti ana aba-ggala
Res arkhi dhabdni. Ana ummani liddinu,

ina biti qata sa rabdanibe issakna, iktanak

ana tsalam sa ummi

dhSmu
Dullu
11

sarri la

liskun, khuratsu liptiu.

lipusu."

Vol.

xi.

pp. 75, 76.

iddin.

bilti la

ASSYRIAN CORRESPONDENCE
same work

tributed to the

(p. 86),

"

185

"

transla

free

which does not essentially differ from

that given above.
These translations are much better
than that which I gave at first, the improvements
tion in English,

made

being due to the advances which have been

in

the science of Assyriology since that was published.

The

principal difference in the translation occurs

the second part, this difference being caused by

we missed,"
translating the word nikhidhnni by
in

"

instead of
that a

hence

thief,

miss,"

"sinned"

man would

"transgressed."

"

24,
l

is

unlikely

The meaning
o

this rendering.
o

v.

It

voluntarily accuse himself of being

however, attached

Hebrew, Job
miss

or

to

thou shalt

this
visit

root,

of

occurs

thy fold

"

to
in

and shalt

so that the

meaning here proposed

word may be regarded as quite certain.
Another text referring to the making of images
will be found in S. A. Smith s KcilscJirifttcxtc Asnrnothing,"

for the

banipals,

Heft

NUMBER
The

an ^ pp. 39-43.

III, plates 12-13,

third text

which

give

is

a translation of a

or proclamation, apparently
very interesting
written by Assur-bani-apli, or Assurbanipal, to the
letter

Babylonians, whilst they were subject to Assyria.

After the usual royal greeting, the king speaks of
1
See also Tregcllcs
Revised version.
Miihlau and Volck s Gcsenius, under N

(Bagster

and

Sons),

and

RECORDS OF THE PAST

86

some rumour which had reached him, ancnt

certain

words uttered by a man whom he does not

name, but whom he speaks of as the wind (sant],
and farther on as the lord of slander (bel-dababi). 1

seditious

"

"

"

"

Apparently the Assyrian king wished it to be thought

that he considered this man s exhortations as simply
"vain,

empty

his notice

words,"

and the man himself as beneath

but the letter

thought both the

cient importance

itself indicates

man and
to

his

message

counteract

if

that he really
to be of suffi

he could.

He

therefore exhorts the Babylonians, in fairly vigorous

pay no attention to the lord of slander,"

and he warns them that they are responsible for the
payment of the tribute due to Assyria, which they
"

terms, to

seemed

inclined to pervert to the use of the

of the Assyrian king, or at least to raise as

his use until

enemy
much for

they could, with his help, throw off the

Hence the king s

Assyrian yoke.

anger, and

his

The text
impatience for a reply to his exhortation.
is made the more interesting by the fact that it not
only gives the
term of office

name
it

person by whom
the text is
84.

was
it

of the

eponym during whose

name of the
The number of
as well.

written, but the

was sent

TRANSLATION

The

me

will

of the king to the BABYLONIANS.

;
may there be good to you.

to your heart

Peace from
The words

1
It is not unlikely that this person was a certain Nabu-bel-sumati, a
descendant of Merodach-baladan, who took part in a revolt against Assurbanipal.
(See Gco. Smith s History of Assurbanipal, pp. 200-204.)

ASSYRIAN CORRESPONDENCE

187

for the third time now has spoken to you,

I have heard them.
Ye cannot govern
me).
(to
wind.
By the heart of ASSUR and MERODACH,
which it
gods, I swear that all the evil words,

which the wind

come

all

the

my

has spoken against me, I am treasuring up in my heart,

But artful is he
and I have spoken them with my mouth.
Thus the name of the BABYLONIANS
he has been artful.
itself is indeed evil unto me, and I do not listen to it.
Your brotherhood, which is with the ASSYRIANS/ and your

which

privileges,

had confirmed,

have established

2
I
ye are near to my heart.
command also, that ye listen not to his sedition. Uo not
make your name, which is before me, 3 and before all the
world, evil and commit not, yourselves, a sin against God.

more than

that

there

is

And

the equivalence of the word, which ye are treasur

It is this
ing up in your hearts, I know.
the tax, it is turned into our tribute." That
:

is

not that ye have equalised to

of

"

corban and

tax,"

is

it

with yourselves, and failure

Therefore now
before God.

lies
is

words ye

may

lyyar,

"

Literally
4

Literally

ignore

tribute

the matter

it

payment of tribute
concerning the agreement

send to you, that by these

with him.
Let me
The bond which I
letter.
I

my

23d

The sons

"which

of

MERODACH

this shall

hands.
day,

eponymy of

Samas-baladh su-iqbi has brought

1

will

not join yourselves

not be destroyed by

no

the

quickly see the answer to my

have made with BEL, the service of

Month

We

is

slanderer

my

that

"

it.

"

Assyria."

has been made before

Assur-dura-utsur.

Ye

(are) with

my

heart."

me."

"

lord of slander.
Literally "name."
7
the making of the tribute.
Or, "a sin."
Abat sarri ana
The following is a transcription of the original text
Dibbi sa sari salasis
Sallmu aasi libba-kunu lu-dhabu kunusi.
Babilaa.
aga idbubakkunusi, gabbu ittibbuni alteme-sunu. Saru la takipa-su. Ina
lib Assur,
Marduk, ilania attama k! dibbi bi sute mala ina mukhkhia
Alia niklu su, ittikil
idbubu, ina libbta kutstsupaku, u ina pia aqbu.
6

"

Literally

"

"

Literally

umma sumu

sa Babilaa raimani-su

ittia lu-bais,

u anaku

ul asimme-si.

marani mat Assur u kitinnuta-kunu, sa aktsuru, addi.

Abbittimma sarate-su la tasimma. Sunitti libbia attunu.
kunu, sa ina pania u ina pan matati gabbu banCi, la tuba asa, Ci ramanU sazatu amat sa itti libbi-kunu
kunu ina pan ill la tukhadhdha.
Assa nittekirus, ana bilti-ni itara.
kutstsupakunu, anaku idi, umma enna

Akhut-kunu sa
Eli sa enna su

itti

RECORDS OF THE PAST

88

There are several similar proclamations to

but probably none of them are

in

of preservation, though most of

this,

such a perfect state

them

more

are

in

teresting, because they give more precise historical

by mentioning the names of the persons

indications
to

whom
The

refer.

they

text

contains several

itself

lin

interesting

In addition to the expressions

guistic peculiarities.

already noted, the following may prove to be of

interest to the student: raimani-su "his own," for
t

probably pointing to a peculiarity of

:
sun-kunu for sumkunu, your name
pronunciation
ramani-su

"

"

(change of

into

;/

before k

uncommon

not

in

ye arc
kutstsupakunu for kutstsupatunu,
form
the
variant
a
most
important
treasuring up
su
is
ki
not
that
...
interesting phrases yanu
"

Assyrian)

"

"it

.
",

and

sfi

hi

"

..." it

is

that

and the use

of the demonstratives dgd and aganutc.

It

is

noteworthy,

king speaks

of

also,

God

that in two passages the

(//), not

raman-kunu, ina pan Hi

la

lib

ade ina pan Hi,

ment

is

before

God

and a
as

"),

if,

"

the
"

tukhadhdha,

not, yourselves, a sin before

"

of

God

"

"

gods

(u

and commit

u khadJidJm ina

concerning the agree

at the time he was writing
sin

Ul biltu si. Yanu su Id sumu kurbanu u assa itti bel-dababia tatasizza

su ki sakan bilte ina eli rameni-kunu u khadhdhu ina lib adS ina pan ili.
Enna adu altaprakkunusi, ki ina dibbi aganute itti-su raman-kunu la tudaKhandhis gabri sipirtia lumur. Kitsru sa ana Bel aktsur, sikipti
nipa.
Marduk aga ina qata-ya la ikhibbil.
SamasArkhu Aaru, umu esra-salsu, limmu Assur-dura-utsur.
;

baladh su-iqbi
1

ittubil."

In other passages of the text where the word occurs,

forms,

raman kunu and rameni-kunu,

oblique case with vowel harmony.

"yourselves."

it

has the regular

The

latter is

an

ASSYRIAN CORRESPONDENCE
these words, the

One-God

189

idea was uppermost in his

This was, probably, the result of a feeling

mind.

when monotheism, more or

was the possession of the Semitic race, or
that portion of it to which the Semitic Baby

inherited from the time

less pure,

at least

lonians or Assyrians and the Israelites belonged.

The

form

published in the 4th vol. of the Cunei

Inscriptions of Western Asia, plate 52 of the old
text

is

47 of the new. The colophon, accom

panied by a translation, was published by G. Smith
edition, plate

in his

History of Assnrbanipal,

this interesting

document

is

p. 181.

about 650

The date

of

B.C.

1
This question, which admits of a much fuller treatment and discus
sion than can be given to it here, is intimately bound up with the original
significance and use of the divine names Jah and Jahveh (Jehovah).

AKKADIAN HYMN TO THE SETTING

SUN
TRANSLATED BY G. BERTIN.

THE

following hymn is interesting because it appears

In
have formed part of the Babylonian ritual.
each temple, at certain hours of the day and night,

to

priests

devoted to

this

prayers or incantations.

had to

recite

certain

possess in the

British

office

We

Museum
this

(Table case A, Nos. 4 and 4a) two copies of

hymn. The first one is no doubt the temple copy,

and the colophon gives the time at which

repeated by

the priest.

The

might be called an ex-voto copy.

lonians, as the

it

other tablet

When

ill,

is

to be

is

what

the

Christians of the middle ages,

Baby
made

certain promises to the gods in case of recovery

fulfilment of the
to

be placed

vow

the

was generally a tablet which was

in the temple.

The same custom

pre

vailed also in Greece, but in Babylonia, literature being

the most highly-prized branch of the Fine Arts, the

ex-voto was as a rule the copy of an old tablet.

appears to have been composed in

Akkadian, the religious language of Babylon, but

This

is

hymn

given with an interlinear translation in Assyro-

HYMN
Babylonian

TO

HE SETTING SUN

191

the translation sometimes offers slight

divergences from the original text, which have been

noticed in the notes.

point to be observed is that the moon, who was

generally considered as a male god, is here regarded
as a goddess consort of the Sun-god.
In the ex-voto

copy she

is

called the sister of the Sun.

We

conclude from this variant that the Moon,

Babylonian as

in the

might
in

Egyptian mythology, was

the

sister

and wife of the Sun.

Throughout the hymn there seems to be a certain

Semitic or Hamitic rather than Akkadian under
current of thought.

Both copies are written in the later Babylonian

style of writing, and date probably from the reign of

Nebuchadnezzar the Great.

lished,
in

The

text has been

with a French translation and notes

the Revue

d Assyriologie,

vol.

i.

part

iv.

by

pub

myself,

HYMN TO THE SETTING SUN

O

Sun, in the middle of the sky, at thy setting,

the bright gates welcome thee favourably, 1
the door of heaven be docile to thee.

may
may

the god director, 2 thy faithful messenger, mark the way!

In E-BARA, 3 seat of thy royalty, he makes thy greatness
shine forth.

May

4
Moon, thy beloved spouse, come

the

May

to

meet thee

with joy. 5
May thy heart rest in peace.
May the glory of thy godhead remain with thee.
Powerful hero, O Sun shine gloriously. 6
!

Lord of E-BARA, direct in thy road thy foot rightly.

O Sun, in making thy way, take the path marked
rays

Thou

for thy

art the lord

of judgments over

all

nations.

COLOPHON OF THE TEMPLE COPY

This
it

is

after the

the

hymn

to the setting sun, the incantator

says

beginning of the night.

The Assyrian version has speak of peace to thee."

This is the god who walked in front of the Sun, the forerunner.
3 E-bara is the name of the
temple of the Sun-god.
4
One of the two copies says "thy beloved sister;" the Moon was
considered sometimes as wife, sometimes as sister of the Sun, as perhaps
1

"

being both.
5
The Assyrian has go in front of thee."
6 The
glorify thyself."
Assyrian has
7 This is the name of a class of
priests, whose functions were to repeat
"

"

certain prayers or incantations at certain hours.

HYMN

TO THE SETTING

SUN

193

First line of the next Tablet.

Sun, rising in the shining sky.

Tablet which Nabu-damik, son of

....

has copied and

translated from the old copy.

COLOPHON OF THE EX-VOTO COPY.

Nabu-balatsu-ikbi, son of E-sagilian, for the preservation
of his life has had this tablet written for Nebo, his lord, by
Nabu-epis-akhi, son of E-sagilian, and placed it in the temple

E-ZIDA.

When

tablets formed a series, each one always gave at the end the
In this case the line is important,
of the next tablet of the series.
because, as the hymn to the setting sun is given first, it shows that the
Babylonians, like the Jews, placed the night first.
1

first line

VOL.

II

THE MOABITE STONE

TRANSLATED BY DR.

THE

A.

NEUBAUER

Moabite stone was discovered by the Rev.

on the site of Dibon (now Dhiban), on the

F. Klein,
1

9th

of

Bekka

August

When

1868.

his attention

on

his

way

to the

was drawn by a friendly sheikh

to a black basalt stone in the vicinity of his tent.

This stone, about

ft.

10

in.

high, 2

ft.

in breadth,

and

14! in. in thickness, and rounded both at the top and

the bottom to nearly the shape of a semicircle, con
tained an inscription on one side consisting of thirtyThe discoverer, although he did not
four lines.

immediately recognise the importance of his

good sense enough

at Berlin.
infidels

to try to acquire

As soon

were

it

for the

find,

had

museum

as the natives learned that the

search of the monument, they began

persons they could get hold of in it.

in

to interest all

Captain Warren (of the Palestine Exploration Fund)

was informed of its existence some weeks after Klein s
discovery, but

knowing that the Berlin Museum was

already concerned in the matter, he took no steps

towards its acquisition till 1869.
However, whilst
the negotiations of the Prussian Government were

THE MOABITE STONE

195

making only slow progress, everything in the East

moving but slowly, M. Clermont-Ganneau, then drago

man

of the French Consulate in Jerusalem, wisely

took at once the necessary steps for procuring squeezes

and copies of the inscription, and finally endeavoured

buy the monument

Fortunately he was
successful in his attempt to obtain a squeeze of the
inscription while the stone was still in its entirety, for
to

it

soon became too

ties

had begun

itself.

After the Turkish authori

late.

to interfere,

Bedouins of the

the

country of Dhiban, rather than give up the monu

ment for the benefit of the Pasha and Mudir, broke
the stone

by

making a fire under it, and then

it, and subsequently distributed

first

pouring cold water on

the pieces among themselves to be used as amulets

and charms. Thus, through the zeal of those who

acted in the

name

the earliest Semitic

characters

was

of two

European

monuments

countries,

one of

written in alphabetical

irretrievably ruined.

For a detailed history of the vicissitudes under

gone by the stone, I must refer to Dr. Ginsburg s
second edition of

his

work on the Moabite

M. Heron de

and

to

title

below,

p.

196),

Villefosse s

who does

not,

inscription,

notice

(see full

however,

even

mention the name of Klein.

of the inscription

Happily more than half

remained intact, and M. Clermontand

Ganneau

measure

the lacunae in the text, as

squeezes

copies

supply in large
may be seen from

an inspection of the original monument, which now

adorns the museum of the Louvre. It stands there

RECORDS OF THE PAST

196

being supplied from

from this monument,

in its original shape, the lacunae

And

the squeezes and copies.

by Professors Rudolf Smend

as reproduced in 1886

and Albert Socin,

which

shall give the translation

follows.

would be superfluous

It

to

mention

in detail all

The

the literature that bears upon the stone.

reader

given up to 1875 in M. Heron de Villemonograph under the title of Notice des

will find

fosse s

it

monuments provenant de

la

Palestine,

to the countries

Paris,

to

1876,

which the

arranged according
It is seldom that such a number
authors belong.
of names can be found contributing to a subject of
Oriental study, as was the case with the Moabite

Villefosse s
lagi

and Ch.)

Burton (A. F.
Bonelly
Colenso (Bishop)
*Clermont-Ganneau
(D.)

Bensly

Derenbourg
(A.)

alphabetical

Beke

in

names being taken from M. Heron de

work.
They are Auerbach (J.) Bal-

the

order,

mention them

shall

inscription.

(J.)

Deutsch

*Ginsburg (Ch. D.)

(E.)

Fabiani

Goldziher

Geiger

Grove

(G.)

Halevy (Abraham) Harkavy Haug Hayes Ward;

^Heron de Villefosse Himpel *Hitzig Howard
*Kaempf; Levi (M.A.)
Crosby; Jenkins (G.)
*Noeldeke
Merx Neubauer (A.)
Oppert (J.)
Palmer (E. H.) Petermann Rawlinson (G. and Sir
Renan Rouge (Vicomte de) Sabatier Sachs
H.)
;

Smend

*Schlottmann
;

Schrader

(E.)

Schroeder

*Vogue (Comte de) Warren

Weier; Wright (W.). The names to which

Socin

(Sir Ch.);

(S.)

Testa

THE MOABITE STONE

197

prefixed are those of authors who have

published separate works on the subject ; the contri

an asterisk

is

butions of the others are scattered through periodicals

and daily and weekly papers, in many languages,

viz., English, French, Italian, German, Hebrew, and
Greek (Schroeder). I shall not supply here the titles
of the periodicals nor of the separate

monographs

be done either by M. ClermontGanneau when he gives us his final commentary on

this

hope

will

the inscription, or in a second edition of the pamphlet

published by Professors Smend and Socin.

Our

bibliographical

list

without a notice of the Rev. A.

"

The apocryphal

the

ScottisJi

be

not

will

article

character of the Moabite

Rcviciu for

April

complete
on

Lowy s

Stone"

Mr.

1887.

in

Lowy s

article was ingenious, but, as was pointed out in the

Athenceum, Academy, and Guardian, was destitute of
paLxographical support, and his conclusions have not

been accepted by any other Semitic scholar.

M. Clermont-Ganneau promised as far back as
1875 a final publication of this important inscription
according to all the materials at his disposal. But of
this edition

tisement.

nothing exists except a bookseller s adver

In a catalogue of M. Ernest Leroux, 1878,

M. Clermont-Ganneau

final

publication

nounced under the following title

Mesa, roi de Moab (ix e siecle avant
:

tion definitive, avec les photographies

et

de

La

J.

was

an

stele

C.).

de

Edi

du monument

plan du pays ou la stele fut

plusieurs
planches d inscriptions, fac-

estampage,

decouverte,

"

le

RECORDS OF THE PAST

198

simile, vignette, etc. (sous presse),

20

to the

Up

fr."

present date nothing more has been heard

of this

authoritative edition.

In

1885

Smend

two

German

Rudolf

Dr.

professors,

of Bale and Dr. Albert Socin of Tubingen,

seeing that the long-expected edition of

Ganneau had been postponed

M. Clermont-

indefinitely,

and feeling

the necessity of such an edition for the purposes of

instruction in the

university, decided to

make one

with the help of the original in the Louvre, and

of the squeeze made by the Arab for M. Clennont-

Ganneau, as well as of another squeeze in the library

of Bale.
The edition, which is the result of hard,
minute, and skilful labour on the part of the two
professors, is now the final and authoritative edition
of the inscription, although contested on

many

points

by M. Clermont-Ganneau in an article (not always

impartially written) in the Journal A siatique for 1887,
tome ix. p. 72 sqg., and by M. Renan in the Journal
des Savants,

1887.

In

my

translation

shall notice

the differences between M. Clermont-Ganneau

ings and those of the two
remarks of my own.

Let

me

read

professors, adding a few

say at once that the

last four lines of the

inscription are hopelessly inexplicable owing to the

lacunae found in them.

The
the

object of the inscription

victory

of

Mesha over

is

his

to

commemorate

Israelitish

enemy.

Chemosh was once angry with Moab and caused

them

to lose territory

and even

to

be conquered by

THE MOA BITE STONE

Israel.

199

Chemosh then showed favour to his nation

The Moabites not only
victorious.

and Moab was

recaptured the towns they had lost, but added others

to them which they took from Israel.
Mesha cap
(?) of the god or goddess Dodo and
and
hewed
them in pieces before Chemosh,
Jahweh,
Mesha
just as Samuel hewed Agag before Jahweh.

tured the priests

took great pains to construct cisterns in some of the

towns belonging to Moab. The Moabite dialect is
tinged with non-biblical words and forms, but the
The characters are
construction remains biblical.
Phoenician,

and form a

link

between those of the

Baal Lebanon inscription (of the tenth century

and those of the Siloam text.

B.C.),

THE MOABITE STONE

1.

Mesha son

I,

King of MOAB

Chemosh-melech

of

the Di2.

BONiTE. 2

3.

and I reigned after my

My

CHEMOSH
see
i

5.

my

[was]

at

father.

KoRKHAH. 4

he saved

vation, for

4.

father reigned over

me

MOAB

thirty years

made this monument

A monument of Sal-

from

all

invaders,

and

all

oppress MOAB.

my

days

CHEMOSH 6

see my desire on him and

ISRAEL surely perished for ever.

The

other

In

will

7.

is

me

Omr-

enemies.

upon
my
King of ISRAEL, and he oppressed MOAB many
desire

days, for CHEMOSH was angry with his

His son followed him, and he also said
land.

6.

let

to

land

letter

I shall

said,

And

house.

his

Omri took

the

of

possible.

is

doubtful according to M. Clermont-Ganneau, but no

Chemosh-melech is a compound analogous to Eli-

melech.
2

is said to have been built by Gad

(Numb, xxxii. 34).
Probably a round number like 40 in 1. 8.
Most likely a district of Dibon, perhaps alluded to in Isaiah

Dibon

xv. 2.

Smend-Socin read p?DH "the Kings," which would presuppose an

allied force, of which there is no further question in the inscription, nor
does the Bible mention that Mesha was assisted in his revolt by allies.
The O is according to M. Clermont-Ganneau doubtful. The following
restorations are possible:
xi.

18,

p?nn
6

A.V.
"the

"pelican,"

misfortunes"

ist,

p^KTI

or

"misery,"

Comp.

"freebooters."

or identical with

jHP^n,

Comp.

"pK*

"swordsmen."

Lev.
2d,

Ps. x. 8.

The reading "Q13 by S. S. is not idiomatic -HfD would do better.

According to M. C.-G. there seems to be the trace of a
following the D.
I propose therefore the word
[Kt3] 3.
7
S.S. read "all the land
of the word all
According to M. C.-G.
;

"

there

is

no

trace in the inscription.

THE MOABITE STONE

1
MEDEBA, and [ISRAEL] dwelt

8.

in

it

during his days and

half of the days of his son, altogether forty years.

But there dwelt in it 3

CHEMOSH

in

my

BAAL-MEON

I built

days.
therein the ditches

9.

and made

I built

6
the men of GAD dwelled in the land
of ATAROTH 7 from of old, and built there the King of
ISRAEL ATAROTH; and I made war against the town

KiRjATHAiN:

10.

11.

and seized

And

it.

slew

all

the [people of]

CHEMOSH and MOAB I

and
Arel^ of DODA

the town, for the pleasure of

captured from there the

12.

tore
in KERIOTH: IG And
SRN n and the men

him before CHEMOSH

13.

men

therein the

of

Reuben (Numbers

city in

xxi.

30)

later

placed

belonging to

Moab

(Isaiah xv. 2).

round number, nearer

3 S.
S.

translate

better sense.
4

to 40 than to
and Chemosh gave

Comp.

30.

back

it

"

i"Q

[3t^]

l|

gives a

line 33.

Also Beth-baal-meon, a city in Reuben, Josh. xiii. 17.

nit^X is perhaps an Arabic plural form of nCllt^.
Kirjathaim, a city in Reuben (Numb, xxxii. 37).

city in

Gad (Numb,

xxxii. 3).

Arel or Ariel in z Sam. xxiii. 20 means no doubt heroes where the

A.V. has "he slew two lionlike men of Moab;" and the R.V., "he
slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab."
Perhaps it was a dialectic word
we find a son of Gad with the
peculiar to the trans-Jordanic country
name of Areli (Gen. xlvi. 16 Numb. xxvi. 17).
It is used also in
Isaiah xxxiii. 7, A.V. and R.V.
their valiant ones" (the Hebrew being
valiant ones," parallel to the following
Erelam, perhaps better Erelim,
expression, "the messengers of peace," or "messengers of Shalem,"
i.e.
LXX. /cat
Possibly the word
Jerusalem).
(Isaiah xv. 9
A.V.
lions upon him
a lion upon him
Isaiah xxi.
R.V.
A/M7?A
;

"

"

H^N

"

"

LXX.

8;

as a

"

"

Ovpiav

A.V.

"And

he

cried,

lion;"

R.V.

"and

he cried

"

hero
or "watchman called out") should be
read Aryah, a compound of Ar and yah, analogous to Ar-el.
And so
Ariel is also the name of the stronghold
perhaps in 2 Sam. xxiii. 20.
(Zion) of David (Isaiah xxix. i, 2), and later of a part (? the Holy of
LXX. dptTjX A.V. and R.V.
Holies) of the Temple (Ezekiel xliii. 15, 16
lion;"

better

"the

altar).
9

Or Dodo, perhaps connected with the Carthaginian Dido.

The
persons named Dodo in the Bible are usually heroes (2 Sam. xxiii. 9, 24)
thus we have Dodavahu (2 Chr. xx. 37) and Dodai (i Chr. xxvii. 4), where
Dodo is compounded with Yahu. In our inscription Dodo is parallel with
;

Yahveh
10
11

(line 17).

Amos
city in Moab (Jer. xlviii. 24
Perhaps to be pronounced Sharon.
;

ii.

2).

RECORDS OF THE PAST

14.

of

MKHRTH. 1 And CHEMOSH

NEBO 2 upon Israel and

said to me,

Go

seize

went in the night and fought against it from the

break of dawn till noon and I took
3
3
1 6.
it, and slew all, 7000 men, [boys?],
women, [girls],
4
1
I devoted
7. and female slaves, for to ASHTAR-CHEMOSH
them.
And I took from it the Arels b of JAHVEH
and tore them before CHEMOSH. And the King ofISRAEL built
6
1 8.
jAHAz, and dwelt in it, whilst he waged war against
me ; CHEMOSH drove him out before me. And
19. I took from MOAB 200 men, all chiefs, and transported
them to JAHAZ, which I took
20. to add to it DIBON.
I built KORKHAH, the wall of
15.

the forests and the wall

21.

of the citadel

built its gates

and

I built its towers.

And
22.

I built

23.

And

of the town.

of the town of

Make
24.

MOLOCH, and

the house of

the water ditches

in the

there was

made

sluices of

middle

no

KORKHAH, and

cistern in the
I said to all

middle

the people,

for

yourselves every man a cistern in his house.

8
dug the canals for KORKHAH by means

prisoners
25. of ISRAEL.

built

AROER and

[the province of] the

ARNON.

made

And

of the

the road in

I()

[And]

comp. in i Sam. xxii. 5, the name of a forest

in Me-deba (Numb. xxi. 30).
Most probably a city near Mount Nebo in Moab.
3
M. Clermont-Ganneau contests the reading of Smend and Socin.
In his restoration only }~1Q and D"ID could give a sense, viz.
Men and
masters, women, mistresses" (where n~ID would have to be derived from
the form HID).
4
The male divinity of Ashtoreth, which is to be found in Himyaritic
inscriptions, compounded with Chemosh.
1

in

Perhaps Me-Hereth

Moab and

the prefix

Me

The parallelism of line 12 requires vJOX here.

M. ClermontGanneau makes too many objections to this reading here and elsewhere.
5

6
8
10

Moab (Isaiah xv. 4).

See above, line 9.
9
Literally "the cuttings."
City in Moab (Deut.
torrent in Moab (Numb. xxi. 13 sqq. )
City in

ii.

36).

THE MOABITE STONE

26.

built

BETH-BAMOTH,

BEZER,

for

it

203

was destroyed.

I built

for in ruins

And

28.

the chiefs] 3 of DIBON were 50, for

4
subject ; and I placed
5
one hundred [chiefs] in the towns which I added to

29.

BETH-MEDEBA

27.

[it

was.
all

DIBON

the land

I built

BAAL-MEON
herds

all

is

and BETH-DIBLATHAIN 7 and BETHand transported thereto the [shep

(?)...

32.

9
of the flocks of the land.
And
HORONAIM 10 dwelt there ll
... And CHEMOSH said to me, Go down, make war
upon HORONAIM. I went down [and made war]
... And CHEMOSH dwelt 12 in it during my days. I

33.

... And

and the pastors]

30.

at

31.

went up from thence

I

...

Bamoth (Numb. xxi. 10 and Isaiah xv. 2, where the

L
L
perhaps 33,5 pHl JTlEQn JV2 H.5JJ) Perhaps identical
with Bamoth Baal (Joshua xiii. 17).
2
3
I supply E[1
City in Reuben (Deut. iv. 43).
NH].
Most

likely

right reading

is

^l

TIKPO.

City in

(Isaiah xv. 2).

Reuben (Numb.
I

read

Beth-Diblathaim, a city

xlviii.
10

11
13

xxi.

&OTD nn

town of Reuben,

in

later

30),
for

Moab

nNtt [tn].

afterwards belonging to Moab

of Smend and Socin.

N^mO ID

(Jer.

xlviii.

belonging to

22).

Moab

(Josh.
y

23).

city in

Moab

(Isaiah xv. 5; Jer. xlviii. 3, 5, 34).

of Smend and Socin

See the same expression in line 8.

The reading

lyi

is

here too doubtful.

xiii.

17

Jer.

TABLE OF THE EGYPTIAN DYNASTIES

LIST OF KINGS OF ASSYRIA

Sargon asserts that he was preceded by 330 Assyrian kings.

HIGH-PRIESTS OF THE GOD ASSUR AT ASSUR (KALEH

SHERGHAT)

.......
......

Isme-Dagon
Samsi-Rimmon

Igur-kapkapu

son

I his

Samsi-Rimmon
of Assur)

KINGS OF ASSYRIA

Ada
1

si

In

.....

Khallu
Irisum his son

"

1850
1820

II his son (builder of the temple

Bel-kapkapu

B.C.
cir.

the founder of the

"

monarchy

........
W.

A.

I.

i.

35. 3. 24-26,

we must read Bel-kapkapi sarru pani

tsulili-sa ultu ulla Assur ibbti simaBel-kapkapu a former king who went before me, the founder of the
monarchy, for whose protection Assur had from remote times proclaimed
There is no mention of a king Tsulili.
his destiny."

alik

makhri qudmu sarntti

"

su,

sa

ana

RECORDS OF THE PAST

206

B.C.

Bel-Bani his son

Assur-suma-esir

Uras-tuklat-Assuri his son (contemporary of

gas- Sipak of Babylonia)

Mur-

Erba-Rimmon
Assur-nadin-akhi his son

.......
......
......
......

(contemporary of Kara-indas of

Assur-bil-nisi-su

Babylonia)

Buzur-Assur (contemporary of Burna-buryas of

Babylonia)
l

Assur-yuballidh

Bel-nirari his son

Pudilu his son
Rimmon-nirari I his son (contemporary of NaziUrus of Babylonia)
Shalmaneser I his son (the founder of Calah)
2
Tiglath-Uras I his son
.

.....
.....
.

cir.

1430
1400
1380
1360
1340
1320
1300

1
Buzur-Assur was a con
Synchronistic Tablet
According to the
temporary of Burna-buryas of Babylonia, and since two of the royal cor
respondents of Amenophis IV Khu-en-Aten of Egypt, as we learn from
the newly-discovered cuneiform tablets of Tel el-Amarna, were Assur-

yuballidh of Assyria and Burna-buryas of Babylonia, it is probable that

According to the
Assur-yuballidh was the successor of Buzur-Assur.
Muballidhat-Serua
"Synchronistic Tablet" Assur-yuballidh s daughter
was the mother of Kara-Urus, king of Babylonia, who was murdered and
succeeded by an usurper Nazi-bugas.
Nazi-bugas himself had to make
way for Kur-galzu the younger, the son of Burna-buryas.
2
to
was
carried to Babylon B.C. 1290
seal belonging
Tiglath-Uras
and recovered by Sennacherib 600 years later. Unfortunately we do not
know whether the seal was carried away during the lifetime of TiglathUras or after his death. In any case his date must be earlier than B.C.

1290.

LIST OF KINGS OF ASSYRIA

.[......

Assur-narara

Nebo-dan

his son

Uras-pileser

son 2
Mutaggil-Nebo his son
3
Assur-ris-isi his son
Tiglath-pileser I his son
Assur-bil-kala his son
I his

I his

1190
1170
1150
1130

mo

.....

brother

1250
1230

1210

Samsi-Rimmon

B.C.
cir.

Bel-kudurra-utsur

Assur-dan

207

1090
1070

Assur-rab-buri

Tiglath-pileser II
Assur-dan II his son

Rimmon-nirari II his son

Tiglath-Uras II his son
Assur-natsir-pal his son

....
.

Shalmaneser II his son

Assur-dain-pal his son (rebel king)
.

Samsi-Rimmon

II his brother

Rimmon-nirari III
Shalmaneser III
Assur-dan III
Assur-nirari

his

son

Pulu (Pul, Poros) usurper

Shalmaneser IV Ulula usurper
.

(?

B.C.

Tiglath-pileser III

Sargon

950
930

Jareb) usurper

911

889
883
858
825
823
810
781
771
753
745
727
722

1
These two kings were contemporaries of the Babylonian king Rimmonsuma-natsir, for whom cf. Records of the Past, new Ser., i. p. 16, no. 24.
2
contemporary of the Babylonian king Zamama-nadin-sumi, Records,

new
3

Ser.,

i.

p.

16, no. 27.

contemporary of the Babylonian king Nebo-kudurra-utsur.

Defeated by Merodach-nadin-akhi of Babylonia in B.C. 1106 accord
see Records, new Ser., i. p. 87.
ing to Sennacherib
4

RECORDS OF THE PAST

208

B.C.

...

705
681

Assur-bani-pal (Sardanapallos) his son

668

Sennacherib his son

Esar-haddon I his son

......
....

Assur-etil-ilani-yukinni his son

Sin-sarra-iskun

Esar-haddon II (Sarakos)
Destruction of Nineveh
1

He was

still

648?

606

reigning over Babylonia in his 4th year.

EGYPTIAN CALENDAR
Alexandrine

Year begins

August 29
September 28
October 28

November
December

27
27

January 26
February 25

March

27
April 26

May

26

June 25
July 25

August 24-28
1

The Alexandrine

year began

B. c.

25.

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