Although Nabonidus' inscribed objects are never dated, it is possible to suggest dates of composition for many of that king's official texts, as P.-A. Beaulieu and H. Schaudig have already attempted.[[161]] In general, those two scholars agree in their dating,[[162]] but disagree significantly on their proposed dates of Nabonidus 3 (Babylon Stele), 46 (Ḫarrān Cylinder), and 53.[[163]] The authors of the present volume more or less agree with dates proposed by Beaulieu or Schaudig, but suggest alternatives in a few cases, in particular Nabonidus 23 (Ebabbar Cylinder), which, based on a recently-published inscription (Nabonidus 22) and a text published for the first time in this book (Nabonidus 21), likely dates to the beginning of Nabonidus' seventeen-year reign, rather than to his tenth regnal year (546).[[164]] The chart below is intended to aid the reader in understanding the dates proposed by Beaulieu, Schaudig, and the present authors. The text numbers in the 'this volume' column in bold font indicates that the present authors propose a date that differs from those suggested by both Beaulieu and Schaudig, while the text numbers in italics indicates the dates of texts that were published after those two scholars' books.
| Proposed Date | Beaulieu | Schaudig | This volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning of the reign | — | Nabonidus 13 | Nabonidus 13 |
| Middle of year 1 (555) | Nabonidus 3 | — | Nabonidus 3 |
| Second half of year 2 (554) | Nabonidus 34, 36, 39 | Nabonidus 34, 36, 39 | Nabonidus 21–22, 23, 34, 36, 39 |
| End of year 2 (554) | Nabonidus 24–25 | Nabonidus 24–25, 1008 | Nabonidus 24–25 |
| First years of the reign | — | — | Nabonidus 41, 1002, 1006 |
| Between years 3 (553) and 10 (546), possibly before year 6 (550) | Nabonidus 19 | Nabonidus 19 | Nabonidus 19 |
| Between years 4 (552) and 13 (543), possibly year 6 (550) | Nabonidus 26 | Nabonidus 26 | Nabonidus 26, 54, 56, 57–61 |
| Year 7 (549) or later | Nabonidus 10 | Nabonidus 10 | Nabonidus 10, 11–12 |
| Between years 9 (547) and 11 (545) | Nabonidus 18 | Nabonidus 18 | Nabonidus 18 |
| Year 10 (546) or before | Nabonidus 42 | ||
| Year 10 (546) | Nabonidus 15–16, 23 | Nabonidus 15–16, 23 | Nabonidus 15–16 |
| Between years 3 (553) and 13 (543) | Nabonidus 46 | Nabonidus 55 | Nabonidus 55 |
| After year 13 (after Nabonidus' return from Arabia; 543) | Nabonidus 51 | Nabonidus 3, 27, 48–53 | Nabonidus 27, 51, 2001 |
| After year 13 (543), possibly year 14 (542) or 15 (541) | Nabonidus 43, 47 | Nabonidus 43, 47, 2001 | Nabonidus 43, 47–50 |
| Between years 13 (543) and 16 (540) | Nabonidus 17 | Nabonidus 17 | Nabonidus 17 |
| After year 13 (543), probably year 16 | Nabonidus 27–29 | Nabonidus 28–29, 40, 46 | Nabonidus 28–29, 30, 46, 52 |
161 See Beaulieu, Nabonidus pp. 1–42; and Schaudig, Inschriften Nabonids pp. 47–48 and passim.
162 These two scholars differ marginally on the date of Nabonidus 27. P.-A Beaulieu proposes that that text was composed after Nabonidus' 13th regnal year (543), probably in his 16th year as king (540), while H. Schaudig (Inschriften Nabonids pp. 48 and 447) simply indicates that it was written sometime after the king's return from Arabia in 543.
163 P.-A. Beaulieu (Nabonidus pp. 21, 42, and 240–241) suggests that Nabonidus 3 (Babylon Stele) was composed in the middle of Nabonidus' first regnal year (555) and that Nabonidus 46 (Ḫarrān Cylinder) was written sometime between the king's third (553) and thirteenth (543) years on the throne. He proposes no date for Nabonidus 53. H. Schaudig (Inschriften Nabonids pp. 48, 472, 515, and 545) dates Nabonidus 3 (Babylon Stele) and 53 to the period after Nabonidus' thirteenth regnal year (544–539) and Nabonidus 46 (Ḫarrān Cylinder) to the king's sixteenth year (540). Further details about the dating of these texts will be treated in the commentaries of those three texts.
164 See Beaulieu, Nabonidus pp. 30–31; and Schaudig, Inschriften Nabonids p. 48.
Frauke Weiershäuser & Jamie Novotny
Frauke Weiershäuser & Jamie Novotny, 'Proposed Dates of the Texts of Nabonidus', RIBo, Babylon 7: The Inscriptions of the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty, The RIBo Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2022 [/ribo/babylon7/RINBE2Introduction/DatingandChronology/ProposedDatesoftheTextsofNabonidus/]