Sennacherib 024

(i 1) [Sennacherib], great king, [strong] king, [king of the world, king of Assyria], king of [the four quarters (of the world), capable shepherd], favorite of the [great] gods, [guardian of truth who lov]es ju[stice, (i 5) renders assistance, goes to] the aid of [the weak, (and) strives after good deeds, perfect] man, [virile warrior, fore]most of all [rulers, the bridle that controls] the insub[missive, (and) the one who strikes enem]ies [with lightning]:

(i 9b) The god Aššur, the [great] mounta[in, gran]ted to [me unrivalled sovereignty and] made my weapons gr[eater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) dais]es. He made [all] of the black-headed (people) [from the] Upp[er S]ea of the Setting Sun [to] the Lower Sea of the Rising Su[n] bow down at [my] feet. (i 15) Thus did [recalcitrant] rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats (living) in crevices to inaccessible place(s).

(i 19) On my first campaign, I brought [about] the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddi[na] (II) (Me­ro­dach-ba­la­dan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), [toge]ther with the troops of (the land) Elam, his allies, in the plai[n of Kish]. In the midst of that bat[tle he abandoned his] ca[mp], fl[ed] alone, [and (thereby) saved his life. I seized the chariots], hors[es, ...] (i 25) ... [...] ... [...]

(ii 1') ... [... I called it] Kār-Sennac[herib. I settled therein] the people of the lands that [I] had conquer[ed]. I placed (it) under the authority of a eun[uch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar], and (thus) en[larged my land].

(ii 5'b) [On my return march, I received] a [substantial] payme[nt] from the [distant] Mede[s, of whose land] no[ne of the kings], my ancestors, [had heard mention. (Thus) I made them bow down] to the yo[ke of my lordship].

(vi 1') [The god Adad (and) the goddess Šala, god]s [of the city Ekallātum whom Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē, king of Ak]kad, [had taken and] br[ought to Babyl]on [during the reign of Tiglath-pil]eser (I), [king of Assyria] — I had (them) [brought out of] Babylon [after 418 years and] I returned them [to the city Ekallātum, th]eir (proper) [place].

(vi 7') [I destroyed, devastated, (and) bur]ned [with fire the city, and (its) buildings, from its foundations t]o its crenellations. [I removed bricks] and earth, as much as there was, [from] the inner (and) outer walls, [the temples, (and) the ziggurrat, and] (vi 10´) I threw (it) [into the A]raḫtu [River]. I dug a canal [into the center of that city] and (thus) [lev]eled [their site with water. I destroyed] the outline of its foundations [and (thereby) made] its destruction [surpass that of the] Deluge. [So that in the futu]re, the site of that city [and (its) temples] will be unrecognizable, [I dissolved] it (Babylon) [in water] and annihilated (it), (making it) like a meadow.

(vi 17') [...] ... who preceded/goes before [...] ... [...]