Sennacherib 046

(1) Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), the wise (and) capable favorite of the great gods, virile warrior, [fo]remost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, (and) the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

(2b) The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my w[eapon]s greater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) daises. He made all of the rulers of the (four) quarters (of the world) from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the [Lo]wer Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet.

(3b) On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Me­ro­dach-ba­la­dan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), together with the troops of (the land) Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. He, in order to save his (own) life, fled alone, and (then) I seized the chariots, wagons, horses (and) mules that he had abandoned.

(5b) I entered his palace, which is in Babylon, and (then) I opened his treasury and carried off gold, silver, gold (and) silver utensils, precious stones, the possessions (and) property of his palace.

(6b) I captured and plundered his strong cities (and) the fortresses of Chaldea, together with the small(er) settlements in their environs. On my return march, I defeated and plundered the Aramaens (living) on the banks of the Tigris River (and) the Euphrates River.

(7b) In the course of my campaign I received a substantial payment from the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu (Ḫarutu). I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I reorganized that city (and) imposed one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, (and) twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria.

(9b) On my second campaign, I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians. In the mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

(10b) I conquered and plundered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, (and) Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. Moreover, I destroyed (and) devastated their small(er) settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions (and) their tents.

(11b) I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again, and (then) I settled therein the people of the lands that I had conquered. I placed them under the authority of the governor of the city Arrapḫa.

(12b) I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and fled far away. I conquered and plundered the cities Marubištu (and) Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with smal­l(er) settlements in their environs, (and then) I destroyed (them), devastated (them), (and) burned (them) with fire. I conquered the cities Ṣi(ṣ)ṣirtu (and) Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the small(er) settlements in their environs. I detached from his land the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added (this area) to the territory of Assyria.

(15b) I took the city Elenzaš as a fortress for that district, (and then) I changed its (former) name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled therein the people of the lands that I had conquered. I placed (it) under the authority of the governor of the city Ḫarḫar.

(17b) On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. (Thus) I made them bow down to my yoke.

(18) On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled from the city Tyre to Yadnana (Cyprus), which is in the midst of the sea, and disappeared. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne and imposed upon him payment (in recognition) of my overlordship.

(19b) In the plain of the city Ušû, the kings of the land Amurru brought their substantial tribute before me.

(20b) Moreover, (as for) Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not submitted to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, together with [his] family, and took him to Assyria.

(21b) I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their [former king, over the peopl]e of the city Ashkelon and imposed up[on] him the payment (in recognition) of my overlordship.

(22) In the course of my campaign, I plundered the cities of his (Ṣidqâ’s) that had not submitted to me. (As for) the governors and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah, they became frightened on account of the villaino[us acts] they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt (and) the archers, chariots, (and) horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number.

(24b) In the plain of the city Eltekeh, I fought with them and defeated them. I captured alive the Egyptian [cha]rioteers and princes (lit. “the sons of the king”), together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

(25b) [I approached] the city Ekron [and] I killed with the sword the governors who had committed crime(s); I counted the citizens who had committed the crimes as booty; (and) [I commanded that] the rest of them, (those) who were not guilty of wrongdoing, [be allowed to go free].

(26b) I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed (him) on the throne over them, and (then) I imposed upon him payment (in recognition) of my overlordship.

(27b) (As for) Hezekiah of [the land] Judah, <who> had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and settlements in their environs, which were without number. I counted (them) as booty.

(28b) As for him (Hezekiah), I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, [like a bird in a cage]. I set up blockades against him. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave (them) to the king[s of] the cities [Ashdo]d, Ashkelon, Ekron, (and) Gaza, and (thereby) made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment (of) gifts and imposed (it) upon them.

(30b) As for him, Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, every kind of treasure of his palace, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, (and) female singers brought into Nineveh and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver (this) payment.

(33) On my fourth campaign, I marched to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu (Mušēzib-Marduk), a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. As for him, he became frightened of my weapons, and (then) he fled alone and his (hiding) place could not be found.

(34b) I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. He — Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), whom I had defeated during my first campaign — became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons. He fled to the city Nagītu, which is in the midst of the sea. I carried off his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, (together with) the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes. Once again I destroyed (and) burned with fire his cities. On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my son, on his lordly throne and entrusted him (with the land of Sumer and Akkad).

(37b) On my fifth campaign: The men of the city Tumurrum, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to my yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

(39b) Like a fierce wild bull, with my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of them (the soldiers in my camp). I proceeded through the gorges (and) the rugged mountain slopes in (my) chair. Where it was too difficult for (my) chair, I leapt forward on my (own) two feet like a mountain goat. Where my knees gave out (and) became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to (quench) my thirst.

(41b) I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire their cities.

(42b) I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road against Maniye, the insubmissive king of the city Ukku. None of the kings of the past, (who came) before me, had marched through the difficult paths on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my combat troops, ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

(45) He, Maniye, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force, and (then) he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I entered his palace and carried off every kind of possession (and) property, (which were) without number, his substantial treasure. I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire his cities, and made (them) like ruin hill(s) (created by) the Deluge.

(48) On my sixth campaign: Against the cities Nagītu (and) Nagītu-diʾbina, cities of the king of the land Elam whose dwellings are situated on the other shore of the Bitter Sea, (and) [the people of] Bīt-Yakīn, who became afraid of the [mig]hty weapon(s) of the god Aššur and abandoned their settlements, cr[oss]ed the Bitter Sea, and [...] ... on the far shore.

(56) The god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I ordered the mar[ch] against them, to the land Nagītu. I settled in Nineveh the people of the land [Ḫa]tti plundered by my [bow(s)] and they skillfully built magnificent ships, a product characteristic of their land. I gave orders to sailors of the cities Tyre (and) Sidon, (and) the land Io[n]ia, whom I had captured. They (my troops) let (the sailors) sail down the Tigris River with them downstream to the city Opis.

(62b) Then, from the city Opis, they lifted them (the boats) up onto dry land and dragged th[em] on rollers t[o Sippar and] guided them into the Araḫtu canal, (where) they let them sail downstream to the canal of Bīt-Dakkuri, which is in Chaldea. (65) ... I loaded onto boats my fierce ...s, who do not k[now] fear, my crack bodyguard, and my valiant combat troops, who do not ..., and I gave [the]m provisions. I loaded grain and straw for the steeds with them. My warriors sailed down the Euphrates River on the boats, (70) while I accompanied them on dry land, and (then) I made my way to the city Bāb-salimeti. When I lifted [my] head, [...] ... from the bank of the Euphrates to the shore of [the sea], a distance covered in two double hours of marching. [...] ... [... I was not conc]erned. I pitched camp in that place. The high tide of the sea rose mightily, and (then) (75) entered my tent and completely surrounded my entire camp. For five days and nights, on account of the strong [wate]r, all of my soldiers had to sit curled up as though they were in cages.