Sennacherib 049

(1) [Palace of Sennacherib], great [king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), favorite of the great gods, wise prince], circumsp[ect ru]ler, shepherd of [the pe]op[le, (and) leader of a widespread population, I]:

(3b) [The goddess Bēlet-ilī, the lady of creat]ion, [looked steadfastly upon me and created my features] (while I was still) in the womb of the mot[her who g]ave birth to [me. Moreover, the god Ninšiku ga]ve me wide understanding equal to (that of) the sage Ada[pa (and) endowed me with broad knowledge].

(5) [The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-hea]ded (people) bow down [at] my feet (and) [elevated me for shepherding the land and people. ...] ... (and) [he put in my hand a] mer[ci]less [we]apon [to fell enemies ...].

(7b) [...] ... [...] ... [... (and) which earlier kings, my ancestors], had [had] constructed [for their lordly dwelling], but [whose construction] they had carried out inex[pertly]:

(12b) [I tore down that small] pala[ce]. I div[er]ted the course of [the Tebi]lti [River] from the center of the city and [directed its outflow] onto the me[adow behind the city].

(14b) [In] a one-half ikû (stretch) of the water’s (natural) [course], I bonded together with bitumen four large limest[one] (blocks) [and] spread [marsh reeds and rush]es over them. As an addition, I to[ok a plot of land] that was five hundred and [... c]ubits long (and) two hundred and eighty cubits [wide from the pla]in of [the city] (and) [I added (it) t]o the fo[rmer] dimensions of the palace. I enlarged (it) [to 914 lar]ge cubits along (its) longer side and 460 lar[ge cu]bits along (its) shorter side (and thus) I ma[de] its site [bigger. In] its (the terrace’s) [entirety], I raised its superstructure to a (total) height of 190 courses of brick.

(18b) In order to prevent its [foundation] from being weak[ened] over the passage of [time] by [cresting] flood(s), I surrounded its base with large limestone (slabs and thereby) [reinforced its base].

(20b) [I built a palatial hall of gold, a palatial hall of silver, a palatial hall of bro]nze, a palatial hall of ...-stone, a palatial hall of brec[cia, ..., a palatial hall of] alallu-stone, a palatial hall of alabaster, a palatial hall of [elephant ivory, a palatial hall of ebony, a palatial hall of boxwood, a palatial hall of musukkannu-wood, a palatial hall of] cedar, a palatial hall of cypress, a palatial hall of juniper, [a palatial hall of elammaku-wood, (and) a palatial hall of Indian wood, for my lordly residence, and (then) I had a house] with double doors, a replica of a Hitti[te] palace, [constructed opposite (its) gates].

(24b) [I roo]fed them (the palatial halls) [with beams of cedar (and) cypress. I fastened bands of silver (and) copper on] doors of whit[e cedar (and) cypress and I installed (them) in their gates].

(25b) [In the cor]ridors, I m[ade openings] for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic [figures of alabaster (and) elephant ivory], whose [folded hands hold poppies, and (thus) I made (them) an object of wonder].

(27b) [... I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. [I adorned the arches, friezes, and al]l of their co[pi]ngs [with baked bricks (glazed in the color of) obsidian (and) lapis lazuli].

(28b) So that [the construction of my palace ...]

(1') [In the uplands of Mount] Ammanāna (northern Anti-Lebanon), [they (Aššur and Ištar) disclosed to] me the location of [alabaster, ... pendû-stone — whose appearance is as finely granulated] as cucumber seeds, considered valuable [eno]ugh to be an amulet, [a stone for speaking (and) bei]ng accepted, as well as [making] storms [pass by], (and) preventing [illn]ess from approaching a man — made [itse]lf known to me [at the foot of Mount Nipur].

(8') Breccia, [whose appearance] is like the wings of a dragonfly (and the qualities of which) ca[l]m head[ach]es, a stone for happiness (and) [cheer]­ful­ness, as much as is needed (for making) burzigallu-bowls, (a stone) that had n[e]ver been se[en] before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ (“Dargilâ Village”), which is on the border of [the city Tīl-Barsip].

(12'b) alallu-stone, [whose appearance] is like the ba[rk of the date palm], and girimḫilibû-stone — [whose appearance] is like the fruit of the pomegr[anate tree], is beautiful (and) a pleasure to behold, (and) a stone for preventing pla[gue] from approaching a man — both stones were found in abundance at Mount [...].

(16'b) Near Nin[eveh, in the territory of the city] Balāṭā[ya, by divine] wi[ll, white limestone]

(1'') [I created ...] ... [...] whose bodies shine [...]; (and) slab[s of gi]rimḫilibû-[stone] (and) a[lallu]-stone. I cu[t (them) free on both sid]es from their mountains, and (then), [...] ... I had (them) dragged in[to Nineveh].

(6'') [I had] bull colossi and sphinxes of [white lim]es[tone created and their forms perfected] through the craft of [the deity] Ninkura, in the territory of the city [Balāṭāya].

(1''') [...] ... [...] India[n wood ...]

(1'''') [...] ... [(...)].

(2''''b) [By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the que]en, [may I spend a long time] in my palace, [... in] good health (and) happine[ss]. May [my descendants] be establi[shed therein forever, for] all days. [May the good šēdu (and) the good lamassu last] forever [and ever] in this palace. [May they never leave i]t.