Sennacherib 050

(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, circumspect ruler, shepherd of the people, (and) leader of a widespr]ead [population, I]:

(3b) [The goddess Bēlet-ilī, the lady of creation, looked steadfastly upon me and cre]ated [my features (while I was still) in the womb of the mother who gave birth to me. Moreover, the god Ninšiku gave me wide understanding equal to (that of) the sage Adapa (and) endowed me with broad kn]owledge.

(5) [The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-headed (people) bow down at my feet (and) elevated] me [for shepherding the land and people. He gave me a just scepter that widens the land (and) he pu]t [in my hand a merciless weapon to fell enemi]es. [... all of the rule]rs of the [four] qu[art]ers (of the world) [...].

(8b) [At that time, I made the enemy people whom] I [had captu]red [carry bas]kets (of earth) [and they made bricks].

(9b) [The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on (its) longer side] (and) 80 [cubits] on (its) shorter side, [and whose site was too small; alongside of which the Tebilti River had flowed and which had caused erosion in its foundation] when [its] flood was in full spate (and) [had shaken its base; (and) which earl]ier [kings], my ancestors, [had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly]:

(12b) ... [... that small palace in] its [ent]irety. [I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and] directed [its outflow onto the meadow be]hind the city.

(14b) [In a one-half ikû (stretch) of the water’s (natural) course, I bonded to]gether [with bitumen four large limestone (blocks)] and [spread] marsh reeds [and rushes over them. As an addition, I took a plot of land that was five hundred and ... cubits long (and) two hundred and eighty cubits wide from] the Ḫusur River [and from the plain of the city ...] ...

(17) (No translation possible)

(1') In the up[lands of Mount Ammanāna (northern Anti-Lebanon)], they (Aššur and Ištar) di[sclosed to me the location of alabaster, ... pendû]-stone — [whose] appearance [is as finely granulated as cucumber seeds, considered valuable enough to be an amulet], a stone for [speaking (and) being accepted, as well as] mak[ing storms pass by, (and) preventing illness from approaching a man — made itself known to me] a[t the foot of Mount Nipur].

(8') (No translation possible)