Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of [Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), (and) favorite of the great gods]:

[The god Aš]šur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers [and he made my weapons greater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) daises].

[I]n a pitched battled in the plain of Kish, I repulsed Mar[duk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), the king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), (and) took away his rulership. I killed with the sword] all of the Chaldeans, together with the massed body of Elamite troops, [his allies].

[I placed] Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son (whom I) raised on my (own) knee, on [his royal] t[hrone and entrusted him with the wide land of Akkad].

I uprooted all of the Aḫlamû (Arameans) (and) Sutians. I put to the sword the inhabitants of the city [Ḫirimmu, not sparing (any of) their offspring]. I conquered the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy. [I ruined] the land El[lipi and destroyed its settlements].

[Moreover, Lulî], the king of the city Sidon, became frightened of doing battle with me, [fled] to Iadna[na (Cyprus), which is in the midst of the sea, and took] refuge (there). In that same land, [he disappeared] on account of the awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, [my lord]. I placed [Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne] and imposed upon him payment (in recognition) of my overlordship.

[I ruined the wide district of the recalcitrant (and) strong land Judah] (and) I made Hezekiah, its king, bow down at my feet so that he (now) pulls [my] yok[e].

I put to the sword [the men of the city Tumurrum, who live on Mount Nipur, a] rugged [mountain. I destroyed] the city Ukku, together with every one of [its] settle[ments, (so that they looked) like a ruin hill (created by) the Deluge].

[At that time, I made] the enemy [people] whom I had captured carry baskets (of earth) and [they] ma[de bricks].

[The palace in the citadel of Nineveh], whose extent was [360] cubits on (its) longer side (and) 95 cubits on (its) shorter side, and [whose site was too small; (and) which earlier kings], my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but [whose construction] they had carri[ed out] in[expertly]:

They quarried [mountain sheep colossi of white limestone] in the city Tastiate to be their (the palatial halls’) gatekeepers. Throughout all of their lands they depleted [forests of large trees to have boats built]. In the month Ayyāru (II), the time of [spring] f[loods], they brought (the colossi) across to this side (of the river) with difficulty [in magnificent boats. They sank large boats] at the qu[ay dock] (and then) made their crews struggle (and) strain. Wi[th might and main, they struggled to transport (the colossi) and] install (them) in their gates.

The [Teb]ilti River, a tempest[uous] flood (of water) [which] had flowed [from distant days by the side of the palace] (and) [had sha]ken its base when its flood was in full sp[ate]:

[I tore down that] s[mall palace i]n [its] en[tirety, (and then)] I chan[ged] the course of the Tebilti River (and) [directed its outflow].

[I]n its subterranean waters [I very firmly bond]ed reeds [below (and) bit]umen a[bove] with [large (blocks of) limestone]. I raised a plot of land that was 340 cubits [long (and) 2]89 cubits wide out of the water [and converted (it) to dry land]. I made [the area] larger than before, [added (it)] to the form[er] dimensions of the palace, [and] raised its superstructure [190 courses of brick high].

In order to [prevent its] founda[tion from being weakened] over the passage of time by cresting flood(s), I surrounded its base [with large limestone (slabs and thereby)] reinforced its base. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 7[00 large cubits along (its) longer side and 440] large cubits along (its) shorter side and (thus) [I made] its site [bigger].

I built a pa[lace of] breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, c[ypress, junip]er, (and) elammaku-wood, for my lordly residence; then I had a portico, a replica of a [Hitti]te palace, constructed opposite (its) gates.

I roofed them (the palatial halls) with beams of cedar (and) cypress, whose scent [is sweet], produ[ct(s) of] Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains.

Lacuna

[...] Near Nineveh, in the territo[ry of the city] Balāṭāya, by divine will, [white] lim[estone] was discovered [i]n abu[nda]nce, and (then) [I created] bull colossi [and (other) statues with li]mbs of alabaster [that are sculpted from a single stone, (whose) proporti]ons are perfect, (and) [who stand high] o[n their own] ped[estals; sphinxes of alabaster] whose features [are exquisite (and) whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; (and) magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut (them) free on both sides from their mountains, and (then), for the construction of my palace, I had (them) dragged into Nineveh].

[I had large bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created in the terr]itory of the city Balāṭāya [and their forms p]erfected [through the craft of the deity Ninkura].

[Since time immemorial, the kings, my ancestors, created copper statues], replicas of [th]eir (own) for[ms], to be erected [in temples], and through their manufacture they had exhaus[ted all of the craftsmen]. Through ignorance (and) failure to give tho[ught on the matter, they depleted] the oil, wax, (and) wo[ol in their lands for the work they desired].

(But) as for me, Sennach[erib, the foremost of all rulers, expert in] every type of work, regarding [large] col[umns of copper] (and) strid[ing lion colossi, which none of] the kings of the pa[st (who came) before me had cast: With the ingenious mind] that the prince, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me (and) taking counsel with myself, I intensively pondered how to perform this work. Then, with my (own) ideas and knowledge, I created a cast work of copper and expertly carried out its artful execution.

By divine will, I created clay mold(s) of tree trunks and date palm(s), the tree of abundance, (of) twelve raging lions, as well as (of) twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features (and) twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm (and) that have pride (and) exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of (an object weighing only) a half shekel, I perfected their form(s).

I made bull colossi with copper features, two of which were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, (and) bull colossi of alabaster, together with bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone, hold the door bolts of my palatial halls.

I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and (then) I installed (them) upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams (upon them) as a cornice for their gates.

Sphinxes of alabaster, as well as sp[hi]nxes of cast urudû-copper that were overlaid with zaḫalû-silver, and sphinxes of cast ...-metal, whose features were brilliant: I erected over them columns of ebony, cypress, cedar, daprānu-juniper, juniper, and tatīdu-wood, with pašallu-gold and [sil]ver inlays, and (then) I positioned the architraves of the inner rooms of my lordly residence (on those columns).

I surrounded their (the palace rooms’) lower courses with slabs of breccia (and) alabaster, and large limestone slabs (and) made (them) an object of wonder.

In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palm(s) placed over wells.

I made those palatial halls [be]aut[iful]. To be [an object of wonder for all of the people], I raised the superstructure of [the en]tire palace. [I called] it the “Palace With[o]ut a R[iv]al.”

[I pl]anted alongside it (the palace) [a botanical garden, a replica of Mount Amanus, which has all kinds of] aromatic plants (and) fruit trees, trees [that are the main]stay of the mountains [and] Chaldea, collected [ins]ide it.

To make (those) pl[an]ted ar[eas] luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a can[al] straight through [a mount]ain, from the border of the city Kisiru to [the plain of] Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River (and) [made (it) gu]sh through feeder ca[nals] into those planted areas.

I created a marsh [to moderate the flow of water for (those) gardens] and [pla]nted a canebrake in [it]. I let loose in it [herons, wi]ld boars (lit. “pigs of the reeds”), (and) roe [deer]. By [divine] will, [vines and all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, (and) aromatic trees] flourished greatly in (those) gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, (and) all kinds of trees [gre]w tall and s[ent out shoots. The marshes] thrived [greatly. Birds of the heavens, heron(s), made nest(s) and wild boars (and) roe d[eer] ga[ve birth in abundance].

I cut down [musukkannu-trees] (and) cypress trees grown in the orc[ha]rds (and) marsh reeds from the sw[am]ps and I used (them) in the work requi[red (to build) my lordly palatial halls].

After I had finished [the wo]rk on my palace, I invited inside it (the god) Aššur, the great lord, (and) the gods and goddesses [living in Assyria], and (then) I made splendid offe[ring]s and presented my gift(s). [I made fine] oil from olives and [aromatics]. At the inaugurat[ion of] the palace, I had the heads [of] the subjects of my land drenched (and) I watered [their] insides with sweet wine.

[By] the command of [(the god) Aš]šur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu (and) the good lamassu last forever and ever in [th]at pa[lace]. May they never leave it.