Ashurbanipal 022

(i 1') [(...) I placed (the bed) in Kaḫilisu, the residence of the goddess Zarpanītu, which] is lad[en with sexual cha]rm.

(i 2') [I presented the] god [Mard]uk, the one who loves [my] reign, [with a bed of ebony, a durable wood, (and) which is clad with reddish gold].

(i 3') [...] pure [san]ctuary, [his] prince[ly] abode. [I constructed ...] ... ane[w] for the god Marduk, my lord.

(i 5') [(...) in ...] ... and gateways, [I made] the foundations of [two shiny silver pirkus, wh]os[e] weight is [s]ix talents [each], as firm as a m[o]untain.

(i 7') [(...)] I s[tationed six fierce wild bulls of silver, pr]otectors of [my] royal path, [in ..., in the gate]way(s) of Ezida, which is inside Borsippa.

(i 9') [...] I cast [Kizalaga, the seat of the god Nūru, with eighty-three ta]lents of shiny zaḫalû-metal an[d] made [... of] his great [divin]ity spread o[ut] before him.

(i 11') [I ... a ... of musukkannu-wood, a dura]ble [wood], that is clad with fifty minas of reddish gold, [and (...)] I secured (it) [... the s]eat of his high rank, in the inner sanctum of the god Nabû, my lord.

(i 13') I inlaid with silver (and) gold [the ... that is] inside Nineveh [(...)].

(i 14'b) [(As for) Emeslam, the temple of the god Nergal that is inside Cutha], which had become dilapidated and old, [I renovated its collapsed section(s and) removed the portion(s) of it that had collapsed. In] brick mold(s) of ebony (and) musukkannu-wood, [I made its bricks with crushed pieces of aromatics. I made (people)] take up [hoe(s)] and had its foundation(s) put (back) into alignment. [In an auspicious month, (on) a propitious day, I lai]d its foundation(s) [with perfumed oil, good quality oil, silver, (and) gold]. Moreover, I secured its door bolt(s).

(i 18') [I ador]ned the structure of the temple [with musukkannu-wood, KA-wood, ebony, boxwood, ḫilēpu-wood, and UMBIN-wood] and [built (and) completed (it) from its foundation(s) to its crenellations with the craft of the god Kulla. I rais]ed its superstructure. [... I roo]fed it [with long beams of cedar. ...] its [...].

(ii 1') (No translation possible)

(i' 1') [...] ... they (my troops) [con]stantly passed saf[ely ... from Nineveh, the city love]d by the goddess Ištar, the lady of Nineve[h, ... Uait]eʾ, the king of the land of the Arab[s, ... next] to wat[er] cisterns. [... My troops] dre[w water to (fill)] their drinking vessel(s), [and (then) ... a land of] par[ching thirs]t (lit. “[a land of thirs]t (and) a place of par[ching]”) [...]

(i' 1'') [...] ... [... I made] their [feet take the road to Damascus].

(i' 3'') [(As for) Abī-Yateʾ (and) Aya-ammu, b]y the command of [(the god) Aššur and] the goddess Ištar, my lords, I cap[tu]red them [aliv]e [in the thick of battle. I placed (their) hands and feet in iron fetters (and)] t[ook the]m to Assyria, together with plunder from their land.

(i' 6'') [The fugitives who] had fled [from the weapons of (the god) A]ššur took to [Mount Ḫukkuruna, a] rugged [mountai]n. [Where(ever there was) a spring (or) a source o]f water, as many as there were, [I had] g[uar]ds [stationed] over it [and (thus) I] withheld (from them) [the water (which) sustains] their live(s). [I made drink scarce for the]ir [mouths] (and) they laid down (their) live(s) from parching thirst.

(i' 10'') [They (lit. “I”) carried off people — male and female — donkeys], cam[el]s, oxen, and sheep and goat[s (without number). I divided (them) among the people of] Assyria (so that) within [my] land they (the Assyrians) could purchase [camels for one shekel (or even) a half shek]el of silver at the [market] ga[te. The female tavern keeper for a serving, the beer brewer for a j]ug (of beer), (and) the gardener for [his] bag [of vegetables were regularly receiving c]amels (and) sl[aves].

(i' 14''b) [(...) Uaiteʾ [..., who] had fle[d into the presence of Natnu, ...] who(m) to [...] ... [...]

(ii' 1') O Ištar, [...] look with pleasure upon me — As[hurbanipal, ...] the gods [...] the preservation of [my] li[fe] ...] scepte[r ...]