Ashurbanipal 088

1The account in text no. 3 (Prism B) vii 61–64 instead introduces this episode with ^min-da-bi-bi šá EGIR ^mtam-ma-ri-ti ú-ši-bu ina GIŠ.GU.ZA KUR.ELAM.MA.KI da-na-an GIŠ.TUKUL.MEŠ-ia i-de-e-ma ša ú-šam-ri-ru UGU KUR.ELAM.MA.KI “Indabibi, who sat on the throne of the land Elam after Tammarītu, knew about the might of my weapons that had prevailed over the land Elam and,” and the account in text no. 6 (Prism C) ix 11´´–14´´ and text no. 7 (Prism Kh) viii 80´–83´ has ^min-da-bi-bi šá EGIR ^mtam-ma-ri-ti ú-ši-bu ina GIŠ.GU.ZA KUR.ELAM.MA.KI da-na-an GIŠ.TUKUL.MEŠ-ia e-mur-ma šá ul-tú re-e-ši ú-šam-ri-ru UGU KUR.ELAM.MA.KI “Indabibi, who sat on the throne of the land Elam after Tammarītu, saw the might of my weapons that had previously prevailed over the land Elam and.”

2The tablet omits šá áš-pu-ru a-na kit-ri ^mdAG-EN-MU.MEŠ DUMU ^mdAMAR.UTU-A-SUM.NA/AŠ ša GIM ib-ri tap-pe-e na-ṣar KUR-šú it-ta-na-al-la-ku it-ti-šú “whom I had sent to aid Nabû-bēl-šumāti, son of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), with whom they used to march about protecting his land like a friend (and) ally” of the prism inscriptions after DUMU.MEŠ KUR aš-šur.KI “(as for) the Assyrians”; see, for example, text no. 7 (Prism Kh) viii 84´b–87´.

3The prism inscriptions have ik-lu-u ina ki-li “confined in prison” after uṣ-ṣab-bi-tu “had seized” (see, for example, text no. 6 [Prism C] ix 19´´b). However, since line 8´ here starts with the verb ú-bi-lu “taken,” the restoration at the end of this line is based on the parallel passage in the subsequent episode of ii´ 12´–21´ that is referring back to this incident. In that episode, the tablet has ⸢ša⸣ ^md⸢AG⸣-EN-MU.MEŠ ú-[ṣab-bi-tu ú-bi-lu it-ti-šú] “whom Nabû-bēl-šumāti [had seized (and) taken (to Elam) with him]” (ii´ 15´) based on the prism inscriptions that read ša ^mdMUATI-EN-MU.MEŠ ina pi-ir-ṣa-a-ti ú-ṣab-bi-tu ú-bi-lu it-ti-šú “whom Nabû-bēl-šumāti had seized by guile (and) taken (to Elam) with him” (see, for example, text no. 6 [Prism C] ix 29´´–30´´).

4The tablet abbreviates the account from the prism inscriptions, which after Indabibi have LUGAL KUR.ELAM.MA.KI ul-tú É ṣi-bit-ti ú-še-ṣa-áš-šú-nu-ti ki-i ṣa-bat a-bu-ut-ti qa-bé-e MUNUS.SIG₅-šú “the king of the land Elam, released them from prison. So that (they) would intercede (with me), say good thing(s) about him, (and)”; see, for example, text no. 6 (Prism C) ix 20´´–22´´. The function of the ki-i “So that” from the prism account seems to be fulfilled with the áš-šú “in order to” that begins the next line of the tablet, so it is unlikely that ki-i ṣa-bat a-bu-ut-ti qa-bé-e MUNUS.SIG₅-šú “So that (they) would intercede (with me), say good thing(s) about him, (and)” should be restored in the break. Furthermore, the statement that Indabibi released the captive Assyrians from prison is likely unnecessary here since it seems that the previous line does not even make a reference to them being imprisoned in the first place as do the prism inscriptions (see the on-page note to the previous two lines). Regardless, both statements have too many signs to fit into the break, especially given that the signs of Indabibi’s name are already fairly well spaced out in the line. Thus, it appears that only Indabibi’s title should be restored here.

5The tablet does not appear to have enough room for ARAD da-gíl pa-ni-ia “a servant who belonged to me” of the prism inscriptions after ^mdAMAR.UTU-A-SUM.NA/AŠ “Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan)”; see, for example, text no. 6 (Prism C) ix 26´´.

6The tablet omits ina pi-ir-ṣa-a-ti “by guile” of the prism inscriptions after ^md⸢AG⸣-EN-MU.MEŠ “Nabû-bēl-šumāti”; see, for example, text no. 6 (Prism C) ix 29´´b.