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Ashurbanipal's restoration of Nēmetti-Enlil ("Bulwark of the God Enlil"), Babylon's outer city wall, and its gates is recorded on numerous clay cylinders discovered at Babylon. The mention of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, Ashurbanipal's older brother and the king of Babylon, in a positive manner indicates that the text was composed prior to the commencement of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn's rebellion in 652. This Akkadian inscription is sometimes referred to as "Cylinder L[ondon]6" and "Cylinder P[runkinschrift]2" in previous editions.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008329/] or the score [/rinap/scores/Q008329/] of Ashurbanipal 241.
Ex. 1 was purchased by the British Museum from J.E. Gejou (Paris) and ex. 16 from J.M. Shemtob (London). Exs. 3–11 come from the excavations of the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft at Babylon, exs. 12–15 from H. Rassam's work in Babylonia (see Reade in Leichty, Sippar 1 pp. xxxii–xxxiii), and exs. 17–19 from work by the Iraqi State Organization for Antiquities and Heritage at Babylon between 1979 and 1981. Exs. 12 and 13 might come from the same cylinder, but they do not physically join. See Wetzel, Stadtmauern pls. 32–33 for the exact findspots of exs. 5, 7, and 8. Information about exs. 3, 4, and 20 was kindly provided by G. Van Buylaere, who is presently preparing new editions of this material within the framework of the DFG-funded project The Cuneiform Documents in the Babylon Collection of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi) (project number 438042051), directed by Nils Heeßel (Marburg University) and Daniel Schwemer (Würzburg University). Photos of exs. 5–11 were kindly provided to Frame by J. Marzahn. Parts of lines 1–8 of ex. 6 which are no longer preserved in Berlin with the main section of the exemplar are visible on Babylon photo 691; the score uses the photo for those portions of these lines. Parts of lines 23–25 of ex. 8 are no longer preserved but appear on Babylon photo 690; the score also includes those portions visible only on the photo. Ex. 10 was kindly collated by Marzahn; VAN 11306 is a photo of this exemplar. Exs. 4 are 20 were collated by D. Schwemer; transliterations of the pieces in the score are based on his examination of the fragments. A score of the text is presented on Oracc and the minor (orthographic) variants are listed at the back of the book.
Ex. 1 is written in archaizing Babylonian script and exs. 2–17 and 19–20 are in contemporary Babylonian script; the script of ex. 18 is not known. The number and arrangement of lines varies a great deal between the exemplars. When complete, the inscription is found upon 26 lines (ex. 17), 27 lines (exs. 2, 6, 7, and 10), 28 lines (exs. 5, 8, and 9), 29 lines (ex. 11) or 30 lines (ex. 1). The line arrangement follows ex. 1, as does the master line (with help from ex. 17 for lines 4, 12–19, 22–23, and 28 and from ex. 7 for line 21), with the exception of ap-qid and li-ḫal-liq in lines 14 and 30 respectively.
E. Unger (in Wetzel, Stadtmauern p. 80) states that BE 30113 is an exemplar of this inscription, but it actually has an inscription of Nabonidus; that clay cylinder, as far as it is preserved, appears to bear a copy of that king's "Eḫulḫul Cylinder" inscription (Weiershäuser and Novotny, RINBE 2 pp. 140–151 Nabonidus 28, ex. 51). The fragment BM 83001, which was cited as a duplicate of this inscription in Lambert, Cat. p. 75, probably comes from the same cylinder as the fragment BM 83000 and is presented with that fragment as ex. 2 of Asb. 253. A poorly preserved cylinder fragment in the Babylon collection of the Eşki Şark Eserleri Müzesi (Istanbul) with the number B 46 (formerly D 281) has a mostly illegible eight-line inscription. The phrase [... áš]-⸢šú dan-nu a-na⸣ S[IG? la ḫa-ba-li ...], which is otherwise only attested in inscriptions of Ashurbanipal (Asb. 241 line 13, Asb. 242 line 13, Asb. 243 lines 10–11 [mostly restored], Asb. 244 line 11, Asb. 245 line 11, Asb. 246 lines 50–51, Asb. 253 line 16 [restored], Asb. 254 line 30, Asb. 262 line 11, and Asb. 263 line 18), may appear in line 5'; however, it is very difficult to identify any of the traces in the preceding and following lines with other parts of Ashurbanipal's inscriptions. Moreover, the traces would seem to fit e[n-ši better than S[IG, while no presently-known inscription of Ashurbanipal uses a syllabic writing for this word in the phrase. Photos and information on B 46 were kindly supplied by G. Van Buylaere.
Because lines 13–14 and 27 mention the king of Babylon, Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, in a favorable manner, the inscription must have been composed before 652, the start of Ashurbanipal's older brother's rebellion.
This Akkadian inscription, which is written on a clay cylinder (presumably from Babylon), records Ashurbanipal's work on the platforms and daises of Esagil, the temple of the god Marduk in the Eridu district of Babylon. Like the other known clay cylinder inscriptions of this Assyrian king, the text was composed sometime between 668 and 652, during the first half of Ashurbanipal's reign. In scholarly literature, this text is occasionally called the "Cylinder P[runkinschrift]1 [Inscription]."
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008330/] of Ashurbanipal 242.
Neither this inscription's original provenance nor present location are known, although the piece was once in the collection de Clercq. The inscription is written in archaizing script and has been edited from the published heliographic reproductions of the cylinder (de Clercq, Collection 2 figs. A.I–III following p. 116, and pls. XXIV–XXV).
As implied from Šamaš-šuma-ukīn's favorable mention in lines 13–15 and 24–25, the inscription was composed before the king of Babylon revolted against Ashurbanipal, his younger brother, in 652.
A fragment of a clay cylinder discovered at Babylon preserves part of an Akkadian inscription of Ashurbanipal. The text appears to record some deed that the king of Assyria undertook on behalf of the god Ea, possibly the renovation of that deity's temple Ekarzagina ("House, Quay of Lapis Lazuli" or "House, Pure Quay"). The favorable mention of Ashurbanipal's older brother, Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, suggests that the inscription was composed at some point between 668 and 652.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008331/] of Ashurbanipal 243.
This cylinder fragment was found at Babylon in December 1903 and is shown on Babylon photo 558. Approximately one-half of the original circumference of the left end is preserved. The inscription is written in Neo-Assyrian script. The restorations are based upon Asb. 245 lines 1–12 and 21–24; however, there does not appear to be sufficient space at the end of line 5 to restore all the titles usually accorded to Esarhaddon in other inscriptions. Two cylinder fragments, VA Bab 614 and B 65, which are presented under text Asb. 244 (exs. 1* and 2*), could conceivably be duplicates of this inscription.
Ashurbanipal renovated Ekarzagina, the temple of the god Ea located inside the Esagil complex, and had his action recorded on at least one stele (Asb. 246). Since this cylinder inscription probably deals with a structure associated with Ea and since it comes from Babylon, it is quite likely that it also commemorated work on Ekarzagina. The inscription is similar to other inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, in particular those describing his work on the temples of the goddesses Ištar and Ninmaḫ in the Eridu and Ka-dingirra districts of Babylon (Asb. 244–245).
Because the inscription preserves part of a passage describing Ashurbanipal's appointment of his older brother Šamaš-šuma-ukīn as king of Babylon (line 11), the text must have been composed before the latter's rebellion, which commenced in 652.
Ashurbanipal's renovation of Eturkalama ("House, Cattle-Pen of the Land"), the temple of the goddess Ištar in the Esagil temple complex, is known from at least two clay cylinders. The Akkadian inscription was composed during the first half of the reign of Ashurbanipal (668–652). This text is sometimes called "Cylinder L[ondon]1."
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008332/] or score [/rinap/scores/Q008332/] of Ashurbanipal 244.
Ex. 1 was brought from Babylon by H. Rassam, according to S.A. Strong (JRAS 1891 p. 472). There is not enough of the building accounts of exs. 1* and 2* preserved to be certain they are duplicates of this inscription and not of either Asb. 243 or Asb. 245. Because of the major variant in line 23 of exs. 1*–2*, those exemplars might well represent a new and hither-to previously unidentified inscription. All exemplars are written in Neo-Assyrian script. The master line follows ex. 1, with help from ex. 1* in line 21. Restorations in lines 18–21 follow Asb. 245 lines 18–21. A score of the text is presented on Oracc and the minor (orthographic) variants are listed at the back of the book.
The Babylon excavation register indicates that ex. 2* (B 65) was found "außerhalb"; since the immediately preceding and following items in the register are said to have been found in "Merkes," the register might simply mean that the piece was not found in the Merkes city quarter. This information is courtesy of J. Marzahn. B 65 was kindly collated by G. Van Buylaere.
Because lines 11–12 and 19–21 mention Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, the older brother of Ashurbanipal, in a positive way, the inscription was certainly composed before he rebelled against Assyria in 652.
Two clay cylinders discovered at Babylon are inscribed with an Akkadian text that commemorates Ashurbanipal's restoration of Emaḫ ("Exalted House"), a temple in the Ka-dingirra district of Babylon. According to Tintir IV 18 (George, BTT pp. 58–59 and 313), Emaḫ was the temple of the mother goddess Bēlet-ilī and R. Borger takes dNIN.MAḪ in lines 13, 14, and 23 of this inscription to be a logogram for Bēlet-ilī (BiOr 55 [1998] col. 847; and see also Borger, MZ p. 451). It is uncertain, however, if dNIN.MAḪ would have been pronounced in Akkadian as Bēlet-ilī or read, more learnedly, as Sumerian Ninmaḫ in this inscription. Following previous editions of this text, we tentatively assume that the name of the goddess was pronounced Ninmaḫ here. (See also Beaulieu, Iraq 59 [1997] pp. 93–96 in connection with a cylinder inscription from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.) The inscription, which is similar to Asb. 243–244, was also composed before the outbreak of the Šamaš-šuma-ukīn rebellion in 652. M. Streck referred to this text as the "Emaḫ Cylinder [Inscription]."
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008333/] or score [/rinap/scores/Q008333/] of Ashurbanipal 245.
For the precise find spot of ex. 1, see Koldewey, Tempel pl. III (noted as "CYL" in the room designated A.2). Ex. 2 was part of a shipment sent by H. Rassam to the British Museum in 1879 which included items from Babylon, Borsippa, and Telloh, as well as a brick from the Assyrian religious capital Aššur; see Reade in Leichty, Sippar 1 p. xxix. In view of the contents of the inscription, BM 33338 probably also originates from Babylon, like ex. 1. Both exemplars are written in Neo-Assyrian script. VA Bab 614 and B 65 might be two further exemplars of this inscription; see Asb. 244 exs. 1*–2* and the commentary to that text. The master line follows ex. 1. A score of the text is presented on Oracc and the minor (orthographic) variants are listed at the back of the book.
As can be implied from the positive reference to the appointment of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, Ashurbanipal's "favorite brother" (aḫu talīmu), to the kingship of Babylon in lines 11–12, this text was composed prior to the commencement of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn's revolt in 652.
One or two stone steles are engraved with an Akkadian inscription of Ashurbanipal that records his restoration of Ekarzagina ("House, Quay of Lapis Lazuli" or "House, Pure Quay"), the temple of the god Ea in the Esagil temple complex, in the Eridu district of Babylon. Because the text mentions Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, the king of Babylon and Ashurbanipal's older brother, in a positive manner, it is certain that the inscription dates to the first part of Ashurbanipal's reign (668–652). This inscription is sometimes referred to as "S[tele]3" in previous editions.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008334/] of Ashurbanipal 246.
A relief of Ashurbanipal carrying a basket on his head (that is, personally aiding in the restoration of Ea's temple) is found on the front of ex. 1, a stele of pink marble discovered in an area of Esagil, the god Marduk's temple at Babylon. Similar reliefs have been found on steles in Ezida ("True House"), the temple of the god Nabû at Borsippa (Asb. 254 and Frame, RIMB 2 pp. 252–253 B.6.33.3 [written in the name of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn]). B.N. Porter presents a study on the representation of Ashurbanipal as a "basket-bearing king" in Babylonia in her book Trees, Kings, and Politics, pp. 47–58.
Ex. 2 is a small fragment of pink marble with a relief showing part of a garment similar to the one worn by Ashurbanipal on ex. 1. The object was purchased in 1894 and is said to have come from Babylon (see Reade and Walker, AfO 28 [1981–82] p. 119). Very little of ex. 2 is preserved and none of the building section remains. Thus, it is quite likely that this exemplar did not describe the restoration of Ekarzagina, but instead recorded Ashurbanipal's work on another temple at Babylon. K. Hecker (TUAT2 6 p. 34 n. 42) tentatively suggested that this piece might be a fragment from a stele of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn.
Rather than present a score for this inscription on Oracc, the edition below follows ex. 1 (with lines 30–41 and 68–88 restored following Asb. 254 lines 21–26a and 38b–70 respectively). Ex. 2 has the following:
LacunaThus, ex. 2 has the following variants to ex. 1: [an]-⸢dul⸣-lum for an-dul-lu in line 18 and [U]GU for e-li in line 19. With regard to ex. 1, lines 1–28, 29–55, 56–84, and 85–100 are on the front, right side, back, and left side of the stele respectively. The inscription is written in contemporary Babylonian script.
Šamaš-šuma-ukīn's positive mention in lines 5–55 and 74–76 indicates that the inscription was composed before the onset of his rebellion against his brother Ashurbanipal in 652.
A short Akkadian inscription of Ashurbanipal is stamped upon numerous bricks found at Babylon. The nine-line text states that the Assyrian king had had bricks made for Esagil ("House Whose Top Is High") and Etemenanki ("House, Foundation of Heaven and Netherworld"), the temple and ziggurat of Babylon's patron god Marduk, both located in the Eridu district of that city.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008335/] of Ashurbanipal 247.
The excavations of the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft at Babylon in November 1900 either certainly or probably produced all of the exemplars. See Marzahn, FuB 27 (1989) pp. 58 and 64 n. 12 (against Wetzel and Weissbach, Hauptheiligtum p. 86) with regard to the provenance of ex. 2 (assuming that VA Bab 4052i and BE 8083 are identical). Exs. 3–4 and 27 might also be listed under Babylon excavation numbers. Where known, the inscription is stamped on the brick's face. The stamp used on ex. 2 measures 16.5×7.7 cm and 16.8×6.8 cm on exs. 3–4. The inscription is in a somewhat archaizing Babylonian script. The only variant reported for the inscription is MEŠ for ME in line 4 (exs. 2–4; see Marzahn, FuB 27 [1989] p. 58). Following RINAP editorial practices, no score for this brick inscription is presented on Oracc.
Five bricks from Babylon have an Akkadian inscription stamped upon them. This ten-line text mentions that Ashurbanipal had had bricks made for the ziggurat Etemenanki, which was located in east Babylon, in the sacred Eridu district.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008336/] of Ashurbanipal 248.
G. Smith states that ex. 1 was found at Bablyon (Assyrian Discoveries p. 380), although it was obtained by the expedition to Nineveh led by him on behalf of the Daily Telegraph newspaper in 1873. The Deutsche Orient-Gesellachaft discovered exs. 2–5 during excavations at Babylon. The exact findspot of ex. 3 is noted on pl. 12 of Wetzel and Weissbach, Hauptheiligtum (cited erroneously as "[BE] 40856"); ex. 4 was found in January 1910. For the provenance of ex. 5, see Marzahn, FuB 27 (1989) p. 59 and p. 64 n. 14 (contra Wetzel and Weissbach, Hauptheiligtum p. 86). Each brick is stamped on the face. The area stamped on ex. 1 measures 13.3×7.1 cm, on ex. 2 10.3×8.0 cm, on ex. 4 4.5×7.9 cm, and on ex. 5 11.2×7.8 cm. The inscription is in contemporary Babylonian script. The line arrangement follows ex. 1; exs. 2–5 have lines 9 and 10 of ex. 1 on a single line. Smith refers to having found a nine-line exemplar, but this must refer to ex. 1 since it is registered as having come from his expedition to Iraq. According to C.B.F. Walker (CBI p. 67), a copy of the inscription on BM 90285 is found in G. Smith, Notebook 17 (=Add. MS 30413) fol. 19, no. 36. Exs. 2–3 and 5 have aš-šur not AN.ŠÁR in line 2. No score for this brick inscription is presented on Oracc, following RINAP editorial practices.
A third Akkadian inscription stamped on a single brick from Babylon records that Ashurbanipal had bricks made for Marduk's ziggurat, Etemenanki.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008338/] of Ashurbanipal 249.
The brick was found in Babylon on March 3, 1910. The inscription is stamped on its face and is in contemporary Babylonian script. The text has been edited from the published photograph, supplemented by the published collations by J. Marzahn.
A brick fragment discovered at Babylon preserves part of a four-line Akkadian inscription of Ashurbanipal. The text, which is stamped on the brick, records the making of baked bricks for the ziggurat Etemenanki.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008339/] of Ashurbanipal 250.
German excavators found this brick fragment (BE 41186) at Babylon on March 16, 1910. According to O. Pedersén (personal communication), the brick's present location is in the Vorderasiatisches Museum (Berlin). The edition of the inscription is based upon that of F.H. Weissbach because no photograph of the fragment appears to have been made. Weissbach states that there does not appear to have been room to restore more than the name of Ashurbanipal at the end of line 1 and suggests that the lack of any title for Ashurbanipal might indicate that the text dates to the period before Ashurbanipal became king (that is, during the reign of Esarhaddon, but after Ashurbanipal had been named heir to the throne). There is, however, no evidence to suggest that Ashurbanipal held any authority in Babylonia during the reign of Esarhaddon or was active there with regard to building projects at that time. Since it was not possible to verify the spacing on the original piece, such a suggested date must remain improbable.
Eight bricks discovered at Babylon are stamped with a Sumerian inscription of Ashurbanipal. This short, four-line text states that the Assyrian king had Etemenanki ("House, Foundation of Heaven and Netherworld"), Marduk's ziggurat, rebuilt anew.
Access the composite text [/rinap/rinap5/Q008340/] of Ashurbanipal 251.
B.A. Varty presented ex. 1 to the British Museum and exs. 2–8 come from the excavations at Babylon by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft in 1908–12. All of the exemplars are stamped on the brick's face. The area stamped on ex. 1 measures 5.3×20.7 cm, on ex. 3 5.5×20.7 cm, and on exs. 4–5 5.5×9.5 cm. The script is a mixture of (contemporary and archaic) sign forms. For example, lugal is written five times with the Old Babylonian form and the sixth time with the Neo-Babylonian form. Ex. 1 was kindly collated by C.B.F. Walker. No variants are attested and, thus, no score of this text is presented on Oracc.
Although the inscription appears to have been written in Sumerian, the writing eš-šiš ("anew") in line 4 and ma-da aš-šur.KI ("Assyria") in lines 2 and 3 would suggest that at least part of the inscription was read in Akkadian.
Grant Frame & Jamie Novotny
Grant Frame & Jamie Novotny, 'Inscriptions from Babylon (text nos. 241-251)', RINAP 5: The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, Aššur-etel-ilāni, and Sîn-šarra-iškun, The RINAP/RINAP 5 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2023 [http://oracc.org/rinap/rinap5/RINAP53TextIntroductions/Ashurbanipal/Babylontexts241-251/]