842 B. C.

THE OBELISK INSCRIPTION 1

In the eighteenth of my years of reign I crossed the Euphrates for the sixteenth time. Hazael (98) of Damascus marched out to battle. One thousand one hundred and twenty-one of his chariots, [and] four hundred and seventy of his horsemen, with (99) his camp, I took from him.

ANNALISTIC FRAGMENT 2

(1) In the eighteenth of my years of reign I crossed, for the sixteenth time, (2) the Euphrates. Hazael of Damascus (3, 4) trusted to the great number of his troops (5) and called out his troops in numbers. (6) Saniru, a peak in the Lebanon district, he made into (8) his fortress. I fought with him (9) and defeated him. Sixteen thousand (10) of his soldiers with arms. (11) I destroyed with arms, one thousand one hundred and twenty-one of his chariots, (12) four hundred and seventy of his horsemen, with his camp, (13) I took from him. He fled to save (14) his life. I pursued him and (15) in Damascus, his royal city, shut him up.

1 For reference to text and translation see p. 293.

2 The original appears to have been lost. It is published from squeezes in III R., 5, No. 6, and also in Delitzsch, Assyrische Lesestücke, 4te Auf. (Leipzig, 1900), p. 51f. Translated by Winckler, in Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, i, p. 140f., and by Ungnad in Gressmann, Altorientalische Texte und Bilder, i, p. 112.

3 Hermon, Deut. 3. 9.

OBELISK:

ina XVIII palê-ia XVI šanîtu Purattu e-bir (m) Ha-za-'-ilu (98) ša (mâtu) Îmeri-šu a-na taḥâzi it-ba-a IMICXXİ narkabâti-šu IVCLXX bit-hal-lu-šu it-ti (99) uš-ma-ni-šu e-kim-šu

FRAGMENT:

(1) ina XVIII pale-ia XVI šanîtu (nâru) Purattu (2) e-bir Ha-za-'-ilu ša (mâtu) Dimaški (3) a-na gi-biš um-manâti-šu (4) itta-kil-ma ummanâti-šu (5) a-na ma-'-diš id-ka-a (6) (šadû) Sa-ni-ru ubân šade(e) (7) ša pu-uț (šadû) Lab-na-na a-na dan-nu-ti-šu (8) iš-kun it-ti-šu am-dah-hi-is (9) abikta-šu aš-kun XVIM (10) şâbê ti-du-ki-šu ina kakke (11) u-šam-kit IMICXXI narkabâtišu (12) IVCLXX bit-hal-lu-šu it-ti uš-man-ni-šu (13) e-kim-šu a-na šu-zu-ub (14) napšâti-šu ê-li arki-šu ar-te-di (15) ina (alu) Di-maš-ķi

(16) I cut down his parks and marched to the mountains of (17) the Hauran. Cities (18) without number I destroyed, wasted, [and] (19) burned with fire, and carried away booty (20) without number. (21) I marched to the mountains of Ba'li-ra'si,1 (22) a mountain which is at the head of the sea, (23) and set up there my royal portrait. At that time I received (24) the tribute of the Tyrians, (25) Sidonians, and of Jehu, (26) of the land of Omri." OBELISK LEGEND BENEATH THE RELIEFS

Tribute of Jehu, of the land of Omri: silver (and) gold, a bowl (?) of gold, a basin (?) of gold, cups (?) of gold, pails of gold, bars of lead, sceptres (?) for the hand of the king, and balsam woods I received from him.

1 At the front of the Nahr-el-Kelb, the Dog River, a short distance above Beirut.

2 Jehu of Israel. The Assyrian expression mar Humri, formerly translated "son of Omri," means rather "the people of the land of Omri," as Bezold was the first to discover (Catalogue of the Cuneiform Tablets of the British Museum, v, p. 1994). See further Bezold, Ninive und Babylon, 3te Auf. (Leipzig, 1909), p. 51.

alu šarru-ti-šu e-şir-šu (16) kirê-šu ak-kis a-di šade(e) (17) (mâtu) Ha-u-ra-ni a-lik alâni(ni) (18) a-na la ma-ni a-bul a-kur (19) ina išati ašrup(up) šal-la-su-nu (20) a-na la ma-ni aš-lu-la (21) a-di šade(e) (šadů) Ba-'-li-ra-'-si (22) ša rêš tam-di a-lik şa-lam šarruti-ia (23) ina lib-bi aš (!)-kup ina u-me-šu-ma (24) ma-da-tu ša (mâtu) Sur-ra-a-a (25) (mâtu) Şi-du-na-a-a ša (m)Ia-u-a (26) mâr Hu-um-ri-i am-hur

OBELISK LEGEND:

ma-da-tu ša (m) Ia-u-a mâr Hu-um-ri-i kaspê hurasê sip(?)-lu burâsu zu-ku-tu hurâsu ka-bu-a-te burâșu da-la-ni burâșu anakê (isu) bu-but-tu bušû šarri (iṣu) bu-dil-ha-ti am-hur-šu

839 B. C.

THE OBELISK INSCRIPTION

In the twenty-first of my years of reign I crossed the Euphrates for the twenty-first time. I marched against the cities of (103) Hazael of Damascus. I captured four of his cities. I received the tribute of the Tyrians, (104) Sidonians and Byblians.

OBELISK:

ina XXI palê-ia XXI šanîtu (nâru) Purattu e-bir a-na alâni(ni) (103) ša Ha-za-'-ilu ša (mâtu) Imeri-šu a-lik IV ma-ba-zi-šu akšud (ud) ma-da-tu ša (mâtu) Şur-ra-a-a (104) (mâtu) Și-du-na-a-a (mâtu) Gu-bul (!)-a-a am-hur

V. ADAD-NIRARI IV (812-783 B. C.)

1. CALAH INSCRIPTION 1

(1) The palace of Adad-nirari, the great king, the powerful king, king of the world, king of Assyria, the king over whom from his childhood Ashur, king of the Igigi had watched, and had presented him with a kingdom (2) beyond compare, whose lordship, like had proclaimed over the people of Assyria, and (3) had established his throne; the lofty priest, who adorns E-sharra, the unwearied who holds in his hand

the command of E-kur; (4) who goes about in the service of Ashur his lord, and the kings of the four quarters of the earth (5) has he cast down at his feet; who has conquered from Siluna, (6) which lies in the east, the lands of Şaban, Ellipi, Kharkhar, Araziash, (7) Mesu, Madai, Gizilbunda, in its entire extent, (8) Munna, Parsua, Allabria, Abdadana, (9) Nairi, in its entire extent, Andiu, whose location is far distant, (10) the mountain slopes, in their entire extent to the coast of the great sea of the (11) east; who conquered from the bank of the Euphrates the Hittite country, Amurru in its entirety, (12) Tyre,

1 First published in I Rawlinson, 35, No. 1. Translated by Abel in Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, i, pp. 190ff.; Winckler, Keilinschriftliches Textbuch, 3te Auf., p. 26f., and by Ungnad in Gressmann, Altorientalische Texte und Bilder, i, pp. 112, 113.

2 The gods and spirits of the upper world. The temple of Ashur, called also Ekur.

(1) e-kal (m) Adad-nirâri šarru rabû šarru dan-nu šar kiššati šar (mâtu) Aššur šarru ša ina mâri-šu Ašur šar (ilu) Igigi ut-tu-šu-ma malkut (2) la ša-na-an u-mal-lu-u ķa-tuš-šu ri-'-u-su kima rî-ti êli niše (mâtu) Aššur u-te-bu-ma (3) u-šar-ši-du kussâ-šu šangu ellu za-nin E-šar-ra la mu-par-ku-u mu-rim pa-an E-kur (4) ša ina tukul-ti (ilu) Ašur bêli-šu illi-ku-ma mal-ki ša kib-rat irbit-ti (5) u-šikni-šu a-na šepâ-šu ka-šid ištu (sâdu) Si-lu-na (6) ša na-pah (ilu) šam-ši (mâtu) ṣab el-li-pi (mâtu) Har-har (mâtu) A-ra-zi-aš (7) (mâtu) Me-su (mâtu) Ma-da-a-a (mâtu) Gi-zil-bu-un-da ana si-hir-ti-šu (8) (mâtu) Mu-un-na (mâtu) Par-su-a (mâtu) Al-lab-ri-ia (mâtu) Ab-da-da-na (9) (mâtu) Na-'-ri ana paṭ gim-ri-ša (mâtu) An-di-u ša a-šar-su ru-ku (10) mid-bak šadu(u) a-na pat gim-ri-šu a-di eli tam-dim rabî-ti (11) ša na-paḥ (ilu) šam-ši ištu eli (nâru) Purattu (mâtu) Hatti (mâtu) A-mur-ri ana si-hir-ti-ša (12) (mâtu) Sur-ru (mâtu) Și-du-nu mât Hu-um-ri-i (mâtu) U-du-mu (mâtu)

Sidon, the land of Omri, Edom, Palastu,2 (13) to the coast of the great sea of the west had cast themselves at my feet, (14) I laid tribute and taxes upon them.

(15) I marched against Damascus, I shut up Mari', the king of Damascus, (16) in Damascus, his royal city. (17) The fear of the brightness of Ashur his3 lord, smote him to earth, he took my feet and (18) surrendered.* Two thousand three hundred talents of silver, twenty talents of gold, (19) three thousand talents of copper, five thousand talents of iron, colored garments, linen (?), (20) an ivory bed, an ivory couch with inlaid border, his possessions, his goods (21) in unmeasured number in Damascus, his royal city, I took in his palace. (22) All the kings of Chaldea surrendered. I laid tribute and taxes upon them (23) for the future. Babylon, Borsippa, and Kutha (24) brought pure offerings to the oracles of the god Bel, Nebu, Nergal

1 Israel.

2 Philistia.

"His," so the original. It should be "my."

This campaign was useful to Israel in affording her a short breathing spell from Aramæan attacks. For this reason Winckler (Geschichte Israels, p. 154) desires to apply to Adad-nirari the passage, "And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians" (2 Kings 13. 5), and Jeremias (Das alte Testament im Lichte des alten Orients, 2d edition, p. 517). Otto Schroeder has returned to this again, arguing (Orientalistische Lateraturzeitung, 1912, No. 2, col. 63) that the Hebrew words saviour and helper are translations of second half of the Assyrian king's name. But the reference is surely to Jeroboam, as is made clear by 2 Kings 14. 26, 27. See on the passage Kittel, and also Benzinger.

Pa-la-as-tu (13) a-di eli tam-dim rabi-ti ša šul-mu (ilu) šam-ši ana šêpâ-ia (14) u-šik-niš biltu ma-da-tu êli-šu-nu u-kin a-na (15) mâtu Dimaški lu-u a-lik (m) Ma-ri-' šarru ša mâtu Imeri-šu (16) ina (alu) Di-ma-aš-ķi alu šarrû-ti-šu lu-u e-sir-šu (17) pul-hi me-lam-me ša Ašur bêli-šu is-hup-šu-ma šêpâ-ia is-bat (18) ar-du-ti êpuš(uš) MMCCC bilat kaspi XX bilat burasi (19) MMM bilat siparri V.M bilat parzilli lu-bul-ti bir-me kitê (20) iršu šinni ni-mat-ti šinni ib-zi tam-li-e bušû-šu ša-šu-šu (21) ana la ma-ni ina Di-ma-aš-ķi maḥâz šarrû-ti-šu ina ki-rib êkalli-šu am-hur (22) šarrâni(ni) ša (mâtu) Kal-di kâli-šu-nu ar-du-ti ê-pu-šu biltu ma-da-tu ana û(23)-um za-ti êli-šu-nu u-kin Babilu Bar-sip Kuta (24) ri-hat (ilu) Bêl (ilu) Nabû (ilu) Nêrgal lu-u iš-šu-ni niķi ellûti

2. NEBO STATUE FROM CALAH1 1

2

(1) To Nebo, the powerful, the exalted, the child of Esagil, the majestic leader, (2) the strong prince, the son of Nudimmut, whose command is exalted, the (3) messenger of cunning things, who rules over all heaven and earth, who knows all things, (4) whose ear is wide open, who holds the tablet stylus, who takes the prisoner's hand, the merciful, the sorcerer, who (5) is able to cleanse or bewitch the beloved of Bel, the lord of lords, (6) whose power is beyond dispute, without whom naught is determined in heaven, (7) the compassionate, the forgiving, whose condescension is good, who dwells in Ezida, which is in Calah, (8) the great lord, his lord has this been made and presented, for the life of Adad-nirari, the king of Ashur, his lord, and for the life (9) of Sammuramat,3 mistress of the palace, his mistress, by Bel-tarși-ilu-ma, (10) governor of Calah, Khamadi, Sirgana, Temeni, Ialuna, (11) for his life, for the length of his days, increase of his years, the wellbeing of his house, and his

Published I R., 35, No. 2; Abel and Winckler, Keilschrifttexte zum Gebrauch bei Vorlesungen, p. 14. Translated by Hommel, Geschichte Babyloniens und Assyriens, p. 630; by Abel, Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, i, p. 193; by Winckler, Keilinschriftliches Textbuch zum Alten Testament, 3te Auf., pp. 27, 28.

2 Nudimmut

Ea.

* Sammuramat, who is the original of the legendary Semiramis, was the wife of Shamshi-Adad IV, and the mother of Adad-nirari IV, who here calls her "mistress of the palace." See the most interesting study by C. F. Lehmann-Haupt, Die Historische Semiramis und ihre Zeit. (Tübingen, 1910).

(1) a-na (ilu) Nabû da-pi-ni ša-ki-e mâr (ilu) E-sag-gil igigallu šitra-hu (2) rubû kaš-ka-šu mâr (ilu) Nu-dim-mut ša ki-bit-su mah-rat (3) abkal nik-la-a-ti pa-kid kiš-šat šami-e irși-tim mu-du-u mimma šum-šu (4) rap-ša uz-ni ta-me-ih kân dup-pi a-hi-zu kat ka-mi ri-menu-u muš-ta-lu (5) ša šu-ud-du u šu-šu-bu ba-šu-u it-ti-šu na-ra-am (ilu) Enlil bêl bêli-e (6) ša la iš-ša-na-nu dan-nu-su ša balu-uš-šu ina šami-e la iš-ša-ka-nu mil-ku (7) ri-me-nu-u ta-ia-a-ru ša na-ašhur-šu țâbu a-šib E-zi-da ša ki-rib (alu) Kal-hi (8) bêlu rabû bêl-šu a-na balât (m) Adad-nirâri šar (mâtu) Aššur bêli-šu u balât (9) (ameltu) Sa-am-mu-ra-mat amelit êkalli belti-šu (m) Bêl-tar-șiilu-ma (amêlu) šakin (10) (alu) Kal-hi (mâtu) Ha-me-di (mâtu) Sir-ga-na (mâtu) Te-mi-ni (mâtu) Ia-lu-na (11) a-na balâț napsâtišu arâk ûmi-šu šum-ud šanâti-šu šul-mu bîti-šu u nišî-šu la bašů