Q005646: royal-inscription cylinder
Old Assyrian Oracc
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[...] x [a]-na-[ku] [(d)_utu_]-szi-(d)_iszkur#_ [_lugal_] _kisz#_ [u]-sza-as#-si-ik-szu-ma# [(x)] x mesz sar x _u#_ zi-iq-qu-ur#-[ra-tam] x (x) [...]
... ... I, Shamshi-Adad, king of the universe, made him secure and ... ... ... and the ziggurrat ... .
I, Shamshi-Adad, king of the universe, abandoned it and ... and the ziggurrat ...
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(d)_utu_-szi-(d)#_iszkur_ da-num _lugal kisz_ sza-ki-in (d)_en-lil_ ÉNSI (d)a-szur4 na-ra-am (d)_inanna_
bi-tum é-me-nu-e sza i-na qa-qar é-masz-masz bi-tim la-bi-ri sza ma-an-isz-ti-szu _dumu_ szar-ru-ki-in _lugal_ a-ka-de-_ki_ i-pu-szu i-na-ah-ma bi-tam sza isz-tu szu-lum a-ka-de-_ki_ a-di szar-ru-ti-ia a-di s,a-ba-at nu-ur-ru-gi-_ki 7_ da-a-ru i-ti-qu-ma i-na _lugal-mesz_ a-li-ku-ut pa-ni-ia# _lugal_ ma-an-na-ma la i-pu-szu-ma# am# ra x x x x (d)#x [...] x (x) [...] x [...] x [...]
Shamshi-Adad, strong king, king of the universe, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Ashur, beloved of the goddess Ishtar,
The wall of Emenû, which is inside Emashmash, the ancient wall, whose original foundations the son of Sargon II, king of Agade, had built, had become dilapidated and the wall which from the well-being of Agade to the kingship of Nurrugi became seven layers thick and had not been built by any of the kings who came before me — ...
Shamshi-Adad, the strong one, king of the universe, appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of the god Ashur, beloved of the goddess Ishtar:
The temple Emenue — which is in the district of Emashmash, the old temple — which Man-ishtushu, son of Sargon, king of Akkad, had built, that temple had become dilapidated. The temple which none of the kings who preceded me from the fall of Akkad until my sovereignty, until the capture of Nurrugu — seven generations have passed — had rebuilt and
Top Column ii
[(x) x] mesz [sar x] U zi#-iq-qu-ur#-ra-tam# _szu# gibil_ ra-bi-a-am sza e#-li _igi_ qa-ad#-mi _ki_ ne-pé-szu-szu ra-bu-u na-ak-lu lu e-pu-usz É sza ki-a-am mi-im-mu-szu szu-uk-lu-lu _lugal_ ma-an-na-ma a-na (d)_inanna_ i-na ni-nu-wa-a-_ki_ la i-pu-szu É sza-a-ti si-ip-pi-szu usz-zi-iz zi-iq-qu-ur-ra-as-su u-ul-li ra-bi-i-isz u-sza-ak-li-il-szu-ma é-ki-tusz-kU-ga hu-ru-usz ni-s,i-ir-ti-sza szum-szu ab-bi
na-re-e ma-an-isz-ti-szu U te-em-me#-ni-szu u(?)#-[na]-ak-ki#-ru-ma [a-na ma-asz-ka-ni]-szu-nu-ma [la u-te-ru]-szu-nu-ti [na-re-e]-ia#
... and the ziggurrat, a great building, whose construction is extensive and difficult, I built. I built a house that was as perfect as it was in Nippur. No king of the past had built that temple or its doorjambs for the goddess Ishtar. I raised its superstructure and made its ziggurrat large. I named it Ekitushkuga, its cult center.
I destroyed his monumental inscriptions and his foundation documents and I did not return them to their places. I deposited my monumental inscriptions.
... and the ziggurrat, a great ..., whose workmanship was greater and more skillful than before, I built. I erected the doorframes of that temple, the equal of which for perfection no king had ever built for the goddess Ishtar in Nineveh. I raised its ziggurrat. Thus I completed it on a grand scale and named it Ekitushkuga, 'Her Treasure House.'
The monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions of Man-ishtushu I swear I did not remove but restored to their places. I deposited my monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions ... beside his monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions. Therefore the goddess Ishtar, my mistress, has given me a term of rule which is constantly renewed.
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ah#-re-ti-isz u4-mi la#-ba-ri-isz É _lugal_ sza (d)_en-lil_ i-na-ab-bu-szu i-nu-ma é-ki-tusz-kU-ga sza a-na-ku e-pu-szu i-ta-an-hu-ma u-ud-da-szu ki-ma a-na-ku na-re-e U te-em-me-ni sza ma-an-isz-ti-szu la u-na-ak-ki-ru na-re-e-ia U te-em-me-ni-ia a u-na-ak-ki-ir# a-na ma-asz-ka#-[ni]-szu-nu-ma#
In the distant past, when the king's temple which the god Enlil called it "Ekitushkuga" — which I had built and had weakened, I did as I did with the monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions of his time, but I did not destroy my monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions, but I did make them for their own purposes.
In the future when the temple becomes old, when Ekitushkuga which I built has become dilapidated, and the king whom the god Enlil appoints restores it: May he not remove my monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions but restore them to their places as I did not remove the monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions of Man-ishtushu.
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szum#-ma _lugal_ szu-u ik-szi-it,#-ma na-re-e-ia U te-em-me-ni-ia u-sza-as-si-ik-ma# a-na# asz-ri#-szu-nu la u-te-er-szu-nu-ti na-re-e-szu-ma U te-em-me-ni-szu isz-ta-ka-an _lugal_ szu-u sza e-li _dingir-mesz u lugal-mesz_ mar-s,u# i-te-pé-esz (d)_utu_ da-a-ia-nu ra-bu-u sza _an u ki_ ki-ma sza-ri-ku be-el da-mi a-na qa-at _lugal_ be-el le-mu-ut-ti-szu li-ma-al-li-szu# (d)_inanna nin_ ni-nu-wa-a-_ki#_ szar-ru-us-su U pa-la-szu# li-t,e4-er#-szu-ma a-na sza#-[ni]-i-im# [li-di]-in#
If a king like him a bribe has committed, and my monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions have been altered, and I have not returned them to their places, then his monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions have been placed. This king, who has been entrusted to the gods and kings, may the god Shamash, the great judge of heaven and earth, like a lion, the lord of evil, look upon the hands of the king, his lord of evil, may the goddess Ishtar, mistress of Nineveh, his kingship and his dominion, and give them back to their places.
If, however, that king discontinues that custom and discards my monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions, if he does not restore them to their places but deposits his monumental inscriptions and clay inscriptions in their place: That king shall have done what is offensive to gods and kings. May the god Shamash, the great judge of heaven and underworld, hand him over to a king who is his enemy as one who gives up a murderer. May the goddess Ishtar, mistress of Nineveh, take away his sovereignty and term of rule and give them to another.