To the king, my lord: your servant Akkullanu. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the priests of Calah about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, I questioned a priest personally; he said as follows:

"Nobody has heard their story .... I gave the order: 'Let them be held in my house ... until the king summons them and asks about his servants who were killed.'"

To the king, my lord: your servant Akkullanu. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the priest about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, now then — today is the third day already — he has thought it over and said to me as follows:

"What is this? It should be cleared up! If there is anything left of it, let them send it to me, and I will make it double at once. Within ...... has not sent ... as to where it would be.

"Concerning what the king said, viz. 'Three years ago you ......,' is this not what ......?

"The container for firewood ......

"white frit ......

of the son of the priest ......

in the papahu chapel ......

and the head ......

inside it ......

"the river ordeal on account of ......

"Let me ...... this

"Now ......

Also let them have a word with the governor of GN; why are the king's ...s negligent? The ......s have left their work.

Let the king inquire about ... the sacrifices of the deputy governor of GN: "Why have you not provided them?" The king should make it crystal-clear to him that these days of the kanunu festival must not be left loose!

The kanunu is on the evening of the 10th. Huge sacrifices will be performed on the 11th and the 12th day.

Furthermore, as regards the priest of the temple of Sibitti of Nineveh about whom I wrote to the king, my lord: "He wants to tell something — he should be questioned" —

the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Let him be in attendance." So far nobody has questioned him.

The name of the son of the priest of the Shamash temple is Zarî, he is the son of Nadin-apli.

To the king, my lord: your servant Akkullanu. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord! May I hear about the king, my lord's health and well-being in the answer to my letter.

Concerning the observation of the moon and the sun, here is the relevant interpretation:

If on the 14th of Tebet X the moon is not seen with the sun: there will be deaths, and the god will eat.

If on the 15th day the moon and the sun are seen together: a strong enemy will raise his weapons against the country, and the enemy will demolish the city gates.

If the opposition is observed on the 15th day: bad for Akkad, good for the Eastland and the Westland.

If a fog rolls in Tebet X: eclipse of all countries."

Concerning the king's sacrifices which are performed in the kanunu festival, shall I go and supervise the sacrifices? Or shall I stay here? What is it that the king says? If I didn't ask, the king, my lord, would say: "Why did you not remind me?"

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the apotropaic ritual against evil of any kind, about which the king wrote to me: "Perform it tomorrow" — the day is not propitious. We shall prepare it on the 25th and perform it on the 26th.

Anyway, the king, my lord, should not be worried about this portent. Bel and Nabû can make a portent pass by, and they will make it bypass the king, my lord. The king, my lord, should not be afraid.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

Concerning the purification which I was ordered to perform, I have gone and undertaken an effective one. From Nineveh I took the road to Zikkû and went as far as to Sasiqani; there I gave the following order to the courier who had accompanied me from Nineveh and to the courier of the city of Calah: "You carry along this torch and this censer and move them about in the city of Kasappa."

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk greatly bless the king, my lord!

Concerning what the king, my lord, said to me: "Discuss it with Balasî", I did so and he said:

"He should sit down on the 15th and get up on the 22nd; on the 24th day the king should go down to the river and perform his ritual."

He also said: "Let us talk about this to the king himself, and let the king hear what we have to say." He and I should now have an audience with the king; we shall instruct the king, our lord, how the ritual will be performed. It is a complicated one, and it is essential that the king listens to what we have to say.

Concerning the izbu = anomalous birth ritual about which the king wrote to me: "It is obscure" — I sent the king exactly what is written on the tablet.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk greatly bless the king, my lord!

Concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "You ask him!" —

I don't know who this man is — whom should I ask? Let the man be pointed out to me then, I will ask him.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk greatly bless the king, my lord!

At night the king will perform Maqlû, in the early morning the king will perform the balance of the ritual.

Furthermore: the periodic rites of the month Ab V which will be performed on the 28th day involve the presence of a figurine of Gilgamesh.

Should I perform these rites for the queen mother? What is it that the king says?

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk greatly bless the king, my lord!

The king, my lord sent me saying: "Go and perform a ritual for Shadditu!" — I did so, but I could not perform the rest of the ritual because I had to leave for the treaty. Why on earth did Shumaya hurry up from Calah and say to Shadditu: "I shall prepare and perform this ... ritual for you!"

He should ... have asked me!

...... ritual

I would have performed ......

... performed ...

I would have seen ......

...... Calah

... But he

... came up

He is not able to perform the ritual "Excluding evil from a person's home," but instead has exposed her.

The king sent me; why did he hasten to perform the ritual? He is not able at all! I will perform it — or should I have learned from his example?

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk very greatly bless the king, my lord!

If he has become troublesome, may that gracious face of the king, my lord, turn away from him! And inasmuch as Ishtar of Nineveh and Ishtar of Arbela have said: "We shall root out from Assyria those who are not loyal to the king, our lord!" he should really be banished from Assyria!

May Ashur, Shamash, Bel and Nabû feel concern over the health of the king, my lord!

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nadin-shumi. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk greatly bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the governor ...

Let them recite it, write it down and send it to him; he will get afraid of the king and obey.

Otherwise I swear by your gods that he shall not obey but take away the country and separate from Assyria.

A servant of the king has come ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

12 Kushite horses have come in from the governor.

11th day.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

30 Kushite horses from Parsua,

5 horses — deficit of the teams of Ashur,

16 Kushite,

47 Mesean:

88 horses in all from Lahiru;

46 Kushite horses,

52 Mesean:

98 in all from the land of ...

To the scribe of the palace, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. Good health to my lord! May Nabû and Marduk, Ishtar of Nineveh and Ishtar of Arbela bless my lord! May they keep you in good health, and may you constantly be happy!

The palace and the inhabitants of Nineveh are well; may Bel and Nabû also grant health to you!

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

4 Kushite horses from the treasurer of the queen mother;

17 cavalry mounts,

9 mules:

26 in all from Isana;

a total of 30 horses and mules ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

3 Kushite horses from the recruits of the chief eunuch;

x mules from Kilizi;

x mules from Arbela:

a total of 3 Kushite horses and 33 mules —

36 horses and mules in all have come in today.

To the crown prince, my lord: your servant, Nabû-shumu-iddina. Good and abundant health to the crown prince, my lord. May Nabû and Marduk bless the crown prince, my lord.

On the 3rd day of Iyyar II, in Calah, the bed of Nabû will be set up and Nabû will enter the bed chamber. The 4th is the wedding night of Nabû.

The crown prince, my lord, knows that I am the 'inspector' of the temple of Nabû, your god. I should therefore go to Calah. The god will set out from the threshing floor of the palace. From the threshing floor of the palace he will come to the garden. There a sacrifice will be performed.

The chariot-driver of the gods will go with the team of horses of the gods. He will bring the god out and back in again. He himself will then move on.

Of the apprentice priests, whoever has a sacrifice to make will do so, and whoever brings even one seah of food may eat it in the temple of Nabû. For the sake of the life of the crown prince, my lord, they should perform the rites of their gods to perfection.

What are the written instructions of the crown prince, my lord? May Bel and Nabû, who are betrothed in the month of Shebat XI, protect the life of the crown prince, my lord. May they extend your kingship to the end of time.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Nabû-shumu-iddina. Very good health indeed to the king, my lord. May Nabû and Marduk very greatly bless the king, my lord.

The queen of Esaggil = Zarpanitu, of whom the king today ......

They will keep watch over Assurbanipal, great crown prince of the Succession Palace, and over the crown prince of Babylon.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord! I am a dog, but the king, my lord, has remembered me. May Ashur, Bel, Nabû, Sin, Shamash, Ninurta, and Nergal guard the life of the king, my lord!

Are the ... horses from the magnates of Bet-kari coming in? What are the written instructions of the king, my lord?

Those of Ebir-nari have not yet come in.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

x horses have come in today.

16th day.

To the vizier, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. Good health to the vizier, my lord!

The Urukeans

... lawsuit

I am herewith sending him to the vizier, my lord. Let the vizier, my lord, establish his case.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

121 cavalry mounts,

1 cavalry ...-mount:

122 cavalry mounts in all have come in from the commander-in-chief, incomplete;

5 cavalry mounts have come in from the governor of Calah, incomplete —

a total of 127 cavalry mounts have come in today.

Concerning the horses trained to the yoke which came in yesterday from Barhalzi and Arrapha and about which I wrote to the king, my lord. — I will array them early in the morning. I will also array the hitched-up Mesean horses, which are kept hitched up at all times.

What are the written instructions of the king, my lord?

5th day.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina. The very best of health to the king, my lord!

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-shumu-iddina of Nineveh. May Nabû and Marduk

To the king, my lord: your servant Balasî. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "In the city of Harihumba lightning struck and ravaged the fields of the Assyrians" — why does the king look for trouble, and why does he look for it in the home of a tiller? There is no evil inside the palace, and when has the king ever visited Harihumba?

Now, provided that there is evil inside the palace, they should go and perform the ritual "Evil of Lightning" there. In case the king, my lord, says: "How is it said in the tablets?" — here is the relevant interpretation: "If the storm god devastates a field inside or outside a city, or if he puts down a ... of his chariot, or if fire burns anything, the said man will live in utter misery for 3 years." This applies only to the one who was cultivating the field.

Concerning the adding of the intercalary month about which the king wrote to me, this is indeed a leap year. After Jupiter has become visible, I shall write again to the king, my lord. I am waiting for it; it will take this whole month. Then we shall see how it is and when we have to add the intercalary month.

To the king, my lord: your servant Balasî. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the ... about which the king, my lord, wrote to me — the dream rituals should be performed on the 13th day, in the morning. On the 13th day the moon will be covered with the crown of splendour. Afterwards, ... on the 14th day, the moon will be seen in opposition to the sun, a good oracular utterance will answer you.

May Ashur, Bel, Nabû and Shamash bless the king, my lord! May they give life of distant days, old age and fullness of life to the king, my lord!

The 13th is a propitious day; let them perform it.

To the king, our lord: your servants Balasî and Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, our lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, our lord!

Concerning Ashur-mukin-paleya about whom the king, our lord, wrote to us, may Ashur, Bel, Nabû, Sin, Shamash and Adad bless him, and may the king, our lord, see him prosper. It is a good time for his going to the king: the 2nd is a good day, and the 4th is a very good day.

To the king, our lord: your servants Balasî and Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, our lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, our lord!

The king, our lord, will pardon us. Is one day not enough for the king to mope and to eat nothing? For how long still? This is already the third day when the king does not eat anything. The king, a beggar!

Surely when, in the beginning of the month, the moon appears, he says: "I will not fast any more! It is the beginning of the month! I want bread to eat and wine to drink!"

Now Jupiter is the moon. The king can ask for food for even the whole of the year! We became worried and were afraid, and that is why we are now writing to the king.

To the king, our lord: your servants Balasî and Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, our lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, our lord!

Concerning the planets Saturn and Mars ...

There is still a distance of about 5 fingers left; it = the conjunction is not yet certain. Presently we keep observing and shall write to the king, our lord. It = Mars moves about a finger a day.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "From now on you will stay in my entourage; if there is something you want to say, write me" — how would I not stand in front of the king, my lord? To whom else would we be devoted?

The king, my lord, went away until the fourth month; how could I not be shaken up when I cannot look at the king, my lord; why should I not embrace the ground where the tracks of the chariot of the king, my lord, pass by, longing to look at the king, my lord, again? May Bel and Nabû lengthen the days of the king, my lord!

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

The gods saw each other on the 13th day.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the crown prince about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me saying that the crown prince should visit the king, my lord, and asking "Is the 1st of Nisan I favourable?" —

On the 1st of Nisan I he should cleanse and purify oneself, make his food offering to Marduk, libate water and first-quality beer to the right and to the left; then this man will shine like the sun.

On the 2nd he should not go into the street.

On the 4th of Nisan I he should prostrate himself before Marduk and make his sign known; he will then be granted fame and prosperity.

"He should make his sign known" means he should plead his case before the god.

Another matter: The planet Mercury is shining very brightly; it signifies the crown prince. This is propitious for the country of Subartu, and propitious for the king and the crown prince. If the crown prince is to come into the presence of the king, my lord, it is now favourable to do so.

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me saying that Ashur-mukin-paleya should appear before the king, my lord — as soon as the planet Venus has become visible, he may come. Venus will presently make a good omen; meanwhile the month Nisan I has arrived. The constellation Aries is setting and will soon be completely gone. The king, my lord, should still wait for its emergence; thereafter he may come. May Bel and Nabû let the king, my lord, see Ashur-mukin-paleya prosper.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-ahhe-eriba. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the muster about which the king, my lord, wrote to me — ... ... ...

I have sent ... to the king, my lord; the king may act as it best suits the king, my lord.

To the king, my lord: your servant Bel-iqisha. May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

Last year in Tarninu the king, my lord, gave to his servant two teams of horses from the possession of ... the eunuchs of the treasurer. They used to eat ... at the expense of the treasurer.

I have tried to speak with Nabû-..., the scribe of the major domo, saying, "Give the previous amount of fodder to the horses," but he has slighted me and is telling me: "I will cut you off from the inner quarters!"

Ever since the king, my lord, appointed me in my lord's household, I have no authority over anybody in my lord's household.

I have also spoken with my own scribe, but the other one is plotting to kill me. He has wrapped up the whole house of my lord and subjected it to himself, and has been distributing gifts to have me killed. In the same way he has given out gifts and pulled out the scribe in my service.

The king, my lord, should know this.

To the king, my lord: your servant Bel-iqisha. May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

The servants of my lord's household whose status the king, my lord, has determined as of today:

Tabalayu son of Bel-Harran-ahu-ushur, whom the king, my lord, promoted to the rank of cohort commander; Nabû-sagib, whom the king, my lord, promoted to the rank of permanent 'third man'; and Atamar-Marduk, whom the king, my lord, promoted to the rank of bodyguard —

these three men are drunkards. When they are drunk, none of them can turn his iron sword away from his colleague.

I have written to the king, my lord, about a matter that I know. The king, my lord, may do as he deems best.

To the king, our lord: your servants PN, Bel-iqisha and Babilayu. Good health to the king, our lord! May Ashur, Shamash, Bel and Nabû give long days and everlasting years to the king, our lord.

The king, our lord, knows that the audience gift of Kanun X has been stocked up but there are no shelters where we could deposit the king's wine. May the king, our lord, command that storage rooms be shown to us, so that we may proceed.

There is much wine of the king — where should we put it?

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

I asked the carpenters: "Why ...? Do the rest of the work in Sapirrutu!" They said: "The days ... here ...; we are making broad planks ......"

"...... that I have cut stalks in Ekallate." I am bringing and settling them = the carpenters there right now, and they are going to do it.

One carpenter from their ranks who was in the presence of the king, my lord, came to me saying: "I am going by the order of the king himself; the king told us to go to Sapirrutu, so we shall go."

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

Nabu-bel-shumati, the legate of Birat entered the Inner City on the 7th. I asked him: "Why did you come now?" He said:

"I got a royal message: 'Why is it that all other city-rulers have come and stood in my presence, but you have not come? Also, why is it that the Arabs plundered Sippar, but you did not go out with your servants but kept them away?'

I was scared by this message and that is why I came."

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

A boat of mine which the Treasurer used for carrying money downstream is anchored at Bab-bitqi, and a boat of the governor of Arrapha is doing ferry service at Opis. The king, my lord, knows that we have to bring over straw and fodder from the other bank.

Now, let the governor of Arrapha's boat go and serve as a ferry at Bab-bitqi, and let mine come so we can use it to bring straw and fodder over at Opis.

The men of the governor of Arrapha are doing the ferrying at Bab-bitqi.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

As to the treaty tablet of Gurdî about which the king, my lord, wrote to me, the adjutant of the Palace Superintendent came and picked it up on the 1st of Ab V.

As soon as the emissaries had arrived, they brought the treaty tablet to the Inner City; the bodyguard and the messenger of the Palace Superintendent went with them and introduced it into the courtyard of the temple.

The messenger of the Palace Superintendent who brought it said: "I am under orders to return the tablet", so he got it back after the ceremonies. The city overseer, the temple steward and Kenî the temple scribe entrusted me ....

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

The stands of both bronze panthers are quite attractive; they are working on minor improvements in their finish.

As to the wood store for the iron brazier in the palace of the Inner City about which the king, my lord, wrote to me, I consulted the mayors, masons and elders who told me this:

"The chief of public works will do the demolition and the brickwork; the sons of the palace maids will supply the materials needed and plaster its roof; if a beam is broken, the masons of the Inner City will supply the replacement."

Now, I have told the chief of public works to pull it down and buid it up, but he does not agree but says: "..... I will supply the replacement for its broken beams."

This year may well pass before the work is done; the king my lord will come in Shebat XI and settle the issue.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Esharra is well, the temples are well, the Inner City is well, Assyria is well, may the king, my lord, be well! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: 'Count the intact beams and write me!",

I have just written down the numbers of the beams and am sending them herewith to the king, my lord: 372 heavy beams, 808 second-size, 2,313 third-size, 11,807 fourth-size, in all 15,290 sound ones, plus 13,157 damaged or burnt.

... I transferred the beams which had been damaged to the intact ones; now, they have been counted by the Palace Herald and the Treasurer on top of the damaged ones. Perhaps the king, my lord now says: "Why is it that there appears to be a deficit in the figures?"

Some were so totally consumed by the fire that we found no physical remains of them, some were ... from the midst, some from the top of ... ...... and were carried off by the river.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

They finished the harvest in Hinzanu on the 11th. ...... was reaped .... As long as I am here ......

They will not agree to transport it ...; they are transporting it on your expense.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

The king, my lord, wrote to me: "Set out on the 22nd and be in the Inner City on the 29th!" — before I go to the Inner City, let me come and see the king, my lord!

And as to the reserves of the king's men of the Ruqahu and Hallatu tribes about which the king my lord wrote to me, I sent orders about them on the very day I saw the king's letter.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "The chief eunuch is going to Kar-Shamash", — why is he going to Kar-Shamash? The road through the province of Arrapha is very exacting; there are permanent wadis filled with reed and it is getting worse. Let him come to the Inner City; this road along the river is in good condition.

...... the road is blocked ...... the troops ...... come to me ......

Who will be there for the guard if the ... go ...?

Now, the governor of Arrapha has 100 Itu'aeans standing guard in the town of Shibtu. Let them write to the legate of Shibtu, and let 50 men of them come and stay with the carpenters until I return.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

Sharru-emuranni and Sharru-nuri came from Babylon on the 10th ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Suppose you are staying at home, how do you feed your horses?"

Half of my horses are fed in the Barhalza province, the other half eat at the ... of the city of Issete in the domestic quarters of ...; my cavalry and ... are stationed in the tax-collection center of the province of .... Their ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Let this messenger of yours whom you sent to Birat together with his cavalry ... the Hamranu tribe" — my messenger ......

from ...... of the city of Munu' ... on the 21st of ...... at his behest.

The day they entered ..., my messenger was taken captive. The chief ... of ... who was there ... with him;

Haqi... released him in Munu' and wrote: "Send me silver!" He is in Munu'; I am now sending the silver.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shill-Esharra. Esharra is well, the temples are well, the Inner City is well, Assyria is well, may the king, my lord, be well!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Let these ...ians of Ekallate ...... who are being deported build the queen's palace in the city with the Palace Manager",

the Palace Manager petitioned the Palace in Shebat XI, saying: "Let the ... build the palace in ......!" Now the Inner City ... 'sons of bought slaves' ......

In the past days, when the father of the king my lord was leading ..., I did not have to supply the deficits of the palace of Ekallate, but now that the king, my lord, has exempted the Inner City and the ilku duty of the Inner City has been imposed on me, I have to supply even the deficits of the palace of Ekallate!

Are they 'sons of bought slaves' as they are called, or are they in reality exempts of the Palace Manager?

I have just made a list of the 'sons of bought slaves' and the 'sons of palace maids' on a writing board and am sending it herewith to the king, my lord. They are 370 men: 90 are king's men, 90 are reserves, 190 should do the king's work.

Let either a royal bodyguard or a royal guard come, and let me give him these .... men so they will do the king's work.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to what I wrote to the Palace: "Let them ... the rivers, get together and do the crossing at ... the camp," — Arbailai the 'third man' came to me today, reporting: "The river is flooding, I was not able to pass ... to the other side."

That is exactly why I wrote to the Palace. Let them now do the crossing at that very place outside the camp.

And here — when they come ......, half of the ...... ... here; I went by a cart and had a look; it's excellent, and Arbailai showed much room for the camp.

Tomorrow, as the king my lord said, they should set to it and bring the camp over; perhaps we can finish the bridge by the time they are through with the camp, so the king can cross over on the bridge.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

A letter from Ashur-reshuwa came to me in which it was written that a messenger of the king of Ukku has gone to Urartu and that he has sent a letter about it to the Palace.

Now after this letter, on the evening of the 6th, he sent me the following letter of his: "The Ukkaean has gone to greet Ariye. Over against him, there is a town of the Ukkaeans called Elizki in the pass of Kumme; the Ukkaean met Ariye there, and when they were sitting there together, he spoke to him as follows:

'Go straight to ...; whether he will give you an ox, or a sheep or pig, take it!'

Perhaps they will set out tomorrow morning ......; the Ukkaean ... not ... him."

When I heard these words I detained the messenger until the king my lord would hear the contents of this letter and send me instructions.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

Paqaha, the master-builder in charge of the ditch came and had an audience with me, saying: "The king has added to the men working on the ditch but there are no work leaders. The governor of Talmusa is not able to direct the men, he said to me as follows:

'1,000 men ......

...... we cannot do the work.'"

Paqaha told me: "I must personally take the lead of 100 men and spend a full month on the work. Let the king my lord call the leaders to account for the fact that I must spend a full month on the work employing only 100 men."

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "The Ukkaean has sent me the following message: 'At this very moment I am going ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the jewels of which the king, my lord, wrote to me, three leather-bags with assorted jewels, just as the king my lord wrote to me, have just been given from ...;

and two ...s of ...... ... stones ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the work on the ziggurat of Anu concerning which the king, my lord, gave me the following order: "Ask the Chief Scribe about it!" —

They have now asked him, and he spoke as follows: "Why should we do ...... the work ......"

...... will go straight away and inspect the work in the Inner City; returning from the Inner City to Calah, he will go to the Chief Scribe, who will send a detailed report to the Palace.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur: Good health to the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Why are the names of the city lords of the cities not built high?"

The king, my lord, knows that our previous campaign which we directed to Mannea and Media ... is depicted on the walls of the Old Palace. We have inspected ......

the names of the kings and ... officials

diadems in front of ...

their names are completed

we ...... from ...huha to Dur-Sharruken. This ... has been made ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Urad-Nanaya. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Ninurta and Gula give happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord!

The crown prince is doing very well. The treatment which we carried out and gave to the chest lasted for 1 1/2 hours; he retained consciousness and afterwards sat up in his bed. How proper he is!

Concerning the patient whose nose bleeds, the rab mugi told me that much blood flowed yesterday evening.

They are handling those tampons ignorantly! They put them against the cartilage of the nose, pressing the cartilage, and that is why the blood keeps coming out. They should put them into the openings of the nostrils; it will cut off the breath but the blood will be held back.

With the king's consent, I will enter the palace tomorrow and give instructions. Now let me to hear about the king's health.

To the king, my lord: your servant Urad-Nanaya: The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Ninurta and Gula give happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord!

Ashur-mukin-palu'a is doing very well. The king should not be afraid of this fever which has two or three times seized him; his pulse is normal and sound; he is well.

The baby, the crown prince and all the children of the king, my lord are likewise doing well.

Concerning the cure of the teeth about which the king wrote to me, I will now begin with it; there are a great number of remedies for aching teeth.

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Is it true that you have been concerned about yourself?" —

when am I ever free? I take care of Ashur-mukin-paleya; and as soon as I saw him healthy again, I came for the health of the king.

Now, O king, my lord, I should be released for a full month! I must do something — otherwise I shall die.

To the king, my lord: your servant Urad-Nanaya. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Ninurta and Gula give happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord!

Concerning the rash about which the king, my lord, wrote to me: "With what should they anoint my ...? When ... is finished, the rash subsides for the rest of the day" —

the king should rub himself with bird fat; it should protect the king from drafts. The clean water with which the king regularly washes his hands in the washbowl should not be hot. The rash will soon be gone if the king acts in this way.

I have gone where the king sent me.

To the Palace Herald, my lord: your servant Urda-Sin.

The Cimmerian king has departed from Mannea this ... and entered Urartu. He is ... in Hu'diadae; Sarduri is ... in Turushpâ.

The messenger of the governor of Waisi has gone to Urzana for help, saying: "Let your troops come to aid the people of Pulia and Suriana."

All of Urartu is extremely frightened. They are assembling troops, saying: "Perhaps we can attack him, once there is more snow."

As to this booty which they said he has taken, they do say that of the district of Arhi, .........

To the king, my lord: your servant, Urdu-Nabû. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur, Sin, Shamash, Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tashmetu, Ishtar of Nineveh, and Ishtar of Arbela — these great gods who love your kingship — allow the king, my lord, to live 100 years. May they grant the king, my lord, the satisfaction of old age, extreme old age. May they appoint a guardian of health and vigor to be with the king, my lord.

The 4th day of Iyyar II, Nabû and Tashmetu will enter the bed chamber. At the beginning of your reign, I performed the sacrificial offerings before Nabû and Tashmetu which have given life to the king, my lord. Now then I am writing to the king, my lord:

I have given orders regarding the matter which the king, my lord ...ed and regarding the offerings.

I have given instructions about the offerings for Assurbanipal, the great crown prince, for Shamash-shumu-ukin, the crown prince of Babylon, for Sheru'a-eterat, for Ashur-mukin-paleya, and for Ashur-etel-shame-ersheti-muballissu.

I will bring their offerings before Nabû and Tashmetu, and will perform them in the bedroom. May they allow them to live 100 years. Their children and grandchildren will grow old, and the king, my lord, will see it.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Urdu-Nabû. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur, Shamash, Bel, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tashmetu, Ishtar of Nineveh, and Ishtar of Arbela — these great gods who love your kingship — allow the king, my lord, to live 100 years. May they grant the king, my lord, the satisfaction of old age, extreme old age.

The gold which the treasurer, the palace scribe, and I weighed in the month of Tishri VII — 3 talents of refined gold and 4 talents of unrefined gold — was deposited in the storeroom of the director of the royal storehouse. He sealed it and did not give any for the royal statues or the statue of the queen mother. The king, my lord, should issue an order to the treasurer and to the palace scribe to make the gold available. Once the beginning of the month is favorable, they should give the gold to the craftsmen so that they can do their work.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Urdu-Nabû. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur, Sin, Shamash, Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tashmetu, Ishtar of Nineveh, and Ishtar of Arbela — these great gods who love your kingship — allow the king, my lord, to live 100 years. May they grant the king, my lord, the satisfaction of old age, extreme old age.

On the 29th of ..., an apprentice of Adad-... lost the key to the lock of the temple of ... and the temple of ... in the temple of ....

It is being rumored that ....

Let the king, my lord .......

Could we possibly act without the king, my lord? We will act only when the king, my lord, says so.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Urdu-Nabû. Good health to the king, my lord. May Nabû, Marduk, and Sin, the great gods, bless the king, my lord.

... all

......

... of/which anyone/anything

... ... the king

I shall speak ... of our statement ...,

...... before ...,

and read it before the king, my lord. May the king, my lord, give heed.

To the king, my lord: your servant Urad-Gula. Good health to the king, my lord! May all the gods whom the king, my lord, has revered today, very much stand by the king and by Assurbanipal and Shamash-shumu-ukin on the day of their trial!

We prepared all this work that the king performed on the 22nd day and today, and we also wrote the tablets, while he did not go near anything because of the picking of fruit and harvesting of grapes.

And on the 22nd, when the king got angry, we ...d the ground beneath the god and worried to death. But he, as soon as ..., wine ...

He is taking for himself the prime lot of garments which came in on the 22nd and today, gulenu-coats, tunics, and maklulu-clothes, every single one of them, and shows neither the chief exorcist nor Adad-shumu-ushur that he has them.

But we have ended up empty-handed; by which means are we supposed to fill the shortage of our garments? Whence are we supposed to get our wages, we who have not even as much money as a pupil of his? And yet the king knows that we are his equals!

... We are alone; already in the time of the king's father, Balassu and Aplaya took the stand because of him before ... and Adad-shumu-ushur.

We have ended up empty-handed ......

...... is not there ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Urad-Gula. The best of health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk very greatly bless the king, my lord!

Concerning the periodic rites of the month Ab V about which the king, my lord, said: "Perform them!" — we shall perform them exactly on schedule. The man who runs according to the word of his master — the gods will give him a good genie, and a safe road will be guided to him.

... the king, his favour ...

We are not worried; however, an order should be given to the effect that we are allowed to enter regularly.

Concerning what the king, my lord, said: "Which exorcists are with you?" — there are only Nabû-le'utu, his son, and I. At present Adad-shumu-ushur is coming to us, checking our work and instructing us; we are collaborating closely. It is because of this that I am writing to the king, my lord.

When Nabû-le'utu and his son are alone, who can vouch for them, whether it is safe or not? Even I have noticed that this son of his is still in the unsteadiness of youth. While I stay with them, we perform the ritual correctly — but can I leave them alone?

To the king, my lord: your servant, Urdu-ahheshu. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur and Esharra bless the king, my lord. May Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tashmetu, Nanaya, and all the gods who dwell in Esaggil lengthen the days of the king, my lord. May they firmly establish the throne of the king, my lord. May they grant happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord.

Esaggil, including the upper courtyard in the temple in which Bel and Beltia reside, together with its sanctuaries, and the cella of Tashmetu, the lower courtyard, together with its sanctuaries — every bit of this has been completely rebuilt. The plaster, the ..., the front and back of ..., the daises of Bel and Nabû ..., the burnt bricks for... we have made and we have .... All the drainage pipes are finished. We have placed battlements of bitumen and burnt brick on all the temples. We are awaiting the rites. The king, my lord, should know this.

The king of Babylon has told us: "You should rebuild the continuous enclosure wall of Esaggil. You should also rebuild the temple of Belet-Babili. Let the other masons glaze the kiln-fired bricks for the enclosures of Esaggil." The king, my lord, should know this too.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Urdu-ahheshu. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur and Esharra bless the king, my lord. May Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tashmetu, Nanaya, and all the gods who dwell in Esaggil lengthen the days of the king, my lord. May they firmly establish the throne of the king, my lord. May they grant happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord.

138 cedars have been brought here this year from the magazine of Carchemish. Of these 30 large cedars ... for the outer cella of Bel; x+2 cedars we fastened on top of ...

... upon the city gate

... ...

......

...... we fastened

... upon

... we fastened

... concerning

...... work involving bricks

...... not remaining

...s, drainage pipes

... walls

... enclosures. This is a work involving burnt bricks .... We will do our .... The king, my lord, should know about this.

We have written the name of the king, my lord, on all the pedestals and all the necks of the statues. Your gods ... we have made

...... dust

...... ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Gabbu-ana-Ashur.

As to the people of Arzâ about whom the king, my lord, wrote me: "I have given you the people entered on the writing-board, the cohort which I formed; these are at your disposal. However, give Arzâ the rest of the people whose names I did not write in the writing-board" —

There are no people not on the writing-board at my disposal! In fact, from the people in the writing-board whom the king, my lord, gave me, x are at his disposal!

When the king's messenger came with me to Kurbail

After this, others disappeared from the temple and came to me.

Why does the king, my lord, pay attention to groundless allegations? Only those people whom the king, my lord, organized and gave me are in my service. There are no people not on the writing-board in my service.

To the king, my lord: your servant Gabbu-ana-Ashur.

All the straw in my country is reserved for Dur-Sharruken, and my recruitment officers are now running after me because there is no straw for the pack animals.

Now, what are the king my lord's instructions?

To the king, my lord: your servant Gabbu-ana-Ashur.

As to the orders that the king, my lord, gave me concerning the watch of the Urartian, ever since I entered Kurbail my messengers have been going back and forth to Nabû-le'i, Ashur-belu-uda''an and Ashur-reshuwa.

We have not gotten a whiff of anybody or anything. Everybody is doing his work, there is no hostility at all.

We keep hearing as follows: "The Urartian has not come out of Turushpâ." Nevertheless, we are keeping the watch about which the king, my lord, gave me orders — we are not negligent.

I arrived in Kurbail on the 16th day of Tammuz IV, and am sending this letter to the king, my lord, on the 20th of Ab V.

To the king, my lord: your servant Gabbu-ana-Ashur.

Whatever reed there is in our country, the royal bodyguard is ...ing over it.

Let them leave me the booty of the depot tower. There are no reeds for my tower.

To the king, my lord: your servant Gabbu-ana-Ashur.

Stone thresholds and bull colossi are imposed upon me, but the people of the country totally refuse to go forth to my work, saying: "Are we your men?"

They do not listen to me — am I ...?

These people unanimously and categorically disobey me in every possible way.

To the king, my lord: your servant Mannu-ki-Ninua. Good health to the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord is well.

Concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Go to Media with the magnates!" — I went with them. The gods of the king provided peace, and we returned safely.

I am now here in Kar-Sharrukin. I am building the grand hall with whatever bricks have been glazed, and we are cultivating the arable fields and doing our work. The king, my lord, can be glad.

Also, on the first day the magnates fetched from outside whatever bricks were left there, and delivered them to me.

The outer city-wall is finished and plastered. They came close to it and plastered it from boats.

To the king, my lord: your servant Mannu-ki-Ninua. Good health to the king, my lord!

A bodyguard should be appointed in the service of the scribe and the recruitment officers, to fetch and give them their men. The king, my lord, knows that the horses under me have died. The king should quickly send one of their riding-horses under me.

The trainees came with me and I appointed them in the service of the recruitment officers. Should the king, my lord, wish to summon them, they are in Calah at the disposal of the recruitment officers.

To the king, my lord: your servant Mannu-ki-Ninua. Good health to the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord is well. The Medes around us are peaceful, and we are doing our work.

Concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Go to meet Sharru-emuranni, he will entrust you the son of Ludû. No human being must see him until you have brought him into Kar-Sharrukin!" — I went into the Pass to meet him, and he entrusted the son of Ludû to me. Nobody saw him before I had brought him into Kar-Sharrukin.

And concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Write to Ludû: 'They have written to me about it angrily from the Palace, saying ......'" —

"...... and lay it in Kimar!" The ...s are all peaceful and doing their work.

Concerning the people of NN about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, I have written to the son of Irtukkanu. If he sends the people, I shall send them to the king, my lord. If not, I shall write to the king, my lord, whatever it is.

As to the harvest about which the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Why have you not written to me how it is?" — the harvest has sprouted, but the ... is badly ravaged ..., and it is raining and snowing continually.

To the king, my lord: your servant Mannu-ki-Ninua. Good health to the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord is well.

Concerning the Zabgagaeans about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Inquire and observe their comings and goings, and write to me!" — they have now returned from the house of Daltâ, entered Kuluman with their brothers, and are staying there.

And when I went and concluded a treaty with the Kulumaneans, and pacified them, they too = the Zabgagaeans made peace with them. They appealed to me on account of Zabgaga, saying: "Return our city-lord and install him over us!" I told them as the king, my lord, had written to me:

"The king has taken your city-lord ......

... the Mede seized him ......

of Zabgaga ......

I shall give you ......

return you ......

............

......

After I had told them this, they said:

"...... to go out of Kuluman.

...... of Asrukanu and of NN

...... of GN and of Sikris ......

For peace's sake, they should not cut off their messengers ... from my presence. I dressed them in purple garments, put silver bracelets on their wrists, and said to them as follows:

"Just as you previously stood at the disposal of Nabû-belu-ka''in, found out whatever there was to report and told it to him, in like manner stand now at my disposal and send me whatever news of the Medes you hear! I shall protect you just as Nabû-belu-ka''in protected you and shall say a good word about you before the king, my lord."

And they said to me as follows: "The king ordered us to stand at the disposal of the governor of Kar-Sharrukin, so we shall now stay at your disposal. We are the king's subjects."

...... whom Nabû-belu-ka''in ......

I sent ... to them, saying: "......."

They ...ed before me ......: "Conclude a treaty ...... with us ......, so we shall ... our ...s."

They also said: "As for you, come with your ... and conclude the treaty with us at the upper border of Satarnu. We have made peace."

Now then I am speaking kindly with them until the king, my lord, sends me further instructions.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-pashir. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord is well.

The following are the measurements of the beams for the doors:

One beam: length 26 royal cubits 13 m, width one cubit 0,5 m, thickness one bone 32 cm;

One beam: length 21 royal cubits ......

Four beams: length x cubits, width one cubit, thickness one cubit;

two beams: length x cubits, width one cubit, thickness one cubit;

x beams: length x cubits, width one bone, thickness one bone;

12 beams: length x cubits, width one cubit, thickness one cubit;

15 beams: length x cubits, width x cubit, thickness four inches.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-pashir. Good health to the king, my lord! May Sin and Nikkal bless the king, my lord!

As to the cousins of Giri-Dadi, the city-ruler of Til-Turi, who petitioned the king, my lord, and about whom the king my lord wrote to me: "Give them back whatever Giri-Dadi has taken from them" —

I gave it back to them. Now Se'-lukidi, a cousin of Giri-Dadi has came and said to me:

"...... Let them come and pluck out the ... of Tabal, lest the king should return from Dur-Iakin and deport us; Giri-Dadi spoke nonsense, because he was afraid."

I am now sending Giri-Dadi and his cousin Se'-lukidi, who told us the things, to the Palace. What are the king my lord's instructions?

To the Vizier, my lord: your servant Nabû-pashir. Good health to the Vizier, my lord! May Sin and Nikkal bless the Vizier, my lord!

Dadi-suri son of Ra'sunu, from Til-Barsip, came to me in Harran and said to me: "Gabbi-amur said that Ra'sunu ......"

Two days later he came again, saying: "I accused my father wrongly."

I have now arrested him and put him in irons, and am detaining his father in my presence. Let my lord write to me what the Vizier my lord commands. My lord should ask Remanni-Adad the recruitment officer; he heard his statement.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-pashir. Good health to the king, my lord! May Sin and Nikkal bless the king, my lord!

On the 17th of ... Sin came out and entered the akitu chapel. The sacrifices of the king my lord having been performed successfully,

Sin returned, entered his temple, took his seat in peace and blessed the king, my lord.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-pashir. Good health to the king, my lord! May Sin and Nikkal bless the king, my lord!

...... of the king, my lord ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Shamash-upahhir. Good health to the king, my lord!

The king my lord's servants, the city-rulers under my authority whom the king my lord ordered to work in Milqia have come to my presence saying: "......

"Send ..... to the palace!"

They have made me sack the ... of the king, my lord; what does the king my lord say?

To the king, my lord: your servant Sha-Ashur-dubbu. The best of health to the king, my lord!

The forts and the land of the king, my lord, are well.

I sent two eunuchs of mine with six soldiers and a sealed order for the deserters in Penzâ; they went off with two cohort commanders and had the men brought down.

They had dinner there; the brother of the Shubrian king too dined with them there.

They set out together and were on their way home, when the Shubrians attacked them from an ambush and captured my two eunuchs and the six soldiers. Both of my cohort commanders escaped.

I wrote him: "Release the soldiers!" but he said: "I will inquire into the matter; if they are in my country, I shall give them back."

I set out on their trail personally, but they had already taken the soldiers up to his fort.

The king, my lord, should send word that the prefects of the royal Taziru and Itu'u troops holding fields here should come and stand guard with me, until those beams are brought out.

The king, my lord, knows that my men are working in Dur-Sharruken and I have only cavalrymen at my disposal.

To the king, my lord: your servants Nabû-ra'im-nisheshu and Salamanu. Good health to the king, our lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, our lord.

As to the deserters whom the governor of Der sent to me and about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Interrogate them!" — we have interrogated them.

Bur-Silâ, 'third man' of the crown prince; Kudurru, servant of Mannaipite, likewise a 'third man' of the crown prince. Total two Elamites. Rama-il, a man from Arrapha, chariot fighter of the governor, Addiqritushu, and servants of Iairu, the Gambulean:

Fifteen deserters whom the governor of Der sent to me.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû'a. May Ashur, Shamash, Bel and Nabû bless the king, my lord, and let the king, my lord, attain his desire!

We kept the watch; on the 14th day the moon and the sun saw each other.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû'a. May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

On the 7th of Kislev IX a fox entered the Inner City, and fell into a well in the garden of the god Ashur. It was hauled up and killed.

To the king, my lord: your servant Kinâ. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

The exempts who were brought to me are at the moment staying outside Arbela.

Now the chief cook is telling me: "They have told me from the Palace: 'Order Kinâ to line up in my = king's presence and follow you.'"

Now what does the king, my lord, command?

To the king, my lord: your servant Ashur-reshuwa. Good health to the king, my lord!

As regards Naragê, the chief tailor about whom I wrote to the king, my lord: "He and 20 of his fellow eunuchs who conspired against the king have been arrested" —

the king of Urartu has now entered Turushpâ and questioned them. They have dragged forth and killed the rest of the people involved in the plot — 100 men, including the eunuchs and the bearded courtiers.

Urshenê, the deputy commander-in-chief, brother of Abliuqnu, was likewise arrested in Turushpâ. When Abliuqnu came to Turushpâ, he i.e. the king questioned him and this brother of his. No sword was drawn; they let them go.

As to Ishiye about whom the king, my lord, wrote me, nobody knows where he is; I keep inquiring, but nobody can tell me whether he is alive or dead.

The messenger whom I send to Ukku never sees any trace of him; he keeps inquiring, but nobody tells him anything. I am now sending spies to inquire and investigate, and shall write again to the king, my lord.

To the treasurer, my lord: your servant Ashur-reshuwa. Good health to my lord!

The messenger of the Ukkean who went to Urartu has come down to Assyria, and proceeded from Assyria to the land of the Great Shepherd. In Mushashir ......

My lord should know the heart of this matter. I will write to the palace everything that was written in this letter; I am writing to my lord only these ascertained facts.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ashur-reshuwa. Good health to the king, my lord!

The land of the king is well; the fort is well; may the king my lord be well!

Guriania is a district between Urartu and Cimmeria; it pays tribute to the Urartian king.

When the Urartians went against the Cimmerians and the Urartians suffered defeat, whatever troops ...ed from there to Guriania, this ... some of them and took others as captives, putting ....

When the king of Urartu escaped from his enemy,

before his trip ......

these ......

8,000 soldiers ...

snow ... .......

The Urartian governors who were in ...

marched against the king of Urartu.

These governors ......

in the eyes of the king ......

the forts ......

the king, my lord, says ......

went ... .......

messengers are going ......

to them ......

until the rear part ... to them.

News of the king: he is in Turushpâ.

To the treasurer, my lord, your servant Ashur-reshuwa. Good health to my lord!

As to the troops in Kumme about whom my lord wrote me, I have moved up some of them, but have not yet got the others under way.

The equipment of Ariye and Arizâ is in order, but they have not yet departed; when they do set out, my messenger will go ahead of them, and then return to me.

My lord knows that the days ......

... was strong ......

I have reaped the harvest. If my lord orders, I shall ... reed altars. My lord should send word that the Itu'eans of Dur-Shamash and Barzanishta come up here to relieve these troops.

As to what my lord wrote me: "Let 50 Itu'eans ... to Sarduriani ...

My lord should ...... in the presence of Shulmu-beli-lashme.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ashur-reshuwa. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote me: "Send your spies to the environs of Turushpâ to find out a detailed report!"

Four governors are coming down to Turushpâ to do service in the temple.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Adad-ahu-iddina. Good health to the king, my lord! May Ashur, Mullissu, Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord!

The prophetess Mullissu-abu-ushri, who took the king's clothes to Babylonia, has prophesied in the temple: "The throne from the temple ...

Let the throne go! I shall overcome my king's enemies with it."

I said: "I will not turn over the throne without the permission of the king, my lord."

Whatever the king, my lord, commands, we will act accordingly.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Sin-na'di, mayor of the Inner City, whom the king, my lord, appointed. May Ashur and Esharra bless the king, my lord.

.........

... of the thieves

... ... ...

gold. ... ...

I interrogated him and recovered half a mina of gold. When I recovered it, I wrote to the king, my lord. Now there is another thief. I arrested him on the 21st. I myself and Tab-shar-Sin interrogated him and recovered the gold.

Perhaps they will say to the king, my lord: "He is a staff-bearer." But Nabû-ahhe-shallim captured temple thieves before me. This is the second time. Let Nabû-ahhe-shallim come and ask questions. But the city must not be wrecked on account of repressive measures. The king, my lord, should appoint a city overseer.

To the king, my lord: your servant Sîn-na'di. Good health to the king, my lord!

I have no scribe where the king sent me to.

Let the king direct either the governor of Arrapha or Ashur-belu-taqqin to send me a scribe.

To the crown prince, my lord: your servant, Dadî, son of Bel-remanni, priest of Bet-Kidmuri. May Ashur and Ishtar bless the crown prince, my lord.

The chief victualler arrested and interrogated me without the authorization of the king or the crown prince. He plundered my patrimony. All that my father had acquired under the king's aegis he plundered and carried off. At the same time, he took away one talent of refined silver and 20 minas of silver in the form of household utensils — gifts of the king and queen mother. I received/inherited my father's office, but now I am even chased away from the temple.

Let the crown prince take care of this lest I die without the help of the king or the crown prince.

To the king, my lord: your servant Shamash-taklak. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Write down the number of your horses by ... and by deserters, and send it to me" — I have already given over to the king, my lord, the horses of the deserters of last year. This year seven horses have deserted to me.

And concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "... your men ...... horses" — ... the recruitment officers of my country

the ... are in his charge, and the horses are in charge of the prefects of the recruitment officers and of the scribe.

Let the king, my lord, make it crystal-clear to them that they must bring the men and horses to me. Not one recruitment officer should be late. Let them quickly bring the men and horses to me.

... from the fort ... to the other side of the river ... there are no men with me. They have been delayed in the country.

We keep our watch. The king, my lord, can be glad.

To the king, my lord: your servant Zeru-ibni. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to Marduk-eriba about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, if I have put Marduk-eriba in irons, let them release his shackles and put them on my own feet! If not, let them pull the tongue out of the throat of the man who lied to the king, my lord!

The brother of Marduk-eriba serves as a palace chariot fighter, and he himself has been with me as a recruit. The deputy of the rab-mugi officer transferred his elder brother to Arrapha because of ..., and last year he took Marduk-eriba as a replacement. Let the king, my lord, ask the messenger who is bringing this letter whether he has been in irons or living in his father's house.

Right now I am sending Marduk-eriba and his brother to the king, my lord. Let the one who pleases the king my lord serve with the king my lord, and let them give the second-best to me. It is the third year already since my cavalry was dissolved and the king, my lord, knows that these riverside people are all serving for themselves, none of them are exempt.

Marduk-eriba went to see his brother's maid, spending three days in Dur-Sharruken, and returned to his father's house.

To the king, my lord: your servant Zeru-ibni. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the stone borers about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, I have just sent five borers to the king, my lord.

To the king, my lord: your servant Zeru-ibni. Good health to the king, my lord!

The king, my lord, knows that ... ......

... about whom/which the king my lord wrote to me, Zarî has just left for the king, my lord. Let the king, my lord, ask him.

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning Nabû-shumu-iddina and Nabû-eriba, the physicians about whom I spoke to the king, my lord, now then I am sending them care of my messenger to the king my lord's presence. Let them enter the king my lord's presence, and let the king my lord speak with them. Truly, I have not disclosed nor told them where the king, my lord, is sending them.

Shamash-belu-ushur wrote to me from Der: "Should we really not put any inscriptions in the walls of the temple?" I am now writing to the king, my lord: let one inscription be written and sent to me as a model, and let them write the rest according to it and put them in the walls of the temple.

It has rained abundantly and the crops are fine. The king, my lord, can be glad.

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Nabû-zeru-ibni, the Ru'uean eunuch whom the king, my lord, returned from Damascus from the service of Bel-duri and sent to Abdudu to Bel-... in the hope that the Ru'uean and his people would come to him —

when Merodach-Baladan heard of his having come, he had all his brothers brought before him, and spoke with them as follows: "Now that his brother has come, you will run away to him!" They said to him, "Why should we run away? This brother of ours who has come is on the other side. He came, but he will go back again."

They are not assembled and have not yet sent their messenger and intentions to him, thinking, "If we sent it and the king then defeated Merodach-Baladan, and if these words reached the king's ears ...

the words ......

which I wrote ......

I also told Nabû-zeru-ibni: "Now then go gather your people, and take them to the Palace! As long as Bel-duri is in the Palace, go appeal to him ...!"

So now then I am sending the Ru'uean and his letter with my messenger to the presence of the king my lord. His staying here in my presence is totally unproductive. He and Nabû-shallim ... are just playing would-be-kings.

The city-wall of Meturna has proceeded x courses of brick. The ... ... of five towers have been laid, and the ... of the remaining towers have been put in place. And I am here too.

... how I perform the work and how I keep the king my lord's watch.

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning the cavalrymen of Nibê about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, we were already in Media when the letter of the king, my lord, came to me.

... I sent word ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning the palace manager of Arrapha about whom the king, my lord, gave me orders, now then ...

1 writing-board ...

1 writing-board ...

which he ...

1 writing-board ...

1 writing-board ...

which I ...

I have ...ed the palace manager

and ... to the presence of ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning Bel-iqisha ... about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Give him provisions!" — now then I have given to him four oxen ..., x hundred homers of barley ..., x hectares of land in ...

The rest of ..., everything that the king, my lord, commanded, is ... at my disposal.

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

We watched for the gods on the 29th day. There were clouds in the sky, and therefore we did not see anything. However, my messenger who has been staying in the presence of Marduk-sharru-ushur has now ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning the people and the goods of Nabû-ahhe-iddina about which the king, my lord, gave me orders, ... in accordance with the writing-board

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-duri. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning the captives about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, the former ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-remanni. Good health to the king, my lord!

I met a messenger from Parsua who told me: "The Zalipaeans have come forth; they have come forth with 100 horses in their hands. Four men from among them ran away to the desert and came to Nikkur, where they said: 'We have brought horses from our country, but the Mannean has detained them inside his country.'"

I am now writing to the king, my lord: Let the king, my lord, send a bodyguard to listen to what the Zalipaeans have to say. Perhaps they will bring the horses out.

I shall supply the deficit of the king, my lord.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ibashi-ilu, the ...

My brother has died on account of the lawsuit for which I appealed to your father, and my son is being slaughtered because of it.

The king is the bulwark of the weak one. Let the king ask: I am about to be killed, lost, roaming about.

I have found rest in the reign of the king. May the king save me!

To the king, my lord: your servant Ina-shar-Bel-allak. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord! May the gods residing in Dur-Sharruken give the king my lord length of days!

I went as far as Shabireshu to meet the people and oxen that were brought to me from Guzana; I checked them, received them, and provided them with shelter. Some of them were missing:

Kinâ, a wineskin-raft man, three persons; Sandapî, a vegetable gardener, three persons; Hulî, a farmer, five persons; Kuzâ, a belt-maker, four persons — in all 15 persons missing from my writing-board.

I sent the bodyguard from Shabireshu back to Guzana for them, telling him: "Go and get the rest of the people, and come and bring them to me!"

Last year, when the king my lord was in Babylon, they urged me to give a shipment of 200 reed altars for the work of the Nabû temple; now Aha-lurshi has told me to make available another 200 reed altars.

Ubru-Babili is at the moment in the presence of the king, my lord; let them ask him; if he is going to give, then I too will give. What does the king my lord say?

Two liters of bread and two liters of beer for the exorcist; one liter of bread and one liter of beer for the lahhinu; in all, six liters of bread and beer being the surplus of the daily offerings of the Nabû temple.

The king, my lord, should know this; it is not available for any other purpose.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-belu-ka''in. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Why have you appropriated towns and fields of Il-yada' in the province of Arrapha and in Shamash-nashir?" — what towns of his have I taken in the province of Arrapha?

As to Shamash-nashir, did I not appeal to the king, my lord, that it be given to him? The king, my lord, however gave Shamash-nashir to me, saying: "Give him a town in its stead." The town I gave him lies right ahead of his city. Is Shamash-nashir as much at my disposal? And he is appropriating its villages!

If the king, my lord, commands, I will choose a town, and he can go and enter it, and return this town.

... Let me and him ... and plead our cases in the presence of the king, my lord, and let the king decide between us.

For 15 days in Tishri VII I was in the presence of the king my lord, and he was there too. He should have appealed while I was there, and we should have spoken with each other. Why did he appeal to the king only when I had come here?

Now the king, my lord, should write to Il-yada' that he come to the review. I shall come too and bring my witnesses with me. Nashur-Bel should come and arbitrate between us. Let us litigate with each other, and let the king decide between us.

As to Sumaya about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me: "A servant of Il-yada' from Mandiru has gone with him, let him gather his brothers and then go away" —

he should not go ... and make trouble .......

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-belu-ka''in. Good health to the king, my lord!

The letter which the king, my lord, sent to me, saying: "Dispatch a copy of it to Nabû-iqisha, and let him copy it and dispatch it to the royal delegate of Arashi" — the letter of his which he dispatched has disappeared from the hands of his messenger, and nobody knows ....

Two ...s who came ... have told me: "The king, my lord, ... the cohort commanders who went there; they have been killed. ... has collected them, they are ......"

The king's magnates who went ...... have entered Ellipi.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-belu-ka''in. Good health to the king, my lord!

The report on the Elamite which I sent to the king

......s

......

...... Nabû-iqisha

I shall send ...... of the king of Elam.

Now then I am sending to the king, my lord, the letter of Nashibi that came to Nabû-iqisha.

I went as far as Meturna with Il-yada', passed those people through, returned, and met Balatî on the 9th day in Dur-Bel-ila'i. Now then I am going where the king, my lord, sent me to. I have sent word, and my king's men are on the alert.

Let them quickly send me a copy of this letter of Nashibi so I can send it to Nabû-iqisha.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-belu-ka''in. Good health to the king, my lord!

The scholar who is in my service — the treasurer wrote that ...

will enter with the scholar.

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

A cohort commander of the Chief Eunuch delivered me the king's sealed message in the city of Anisu on the 27th.

The messenger of the commander of the fort came to me in Anisu; I asked him about the news, and he told me this: "The city of Birate and the whole land of Habhu are well; everybody is doing his work."

All is well; the king, my lord, can be glad.

On the 28th I shall be in the city of Ieri.

To the king, my lord: your servant Marduk-sharru-ushur. Good health to the king, my lord! The land of the king my lord is well.

Concerning the news of the district, they told me previously: "Ashpa-bari has told Kibabishe and Dasukku: 'The king gave Ellipi to me and I shall enjoy it. He gave Shingibutu to Marduk-sharru-ushur. It is your towns that have been snatched away. If you want to fight, do so, or leave it; I am not involved in it.'" He spoke thus before the people of the country.

Now Kibabishe and Dasukku are constantly running about opposite me with a hundred cavalrymen. The king, my lord, knows that their own cavalrymen are only twenty in number; x of them are Lutû's, and the rest of the cavalrymen are Ashpa-bari's. They do not openly show that they are running around with them.

Concerning the barley rations about which the king, my lord, wrote to me, I have put aside 1,000 homers of barley and deposited it in the town Saba.... And now I am taking out more of the harvest.

As to the news of the magnates, I asked the Mede who brings their letters where they are, and he told me that they went on the 3rd of Tishri VII to the land of Yadburu.

To the crown prince, my lord: your servant Nabû-riba-ahhe. Good health to the crown prince, my lord! The guards are very well.

The Sidonites and their heads did not go to Calah with the crown prince, my lord, nor are they serving in the garrison of Nineveh. They loiter in the center of the town, each in his lodging place.

To the king, our lord: your servants, Nabû-balassu-iqbi and Iddin-Ea. Good health to the king, our lord. May Bel and Nabû bless the king, our lord.

All is very well with the watch of the king, our lord.

I have killed a colleague of ours

who ... the office of

under ... ...

Because of it he ....

As soon as they have questioned ..., let the king hear everything about it. Ashur-nashir knows. The king should ask him.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Iddin-Ea. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur, Ishtar, Nabû, and Marduk bless the king, my lord. May they grant the king, my lord, the satisfaction of old age, extreme old age. May they firmly establish the throne of the king, my lord, forever.

The foundation of the throne of the king, my lord, is Ishtar of GN. The king, my lord, knows it.

... Tomorrow or the day after, the king, my lord, will hear. I will certainly die because of this if the king says: "Why didn't you inform me?"

Urdu-Nabû, the priest, has written a field, a house and people, sons of temple votaries, in a sealed document and has thus made them his own. Therefore, I am left with no control over them. I have now written to the king, my lord, that the king, my lord, may know about it.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-nashir. May Nabû and Marduk very greatly bless the king, my lord!

The charge of the 'Lady of Cults' is doing very well; the king, my lord, can be glad indeed.

May the king, my lord, lift the grandchildren of the charge of the 'Lady of Cults' upon his knees and see gray hairs in their beards!

To the king, my lord: your servant Amar-ili. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the house of Mardû of which the king my lord told me: "You and the governor of Arbela, divide it evenly between the sons of Mardû and give each his share!"

We did indeed find a writing-board inside the house, just as the king my lord had written; I sealed it and put it inside ....

Now I am sending it to the king, my lord. What are the king my lord's instructions?

To the king, my lord: your servant Tab-shar-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the gold for the winged claw of which the king, my lord, wrote to me,

I weighed it out, and it was half a mina according to the standard of Babylon. Part of the gold is extra. I have sealed it and am sending it herewith to the king, my lord.

Shuzubu told me: "They gave it to me according to the half-mina of Babylon."

To the king, our lord: your servants Marduk-shumu-ushur, Nashiru and Aqaraya. May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, our lord!

We have rites to perform in the qirsu. Let the king, our lord, give an order to Sasî that they should let us go. Nobody will release us, and we cannot go out.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ishmanni-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the gardeners about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me, right now Adad-nuri ......

...... saw ...

To the 'farmer,' my lord: your servant Adad-shumu-ushur. May Nabû and Marduk bless the 'farmer,' my lord.

After they have gone to the qirsu and entered the reed hut, they return from there, and the barber enters.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Dadî. Good health to the king, my lord. May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

I/they ...... 2 bulls, 3 rams, and 3 white spring lambs ... in Dur-... before ....

8 Break

....... I/He/They have ....

What is it that the king, my lord, commands?

A tablet of Nabû-bessunu to Ashur-mudammiq. Good health to you.

Give the silver, whether two or three minas, as much as Akkullanu requests of you, for the repair of the seats of Ashur and Mullissu. When the work is finished, inspect it together.

They should make the delivery to you, and he should then receive the shearings in your presence. Take note of his share and record it on your writing board for reference.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ubru-Nabû. Good health to the king, my lord! May Bel, Nabû, Ishtar of Nineveh and Ishtar of the Kidmuru temple very greatly bless the king, my lord. May they give happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord. The garrisons of the king, my lord, are well.

Shumma-ilu, the son of Aramish-shar-ilani, the recruitment officer, has appealed in my presence for royal intervention, saying:

"My father died in enemy country. The fifty men who were under his command, took twelve horses in their hands and came back; they are now staying in the surroundings of Nineveh. I said to them: 'My father may be dead, but why did you leave the royal guard and come back?'"

Now then I am sending him to the presence of the king, my lord. May the king, my lord, question him, and may he tell the king, my lord, how the matter is.

That merchant from Carchemish was killed by his servants, but not even one of them escaped, we have arrested them all. I am sending to the king, my lord, the protection of Mullissu and of the Lady of Kidmuri, the mothers who love you.

With regard to Sippar, may the king, my lord, be vigilant, so we can relax.

Let me hear the health of the king, my lord, wherever what = anything.

To the crown prince, my lord: your servant Ubru-Nabû. The best of health to the crown prince, my lord! May Bel, Nabû, Mullissu, the Lady of Kidmuri and Ishtar of Arbela give happiness, physical well-being, and enjoyment of life to the crown prince, my lord.

I have brought the leftovers of Nabû to the crown prince, my lord. All the guards are well. The crown prince, my lord, can be very glad.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ubru-Nabû. Good health to the king, my lord! The king, my lord, can be glad!

As to the guard, which the king, my lord, appointed to me, it is doing very well.

To the crown prince, my lord: your servant Ubru-Nabû, the scribe of the new palace. Good health to the crown prince, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the crown prince, my lord.

From Ashur-shezibanni, the governor whom the crown prince ...

To the king, my lord: your servant Kishir-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the houses of the recruitment officers, about which the king, my lord, wrote to me: "The houses are already built, you are deceiving me in order to give them to your servants!" —

as if I did not tell the truth to the king, my lord! Let a royal eunuch who will tell the king my lord the truth come and have a look at these houses of the recruitment officers! If they are already built, let him go and tell it to the king, my lord, and let the king, my lord, hold his report to my discredit and say: "Why do you not tell me the truth?"

As to the houses of the servants of Shep-Ashur about which the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Why have you taken their houses and given them to your servants?"

When Shep-Ashur went to Shimirra, his servants went with him, so I took their houses and gave them to the Marqasians. Let Shep-Ashur rule as governor over there, but his servants must not have houses in Dur-Sharruken. Why should I not give them to the Marqasians, the king my lord's subjects?

Did I say to the king, my lord: "Shep-Ashur did not build a house all the while he was here"? Now, Shep-Ashur did build a house as governor of Dur-Sharruken; I was appointed in his stead, so I entered his house and took up residence in it.

To ...... for governorship ....... His servants went with him, and their ... should ... with him; the king's servants ......

The Marqasians, servants of the king, my lord, should live here ....

To the king, my lord: your servant Kishir-Ashur. Good health to the king, my lord!

Upon my coming from Milqia to Dur-Sharruken, I was told that there had been an earthquake in Dur-Sharruken on the 9th of Adar XII. Perhaps the king, my lord, now says: "Any damage within the city wall?"

There is none. The temples, the ziggurat, the palace, the city wall and the buildings of the city are all well; the king, my lord, can be glad.

The king, my lord, will hear many things tomorrow and the day after, and say: "Why is it that you heard but did not write?" That is why I am now writing to the king, my lord.

To the king, my lord: your servant Na'di-ilu. Good health to the king, my lord!

The first 120 horses of Nabû-remanni arrived in Arzuhina on the 27th. They will be there for the 28th and set out again on the 29th.

I shall go and bring them across the river to Sarê and keep them in Sarê for the 30th, until the later horses reach me.

All the same, the horses have been heavily pressed; the foals should rest out.

To the king, my lord: your servant Na'di-ilu. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to Shimkaya, the axe maker from Damascus whom the king, my lord, wrote me about, I am herewith sending him to the king, my lord, in the charge of my messenger.

To the king, my lord: your servant Na'di-ilu. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to Nashib-Il about whom the king, my lord, wrote me: "In ......

"Afterwards, he should keep watch over them."

He does not obey me at all and is not assembling them.

Before I visited the king, my lord, he used to enter my court; I sent him on various errands, and he stayed in my presence. Let the king, my lord, write him as follows: "Assemble the whole Bit-Amukani, stay with the chief cupbearer, and do whatever he commands you!"

Let the king, my lord, also send a letter to Sharru-emuranni; he should assemble the whole Bit-Amukani and say to them as follows: "Why do you not obey Nashib-Il regarding the king's work?"

He told me that the men do not obey him.

To the king, my lord: your servant Na'di-ilu. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to what the king, my lord, wrote me: "The troops of the ......

To the king, my lord: your servant Sin-ahhe-riba. Good health to the king, my lord! Assyria is well, the temples are well, all the king's forts are well. The king, my lord, can be glad indeed.

The emissaries of Commagene have come, bringing tribute and with it seven teams of mules. The tribute and the mules are entrusted in the Commagenean embassy, and the emissaries too are there, eating their own bread.

Should they the tribute and the mules be picked up and brought to Babylon, or can they be received here? Let them immediately write me what the king my lord commands.

They also brought red wool. The merchants told me that they have selected seven talents from it but that the Commageneans did not agree but said: "Who do you think you are? You are not to make the selection. Let them take it over and let the king's weavers make a selection over there."

The king, my lord, should write me to whom they are supposed to give it.

To the king, my lord: your servant Sin-ahhe-riba. Good health to the king, my lord! Assyria is well, the temples are well, all the king's forts are well. The king, my lord, can be glad indeed.

The Ukkaean has sent me this message: "The troops of the Urartian king have been utterly defeated on his expedition against the Cimmerians; eleven of his governors have been eliminated with their troops; his commander-in-chief and two of his governors have been taken prisoners. He himself came to take the road to ...... came ...... the prefects of his country ...... stationed in ......."

This was the report of the Ukkaean. Ashur-reshuwa has written to me thus:

"The previous report which I sent about the Urartians was that they had suffered a terrible defeat. Now his country is quiet again and each of his magnates has gone to his province. Kaqqadanu, his commander-in-chief, has been taken prisoner; the Urartian king is in the province of Wazaun."

This was the report of Ashur-reshuwa. Nabû-le'i the governor of Birate has written to me:

"I have written to the guards of the forts along the border concerning the news of the Urartian king and they tell me this: 'His troops have been utterly defeated on his expedition against the Cimmerians. Three of his magnates along with their troops have been killed; he himself has escaped and entered his country, but his army has not yet arrived back.'"

This was the report of Nabû-le'i. The king of Mushashir and his brother and son have gone to greet the Urartian king, and the messenger of the king of Hubushkia has also gone to greet him.

All the guards of the forts along the border have sent me similar reports.

They have brought me from Tabal a letter from Nabû-le'i, the major-domo of Ahat-abisha. I am herewith forwarding it to the king, my lord.

To the king, my lord: your servant Sin-ahhe-riba. Good health to the king, my lord! Assyria is well, the temples are well, all the king's forts are well. The king, my lord, can be glad indeed.

They are working on the fort in Kumme; their work ... is making good progress. A messenger of Ariye has come into my presence with the following message:

"The ruler of Ukku has written to the Urartian king that the governors of the king of Assyria are building a fort in Kumme, and the Urartian king has given his governors the following order: 'Take your troops, go and capture the governors of the king of Assyria alive from the Kummeans, and bring them to me.' I do not have the full details yet; as soon as I have heard more, I shall write by express to the crown prince that they should rush troops to me."

This was the report of Ariye; on the 11th of Elul VI I got a letter from Ashur-reshuwa:

"The Urartian did not achieve anything on the venture on which the Zikirteans took him, but had to return empty-handed; he went with his troops to Waisi, entered the city and left his forces there. Taking but a few troops with him, he set out and entered into the territory of the Manneans. I have not heard about the invasion yet, but I shall write you as soon as I have heard more.

"The governor opposite me was also in Waisi; I have heard that he left and went off after the king's departure, but nobody has seen him come out of Waisi. They are improving the roads leading to me and constructing bridges; as soon as I have heard what it is all about, whether he his coming with his troops or whether he is 'clean', I shall immediately write to the crown prince."

This was the report of Ashur-reshuwa; the ruler of Arzabia has written to me thus:

"The ruler of Ukku must be kept away from me; why do you keep silent while he is trying to destroy me?" I have sent my bodyguard to the Ukkean with this message: "Don't argue with the Arzabian! Until the king comes, I will arbitrate between you!"

A messenger of the Mannean king has come to me bringing a horse as the audience gift and giving me the regards of the Mannean. I dressed him in purple and put a silver bracelet on his arm.

The tribute of the Ashdodites was brought to Calah; I have received it, sealed it and deposited it in the ... palace. I am sending this letter to the king, my lord, on the 11th of Elul.

To the king, my lord: your servant Sin-ahhe-riba. Good health to the king, my lord! Assyria is well, the temples are well, all the king's forts are well. The king, my lord, can be glad indeed.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nashir-Bel. Good health to the king, my lord!

The land of the king is well; the forts of the king are well. The king, my lord, can be glad.

Perhaps the king, my lord, will say: "Any news of the Urartian?" He is still over there; nobody has come from there, we haven't heard any news about them yet.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nashir-Bel. Good health to the king, my lord!

The king, my lord, told me the Itu'ean prefect should be exempt, so his bow field is exempt from straw and barley tax.

As for the field of the Assyrians, held in tenancy, I have told them to ..., but they have not agreed to ...

I have been using old straw for the work but have run out of it. May the king, my lord, do as he deems best.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Nergal-sharrani. Good health to the king, my lord. May Nabû and Marduk greatly bless the king, my lord.

Today it is a month since I have been ill and since this acute pain has been piercing me. They have pierced my... and jaw.

I am being told: "You are afflicted with the 'hand of Venus,' due to intercourse with women." I am afraid. There is nothing I can do without the king's permission.

Now, therefore, I am writing to the king, my lord. Let the word come forth from the king that he should act and get me through this sickness of mine.

To the king, my lord: your servant Banî. The very best of health to the king, my lord! May Ninurta and Gula give happiness and physical well-being to the king, my lord!

Concerning Nabû-nadin-shumi about whom the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Why do you lie?" —

would I lie to the king, my lord? Your gods Bel and Nabû, who give you confidence, they made him recover! The Lady of Life, your gracious, who gives the king, my lord, long-lasting days, old age, fullness of life, health and vigour, she grasped his hand! He got well thanks to the god and genie of the king, my lord!

To the king, my lord: your servant Issar-shumu-iqisha.

The emissaries of the Zikirtean king are now coming; the messengers of the Urartian who had gone to the Zikirtean are coming with them as captives.

I have had money brought up and deposited in the stronghold, relying on the word of the Zikirtean, who said: "I shall sell you the horses in Pashate."

Now let it be impressed upon the emissaries, as the emissaries are trying hard to back out of their word, claiming: "We have not heard about such a promise by our lord."

The king should ask the second emissary; he knows that he gave the order to the commander-in-chief.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-ushalla. Good health to the king, my lord!

Three powerful men of the Kummeans have come and had an audience with me and Mar-Issar, the royal bodyguard. Here is what they said to me:

"Our people may go where the king said, but your messenger should take us to the Palace. There is a matter concerning another country we wish to discuss in the king's presence. ... ...; we will not tell it to you, nor will we tell it to the royal bodyguard.

"Else if you do not take us to the Palace, sooner or later we shall say to the king:

"'We spoke with the governor and the royal bodyguard, but they did not agree to bring us to the Palace'."

What are the king my lord's orders?

To the king, my lord: your servant Ashur-balti-nishi. Good health to the king, my lord!

As to the captives about whom the king, my lord, wrote me, I have brought them there.

I and the deputy governor have entered them from Tahal as far as Kar-Shamash, and appointed them.

I have given out provisions for a whole month, by the seah of 8 litres, and half a cup of salt and cress. Everything is fine.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-hamatua. Good health to the king, my lord!

The forts of the king, my lord, are well.

A Mede forwarded me the attached letter from the governor, saying: "Let your messenger bring it to the Palace."

I have spoken kindly with the countrymen of the son of Bel-iddina and encouraged them. The son of Bel-iddina himself is a criminal and a traitor; he does not obey the king's orders.

I said: "Do your work, each in his house and field, and be glad; you are now subjects of the king."

They are peaceful and do their work. I have brought them out from six forts, saying: "Go! Each one of you should build a house in the field and stay there!"

The king my lord's subjects have entered the forts; the guard will be strong until the governor comes. I am doing everything the king, my lord, ordered him to do.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Nabû-musheshi, son of Nabû-reshi-ishi. Good health to the king, my lord. May Ashur and Ishtar bless the king, my lord.

The temple weavers have not readied their assigned quotas for me. They are performing masonry-duty.

To the king, my lord: your servant Mannu-ki-Libbali. Good health to the king, my lord! May Bel and Nabû bless the king, my lord.

As to the matter of the 'third man' and the chariot driver of the palace scribe, about whom the king, my lord, wrote to his servant, saying: "Tell me the truth!" — how could I speak dishonestly to the king, my lord? What have I been able to give to my lord in exchange for this favour that the king, my lord, has shown his servant? Would the patronage of the palace scribe have had such an influence over me that I would still be obliged to him? No, I shall tell to the king, my lord, the thing that I have seen and heard.

The king, my lord, knows from those times when I was still in his service how he used to regard me and what trust he used to place in me. But ever since the king, my lord, appointed me to his household, it has been intolerable to him. In fact, he told the king, my lord, not to appoint me. He regards me as a mortal enemy. He has gone ... and he has been spreading tales about me — the king, my lord, should ask the ...s and the servants of the palace scribe.

Hence, now that we have settled the Kushite girls in the royal palace — a matter about which I wrote several times to the king, my lord — Kanunayu, the deputy, has made me out to be even more hateful to him, and he now regards me as very much of a mortal enemy indeed.

It is in this light that the king, my lord, should determine what the truth is.

I swear that I did not know and did not learn about this matter, that I am not implicated in it, that I have told the king, my lord, the truth about what I heard in the inner precinct of Calah, what the wife of the 'third man' speaks against me, and why I refused to litigate with her, saying, "Let the king determine my veracity."

Bel and Nabû have given vast insight to the king, my lord. If I am implicated in this matter, let the king, my lord, punish me.

To the king, my lord: your servant Ashur-belu-taqqin. Good health to the king, my lord!

Concerning the people of Hazannu about whom the king, my lord, wrote me, I have now gathered them all, written them down by name, and am herewith sending them to the king, my lord:

Ubaru, his brother Nabû-bani, one suckling son, two women, total 5;

Palihka-liblut;

Nabû-aha-eresh, his brother, one son of 4 spans, two women, total 5;

Zazaya, one son of 4 spans, one woman, two daughters, total 5;

Harranû;

Amat-Bel-ushur, one son of 5 spans, three women, total 5;

Na'id-bit-Sheriga, his brother Nabû-nadin-ahi, three women, total 5;

Bel-lamur, his brother Anu-eresh, one woman, total 5;

Iqishaya and Rihani, fowlers, one son of 3 spans, two women, total 5;

the woman Paltashi and her sister, total 2 daughters of Hazannu.

In all 12 able-bodied men, one son of 5 spans, two sons of 4 spans, one son of three spans, one suckling son, 15 women, two daughters, all told 35 men and dependents. Five out of them are missing; three have been sold for money to Babylon. What has been given to the house of Il-yada' we don't know.

However, there is definitely only one servant of his among all these people. As for the rest, the king, my lord, may ascertain by inquiring that they are not servants of his.

I got afraid of punishment when the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Should you lose even one of them, know that you shall bear the blame on account of all of them," so I am bringing out and giving away all of them.

To the king, my lord: your servant, Mutakkil-Ashur. May Ashur and Mullissu bless the king, my lord.

As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me, saying: "Let the gods come for the treaty ceremony," Nabû is staying in the bedroom until the 12th day. On the xth day ...

The very best of health to the king, my lord! Your servant Hu-Teshub.

As to the news of the Urartians concerning which the king, my lord, wrote me: "Write me quickly whatever you have heard" —

even when I heard false ..., I wrote to the king, my lord! Now ...... on the ...th of Marchesvan VIII

...... the magnates

......the town A...

...... have ...ed the ...s of the fort.

"If things have gone badly for him, he will be staying in Mannea; if things have gone well for him, he will have attacked the Zikirteans."

This is what I have heard.