Prism A
i (ANET 290-91): (Sidon)
(l
am Esarhaddon), the conqueror
of Sidon, which lies (on an island) amidst the sea, (he) who has
leveled all its urban buildings. I even tore up and cast into the sea its wall
and its foundation, destroying (thus)
completely the (very) place it (i.e. Sidon) was built (upon). I caught out of the open sea,
like a fish, Abdimilkutte, its king, who had fled before my attack into the high sea, and I cut off
his head... I (then) called together and made all the kings of the
country Hatti and of the seashore (do corvee-work for me) by making them erect the walls of another [residence] and I called its
name Kar-Esarhaddon. I
settled therein people from the mountain regions and the sea(shore)
of the East, (those) who belonged to me as my share of the
booty. I set over them officers of mine as governors. As for Sanduarri, king of Kundi and Sizu,
an inveterate enemy... I caught him like a bird in his mountains and (likewise) cut off his head. (Then) I
hung the heads of Sanduarri and of
Abdimilkutte around the neck of their nobles/chief-officials to demonstrate to the population the power of Ashur,
my lord, and paraded (thus) through
the wide main street of Nineveh with singers (playing on) summa-harps.
Prism
B v (ANET 291): (EsarManasseh)
I called up the kings of the
country Hatti and (of the region) on the other side of the riser (Euphrates) (to wit): Ba'lu. king of Tyre, Manasseh (Me-na-si-i),
king of Judah (Ia-u-di)
Qaushgabri, king of Edom, Musuri,
king of Moab, Sil-Bel, king of Gaza, Metinti, king of Ashekelon,
Ikausu, king of Ekron, Milkiashapa, king of Byblos. Matanba'al,
king of Arvad. Abiba'al, king of Samsimuruna, Puduil, king of Beth-Ammon,
Ahimilki, king of
Ashdod - 12 kings from the
seacoast...10 kings from Cyprus (Iadnana) amidst
the sea. together
22 kings of Hatti, the seashore and the islands; all these I sent out and made
them transport under terrible difficulties, to
Nineveh. the town (where I exercise) my rulership, as
building material for my palace: big logs, long beams (and) thin hoards from cedar and pine trees_ products of the Sirara
and Lebanon (Lab-na-na) mountains, which had grown for a long time into tall and strong
timber, (also) from their quarries (lit.: place of creation) in
the mountains, statues of protective deities (lit.: of Lamassu and Shedu)...
Prism B iv (ANET 291-92): (Arabs)
(From) Adumatu,
the stronghold of the Arabs which Sennacherib, king of Assyria. my own
father. had conquered and (from where) he has taken as
booty its possessions_ its images as well as Iskallatu, the queen of the Arabs,
and brought (all these) to Assyria. Hazail, the king of the Arabs, carne with heavy gifts to
Nineveh. the town (where I exercise) my rulership, and kissed my feet. He
implored me to return his images and I
had mercy upon him; I repaired the damages
of the images of Atarsamain, Dai, Nuhai, Ruldaiu. Abirillu (and
of) Atarquruma, the gods of the Arabs, and returned them to him after having written upon them an inscription
(proclaiming) the (superior) might of Ashur,
my lord, and my own name. I made Tarbua who had grown up in the palace of my father their queen and returned her to her
(native) country together with her gods.
Babylonian Chronicles, IV, 23-28 (671)
In
the tenth year (671), in the month of Nisan, the army of Ashur marched to Egypt;
in the month of Tammuz, on the third, sixteenth and eighteenth days--three
times--there was a massacre in Egypt. On the twenty-second day, Memphis,
the royal city, was taken.
Ashurbanipal
Rassam Cylinder i-ii (ANET
294):
(Tirhakah)
In my first campaign I marched against
Egypt (Magan) and Ethiopia (Meluhha). Tirhakah (Tarqu), king of Egypt (Musur) and Nubia (Kusu), whom Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, my own father, had defeated and in whose
country he (Esarhaddon) had ruled,
this (same) Tirhakah forgot the might of Ashur, Ishtar and the (other) great
gods. my lords,
and put his trust upon his own power. He turned against the kings (and) regents whom my own father had appointed in Egypt... (Then) I called up my mighty armed forces which Ashur and Ishtar have entrusted to me
and took the shortest (lit.: straight)
road to Egypt (Musur)
and Nubia. During my march (to Egypt) 22 kings from the seashore, the islands and the
mainland...
Cylinder C (ANET 294-95): (Manass)
Baal. king of Tyre, Manasseh (Mi-in-si-e), king of Judah (Ia-u-di), Qaushgabri, king of Edom...together 12 kings from the seashore, the
islands and the mainland; servants who
belong to me, brought heavy gifts to me and kissed my feet. I made these kings
accompany my army over the land as well as (over) the sea-route with their armed forces and their ships (respectively)... Upon
a trust(-inspiring) oracle (given) by Ashur,
Bel, Nebo, the great gods, my lords, who (always) march at my side, I defeated the battle(-experienced) soldiers of his army in a
great open battle...these kings. governors and regents whom my own father had
appointed in Egypt and who had left their offices in the face of the uprising
of Tirhakah and had scattered into the open country, I reinstalled in their offices and in
their (former) seats of office... Afterwards. (however), all the kings whom I had appointed broke the oaths
(sworn to) me, did not keep the agreements sworn by the great gods, forgot
that I had treated them mildly and
conceived an evil (plot). They talked about rebellion... They,
continued to scheme against the
Assyrian army, the forces (upon which) my rule (was based), (and) which I had stationed (in Egypt) for their own support. (But) my officers heard
about these matters, seized their
mounted messengers with their messages and (thus) learned about their rebellious doings. They arrested these kings
and put their hands and feet in iron cuffs
and fetters. The (consequences of the broken) oaths (sworn)
by Ashur. the king of the gods,
befell them. I called to account those who had sinned against the oath (sworn by) the
great gods (and those) whom I had treated (before) with clemency. And they (the officers)
put to the sword the inhabitants, young and old, of the towns of
Sais, Pindidi.
Tanis and of all the other towns which had associated
with them to plot, they did not spare anybody among (them). They hung their
corpses from stakes, flayed their skins and covered (with them) the wall of the
town(s). Those kings who had repeatedly schemed, they brought alive to me to Nineveh. From all of them. I had
only mercy upon Necho and granted him life. I made (a treaty) with him (protected by) oaths which greatly surpassed (those of the former treaty)... I
returned to him Sais as residence (the place) where my own father had appointed him king...
In my third
campaign I marched against Ba’il,
king of Tyre, who lives (on an island) amidst the sea, because he did not heed my royal
order... I (thus) intercepted (lit.: strangled)
and made scarce their food supply and forced them to submit to my yoke. He brought his own daughter and the daughters of his
brothers before me to do menial services.
At the same time, he brought his son lahimilki who had not (yet) crossed the sea to greet me as (my) slave.
British
Museum Text K 1295 (ANET 301):
Two minas of gold from the inhabitants of Bit-Ammon
(mat.Bit-Am-man-na-a-a); one mina of gold from the inhabitants of Moab (mat Mu-'-ba-a-a):
ten minas of silver from the inhabitants
of Judah (mat
Ia-uda-a-a); [... mi]nas of silver from the inhabitants of [Edom] (mat
[U-du-ma]-a-a)...
[Grayson 1975: 88 =
Chronicle 2: 7] The [army of] Assyria went to
Nippur and Nabopolassar retreated before them.
[The army of As]syria and the Nippureans followed hint to Uruk,they
did battle against Nabopolassar in Uruk, and retreated before Nabopolassar. [10] In
the month lyyar the army of Assyria went down to Akkad. On the twelfth day of the
month Tishri when the army of Assyria had marched
against Babylon (and) the Babylonians
had come out of Babylon: on that day, they did battle against the army of Assyria, inflicted
a major defeat upon the army of Assyria, and
plundered them. For one year there was
no king in the land (Babylonia). On the twenty-sixth day of the month Marchesvan Nabopolassar
[15] ascended the throne in Babylon.
[Grayson 1975: 93 =
Chronicle 3: 24] The twelfth
year: In the month Ab the Medes. after they had marched against Nineveh... [28 The king of A]kkad
and his army, who had gone to help the Medes, did not reach the
battle (in time)… [29 The king of Akka]d and
C[yax]ares (the king of the Medes) met one another by the city (and) together
they made an entente cordiale...
[Grayson 1975: 94-95 = Chronicle 3: 38] [The fourteenth year]: The king of Akkad
mustered his army [and marched to...] The king of
Umman-manda marched] towards the king of Akkad [...]...they met one another. [40] The king of Akkad... [...Cy]axares...brought
across and they marched along the bank of the Tigris. I ...they encamped
against Nineveh. From the month
Sivan until the month Ab- for three [months - ... ]...they
subjected the city to a heavy siege. On the Nth day] of the month Ab [...] they
inflicted a major ]defeat upon a g]reat [people]. At that time Sin-sharra-ishkun, king of Assyria, [died] ...[... ]
[45] They carried off the vast booty of the city and the temple (and) [turned] the city into a ruin heap... [On the Nth
day of the] month Asshur-uballit (II) [50] ascended the throne in Harran
to rule Assyria.
[Grayson 1975: 99-100 = Chronicle 5
Obverse: I ] [The twenty-first year]: The king of Akkad
stayed home (while) Nebuchadnezzar (II). his
eldest son (and) the crown prince, mustered [the army of Akkad].
He took his army's lead and marched to Carchemish
which is on the bank of the Euphrates. He crossed the
river [to encounter the army of Egypt] which was encamped at Carchemish.
[...] They did battle together. The army of Egypt retreated before him. [5] He inflicted a [defeat] upon them (and)
finished them off completely... For twenty-one years Nabopolassar ruled
Babylon.
[10] On the eighth day of the month Ab he died. In the month Elul
Nebuchadnezzar (II) returned to Babylon
and on the first day of the month Elul he ascended the royal throne in
Babylon.
In (his) accession year Nebuchadnezzar (II) returned to Hattu. Until the month
Shebat he marched about victoriously in Hattu. In the month Shebat he took the
vast booty of Hattu to Babylon. In
the month Nisan he he took the hand of Bel and the son of Bel (and) celebrated
the Akitu festival. [15] The first year of Nebuchadnezzar (II): In the month
Sivan he mustered his army and marched to Hattu. Until the month Kislev he
marched about victoriously in Hattu. All the kings of Hattu came into his
presence and he received their vast tribute. He marched to Ashkelon and in the month Kislev he captured it.
he seized its king. plundered
[and sac]ked it. [20] He turned the city into a ruin heap. In the month Shebat
he marched away and [returned] to Bab[ylon].
First year of Nebuchadrezzar...To the
city of Ashkelon he went; in the month of Kislev he took it. He captured
its king; he plundered its loot; he despoiled its spoil. The city he
turned into a mound and a heap. In the month of Shebat he went away and
returned to Babylon. Chronicle 5.
[Grayson 1975:
101-102 - Chronicle 5 Reverse: 5] The fourth year: The
king of Akkad mustered his army and marched to Hattu.
[He marched about victoriously] in Hattu. hi the month
Kislev he took his army's lead and marched to Egypt.
(When) the king of Egypt
heard (the news) he mustered his
army. .they fought one another in the battlefield and both sides suffered
severe losses (lit. they inflicted a major defeat upon one another). The king
of Akkad and his army turned and [went back] to
Babylon.
The fifth year: The king of Akkad stayed home (and)
refitted his numerous horses and chariotry. The sixth year: In the month Kislev the king of Akkad
mustered his army and marched to Hattu. He despatched his army from Hattu and
[10] they went off to the desert. They plundered extensively the possessions,
animals, and gods of the numerous Arabs. In the month Adar the king went home.
The seventh year: In the month Kislev the king of Akkad
mustered his army and marched to Hattu. He encamped against the city of Judah and on the second
day of the month Adar (March 16, 597 BCE) he captured the city (and) seized (its) king. A king of
his own choice he appointed in the city (and) taking the vast tribute he
brought it into Babylon.
Berossus, History of Chaldaea
3 (apud Josephus, Ant. 10.1 1.1 §220-26).
When his father Nabopalasoros heard
that the satrap appointed over Egypt
and the districts of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia
had revolted from him. being no longer himself able to
endure hardships. he placed a part of his force at the
disposal of his son Nebuchadnezzar. who was in
his prime, and sent him out against this satrap. Then Nebuchadnezzar engaged
the rebel, defeated him in a pitched battle and brought the country which was
under the other's rule into his own realm. As it happened, his father
Nabopalasaros fell ill at about this time in the city of Babylon
and departed this life after reigning twenty-one years. Being informed, not
long after of his father’s death. Nebuchadnezzar settled the affairs of Egypt and the other countries and also gave orders
to some of his friends to conduct to Babylon the captives taken
among the Jews, Phoenicians, Syrians
and peoples of Egypt with the bulk of his force and the rest of the booty,
while he himself set out with a few
men and reached Babylon through the desert. There he found the
government administered by the Chaldaeans and the throne preserved for him by
the ablest man among them; and, on becoming master of his father's entire realm, he gave orders to allot to the captives, when they came,
settlements in the most suitable places in Babylonia...
(a) To
Ya'u-kin, king [of the land of
Yaudu].
(b) 1/2 (PI) for Ya'u kinu,
king of the land of Ya[hu-du]
2
1/2 sila for the fi[ve]sons of the
king of the land of Yahudu
4 sila for eight men, Judaeans [each] 1/2 [sila]
(c) 1/2 (PI) for Ya'u [-kinu]
2
˝ sila for the five sons...
˝
(PI) for Yaku-kinu, son of the king of the land of Yakudu
2 1/2 sila for the five sons of the king of Yakundu by the hand of Kanama.
(d) ....Ya]'u-kinu, king of he
land of Yahudu [...the five sons of the king]
of the land of Yahudu by the hand of Kanama.
Psammetichus Inscription
[Inscription of Psammetichus II —
Griffith 1909: II, 95-96] In the fourth regnal year of Pharaoh Psamtek Neferibre they sent to the great
temples of Upper and Lower
Egypt, saying, `Pharaoh
(Life, Prosperity, Health) is going to the
Land of Palestine. Let the priests come with the
bouquets of the gods of Egypt to take them to the
Land of Palestine'. And they sent to Teudjoy saying: 'Let a priest come with the bouquet
of Amun, in order to go to the
Land of Palestine with Pharaoh'. And the priests agreed and said to Pediese. the son of
Essamtowy, 'you are the one who, it is agreed, ought to go the
Land of
Palestine with Pharaoh. There is no one here in the town who is able to go to the Land of
Palestine except you. Behold, you must do it, you, a scribe
of the House of Life: there is nothing
they can ask you and you not be able to answer it, for you are a priest of
Amun. It is only the priests of the great gods of Egypt that are going to the
Land of Palestine with Pharaoh'. And they persuaded Pediese to go to the
Land of Palestine with Pharaoh and he made his preparations. So Pediese,
son of Essamtowy, went to the Land of
Palestine, and no one was with him save his servant and an
hour-priest of Isis named
Osirmose.