Artifacts and parenthetical commentary added by editor R. Brown.
(Nabu, 3rd son to Marduk)
“TO NABÛ, EXALTED LORD, WHO DWELLS IN EZIDA,
WHICH IS IN NINEVEH, HIS LORD:
(modern statue of giant King Ashurbanipal)
I ASHURBANIPAL, KING OF ASSYRIA,
THE ONE LONGED FOR AND DESTINED BY HIS GREAT DIVINITY,
WHO, AT THE ISSUING OF HIS ORDER
AND THE GIVING OF HIS SOLEMN DECREE,
CUT OFF THE HEAD OF TE’UMMAN, KING OF ELAM,
AFTER DEFEATING HIM IN BATTLE,
AND WHOSE GREAT COMMAND
MY HAND CONQUERED UMMAN-IGASH,
TANMARIT, PA’E AND UMMAN-ALTASH,
WHO RULED OF ELAM AFTER TE’UMMAN.
I YOKED THEM TO MY SEDAN CHAIR,
MY ROYAL CONVEYANCE.
WITH HIS GREAT HELP I ESTABLISHED
DECENT ORDER IN ALL THE LANDS WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
AT THAT TIME I ENLARGED THE STRUCTURE OF THE COURT
(temple residence of Nabu in Assur, Assyria)
OF THE TEMPLE OF NABÛ, MY LORD,
USING MASSIVE LIMESTONE.
MAY NABÛ LOOK WITH JOY ON THIS,
MAY HE FIND IT ACCEPTABLE.
BY THE RELIABLE IMPRESS OF YOUR WEDGES
MAY THE ORDER FOR A LIFE OF LONG DAYS
COME FORTH FROM YOUR LIPS,
(Assyrian cities of the gods)
MAY MY FEET GROW OLD BY WALKING IN EZIDA (Nabu’s residence)
IN YOUR DIVINE PRESENCE.”
MS in Neo Assyrian on limestone, Nineveh, Assyria, ca. 646 BC, 1 limestone slab, 47x42x4 cm, single column, 19 lines in Neo Assyrian cuneiform script.
Commentary: King Ashurbanipal (669-631 BC) rebuilt Ezida, the temple of Nabû, the god of writing.