Fall of Nineveh Chronicle

Museum number BM 21901 [1], ABC 3 [2, p. 18], CM 22 [3, p. 218].

Origin: Purchased by the British Museum from an antiquities dealer in 1896.

First Translated: 1923 by C.J. Gadd [4, p. 37].

Translation

1  The tenth year of Nabopolassar: In the month Iyyar he mustered the army of Akkad and marched along the bank of the Euphrates.
2  The Suheans and the Hindaneans did not do battle against him (but) placed their tribute before him.
3  In the month Ab the army of Assyria prepared for battle in Gablini and Nabopolassar went up against them.
4  On the twelfth day of the month Ab he did battle against the army of Assyria and the army of Assyria retreated before him. He inflicted a major defeat upon Assyria (and)
5  plundered them extensively.
6  He captured
5  the Manneans who had come to their (i.e. the Assyrians') aid and the Assyrian officers.
6  On that same day he captured Gablini. In the month Ab the king of Akkad (and) his army
7  went upstream to Mane, Sahiri, and Balihu. He plundered them,
8  sacked them extensively, (and) abducted their gods. In the month Elul the king of Akkad and his army
9  returned and on his way he took (the people of) Hindanu and its gods to Babylon.
10 In the month Tishri the army of Egypt and the army of Assyria went after the king of Akkad as far as Gablini but
11 they did not overtake the king of Akkad (so) they withdrew. In the month Adar the army of Assyria and the army of Akkad
12 did battle against one another at Madanu, (a suburb) of Arraphu, and the army of Assyria
13 retreated before the army of Akkad. They (the army of Akkad) inflicted a major defeat upon them (the Assyrian army) and drove them (back) to the Zab River.
14 They captured their chariots and horses and plundered them extensively.
15 They took many [...] with them across the Tigris and brought (them) into Babylon.
16 [The eleventh year: The king] of Akkad mustered his army, marched along the bank of the Tigris, and in the month Iyyar he encamped against Baltil (Ashur).
17 [On the Nth day] of the month Sivan he did battle against the city but he did not capture it. The king of Assyria mustered his army,
18 pushed the king of Akkad back from Baltil (Ashur), and marched after him as far as Takritain, a city on the bank of the Tigris.
19 The king of Akkad stationed his army in the fortress of Takritain. The king of Assyria and his army
20 encamped against the army of the king of Akkad which was stationed in Takritain and
21 did battle against them for ten days. But he (the king of Assyria) did not capture the city. (Instead) the army of the king of Akkad, which had been stationed in the fortress,
22 inflicted a major defeat upon Assyria. The king of Assyria and his army [turned] and went home.
23 In the month Marchesvan the Medes went down to Arraphu and [...]
24 The twelfth year: In the month Ab the Medes, after they had, marched against Nineveh[...
25 ...] hastened and they captured Tarbisu, a city in the district of Nineveh. [...]
26 They went along [the T]igris and encamped against Baltil (Ashur). They did battle against the city and [...]
27 destroyed [...] ... They inflicted a terrible defeat upon a great people, plundered and [sacked them].
28 [The king of A]kkad and his army, who had gone to help the Medes, did not reach the battle (in time). The city ... [...]
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.
30 [... Cyaxa]res and his army went home. The king of Akkad and his army went home.
31 [The thirteenth year: In the month Iyya]r the Suheans rebelled against the king of Akkad and became belligerent.
32 [The king of Akkad] mustered his army and marched to Suhu. On the fourth day of the month Sivan
33 he did [battle against] Rahilu, a city which is (on an island) in the middle of the Euphrates, and at that time he captured the city.
34 He built his [...] The men who (live) on the bank of the Euphrates came down to him.
35 [...] he encamped [against] Anat (and) the siege engines
36 [he brought over]
35 fr[om] the western side
36 [...] ... he brought the siege engines up to the wall. He did battle against the [city] and captured it.
37 [... the king of] Assyria and his army came down and ... the king of Akkad and his army. He (the king of Akkad) went home.
38 [The fourteenth year]: The king of Akkad mustered his army [and marched to ...] The king of the Umman-manda
39 [marched]
38 towards the king of Akkad
39 [...] ... they met one another.
40 [The k]ing of Akkad ... [... Cy]axares ... brought across and
41 they marched along the bank of the Tigris. [... they encamp]ed against Nineveh.
42 From the month Sivan until the month Ab—for three [months—...] ...
43 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].
44 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 [...]
46 of Assyria escaped from the enemy and ... the king of Akkad ... [...]
47 On the twentieth day of the month Elul Cyaxares and his army went home. After he had gone the king of Akkad [despatched his army and]
48 they marched to Nasibin. Plunder and exiles ... [...]
49 and they brought (the people of) Rusapu to the king of Akkad at Nineveh. [On the Nth day of the] month [... Ashur-uballit (II)]
50 ascended the throne in Harran to rule Assyria. Up until [the Nth day of] the month [ ... ]
51 in Nineveh [... f]rom the twentieth day of the month [...] the king of [...]
52 set out and in [...]
53 The fifteenth year: In the month Tam[muz the ki]ng of Akkad [mustered his army and ...]
54 marched to Assyria. [...] victoriously [he marched about] of ... [...] ... [...]
55 and he captured Shu ... [...], plundered it, (and) [carried off] its va[st] booty.
56 In the mon[th Marchesva]n the king of Akkad took the lead of his army (personally) and [marched] against Ruggulitu.
57 He did battle against the city and on the twenty-eighth day of the month Marchesvan captured it. ... [He] did not [leav]e a single man (alive). [...] he went [home].
58 The sixteenth year: In the month Iyyar the king of Akkad mustered his army and marched to Assyria. From [the month ...] until the month Marchesvan
59 he marched about victoriously in Assyria. In the month Marchesvan the Umman-manda, [who] had come [to hel]p the king of Akkad,
60 put their armies together and
61 marched
60 to Harran [against Ashur-uball]it (II) who had ascended the throne in Assyria.
61. Fear of the enemy overcame Ashuruballit (II) and the army of Eg[ypt which] had come [to help him] and they aban[doned] the city [...] they crossed.
63 The king of Akkad reached Harran and [...] he captured the city.
64 He carried off the vast booty of the city and the temple. In the month Adar the king of Akkad left their [...]
65 He went home. The Umman-manda, who had come to help the king of Akkad, withdrew.
66 <The seventeenth year>: In the month Tammuz Ashur-uballit (II), king of Assyria, the large army of Egypt [...]
67 crossed the river (Euphrates) and marched against Harran to conquer (it). [...] they [capture]d (it).
68 They defeated the garrison which the king of Akkad had stationed inside. When they had defeated (it) they encamped against Harran.
69 Until the month Elul they did battle against the city but achieved nothing. (However) they did not withdraw.
70 The king of Akkad went to help his army and ... [...] he went up [to] Izalla and
71 the numerous cities in the mountains ... [...] he set fire to their [...]
72 At that time the army of [...]
73 [ma]rched
72 as far as the district of Urartu.
73 In the land ... [...] they plundered their [...]
74 The garrison which the king of [... had stationed in it set] out.
75 They went up to [...] The king of Akkad went home.
76 In the [eighteenth] ye[ar : In the month Elu]l the king of Akkad mustered his army.
77 (......)
78 Let [the one who] loves Nabu and Marduk keep (this tablet) and not let (it) stray into (other) hands.

[2, p. 91]

Key Information

Lines 38-44: In his 14th year Nabopolassar laid siege to Nineveh, during which the Assyrian king Sinsharishkun died.

References