Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle

(Also known as the Jerusalem Chronicle).

Museum number BM 21946 [1], ABC 5 [2, p. 19], CM 24 [3, p. 226].

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

First Translated: 1956 by D.J. Wiseman [4, p. 67].

Translation

      Obverse
1  [The twenty-first year]: The king of Akkad stayed home (while) Nebuchadnezzar (II), his eldest son (and) the crown prince,
2  mustered [the army of Akkad]. He took his army's lead and marched to Carchemish which is on the bank of the Euphrates.
3  He crossed the river [to encounter the army of Egypt] which was encamped at Carchemish.
4  [...] They did battle together. The army of Egypt retreated before him.
5  He inflicted a [defeat] upon them (and) finished them off completely.
6  In the district of Hamath
7  the army of Akkad overtook
5  the remainder of the army of [Egypt
6  which] managed to escape [from] the defeat and which was not overcome.
7  They (the army of Akkad) inflicted a defeat upon them (so that) a single (Egyptian) man [did not return] home.
8  At that time Nebuchadnezzar (II) conquered all of Ha[ma]th.
9  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
11 on the first day of the month Elul he ascended the royal throne in Babylon.
12 In (his) accession year Nebuchadnezzar (II) returned to Hattu. Until the month Shebat
13 he marched about victoriously
12 in Hattu.
13 In the month Shebat he took the vast booty of Hattu to Babylon.
14 In the month Nisan 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
16 marched to Hattu. Until the month Kislev he marched about victoriously in Hattu.
17 All the kings of Hattu came into his presence and he received their vast tribute.
18 He marched to Ashkelon and in the month Kislev he captured it,
19 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].
21 The sec[ond year]: In the month Iyyar the king of Akkad strengthened his large army and [marched to Hattu].
22 He encamped [...] ... large siege towers he moved acr[oss ...
23 ... from the month] Iyyar until the month [... he marched about victoriously in Hattu].
Lacuna
      Reverse
Lacuna
1  [...] ... [...]
2  [The third year: In the month ..., on] the thirteenth [day] Nabu-shumu-lishir [...]
3  [In the month ... the king of Akka]d mustered his army and [marched] to Hattu. [...
4  ...] He brought the vast [booty] of Hattu into Akkad. [...]
5  The fourth year: The king of Akkad mustered his army and marched to Hattu. [He marched about victoriously] in Hattu.
6  In the month Kislev he took his army's lead and marched to Egypt. (When) the king of Egypt heard (the news) he m[ustered] his army.
7  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.
8  The fifth year: The king of Akkad stayed home (and) refitted his numerous horses and chariotry.
9  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.
11 The seventh year: In the month Kislev the king of Akkad mustered his army and marched to Hattu.
12 He encamped against the city of Judah and on the second day of the month Adar he captured the city (and) seized (its) king.
13 A king of his own choice he appointed in the city (and) taking the vast tribute he brought it into Babylon.
14 The eighth year: In the month Tebet the king of Akkad [marched] towards Hattu as far as Carchemish. [...]
15 ... [...] ... In the month Shebat [the king went] home.
16 The ninth year: [In the month ... the king of Akk]ad and [his] army [marched] along the bank of the Tigris [...]
17 The king of [...] ... [...]
18 The king of Ak[kad] ... [...] ... [...]
19 He encamped on the bank of the Tigris. [There was] a distance of one day's march between them.
20 [The k]ing of E[lam] took fright and fear overcame him so he we[nt] home.
21 The tenth [year: The king of Akk]ad stayed home, From the month Kislev until the month Te bet there [was] a rebellion in Akkad.
22 [...] ... he put his large [army] to the sword (and) conquered his foe.
23 [...] He marched [to] Hattu. The kings and ... [...] ...
24 [came] and [he received] their vast booty. He returned to B[abylon].
25 [The eleventh year]: In the month Kislev the king of Akkad [mustered his] army and
26 marched [to H]attu.

[2, p. 99]

Key Information

Obv. Lines 9-10: For twenty-one years Nabopolassar ruled Babylon. On the eighth day of the month Ab he died. (8/V/21).

Obv. Line 10-11: 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. (1/VI/Acc.).

Notes

In the earlier translation by Wiseman [4, p. 67] victoriously (Obv. 13, 16, 23, Rev. 5) was translated as 'unopposed', regarding this Albright says [5, p. 31]:

the adverb means "victoriously," and suggests that the Babylonians met with stiff resistance from both the local population and its Egyptian suzerains and allies.

There is also a difference in Obv. 8 where Wiseman put: Nebuchadrezzar conquered the whole area of the Ḫatti-country which has been corrected to all of Ha[ma]th.

References