Adad-Guppi Stele

Nabon H I, B is a stele in the pavement of the North entrance to the Great Mosque at Harran [1, p. 35].

Also known as Nabonidus inscription No.24 [2, p. 351], or the Inscription of Adad-Guppi [3].

Origin: Discovered by D.S. Rice in 1956.

First Translation: 1958 by C.J. Gadd.

Translation

   Col. I.
1.  I (am) the lady Adda-guppi' mother
2.  of Nabium-na'id, king of Babylon,
3.  votaress of the gods Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku,
4.  and Sadarnunna, my deities ;
5.  who, from my childhood, have sought after
6.  their godheads. Whereas in the 16th year of Nabopolassar,
7.  king of Babylon, Sin, king of the gods, with his city
8.  and his temple was angry and went up to heaven—the city and
9.  the people that (were) in it went to ruin.
10. (Now) forasmuch as the shrines of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku,
11. and Sadarnunna I sought after and was worshipper of their godhead,
12. (and) that I laid hold on the hem of the robe of Sin, king of the gods, night and daytime
13. I had ever in mind his great godhead—daily, without ceasing,
14. of Sin, Šamaš, Ištar, and Adda, so long as I am alive,
15. I (am) their votaress (both) in heaven and earth. My blessings,
16. the goodly things which they gave me, I (too) by day, night, month, and year, gave (back) to them.
17. I laid hold on the hem of the robe of Sin, king of the gods, night and daytime
18. my two eyes were with him, in prayer and humility of face
19. was I bowed before them (and) thus (I prayed), "May thy return
20. to thy city be (vouchsafed) to me, that the people, the black-headed,
21. may worship thy great godhead." For calming
22. the heart of my god and my goddess, a dress of fine wool, jewels,
23. silver, gold, a new shift, perfumes, sweet oil,
24. I applied not to my body, (but in) a torn shift
25. I went clothed, my goings-out were noiseless, I proclaimed
26. their praises : the glory of my city and of my goddess
27. was (ever) set in my heart, I kept watch upon them,
28. anything good of mine I did not omit, but carried it (ever) before them.
29. From the 20th year of Aššurbanipal, king of Assyria, that I was born (in)
30. until the 42nd year of Aššurbanipal, the 3rd year of Aššur-etillu-ili,
31. his son, the 21st year of Nabopolassar, the 43rd year of Nebuchadrezzar,
32. the 2nd year of Awēl-Marduk, the 4th year of Neriglissar,
33. in 95 years of the god Sin, king of the gods of heaven and earth,
34. (in) which I sought after the shrines of his great godhead,
35. (for) my good doings he looked upon me with a smile
36. he heard my prayers, he granted my saying, the wrath
37. of his heart calmed. Towards E-h̬ul-h̬ul the temple of Sin
38. which (is) in Harran, the abode of his heart's delight, he was reconciled, he had
39. regard. Sin, king of the gods, looked upon me and
40. Nabu-na'id (my) only son, the issue of my womb, to the kingship
41. he called, and the kingship of Sumer and Akkad
42. from the border of Egypt (on) the upper sea even to the lower sea
43. all the lands he entrusted hither
44. to his hands. My two hands I lifted up and to Sin, king of the gods,
45. reverently with imploration [(I prayed) thus, "Nabu-na'id
46. (my) son, offspring of my womb, beloved of his mother,]
   Col. II.
1.  thou hast called him to the kingship, thou hast pronounced his name,
2.  at the command of thy great godhead may the great gods
3.  go at his two sides, may they make his enemies to fall,
4.  forget not, (but) make good E-h̬ul-h̬ul and the finishing of its foundation(?)".
5.  When in my dream, his two hands had been laid on, Sin, king of the gods,
6, 7. Spoke to me thus, " With thee I will put into the hands of Nabuna'id, thy son, the return of the gods and the habitation of Harran;
8.  He shall build E-h̬ul-h̬ul, shall perfect its structure, (and) Harran
9.  more than (it was) before he shall perfect and restore it to its place.
10. The hand of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna
11. he shall clasp and cause them to enter E-hul-bul ". The word of Sin,
12. king of the gods, which he spoke to me I honoured, and I myself saw (it fulfilled) ;
13. Nabu-na'id, (my) only son, offspring of my womb, the rites
14. forgotten of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and
15. Sadarnunna he perfected, E-h̬ul-h̬ul
16. anew he built and perfected its structure, Harran more
17. than before he perfected and restored it to its place ; the hand
18. of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna from
19. Šuanna his royal city he clasped, and in the midst of Harran
20. in E-h̬ul-h̬ul the abode of their hearts' ease with gladness
21. and rejoicing he let them dwell. What from former times Sin, king of the gods,
22. had not done and had not granted to anybody (he did) for the love of me
23. who had ever worshipped his godhead, laid hold on the hem of his robe—Sin, king of the gods,
24. uplifted my head and set upon me a good name in the land,
25. long days, years of heart's ease he multiplied upon me.
26. From the time of Aššurbanipal, king of Assyria, until the 9th year
27. of Nabu-na'id king of Babylon, the son, offspring of my womb
28. 104 years of happiness, with the reverence which Sin, king of the gods,
29. placed in me, he made me flourish, my own self: the sight of my two eyes
30. is clear, I am excellent in understanding, my hand and both feet are sound,
31. well-chosen are my words, meat and drink
32. agree with me, my flesh is goodly, glad is my heart.
33. My descendents to four generations from me flourishing in themselves
34. I have seen, I am fulfilled (with) offspring. O Sin, king of the gods, for favour
35. thou hast looked upon me, thou hast lengthened my days: Nabuna'id, king of Babylon,
36. my son, to Sin my lord I have devoted him. So long as he is alive
37. let him not offend against thee; the genius of favour, genius of favour which (to be) with me
38. thou hast appointed and they have caused me to attain offspring, with him (too)
39. appoint (them), and wickedness and offence against thy great godhead
40. endure not, (but) let him worship thy great godhead. In the 21 years
41. of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, in the 43 years of Nebuchadrezzar,
42. son of Nabopolassar,a nd 4 years of Neriglissar, king of Babylon,
43. (when) they exercised the kingship, for 68 years
44. with all my heart I reverenced them, I kept watch over them,
45. Nabu-na'id (my) son, offspring of my womb, before Nebuchadrezzar
46. son of Nabopolassar and (before) Neriglissar, king of Babylon, I caused him to stand,
47. daytime and night he kept watch over them
48. what was pleasing to them he performed continually,
49. my name he made (to be) favourite in their sight, (and) like
50. [a daughtero of] their [own] they uplifted my head
   Col. III.
1.  I nourished (their spirits), and incense offering
2.  rich, of sweet savour,
3.  I appointed for them continually and
4.  laid ever before them.
5.  (Now) in the 9th year of Nabu-na'id,
6.  king of Babylon, the fate
7.  of herself carried her off, and
8.  Nabu-na'id, king of Babylon,
9.  (her) son, issue of her womb, . . . . . . . . . . .
10. her corpse entombed, and [robes]
11. splendid, a bright mantle . . . . . . .
12. gold, bright . . . . . . . .
13. beautiful stones, [precious] stones,
14. costly stones . . . . . . . .
15. sweet oil her corpse he [anointed]
16. they laid it in a secret place. [Oxen and]
17. sheep (especially) fattened he [slaughtered]
18. before it. He assembled [the people]
19. of Babylon and Borsippa, [with the people]
20. dwelling in far regions, [kings, princes, and]
21. governors, from [the border]
22. of Egypt on the Upper Sea
23. (even) to the Lower Sea he [made to come up],
24. mourning and . . . . . . . .
25. weeping he performed, [dust?]
26. they cast upon their heads, for 7 days
27. and 7 nights with . . . . . . . . .
28. they cut themselves(?), their clothes
29. were cast down(?). On the seventh day . . . . . . .
30. the people(?) of all the land their hair(?)
31. shaved, and . . . . . . . .
32. their clothes. . . . . . . .
33. the . . . . . . . . of their clothes . . . . . .
34. in(?) their places(?) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35. they ? to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36. at meat(?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37. perfumes refined he amassed(?) . . . . .
38. sweet oil upon the heads [of the people]
39. he poured out, their hearts . . . . . . . .
40. he made glad, he [cheered(?)]
41. their minds, the road [to their homes]
42. he did not(?) withhold(?) . . . . . . . . .
43. to their own places they went.
44. Do thou, whether a king or a prince . . . . . . . . .
         (Remainder too fragmentary for translation until :—)
51. Fear (the gods), in heaven and earth
52. pray to them, [neglect] not [the utterance]
53. of the mouth of Sin and the goddess . . . . .
54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
55. . . . . . . . make safe the . . . . . . . . of thy seed
56. [ever(?)] and for [ever(?)].

[1, p. 47]

Key Information

Col I Line 29: the 20th year of Aššurbanipal, king of Assyria, that I was born.

Col I Lines 29-37 (and partially repeated in Col II Lines 40-47) give the reigns of the kings that Adad-Guppi lived through:

Col I Line 33: 95 years from her birth (Ashurbanipal Year 20) to end of Neriglissar (Year 4).

Col II Lines 26-28: From her birth (Ashurbanipal Year 20) until the 9th year of Nabonidus 104 years.

Errors

It would appear the scribes made an error in counting the length of Adad Guippi's life; according to the standard chronology if she was born in the 20th year of Ashurbanipal (649 BC) and died in the 9th year of Nabonidus (547 BC) this would mean she died 102 years old [1, p. 71].

There is a great degree of uncertainty concerning the end of Ashurbanipal's reign and that of his successors Ashur-etil-ilani, Sinsharishkun and Sin-shumu-lishir, but it would appear very likely that there was some kind of overlap between them, which would explain the miscounting [4, pp. 138, 141] [5, p. 57] [6, p. 61] [7, p. 74].

Nevertheless, the lengths for the Babylonian kings are consistent with all other data.

References