Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 52

[Footnote 1: Lacuna.]

COLUMN IV

1 the tabernacle, the shrine Lilmuku, 2 the festival of Babylon, 3,4 his pageant of dignity 5 within it, I caused to decorate 6 with beryls and stones.

7 A temple for sacrifices, the lofty citadel 8 of Bel and Merodach, G.o.d of G.o.ds, 9 a threshold of joy and supremacy 10 among angels and spirits, 11 with the stores of Babylon, 12 with cement and brick, 13 like a mountain I erected.

14 A great temple of Ninharissi[1]

15 in the centre of Babylon 16 to the great G.o.ddess the mother who created me, 17 in Babylon I made.

18 To Nebo of lofty intelligence 19 who hath bestowed (on me) the sceptre of justice, 20 to preside over all peoples, 21 a temple of rule over men, and a site for this his temple 22,23 in Babylon, of cement and brick 24 the fashion I fashioned.

25,26 To the Moon-G.o.d, the strengthener of my hands 27 a large house of alabaster as his temple 28 in Babylon I made.

29 To the sun, the judge supreme 30 who perfects good in my body, 31 a house for that guide of men, even his house'

32,33 in Babylon, of cement and brick, 34 skilfully did I make.

35 To the G.o.d Yav, establisher of fertility 36 in my land, Bit-Numkan as his temple 37 in Babylon I built.

38 To the G.o.ddess Gula, the regulator 39 and benefactress of my life, 40 Bit-Samit, and Bit-haris the lofty, 41,42 as fanes in Babylon, in cement and brick 43 strongly did I build.

44 To the divine Lady of Bit Anna, 45 my gracious mistress, 46 Bit-Kiku in front of her house 47 so as to strengthen the wall of Babylon 48 I skilfully constructed.

49,50 To Ninip the breaker of the sword of my foes 51 a temple in Borsippa I made; 52 and to the Lady Gula[2]

53 the beautifier of my person[3]

54 Bit-Gula, Bit-Tila, Bit-Ziba-Tila, 55 her three temples 56 in Borsippa I erected: 57 to the G.o.d Yav who confers 58 the fertilizing rain upon my land, 59,60 his house (also) in Borsippa I strongly built: 61 to the Moon-G.o.d who upholds 62 the fulness of my prosperity 63 Bit-ti-Anna[4] as his temple, 64 on the mound near Bit-Ziba 65 I beautifully constructed: 66,67 Imgur-Bel and Nimetti-Belkit 68 the great walls of Babylon, 69 ...[5] I built, 70 which Nabopola.s.sar 71 King, King of Babylon, the father who begat me, 72 had commenced but not completed their beauty

_(Continued on Column V_.)

[Footnote 1: Wife of the sun.]

[Footnote 2: In I Mich. iv. 5. Gula is said to be the wife of the southern sun.]

[Footnote 3: Or, "the favorer of my praises."]

[Footnote 4: The G.o.ddess Anna is identical with the Nana whose image was by her own command restored by a.s.surbanipal to the temple of Bit-Anna after an absence in Elam of 1,635 years. See Smith's "a.s.surb.," pp. 234, 235.]

[Footnote 5: Lacuna.]

COLUMN V

1 Its fosse he dug 2 and of two high embankments 3 in cement and brick 4 he finished the ma.s.s: 5,6 an embankment for pathways he made, 7,8 b.u.t.tresses of brick beyond the Euphrates 9,10 he constructed, but did not complete: 11,12 the rest from ...[1]

13 the best of their lands I acc.u.mulated: 14 a place for sacrifice, as ornament, 15,16 as far as Aibur-sabu[2] near Babylon 17 opposite the princ.i.p.al gate 18 with brick and _durmina-t.u.r.da_ stone 19 as a shrine of the great Lord, the G.o.d Merodach 20 I built as a house for processions.

21,22 I his eldest son, the chosen of his heart, 23,24 Imgur-Bel and Nimetti-Bel 25,26 the great walls of Babylon, completed: 27 b.u.t.tresses for the embankment of its fosse, 28 and two long embankments 29 with cement and brick I built, and 30 with the embankment my father had made 31,32 I joined them; and to the city for protection 33,34 I brought near an embankment of enclosure 35 beyond the river, westward.

36 The wall of Babylon 37,38 I carried round Aibur-sabu 39 in the vicinity of Babylon: 40 for a shrine of the great Lord Merodach 41,42 the whole enclosure I filled (with buildings) 43 with brick made of _kamina-t.u.r.da_ stone 44 and brick of stone cut out of mountains.

45,46 Aibur-sabu from the High gate, 47,48 as far as Istar-Sakipat I made, 49,50 for a shrine for his divinity I made good, 51 and with what my father had made 52,53 I joined, and built it; 54,55,56 and the access to Istar-Sakipat I made, 57,58 which is Imgur-Bel and Nimetti-Bel, 59 the great gates, the whole temple of the G.o.ds, 60,61 in completeness near to Babylon 62 I brought down; 63,64 the materials of those great gates 65 I put together and

_(Continued on Column VI_.)

[Footnote 1: Lacuna.]

[Footnote 2: An ornamental piece of water near Babylon.]

COLUMN VI

1 their foundations opposite to the waters 2,3 in cement and brick I founded, 4 and of strong stone of _zamat-hati,_ 5 bulls and images, 6 the building of its interior 7 skilfully I constructed: 8,9,10 tall cedars for their porticos I arranged, 11 _ikki_ wood, cedar wood, 12 with coverings of copper, 13 on domes and arches: 14,15 work in bronze I overlaid substantially on its gates, 16,17 bulls of strong bronze and molten images 18 for their thresholds, strongly.

19 Those large gates 20 for the admiration of mult.i.tudes of men 21 with wreathed work I filled: 22 the abode of Imzu-Bel 23 the invincible castle of Babylon, 24 which no previous King had effected, 25 4,000 cubits complete, 26 the walls of Babylon 27 whose banner is invincible, 28 as a high fortress by the ford of the rising sun, 29 I carried round Babylon.

30 Its fosse I dug and its ma.s.s 31 with cement and brick 32,33 I reared up and a tall tower at its side 34 like a mountain I built.

35,36 The great gates whose walls I constructed 37 with _ikki_ and pine woods and coverings of copper 38 I overlaid them, 39 to keep off enemies from the front 40 of the wall of unconquered Babylon.

41,42 Great waters like the might of the sea 43 I brought near in abundance 44 and their pa.s.sing by 45 was like the pa.s.sing by of the great billows 46 of the Western ocean: 47,48 pa.s.sages through them were none, 49,50 but heaps of earth I heaped up, 51 and embankments of brickwork 52 I caused to be constructed.

53,54 The fortresses I skilfully strengthened 55 and the city of Babylon 56 I fitted to be a treasure-city.

57 The handsome pile 58,59 the fort of Borsippa I made anew: 60,61 its fosse I dug out and in cement and brick 62 I reared up its ma.s.s 63 Nebuchadnezzar

_(Continued on Column VII._)

COLUMN VII

1 King of Babylon 2 whom Merodach, the Sun, the great Lord, 3 for the holy places of his city 4 Babylon hath called, am I: 5 and Bit-Saggatu and Bit-Zida 6 like the radiance of the Sun I restored: 7 the fanes of the great G.o.ds 8 I completely brightened.

9 At former dates from the days of old 10 to the days ...[1]

11 of Nabopola.s.sar King of Babylon 12 the exalted father who begat me, 13 many a Prince who preceded me 14,15 whose names El had proclaimed for royalty 16 for the city, my city, the festivals of these G.o.ds 17 in the perfected places 18 a princely temple, a large temple did they make 19 and erected it as their dwelling-places.

20,21 Their spoils in the midst they acc.u.mulated, 22 they heaped up, and their treasures 23 for the festival Lilmuku 24 of the good Lord, Merodach G.o.d of G.o.ds 25 they transferred into the midst of Babylon; 26,27 when at length Merodach who made me for royalty 28 and the G.o.d Nero his mighty son, 29 committed his people to me 30 as precious lives.

31 Highly have I exalted their cities; 32 (but) above Babylon and Borsippa 33 I have not added a city 34 in the realm of Babylonia 35 as a city of my lofty foundation.

36 A great temple, a house of admiration for men, 37,38 a vast construction, a lofty pile, 39,40 a palace of My Royalty for the land of Babylon, 41 in the midst of the city of Babylon 42,43 from Imgur Bel to Libit-higal 44 the ford of the Sun-rise, 45 from the bank of the Euphrates 46 as far as Aibur-sabu 47 which Nabopola.s.sar 48 King of Babylon the father who begat me 49,50 made in brick and raised up in its midst, 51 but whose foundation was damaged 52 by waters and floods 53,54 at Bit-Imli near Babylon, 55,56 and the gates of that palace were thrown down, 57,58 of this the structure with brickwork I repaired 59 with its foundation and boundary wall, 60 and a depth of waters I collected: 61,62 then opposite the waters I laid its foundation 63 and with cement and brick

_(Continued on Column VIII_.)

[Footnote 1: Lacuna.]

COLUMN VIII

1,2 I skilfully surrounded it; 3,4 tall cedars for its porticos I fitted; 5,6 _ikki_ and cedar woods with layers of copper, 7 on domes and arches 8,9 and with bronze work, I strongly overlaid its gates 10 with silver, gold, precious stones, 11,12 whatsoever they call them, in heaps; 13 I valiantly collected spoils; 14 as an adornment of the house were they arranged, 15 and were collected within it; 16,17 trophies, abundance, royal treasures, 18 I acc.u.mulated and gathered together.

19 As to the moving of My Royalty 20 to any other city, 21 there has not arisen a desire: 22 among any other people 23 no royal palace have I built: 24 the merchandise and treasures of my kingdom 25,26,27 I did not deposit within the provinces of Babylon: 28 a pile for my residence 29,30 to grace My Royalty was not found: 31 Therefore with reverence for Merodach my Lord, 32,33 the exterior and interior in Babylon 34 as his treasure city 35,36 and for the elevation of the abode of My Royalty 37 his shrine I neglected not: 38 its weak parts which were not completed, 39 its compartments that were not remembered, 40 as a securely compacted edifice 41,42 I dedicated and set up as a preparation for war 43,44 by Imgur Bel, the fortress of invincible Babylon, 45 400 cubits in its completeness, 46 a wall of Nimitti-Bel 47 an outwork of Babylon 48,49 for defence. Two lofty embankments, 50 in cement and brick, 51 a fortress like a mountain I made, 52 and in their sub-structure 53 I built a brickwork; 54 then on its summit a large edifice 55 for the residence of My Royalty 56,57 with cement and brick I skilfully built 58 and brought it down by the side of the temple: 59 and in the exact middle, on the second day 60 its foundation in a solid depth 61,62 I made good and its summit I carried round; 63 and on the 15th day its beauty

_(Continued on Column IX_.)