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Synchronic King List
Relief with the portrait of Aššurbanipal. British museum, London (Britain). Photo Marco Prins.
Aššurbanipal
(British museum, London)
 Synchronic King List: chronographic document from ancient Mesopotamia. It mentions contemporary kings of Assyria and Babylonia.

The original cuneiform tablet, from Aššur, had four columns and is comparatively well preserved. It mentioned (presumed) synchronisms between monarchs from the Assyrian king Erišu and his Babylonian colleague Sumulail (the first ruler of the First dynasty of the Sealand) down to the reign of Aššurbanipal and Kandalanu in the mid-seventh century.

In the translation of columns ii-iv, only the central columns belong to the original text; to the left, Assyrian rulers, to the right, kings in Babylonia. The first and fourth columns are added as a chronological tool for modern readers; the spelling has been adapted to make it correspond to the Assyrian King List.

Translation of column i

Destroyed Destroyed
Adasi, same [i.e., king of Assyria] ...
Belu-bani, same Iškibal, same [i.e., king of Babylonia]
Libaja, same Šušši, same
Šarma-adad, same Gulkišar, same
LIK.KUD-Šamaš, same [1] mGÍS-EN, same
Bazaja, same Pešgaldaramaš, same 
Lullaja, same Adarakalamma, same
Šu-Ninua, same Ekurduanna, same
Šarma-Adad, same Melamkurkurra, same
same, same Kaštiliašu, same
same, same Abirattaš, same
same, same Kaštiliašu, same
same, same Urzigurumaš, same
same, same Harba-Šipak, same
same, same Tiptakzi, same
Išme-Dagan, same Burnaburiaš, same
Šamši-Adad, same [...]
[Aššur-nirari], same Kaštiliašu, same
[Puzur-Aššur], same Ulamburiaš, same
Enlil-nasir, same same
Nur-ili, same same
[...]an [...] same

Translation of column ii

One line destroyed One line destroyed
1233-1197 Tukulti-ninurta,same ...
...
1196-1193 Aššur-nadin-apli, same ...
same, same Kaštiliašu
1192-1187 Aššur-nirari Adad-
1186-1182 Enlil-kudurri-usur same
1181-1179 Ninurta-apil-Ekur Adad-šum-iddina, same 1222-1217
same, same Meli-Šipak, same 1186-1172
same, same Marduk-apla-iddina, same 1171-1159
1178-1133 Aššur-dan, same Zababa-šum-iddina, same 1158
same, same Enlil-nadin-ahi, same 1157-1155
Ninurta-tukulti-Aššur, same Marduk-šapik-zeri, same
Mutakkil-Nusku, same [... his vizier]
1132-1115 Aššur-reš-iši Ninurta-nadin-šumi, same 1131-1126
same, same Nebchadnezzar, same 1125-1104
1114-1076 Tiglath-pileser, same Enlil-nadin-apli, same 1103-1100
same, same Marduk-nadin-ahhe, same 1099-1082
1075-1074 Ašarid-apil-Ekur, same Itti-marduk-balatu, same
[... his vizier]
1073-1056 Aššur-bêl-kala, same Marduk-ahhe-eriba, same 1046
same, same Marduk-zer-xxx 1045-1034
same, same Nabû-šumu-libur 1033-1026

Translation of column iii

1055-1054 Eriba-Adad, king of Assyria Simbar-Šipak, same 1025-1008
1053-1050 Šamši-Adad, same Ea-mukin-zeri, same 1008
1049-1031 Aššurnasirpal, same Kaššu-nadin-ahhe, same 1007-1005
1030-1019 Šalmaneser, same Eulmaš-šakin-šumi, same 1004-988
1018-1013 Aššur-nirari same Ninurta-kudurri-usur, same 987-985
1012-972 Aššur-rabi, same Širikti-šuqamuna, same 985
971-967 Aššur-reš-iši, same Mar-biti-apla-usur, same 984-980
966-935 Tiglath-pileser, same Nabû-mukin-apli, same 979-943
same, same Ninurta-kudurri-usur, same 943
same, same Mar-biti-aha-iddina, same 942-...
[... his vizier]
934-912 Aššur-dan, same Šamaš-mudammiq, king of Babylon
911-891 Adad-nirari, same same
Qalia, his vizier
890-884 Tukulti-Ninurta, same Nabû-šuma-ukin
Gabbi-ilani-ereš his vizier
883-859 Aššurnasirpal, same Nabû-apla-iddina
Gabbi-ilani-ereš his vizier
858-824 Šalmaneser, same Marduk-zakir-šumi
Meluhhaia, his vizier
Destroyed Destroyed

Translation of column iv

704-681 Sennacherib For two years Sennacherib was king of Akkad; then the inhabitants of Akkad
Nabû-apla-iddin, his vizier revolted and Aššur-nadin-šumi, the father, ceded him the throne.
Sennacherib Nergal-ušezib, son of Gahul, and Mušezib-Marduk, a native of Bit-Dakkuri, were king of Akkad,
Sennacherib, king of Assyria and of Babylon.
Belu-pahhir and Kalbu, his viziers
680-669 Esarhaddon, son of Sennacherib,  king of Assyria and of Babylonia
Nabû-zer-lešir and Ištar-šum-ereš, his viziers
668-631 Aššurbanipal, same Šamaš-šum-ukin, same
same, same Kandalanu, same
Ištar-šum-ereš, his vizier
Eighty-two kings of Assyria from Erišum, son of Ilušuma, to Aššurbanipal, son of Esarhaddon Ninety-eight kings of Akkad from Sumulael to Kandalanu

Note 1:
"LIK.KUD-Šamaš" is the spelling on the Synchronic King List; on the Assyrian King List, he is called IB.TAR.Sin.
Jona Lendering © 2006
Latest revision: 19 March 2006
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