ABC 1.ii (From Nabû-Nasir to Šamaš-šuma-ukin)

For a very brief introduction to the literary genre of chronicles, go here. The translation on this webpage was adapted from A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (1975) and Jean-Jacques Glassner, Mesopotamian Chronicles (Atlanta, 2004).

The text is preserved on two copies that are now in the British Museum; one of these copies was written in 499 BCE, the twenty-second year of king Darius I the Great. (It is the only Neo-Babylonian chronicle that is preserved on more than one copy.) The best of these measures 193 mm long and 158 mm wide, which is extremely large; this made it possible to create two columns (cf. ABC 7, the Nabonidus Chronicle, which may have been written by the same scribe). It is from Babylon. The other fragments are from Sippar and may belong to one and the same broken, large tablet. A parallel text that contains variant information can be found here.

Translation of Column II

[ii.1] The twelfth year of Marduk-apla-iddina::^note[710/709.] Sargon went down to Akkad and

[ii.2] did battle against Marduk-apla-iddina.

[ii.3] Marduk-apla-iddina retreated before him and fled to Elam.^note[He was to return later.]

[ii.4] For twelve years Marduk-apla-iddina ruled Babylon.

[ii.5] Sargon ascended the throne in Babylon.

[ii.6-11] The first year of Sennacherib^note[704/703.] [...] Marduk-apla-iddina [...] [too broken]^note[For the reconstruction of lines 6-18, see John Brinkman, "The Babylonian Chronicle revisited" in T. Abusch,  J. Huehnergard, P. Steinkeller (eds.): Lingering over words. Studies in ancient Near Eastern literature in honor of William L. Moran (1990).]

[ii.12] The second year of Sennacherib,^note[703/702.] he went down to Akkad. Before Kiš, he joined battle with Marduk-apla-iddina. Before him, Marduk-apla-iddina retreated and fled to Guzummanu. In Babylon, Sennacherib entered the palace of Marduk-apla-iddina and the royal treasury [...] he plundered, but

[ii.19] Sennacherib did not disperse the Babylonians.

[ii.20] He pursued Marduk-apla-iddina

[ii.21] [...] the territory [...] but Marduk-apla-iddina remained undiscoverable. Sennacherib plundered his land and

[ii.22] Larak and Sarrabanu he took.

[ii.23] When he withdrew, Sennacherib put Bêl-ibni on the throne in Babylon.

[ii.24] The first year of Bêl-ibni:^note[702/701.] Sennacherib

[ii.25] ravaged Hirimma and Hararatum.

[ii.26] The third year of Bêl-ibni:^note[700/699.] Sennacherib, to Akkad

[ii.27] he went down and plundered Akkad.

[ii.28] He led away to Assyria Bêl-ibni and his officers.

[ii.29] For three years Bêl-ibni ruled Babylon.

[ii.30] Sennacherib, Aššur-nadin-šumi, his son,

[ii.31] he put on the throne in Babylon.

[ii.32] The first year of Aššur-nadin-šumni:^note[699/698.] Šutur-Nahhunte, king of Elam,

[ii.33] was seized by his brother, Hallušu-Inšušinak and Hallušu-Inšušinak shot the door in his face.^note[Probably, this odd statement means that he was taken prisoner.]

[ii.34] For eighteen years Šutur-Nahhunte ruled Elam.

[ii.35] Hallušu-Inšušinak ascended the throne in Elam.

[ii.36] The sixth year of Aššur-nadin-šumni:^note[694/693.] Sennacherib

[ii.37] went down to Elam and Nagitum, Hilmu,

[ii.38] Pillatum, and Huppapanu, he ravaged and

[ii.39] plundered. Afterwards, Hallušu-Inšušinak, king of Elam,

[ii.40] marched to Akkad and entered Sippar at the end of the month Tašrîtu.

[ii.41] He slaughtered its inhabitants. Šamaš did not go out of Ebabbar.

[ii.42] Aššur-nadin-šumni was taken prisoner and transported to Elam.

[ii.43] For six years, Aššur-nadin-šumni ruled Babylon.

[ii.44] The king of Elam put^[45] Nergal-ušezib in Babylon

[ii.45] on the throne. He effected an Assyrian retreat.

[ii.46] The first year of Nergal-ušezib:^note[693/692.] On the sixteenth day of the month Du'ûzu

[ii.47] Nergal-ušezib captured Nippur, plundered and sacked it.

[ii.48] On the first day of the month Tašrîtu the army of Assyria entered Uruk and