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133SENNACHERIB AND THE TABLET OF DESTINIES

By A. R. GEORGEK 6177 + 8869 is a copy in Neo-Babylonian script, now in the British Museum'sKuyunjik collection, of probably no more than two short inscriptions. Only itsbottom half is extant, and so the first inscription is lost to us all but its las.t fewfragmentary lines, which conclude a prayer (Text A). After a ruling a second, muchbetter preserved text is given, and it is this, an inscription of Sennacherib in highliterary style, which is of interest here (Text B). Text B describes the Tablet ofDestinies (!uppi gamJti), with the figure of Assur apparently depicted on it, presum-ably by means of a seal impression. The text continues with a description of arepresentation of the king standing in homage before Assur, which, if the text has anyunity of construction, would also suggest a seal impression. The text is concluded

with a routine royal prayer. *The tablet or rather half of it, the fragment K 6177 was known to pioneers inSennacherib studies, having appeared accredited to that king in Bezold's Catalogue(II, p. 768), but it was deemed of too little significance to warrant more than passingreference by Meissner and Rost (Senn., p. 119). The join to K 8869, which providesText B with its conclusion, was made by W. G. Lambert, who kindly brought thepiece to my attention.K 6177 + 8869 (Fig. 1)Text A1' [a]-Fna te-re]-t[i? ...2' rFi-gj.-gj AB X[...3' Fal-na nik-la-ti-ia sd qe-rebx[...F'la-nun-na-ki pal-his 1[i-qu-lu?]

"[...] for the oracles(?) [... .may] the Igigi . ] To the skilful things which[(I have wrought)] in [...] may the Anunnaki [pay] reverent [heed(?)!]"Text B

1 [t] uppi ?Tmeatime5 i-kis den-lU1-u-ti]2 be-lu-ut jjsmev ? Vameeuer-s[e-ti]3 svarru-u'-ut i-ga-gi u da-nu[n-na-ki]4 [p]i-rise-ti ad-ma-mu es-m[ah- hi)]5 [m]ar-kaser-mi a-nu u ga-an-sir ser-ret t[e-ni-sve-ti?]6 [sladaHur(an.sar) svarWlme"a-tus-suis-ba-tu-mait-mu-hu [ir-tusv-s']*This paper has been discussed with Prof. W. G.Lambert and Dr. M. J. Geller, who are warmlythankedfor their criticism; errors that remain are the writer'sown. An abstract was read to the XXXIII' Rencontre

Assyriologique Internationale in Paris. K 6177 + 8869and 4732 + Sm 1081 are published by permissionof theTrustees of the British Museum. Abbreviations arethose of the ChicagoAssyrianDictionary.

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134 A. R. GEORGE7 [s]a-lam bi-na-ti-svu am-svili-ma-ti-sui e-ru-us3-su x x]8 [s]er-re-e-tiame rabutimemar-kas[a'-gz-ga]9 u da-nun-na-ki u-kal rit-t[usO-s4]

10 sa-lamdsin ahaWme%-erbavar isvsvatidr mat [as-sur]11 e-pisv a-lam assur(an.sAr) da-nimdszndsam[asv]dFadad]12 belet-ila(Fdingirl.mah) di&tar vabft kit-mur-ri13 [re] i(sipa) la- bi]-in ap-pi mu-tir tFm(SAG.DIN = dima!) a3vvur(a[n.s] 'r) bFli4-v'14 [inama]4-Fharsa-laml avvur(an.sar) bFli-vi Fusl-ziz15 [a&svur(an.sar) ab]i(ad)? sVam sar izfmeSmu-sim s4[md]tines16 [e]-di? tu[ppi] sVmatimeSdlsame ia q[ t]arin-ka tam-ha-ta17 pal~edsafin-ahhkme[}]-Ferabadr mat as-svurmnadtm1n-kal a-bat-ma18 staatimesd]aqatime sVamtmesFba?-l- u? I arru-ti'vi? i?-ma sviml-ti'19 inanap-h[ar] a-svib a-rak-ki re-sv[i]-ia Ful-li-ma]20 isid giL[k]usszf-idamasvadi"i-kun a-na u4-mir[e-qu-ti]21 a-na Fial-a- za-ni-ni-ka ul-tu si-it Fd][samsiC]22 [a-di] Fel-reb dsamz a-na nz-rz-za uk-n[i-sam/-is]23 [kul-lat? mdtittime]S? [ni]s7mcI sal-mat qaqqadi lis-te-ma-q[a-ka]24 [mdrJmc-e-ea m]dr m&remes-eapalhmeSFel] a]25 [per' -e-a?] Fit-til sal-mat qaqqadi i-k[u-nu]26 [a-na u4-me]Fya]-a-t[i]

"The Tablet of Destinies, the bond of supreme power, dominion over the godsof heaven and underworld, and kingship of the Igigi and Anunnaki, the secret ofthe heavens and the netherworld, (5) the link of the Canopy of Anu and Gansir,the leash of the [multitudes(?),] which Assur, king of the gods, took in his handand held [at his breast] a representation of his form, the replica of his properappearance, [(is depicted)] on it: he grasps [in his] hand the leashes of the greatheavens, the bond of the [Igigi] and Anunnaki. (10) [In] front of the represen-tation of Assur, his lord, he (Sennacherib) stood a representation of Sen-nacherib, king of the entire world, king of [Assyria,] who fashioned the imagesof Assur, Anu, Sln, Samas, Adad, Belet-ill and Istar of the Bit Kitmuri temple,the shepherd who makes humble obeisance, the agent of Assur, his lord.(15) [O Assur, father(?)] of heaven, king of the gods, determiner of destinies,you alone hold in your hands the Tablet of Destinies of the gods: look after thereign of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and determine(?) as my destiny a finedestiny, a destiny of good health(?) (and) kingship! Exalt my head among allwho reign, and (20) let the base of my throne be secure as a mountain for longdays to come! For me, your provisioner, from east to west subject [all theforeign lands(?)] to my yoke! Let the human race beseech [you that my sons,]my grandsons, my dynasty (25) [and my descendants(?)] endure amonghumanity [for all] eternity!"

Noteson TextB1.Thefirst ign s asgooda kisib asa dub ofcourse,but a reference ereto Sennacherib's ealofDestinies na4kisib ammeg, onwhichsee further elow)mustbe rejectednotsimplybecause f the lackofdeterminative,ut alsobecause hedescriptioniriftu,"secret,"n line4 is better uited o the tabletthan to theseal,and is indeed oundelswheren this connection in theAkkadian xplanation f theSumerian eremonial ame of the CityHall ofAssur: eebelow).

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SENNACHERIB AND THE TABLET OF DESTINIES 135A / ~~~~~~~~obv.