Adad-Nirari II
911-891BC (20)

 

This text is from a broken obelisk now in the British Museum. It was found at Nineveh. It is written in the third person. Therefore, it sounds quite different from the usual inscription which is written in the first person. This obelisk probably was inscribed with the annals (that is the military exploits) and hunting exploits of Adad-nirari II The inscription, however, has gaps and was probably never finished.

The king hunts

The gods Nin-urta and Nergal, who love his priesthood, granted him the skill to hunt in the field and he embarked upon ship belonging to the people of Arvad. He slew a dolphin (nahiru) in the midst of the Great Sea. He slew mighty wild bulls near the city of Araziki, which lies opposite the land of Hatti, and at the foot of Mount Lebanon. Her captured calves and collected herds of them. He brought down elephants with his bow; he captured elephants alive and brought them to the city of Assur. 120 lions with his brave heart and his courageous attack, he slew from his hunting chariot. On foot with the javelin he brought down [.......] lions. The gods in the high mountains commanded him to hunt them.

In the days of cold and frost and snow, in the days when Sirius in ascendant and glowed like copper, in the mountains of Ebih, Urshe, Azameri, Ankurna, Pizitta, Paarsagish and Kashiari, all mountains of the land of Assyria, in Mount Hand on the border of the land of Lulumme, and in the mountains of Nairi, ibexes, mountains goats, hinds and stags the king captured in nets, and large herds of them he collected. He caused them to bring forth their young Like flocks of sheep he counted them. (392)

Annals of Adad-nirari II from Assur

Hunting

The gods Ninurta and Nergal, who love my priesthood, gave me the animals of the field. They commanded me to follow the chase. 360 lions I slew from my chariot, by my strong attack. On my swift feet with the javelin I slew them. 240 wild oxen I slew. Seven mighty wild bulls, charging, I caught alive. Six elephants I killed as they rushed at me. I cast them into pits. Four live elephants I captured. Five ashkippu I captured. Lions, wild oxen, elephants, deer, wild goats, wild asses, gazelles, MAL-SHIR birds in herds I gathered.(375)

Campaign against Hanigalbat

I marched against Hanigalbat for the fourth time. In the wisdom of my heart I overthrew the cities around it. In order to level the city I dug a ditch around it. The local ruler's possessions, valuable mountain stone, chariots, horses, wives, sons and daughters, an enormous booty, he collected in front of me. On him and his brothers - with bonds of copper I had them bound, and I brought them to my city Assur. The mighty power of Assur, my lord, I established over Hanigalbat. (366)

I proceeded against Hanigalbat for the sixth time. A moat such as had never existed before I cut around it into the solid rock. I made it 9 cubits wide. Below, I made its bottom reach down as far as the water table. The city wall I leveled into that ditch as a flame would level it. They cried over it - a mighty roar as of a fierce, leveling storm. (368)

At the command of Assur, the great god, my lord, out of his city I took, his gold, his possessions, precious mountain-stone, his gods, his chariots and teams of horses... the staff he used in battle, golden chairs, dishes of shining gold, inlaid objects, costly inlaid weapons, a golden tent befitting his royalty whose weight I could not lift. All the wealth of his spacious palace I carried off. (368)

Building activities

Palace of cedar- wood, a palace of boxwood, a palace of pistachio-wood, a palace of tamarisk-wood, in my city Assur I built. Two dolphin (nahiru) four burhish and four lions of AT-BAR-stone, and two bull-colossi of alabaster, and two burhish of white limestone I fashioned and in the gates of the palace I set them up.(394)


 
 
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