Assyrian Historiography: A Source StudyOlmstead, A. T. (Albert Ten Eyck)
History
Assyrian Historiography: A Source Study
Olmstead, A. T. (Albert Ten Eyck)
Assyria -- History -- Historiography; Assyria -- History -- Sources
A third account, which we may call F, gave credit for the earlier half
of the Egyptian campaigns to his father and for the latter half to his
own lieutenants. The references to Tabal and Arvad indicate that some
time had elapsed in which memorable events in his own reign could have
taken place, and this is confirmed by the much more developed form of
the Lydian narrative, with its dream from Ashur to Gyges, and its
order for servitude. That this account is of value as over against the
later ones has been recognized, [Footnote: Tiele, _Gesch_. 372.]
but we should not forget that it already represents a developed form
of the tradition. [Footnote: K. 2675; III R. 28 f.; G. Smith, 36 ff.,
56 ff., 73 ff., 80 ff.; cf. 319 and S. A. Smith, II. 12 ff., for
ending giving erection of moon temple at Harran, a proof that we have
the conclusion and so can date approximately; Winckler,
_Untersuch. z. altor. Gesch._, 102 ff.; Jensen, KB. II. 236 ff. A
fragmentary stone duplicate from Babylon, Delitzsch, MDOG., XVII 2
n.*] Somewhat later would seem to be the account we may call G. Here
the Egyptian wars are still counted as one expedition, but a second
has been stolen for Ashur bani apal by taking over that campaign of
his father against Baal of Tyre which is given in the Sinjirli
inscription. [Footnote: K. 3402; G. Smith, 78.]
With Cylinder B, we reach the first of what is practically a new
series, so greatly has the older narrative been "corrected" in these
later documents. Both the Egyptian wars have now been definitely
assigned to the king, and the making of two expeditions into Egypt has
pushed the one against Baal of Tyre up to the position of third. The
octagon B dates from the midst of the revolt of Shamash shum ukin and
is a most highly "corrected" document. [Footnote: G. Smith,
_passim;_ Jensen, KB. II. 240 ff.; Menant, 278 ff.; for the
duplicate K. 1729 from which most of the B text is taken, cf. Johns,
PSBA. XXVII. 97.]
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