When I left the Sealand, I sent five hundred soldiers, servants of
my lord, the king, to the city Ṣabdânu, saying, “Hold a fort in
Ṣabdânu and make raids into Elam, slay and make prisoners.” When
they went against Irgidu, a city two leagues this side of Susa,
they slew Ammaladin, the sheik of Iashi’ilu, his two brothers,
three brothers of his father, two of his brother’s sons, Dalâ-ilu,
son of Abi-iadi’, and two hundred well-born citizens of that city.
They had a long journey before them. They took one hundred and
fifty prisoners. The sheiks of Laḫiru and the people of Nugû’,
when they saw that my raiders had extended on their farther side,
were full of fear, sent word and took the oath to Mushêzib-Marduk,
my sister’s son, a servant of the king, my lord, whom I had
appointed over the fort, saying, “We will be servants of the King
of Assyria.” When they had gathered their bowmen, as many as they
had, they went with Mushêzib-Marduk, and marched into Elam.
Here follows a bad break in the narrative, but Iḳisha-aplu is named, and
Bêl-ibnî promised to send on to the king whatever they captured and
brought to him. The letter then resumes:
News from Elam: they say that Ummanigash, son of Amedirra, has
rebelled against Ummanaldash. From the river Ḥudḫud as far as the
city Ḥa’adânu they have sided with him. Ummanaldash has gathered
his forces, and they are now encamped on the river opposite one
another. Iḳisha-aplu, whom I have sent to the palace, has
penetrated their designs. Let one question him in the palace.
(M815) Kudur, governor of Erech, who sent news of the outbreak of
rebellion in the south, gives us further information about
Mushêzib-Marduk, who was a favorite with the king. After a long salutation
occupying nearly the whole of the obverse, with a short reference to a
certain Upaḳu, the reverse side goes on:(900)
Mushêzib-Marduk, Bêl-ibnî’s sister’s son, who has come two or
three times into the presence of the king, my lord, on a message
from Bêl-ibnî, Bêl-ibnî has appointed him concerning it (the case
in hand). The gate-keepers have told him that those soldiers are
not lovers of the house of my lord. It is not good for them to
cross over to our midst. They will give news of the land of the
king, my lord, to Elam, and if there be a famine in Elam, they
will furnish them provisions. To the king, my lord, I have sent;
let the king, my lord, do what he sees fit.
(M816) The king himself writes to Bêl-ibnî(901) in a most friendly way
about Mushêzib-Marduk:
Message of the king to Bêl-ibnî: I am well. May thy heart be
cheered. Mushêzib-Marduk, about whom thou didst send, in the
fulness of time he shall enter my presence, I will appoint the
paths for his feet (_i.e._, make a way for his advancement). The
holiday in Nineveh is not finished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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