The Assyrian King List
Transcription
of names and other conventions
The four columns include:
I Number of king
II-IV Line numbers in each of the three main exs.
V Actual text (note that kings and line numbers are NOT written
on the texts).
The original subdivisions of the king lists have been preserved. The three main copies, as far as preserved, show a consistent subdivision of the contents, marked by horizontal lines, with no divergencies.
Question marks and parentheses in combination with line numbers indicate the state of preservation of the text in each exemplar, according to the following guidelines:
| 22 | passage is completely/fairly well preserved, or it is fragmentary, but can be reconstructed and safely attributed to the relevant king. |
| 22? | passage is fragmentary, the king's name is unreadable and therefore attribution may be questioned. |
| (22) | passage is (almost) completely broken away, but was certainly present. |
| (22?) | passage is broken, but was possibly present. Attribution to the relevant king is uncertain. |
| (om.) | passage omitted. (om.?) possibly omitted. |
Usually, an indication like (22) is used for passages which did not contain a king's name.
In the translations, [] brackets indicate passages which are broken in all exs.
Note that, as col. i of Nassouhi's copy of the Assur-list clearly omits one line between lines 16 and 17 (see Brinkman, Or 42, 307), I decided to lower by 1 the numbering of lines 12-16 of the published edition, which here become lines 11-15.
Textual notes
79. da-a-ri (var. a-da-ri) "in the time of Tukulti-Ninurta".
I translate tuppishu (cf. kings nos. 47, 84 and 85) as "(according to) his tablets (he ruled)" (i.e., there are some texts attesting his kingship). See also Grayson's translation in RlA ("he held the throne for his tablet"). Among other translations suggested for this passage, I would also consider the alternative of "(he ruled) by his own authority," as "tablets" may indicate "authority".
Variation in the numbers of regnal years.
| No. | King | Assur list | Khors. list | SDAS list |
| 61 | Puzur-Assur III | 14 | (broken) | 24 |
| 79 | Assur-nadin-apli | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 82 | Ninurta-apil-Ekur | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| (83) | Assur-dan I | [x?+]36 | 46 | 46 |
| (87) | Tukulti-apil-Esharra I | [x+]7? | 39 | 39 |
| (94) | Assur-nerari IV | [x+]2 | 6 | (broken) |
Uncompletely preserved regnal years have not been taken into account, except if they are unconsistent. For instance, king 77 (Shalmaneser I), according to ex. A ruled "20 [+x? years]", while according to all other exs., which are fairly preserved, he ruled 30 years. As the break following "20" on list A may have included another double wedge (="10"), it is just possible that there is no discordancy in this case. Another example: for king 97 (Tukulti-apil-Esharra II) ex. A gives [x+]3 according to Nassouhi's reading but [x+]1 according to Grayson, RlA. Nassouhi's copy actually reads "2", which may confirm the "32" years given by other sources. In the case of king 83, Assur-dan I, Nassouhi's copy reads [break] 20 (or 30) + 6. The possibility of reconstructing 46 is rather difficult since "40" would have been written by four double wedges in two rows, like in the other exs.
Translation of the Assyrian King list (main exs.).
Written
by Marco De Odorico in 1997 (revised 2001) |