ABC 7: The Nabonidus Chronicle

The Nabonidus Chronicle is a historiographical text from ancient Babylonia. It describes the reign of Nabonidus, the last king of the Babylonian Empire, who lost his realm to the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE. These pages present a scholarly edition; an easy-to-read version can be found here.

General Introduction

Colum Column Comment Literature i-ii iii-iv

Nabonidus Chronicle, obverse This web-edition is based on A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and (British Museum; *) Babylonian Chronicles (1975, repr.2000), but there are modifications, that are explained here. Obverse (column i-ii) Column i 1 [...] x x x [...] 2 [...]- i-i LUGAL (erasure) 3 [...] ma-ti--nu ana Bbili 5 (E)ki -bil-lu 4 [...] ti 5 [...] is-hu-hu-ma ul i-i 6 [...t]i ? kimat(im.ri.a)-su-nu ma-la ba(gl) 8 [...] x kit -------------------------------------9 [MU II?km...] ina itiTebti ina kurHa-ma-a-t SID 10 [...] x -------------------------------------11 [MU III?km...it]iAbu kurAm-ma-na-nu -di-i 12 [...] x [gi ]sip-pa-a-t inbu ma-la ba-u- 13 [...] x ina lib-bi-i-na ana q-rib Bbili 5ki [...] x x x [...] [...] ... he carried, the king ... of] their land he/they brought to Babylon. [...] ... [...] his? they trembled? and he did not carry. [...] ... their whole family [he marched]. ... -------------------------------------[The second year (554/553): ...] the month Tebetu, in Hamath it was cold. [...] ... -------------------------------------[The third year (553/552): ... the mon]th Abu, the Amanus Mountains [...] ... orchards, all of the fruit [...] ... from within them to Babylon

7 [...] x arru ummni- id-ke-ma ana Hu-me-e [...] the king mustered his army and to Hume [Cilicia]

14 [... imr]us(gig)-ma blutut ina itiKislmi arru [... became i]ll but recuperated. In the month Kislimu, the king ummni- 15 [id-ke-ma? ...] x tim u ana mdNab-tat!-tansur 16 [...] x mu kurAmurri (mar.tu) a-na 17 [... uruA]-du-um-mu it-ta-du- 18 [...] x-ma ummni me ma-du-tu 19 [...a]bul uruRUG-di-ni 20 [...] x idk- 21 [...] x qu [... ]
me

[mustered] his army14 and to Nab-tat-tan-sur ... of Amurru to they/he encamped [against E]dom [...] the large army [... the g]ate of RUGdini [...] ... he killed/defeated him [...] ...

22 [... um]mni me Lacuna Column ii 1 [id]-/ke\-e-ma ana muhhi mKu-ra r An-an ana ka-[-di i ]l-lik-ma [...] 2 mI-tu-me-gu ummni- ibbalkit-su-ma ina qtII sa-bt a-na mKu-ra it-x[...]

[...] army Lacuna

[The sixth year (550/549):] (Astyages) mustered (his army) and marched against Cyrus, king of Anan, for conquest [...] The army rebelled against Astyages and he was taken prisoner. Th[ey handed him over] to Cyrus. ([...])

3 mKu-ra a-na kurA-gam-ta-nu l arru--tu <il- Cyrus <marched> to Ecbatana, the royal city. The silver, gold, goods, property, [...] lik-ma> kaspa hursa ba makkra [...] 4 kurA-gam-ta-nu i-lul--ma a-na kurAn-an il-q ba makkra ummni m[e ...] -------------------------------------5 MU VIIkm arru ina uruTe-ma-a mr arri lrabti me - umm ni me - ina kurAkkadki [arru ana itiNisanni ] which he carried off as booty (from) Ecbatana, he took to Anan. The goods (and) property of the army of [...]. -------------------------------------The seventh year (549/548): The king (was) in Tema (while) the prince, his officers, (and) his army (were) in Akkad. [In the month Nisannu, the king]

6 a-na Bbili 5ki l illikuku dNab ana Bbili ki l did not come to Babylon. Nabu did not come to Babylon. Bel did not come out. The [Akitu festiv]al [did not take place]. illikuku dBl l sa isin[nu a-ki-t ba-til ] 7 niq(siskur.siskur) ina -sag-gl u -zi-da ilni me Bbli ki u Barsipki k[i al-mu] The offerings to the gods op Babylon and Borsippa, a[s in normal times], in Esagila and Ezida

were presented. The urigall-priest made a libation and 8 nadnnu urigall is-ruq-ma bta ip-qid ([...]) inspected the temple. ([...]) -------------------------------------9 MU VIIIkm (Blank space of one line) -------------------------------------10 MU arru l me ma-a mr arri rabti u ummni ni ina kurAkkadki arru ana itiNisanni ana B bli ki IXkm mdNb-n'id <ina> uruTe-------------------------------------The eighth year (548/547): (Blank space) -------------------------------------The ninth year (547-546): Nabonidus the king (was) <in> Tema, (while) the prince, the officers, (and) the army (were) in Akkad. The king, in the month Nisanu, to Babylon

11 l illikuku dNab ana Bbili ki l illikuku dBl did not come. Nabu did not come to Babylon. Bel did not come out. The Akitu festival did not take place. l sa i-sin-nu a-ki-t ba-til 12 niq(siskur.siskur)me ina -sag-gl u -zida ilni me a <Bbli ki> u Bar-sipki ki al-mu nadnana The offerings were presented (to) the gods of <Babylon> and Borsippa as in normal times in Esagil and Ezida.

On the fifth day of the month Nisanu the queen mother, in Dur13 itiNisannu UD Vkm ummu arri ina Dr-kaKarau, which is on the banks of the Euphrates upstream from ra- ah(g) dPuratti e-la-nu Sip-parki Sippar, 14 im-tu-ut mr arri u ummni me - III mumu u-du-ru biktu(r) aknatat ina itiSim ni ina kurAkkadki she died. The prince and his army were in mourning for three days (and) there was (an official) mourning period. In the month Simanu, in Akkad,

15 bi-ki-t ina muhhi ummi arri aknatat ina there was (an official) mourning period for the queen mother. itiNisanni mKu-ra r kurPar-su umm ni- id- In the month Nisanu, Cyrus, king of Parsu, mustered his army and ke-e-[m]a 16 ap-la-an uruAr-ba-'-il dIdiqlat i-bir-ma ina itiAiiari ana kur/-\[ra-tu il-li ]k crossed the Tigris below Arbela. In the month Ajaru, he marched to the land of U[rartu].

17 arra- idk bu--a- il-q u-lit ram- He killed its king, took his possessions, (and) stationed his ni- <<A>> lu -e-li [...] own garrison (there) [...] 18 /arki \ u-lit-su ar-ri ina libbi ibai (gl)i ([...]) -------------------------------------Afterwards the king and his garrison was in it ([...]) --------------------------------------

19 MU Xkm arru ina uruTe-ma mr arri The tenth year (546/545): The king (was) in Tema (while) the lrabti me u umm ni ni- ina kurAkkadki arru prince, the officers, and his army (were) in Akkad. The king [did not come to Babylon in the month Nisanu.] ana [itiNisanni ana Bbli ki l illikuku] 20 dNab ana Bbili 5ki l illikuku dBl l sa isinnu Nabu did not come to Babylon. Bel did not come out. The a-ki-t ba-til niq(siskur.siskur) ina Akitu festival did not take place. The offerings in E[sagil and Ezida] /\-[sag-gl u -zi-da] 21 ilni me a Bbli ki u Bar-sipki ki al-m[u na]dna/na\ ina itiSimni UD XXIk[m ...] 22 kurE-lam-mi-ia ina kurAkkadki x x [...] /l?\akin mti ina Urukk[i ...] -------------------------------------were presented (to) the gods of Babylon and Borsippa as in normal times. On the twenty-first day of the month Simanu [...] of Elammya in Akkad ... [...] the district governor of Uru[k ...] --------------------------------------

23 MU XIkm arru ina uruTe-ma-a mr arri The eleventh year (545/544): the king (was) in Tema (while) lrabti me u umm ni ni- ina kurAkka[dki arru the prince, the officers, and his army (were) in Akkad. [The king did not come to Babylon in the month Nisanu.] ana itiNisanni ana Bbli ki l illikuku] 24 [Nab ana Bb]ili 5ki l illikuku dBl l usa isinnu a-ki-t ba-til ni [q(siskur.siskur) ina -sag-gl u -zi-da] 25 [ilni me a Bb]li ki u /Bar-sip\[ki ki al-m]u nadna/na\ [...] Lacuna [Nabu] did not come [to Bab]ylon. Bel did not come out. The Akitu festival did not take place. The of[ferings in Esagil and Ezida] were presented [(to) the gods of Bab]ylon and Borsippa [as in normal times]. Lacuna