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So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly and that my handiwork be completed, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me (who called my name), revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew tall and very thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and sphinxes of alabaster, and slabs of alabaster, as well as magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

As for the white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, I had it made into bull colossi and sphinxes, and then I made their appearances resplendent.

By divine will and with my own knowledge, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi and twenty-two sphinxes with perfect forms, and I poured copper into it. I perfected their forms.

I surrounded their (the palace rooms’) lower courses with slabs of breccia and alabaster, and large limestone slabs.

In order to be able to draw water by bucket every day, I had bronze wire chains and bronze cables made and, instead of poles, I had tree trunks and date palms placed over wells.

Moreover, for Tašmētu-šarrat, the palace lady, my beloved spouse, whose form the goddess Bēlet-ilī made more perfect than that of all other women: I had a palatial hall for lovemaking, happiness, and exultation built, and then I stationed sphinxes of white limestone in its gates.

By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may we both live long and be satisfied with our prosperity in these palatial halls in good health and happiness. May the good šēdu and the good lamassu surround these palatial halls forever and ever. May they never leave them.

I decorated them the doors with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of their copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

I fastened bands of copper on magnificent copper columns, as well as on large cedar columns, which are the product of Mount Amanus, and then I installed them upon lion colossi and positioned cross-beams upon them as a cornice for their gates.

By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, and favorite of the great gods:

The god Aššur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all of the rulers and he made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises.

In a pitched battled in the plain of Kish, I repulsed Marduk-apla-iddina II (Merodach-baladan), the king of Karduniaš Babylonia, and took away his rulership. I killed with the sword all of the Chaldeans, together with the massed body of Elamite troops, his allies.

I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son whom I raised on my own knee, on his royal throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Akkad.

I uprooted all of the Aḫlamû Arameans and Sutians. I put to the sword the inhabitants of the city Ḫirimmu, not sparing any of their offspring. I conquered the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy. I ruined the land Ellipi and destroyed its settlements.

Moreover, Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, became frightened of doing battle with me, fled to Iadnana Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and took refuge there. In that same land, he disappeared on account of the awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

I ruined the wide district of the recalcitrant and strong land Judah and I made Hezekiah, its king, bow down at my feet so that he now pulls my yoke.

I put to the sword the men of the city Tumurrum, who live on Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain. I destroyed the city Ukku, together with every one of its settlements, so that they looked like a ruin hill created by the Deluge.

The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

They quarried mountain sheep colossi of white limestone in the city Tastiate to be their (the palatial halls’) gatekeepers. Throughout all of their lands they depleted forests of large trees to have boats built. In the month Ayyāru II, the time of spring floods, they brought the colossi across to this side of the river with difficulty in magnificent boats. They sank large boats at the quay dock and then made their crews struggle and strain. With might and main, they struggled to transport the colossi and install them in their gates.

I tore down that small palace in its entirety, and then I changed the course of the Tebilti River and directed its outflow.

In its subterranean waters I very firmly bonded reeds below and bitumen above with large blocks of limestone. I raised a plot of land that was 340 cubits long and 289 cubits wide out of the water and converted it to dry land. I made the area larger than before, added it to the former dimensions of the palace, and raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

In order to prevent its foundation from being weakened over the passage of time by cresting floods, I surrounded its base with large limestone slabs and thereby reinforced its base. I enlarged the structure of the palace to 700 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

I built a palace of breccia, alabaster, elephant ivory, ebony, boxwood, musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, juniper, and elammaku-wood, for my lordly residence; then I had a portico, a replica of a Hittite palace, constructed opposite its gates.

I roofed them the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains.

Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi and other statues with limbs of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect, and who stand high on their own pedestals; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

I had large bull colossi and sphinxes of white limestone created in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and their forms perfected through the craft of the deity Ninkura.

Since time immemorial, the kings, my ancestors, created copper statues, replicas of their own forms, to be erected in temples, and through their manufacture they had exhausted all of the craftsmen. Through ignorance and failure to give thought on the matter, they depleted the oil, wax, and wool in their lands for the work they desired.

But as for me, Sennacherib, the foremost of all rulers, expert in every type of work, regarding large columns of copper and striding lion colossi, which none of the kings of the past who came before me had cast: With the ingenious mind that the prince, the god Ninšiku, had granted to me and taking counsel with myself, I intensively pondered how to perform this work. Then, with my own ideas and knowledge, I created a cast work of copper and expertly carried out its artful execution.

By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

To make those planted areas luxuriant, I cut with iron picks a canal straight through a mountain, from the border of the city Kisiru to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River and made it gush through feeder canals into those planted areas.

I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars (pigs of the reeds), and roe deer. By divine will, vines and all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, and then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

By the command of the god Aššur, father of the gods, and the goddess Ištar, the queen, may the good šēdu and the good lamassu last forever and ever in that palace. May they never leave it.

Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, favorite of the great gods, wise prince, circumspect ruler, shepherd of the people, and leader of a widespread population, I:

The goddess Bēlet-ilī, the lady of creation, looked steadfastly upon me and created my features while I was still in the womb of the mother who gave birth to me. Moreover, the god Ninšiku gave me wide understanding equal to that of the sage Adapa and endowed me with broad knowledge.

The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-headed people bow down at my feet and elevated me for shepherding the land and people. He gave me a just scepter that widens the land and he put in my hand a merciless weapon to fell enemies.

At that time, I made the enemy people whom I had captured carry baskets of earth and they made bricks.

The Tebilti River, a tempestuous flood of water which had flowed from distant days by the side of the palace and had shaken its base when its flood was in full spate:

I roofed them the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress, whose scent is sweet, products of Mount Amanus and Mount Sirāra, the holy mountains. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of cedar, cypress, and juniper and I installed them in their gates.

In the corridors that are within the papāḫu-chambers, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose folded hands hold poppies, who are laden with pride and allure, and who are filled with exuberance, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

The covering of the roof that hangs over the corridors — I made their somber atmosphere cheerful, making them as bright as day. I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of their copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks and date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars (pigs of the reeds), and roe deer. By divine will, vines and all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

After I had finished the work on my palace, I invited inside it the god Aššur, the great lord, and the gods and goddesses living in Assyria, and then I made splendid offerings and presented my gifts. I made fine oil from olives and aromatics. At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched and I watered their insides with sweet wine.

I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son, on his royal throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Akkad.

I uprooted all of the Aḫlamû Arameans and Sutians. I put to the sword the inhabitants of the city Ḫirimmu, not sparing any of their offspring. I conquered the land of the Yasubigallians, a dangerous enemy. I ruined the land Ellipi and destroyed its settlements.

I ruined the wide district of the recalcitrant and strong land Judah and I made Hezekiah, its king, bow down at my feet.

I slaughtered the people of the land Ḫilakku, who live in the high mountains, like sheep. I conquered the city Tīl-Garimme, which is on the border of the land Tabal, and turned it into ruins.

The inhabitants of Chaldea, who had become frightened by my battle array, and then had dislodged the gods of their entire land from their abodes, had crossed the sea, and had taken up residence inside the city Nagiatu Nagītu — I crossed the sea after them in boats of the land Ḫatti. I conquered the cities Nagiatu Nagītu, Nagiatu-diʾbina (Nagītu-diʾbina), Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts on the other shore of the Bitter Sea, and then I carried off the people of Chaldea, together with their gods, and the people of the king of the land Elam. I did not leave behind a single escapee.

The palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; alongside of which the Tebilti River had flowed, caused erosion in its foundations, and shaken its base; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

I roofed them the palatial halls with beams of cedar and cypress. I fastened bands of silver and copper on doors of white cedar and cypress and I installed them in their gates.

In the corridors, I made openings for latticed windows. At their gates, I stationed apotropaic figures of alabaster and elephant ivory, whose hands are folded, and thus I made them an object of wonder.

So that the construction of my palace might be carried out correctly, at that time, the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar, who love my priestly service and who selected me (who called my name), revealed to me a source of trunks of cedar, which since distant days grew thick as they stood in seclusion in the Sirāra mountain range.

Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are perfect; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia. I cut them free on both sides from their mountains, and then, for the construction of my palace, I had them dragged into Nineveh.

By divine will, I created clay molds of tree trunks together with date palms, the tree of abundance, of twelve raging lions, as well as of twelve magnificent bull colossi with perfect features and twenty-two sphinxes that are coated in allure and charm and that have pride and exuberance heaped upon them, and I poured copper into it. Just like the cast work of an object weighing only a half shekel, I perfected their forms.

a dangerous enemy. I ruined the land Ellipi and destroyed its settlements. Moreover, Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, became frightened of doing battle with me, fled like a fish to Iadnana Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and took refuge there. In that same land, he disappeared on account of the awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on his royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

Palace of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters of the world, the wise and capable favorite of the great gods, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, and the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than those of all who sit on royal daises. He made all of the rulers of the four quarters of the world from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet.

On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina II (Me­ro­dach-ba­la­dan), king of Karduniaš Babylonia, together with the troops of the land Elam, his allies, in the plain of Kish. He, in order to save his own life, fled alone, and then I seized the chariots, wagons, horses and mules that he had abandoned.

I captured and plundered his strong cities and the fortresses of Chaldea, together with the smaller settlements in their environs. On my return march, I defeated and plundered the Aramaens living on the banks of the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

In the course of my campaign I received a substantial payment from the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu. I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. I reorganized that city and imposed one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, and twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria.

On my second campaign, I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians. In the mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

I conquered and plundered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, and Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. Moreover, I destroyed and devastated their smaller settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions and their tents.

I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again, and then I settled therein the people of the lands that I had conquered. I placed them under the authority of the governor of the city Arrapḫa.

I turned around (I turned the front of my yoke) and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their king, abandoned his fortified cities and fled far away. I conquered and plundered the cities Marʾubištu and Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with smal­ler settlements in their environs, and then I destroyed them, devastated them, and burned them with fire. I conquered the cities Ṣiṣṣirtu and Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the smaller settlements in their environs. I detached from his land the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added this area to the territory of Assyria.

On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. Thus I made them bow down to my yoke.

On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and he fled from the city Tyre to Iadnana Cyprus, which is in the midst of the sea, and disappeared. I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne and imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

In the plain of the city Ušû, the kings of the land Amurru brought their substantial tribute before me.

Moreover, as for Ṣidqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not submitted to my yoke, I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, together with his family, and took him to Assyria.

I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment in recognition of my overlordship.

In the plain of the city Eltekeh, I fought with them and defeated them. I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes (the sons of the king), together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.

I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed him on the throne over them, and then I imposed upon him payment in recognition of my overlordship.

As for Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded, conquered, and plundered forty-six of his fortified walled cities and settlements in their environs, which were without number. I counted them as booty.

As for him Hezekiah, I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave them to the kings of the cities Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gaza, and thereby made his land smaller. To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment of gifts and imposed it upon them.

As for him, Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom he had brought inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, every kind of treasure of his palace, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, and female singers brought into Nineveh and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver this payment.

I turned around (I turned the front of my yoke) and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. He — Marduk-apla-iddina II (Merodach-baladan), whom I had defeated during my first campaign — became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons. He fled to the city Nagītu, which is in the midst of the sea. I carried off his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes. Once again I destroyed and burned with fire his cities. On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my son, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the land of Sumer and Akkad.

On my fifth campaign: The men of the city Tumurrum, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to my yoke — I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.

Like a fierce wild bull, with my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of them the soldiers in my camp. I proceeded through the gorges and the rugged mountain slopes in my chair. Where it was too difficult for my chair, I leapt forward on my own two feet like a mountain goat. Where my knees gave out and became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to quench my thirst.

I turned around (I turned the front of my yoke) and took the road against Maniye, the insubmissive king of the city Ukku. None of the kings of the past, who came before me, had marched through the difficult paths on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, with my combat troops, ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.

The god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and I ordered the march against them, to the land Nagītu. I settled in Nineveh the people of the land Ḫatti plundered by my bows and they skillfully built magnificent ships, a product characteristic of their land. I gave orders to sailors of the cities Tyre and Sidon, and the land Ionia, whom I had captured. They my troops let the sailors sail down the Tigris River with them downstream to the city Opis.

Then, from the city Opis, they lifted them the boats up onto dry land and dragged them on rollers to Sippar and guided them into the Araḫtu canal, where they let them sail downstream to the canal of Bīt-Dakkuri, which is in Chaldea.

, and I gave them provisions. I loaded grain and straw for the steeds with them. My warriors sailed down the Euphrates River on the boats, while I accompanied them on dry land, and then I made my way to the city Bāb-salimeti. When I lifted my head,

from the bank of the Euphrates to the shore of the sea, a distance covered in two double hours of marching

I was not concerned. I pitched camp in that place. The high tide of the sea rose mightily, and then entered my tent and completely surrounded my entire camp. For five days and nights, on account of the strong water, all of my soldiers had to sit curled up as though they were in cages.

The boats of my warriors reached the marshy area at the mouth of the river, where the Euphrates River debouches its water into the roiling sea. I took my stand on the shore of the Bitter Sea opposite them and had pure sacrifices performed for the god Ea, king of the apsû. I cast them into the sea with a gold boat, a gold fish, and a gold crab, and then I immediately had my boats cross over to the land of the city Nagītu.

At the shore of the roiling sea — which was unsuitable and very difficult for ships to dock, horses to climb, and men to set foot on — the inhabitants of Chaldea living in the cities Nagītu and Nagītu-diʾbina, the people of the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu saw the boats of my warriors and they gathered together archers, wagons, horses, and mules, a force without number. Before their (my warriors’) arrival, while drawing up in battleline at the Ulāya River, a river with good shores, and holding my troops landing place on the high ground, they the Chaldeans and Elamites sharpened their weapons.

My warriors reached the quay of the harbor and like locusts they swarmed out of the boats onto the shore against them and defeated them. They conquered the cities Nagītu, Nagītu-diʾbina, Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, cities of the king of the land Elam. They carried off their garrisons, the population of Chaldea, the gods of all of the land Bīt-Yakīn, together with their property, and the people of the Elamite king, wagons, horses, mules, and donkeys.

They loaded them onto their boats and brought them to this side of the sea, to the city Bāb-salimeti, before me. They destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire those cities. They poured out deathly silence over the wide land of Elam.

From the booty of those lands, I conscripted 30,500 archers and 20,200 shield bearers and added them to my royal contingent. I divided up the rest of the substantial enemy booty like sheep and goats among my entire camp and my governors, and the people of my cult centers.

At that time, the palace in the citadel of Nineveh, whose extent was 360 cubits on its longer side and 95 cubits on its shorter side, and whose site was too small; and which earlier kings, my ancestors, had had constructed for their lordly dwelling, but whose construction they had carried out inexpertly:

I tore down that small palace in its entirety. I diverted the course of the Tebilti River from the center of the city and directed its outflow into the meadow behind the city.

In a one-half ikû stretch of the water’s natural course, I bonded together with bitumen four large limestone blocks and spread marsh reeds and rushes over them. As an addition, I took a plot of land that was 554 cubits long and 289 cubits wide from the Ḫusur River and from the plain of the city and added it to the dimensions of the former terrace. In its (the terrace’s) entirety, I raised its superstructure 190 courses of brick high.

I enlarged the structure of the palace to 914 large cubits along its longer side and 440 large cubits along its shorter side and thus I made its site bigger.

The covering of the roof that hangs over the corridors — I made their somber atmosphere cheerful, making them as bright as day. I decorated them with silver and copper knobbed nails. I adorned the arches, friezes, and all of its copings with baked bricks glazed in the color of obsidian and lapis lazuli.

Moreover, breccia, as much as is needed for making burzigallu-bowls, a stone that had never been seen before, revealed itself at Kapridargilâ ("Dargilâ Village"), which is on the border of the city Tīl-Barsip.

I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for those gardens and planted a canebrake in it. I let loose in it herons, wild boars (pigs of the reeds), and roe deer. By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in those gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, and all kinds of trees grew tall and sent out shoots. The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, herons, made nests and wild boars and roe deer gave birth in abundance.

Near Nineveh, in the territory of the city Balāṭāya, by divine will, white limestone was discovered in abundance, and then I created bull colossi of alabaster that are sculpted from a single stone, whose proportions are skillfully made; sphinxes of alabaster whose features are exquisite and whose bodies shine like a brilliant day; and magnificent slabs of breccia

The god Aššur, father of the gods, made all of the black-headed people bow down at my feet and elevated me for shepherding the land and people