ABC 17 (Religious Chronicle)

The Religious Chronicle (ABC 17) is a historiographical texts from ancient Babylonia. It deals with omens and events during the reign of several kings in the instable period between 1033 and 943: Nabû-šumu-libur, Simbar-šipak, Eulmaš-šakin-šumi, and Nabû-mukin-apli. The tablet was written in the Seleucid age.

For a very brief introduction to the literary genre of chronicles, go here. The translation on this webpage was adapted from A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (1975) and Jean-Jacques Glassner, Mesopotamian Chronicles (Atlanta, 2004).

The tablet, BM 35968 (Sp III, 504), on which the Religious Chronicle is inscribed measures 81 mm long and 99 mm wide. It is poorly preserved, the bottom and left-hand side being entirely broken away. There are several other smaller lacunae due to the flaking of the surface.

Chapter
i
ii
iii
iv
Section
27
29
28
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
6
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
7
5
4
3
2
1

[ii.27] ... the goddesses, troops ...

[ii.29] ...
[lacuna]

[ii.28] ... they gave ...

[ii.26] ... in the fourteenth year ...note

[ii.25] and when it fell into the pit it was killed ...

[ii.24] the panels of the door below the ...-gate ...

[ii.23] two soldiers were killed. The cultic pedestal near the door of E...

[ii.22] and entered Babylon in the west and

[ii.21] when a wave[?] of water[23] came down from the Ištar gate to the Euphrates

[ii.20] was seen to move. On the fifteenth day of the month Simanu, in the eighteenth year,

[ii.19] On the fourteenth day of the month Ajaru, in the seventeenth year, the outer wall of the Uraš gate

[ii.18] In the month Nisannu, in the fifteenth year, Bêl did not come out.

[ii.17] the chariot of Bêl did not come out from the third day of the month Addaru until the month Nisannu.

[ii.6] In the month Du'ûzu a wolf was lurking in the west and he was killed.

[ii.16] In the thirteenth year, the fourteenth year, and the fifteenth year, for three years in succession,

[ii.15] In the month Ulûlu, in the eleventh year, water flowed within the wall of the lower forecourt.

[ii.14] On the twenty-sixth of the month Simanu, in the seventh year, day turned to night and there was a fire in the sky.

[ii.13] entered Babylon and were killed.

[ii.12] On the sixteenth day of the month Abû, in the seventh year, two deer

[ii.11] It was carried on to dry land.

[ii.10] floated down the Euphrates and was killed[11] behind Egidrikalamasuma.

[ii.9] On the twenty-fifth of the month Tašrîtu a live panther

[ii.7] In the month Âbu physicians saw[8] a badger in the Uraš gate at the door of the šatammu's residence.

[ii.5] Until the day of the sacrifices the king did not make a libation nor did the šešgallû-priest make a libation but he did inspect the temple.

[ii.4] they offered for four days in Esagila and the other temples as in normal times.

[ii.3] The sacrifices and table prepared for the god which they had received up to the day of the Akitu festival

[ii.2] He slaughtered but did not ... the lambs for the procession of Bêl.

Translation of Column 2

[ii.1] The kingnote arrived on the elevent day of the month Ajaru.