ABC 1b (From Nabû-Nasir to Esarhaddon)

The Chronicle on the Reigns from Nabû-Nasir to Šamaš-šuma-ukin (ABC 1) is one of the historiographical texts from ancient Assyria and Babylonia. It deals with the resistance of an increasingly stronger Babylon, supported by Elam, against Assyria, beginning with the reign of the Babylonian king Nabû-Nasir (r.747-734) and culminating in the accessions of Aššurbanipal in Assyria and Šamaš-šuma-ukin in Babylonia in 668.

As it happens, there is a variant, which is sometimes referred to as Chronique Mésopotamienne 17 or as tablet B of ABC 1. This chronicle only describes the period from Nabû-Nasir to Šamaš-šuma-ukin. This text is almost identical to the main text, but contains some variants.

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).

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Translation of Column II

[ii.0'] [The fifth year of Marduk-apla-iddina::note Humban-Nikaš, king of Elam, died.]

[ii.1'] For twenty-six years Humban-nikaš ruled Elam.

[ii.2'] Šutur-Nahhunte, his sister's son, ascended the throne in Elam.

 

[ii.3'] The sixth year, Assyria [...]

[ii.4'] From the accession year of Marduk-apla-iddina

[ii.5'] until the tenth year, Assyria was belligerent

[ii.6'] towards Marduk-apla-iddina.

 

[ii.7'] The tenth year:note Marduk-apla-iddina, Bit-...ri

[ii.8'] he ravaged and plundered.

 

[ii.9'] The twelfth year of Marduk-apla-iddina:note Sargon went down to Akkad

[ii.10'] and did battle against Marduk-apla-iddina.

[ii.11'] Marduk-apla-iddina retreated before him

[ii.12'] and fled to Elam. For twelve years Marduk-apla-iddina 

[ii.13']  ruled Babylon. 

[ii.14'] Sargon ascended the throne in Babylon.

 

[ii.15'] The thirteenth year:note Sargon took Bêl's hand.

[ii.16'] He also captured Dur-Yakin.

[ii.17'] The fourteenth year:note The king stayed in the land.

[ii.18'] The fifteenth year:note On the twenty-second day of the month Tašrîtu the gods of the Sealand

[ii.19'] returned to their shrines. There was a plague in Assyria.

[ii.20'] The seventeenth year:note Sargon marched to Tabalu.

[The remainder is too broken to be intelligible.]