Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar

Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar: foundation text in which king Nabonidus of Babylonia (r.556-539) describes how he repaired three temples in Harran and Sippar.

In the Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar, a foundation text buried in the foundation of a building, Babylonian king Nabonidus (r. 556-539) describes how he carefully - after checking older foundation texts - repaired three temples in Harran and Sippar.:

the sanctuary of the moon god Sin in Harran;
the temple of the sun god Šamaš in Sippar, called Ebabbar;
the shrine of the warrior goddess Anunitu in Sippar.

One copy of this cylinder was excavated in Babylon, in the royal palace, and is now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Another copy, shown to the right, is in the British Museum in London. The text was written after Nabonidus' return from Arabia in his thirteenth regnal year, but before war broke out with the Persian king Cyrus, who is presented as an instrument of the god Marduk.

The Nabonidus Cylinder contains echoes from earlier foundation texts, and develops the same themes as later ones, like the better-known Cyrus Cylinder, which is only a couple of years younger: a lengthy titulary, a story about an angry god who has abandoned his shrine, is reconciled with his people, orders a king to restore the temple, and a king who piously increases the daily offerings. Prayers are also included; we hear that the gods return to their abodes; and the line that the gods are pleased with their dwellings is repeated.

The translation of the Nabonidus Cylinder was made by Paul-Alain Beaulieu, who is also the author of The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556-539 B.C. (1989).

Chapter

iii

Section

8-10

11-21

22-38

38-42

43-51

[iii.8-10] The inscription in the name of Naram-Sin, son of Sargon, I found and did not alter. I anointed it with oil, made offerings, placed it with my own inscription and returned it to its original place.

[iii.11-21] O Šamaš, great lord of heaven and the netherworld, light of the gods - your fathers - offspring of Sin and Ningal, when you enter Ebabbar your beloved temple, when you take up residence in your eternal dais, look joyfully upon me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the prince your caretaker, the one who pleases you and built your august chapel, and upon my good deeds, and every day at sunrise and sunset, in the heavens and on the earth, make my omens favorable, accept my supplications and receive my prayers. With the scepter and the legitimate staff which placed in my hands may I rule forever.

[iii.22-38] For Anunitu - the lady of warfare, who carries the bow and the quiver, who fulfills the command of Enlil her father, who annihilates the enemy, who destroys the evil one, who precedes the gods, who, at sunrise and sunset, causes my ominous signs to be favorable - I excavated, surveyed and inspected the old foundations of Eulmaš, her temple which is in Sippar-Anunitu, which for eight hundred years,^note since the time of Šagarakti-Šuriaš, king of Babylon, son of Kudur-Enlil, and on the foundation deposit of Šagarakti-Šuriaš, son of Kudur Enlil, I cleared its foundations and laid its brickwork. I built that temple anew and completed its work. Anunitu, the lady of warfare, who fulfills the command of Enlil her father, who annihilates the enemy,who destroys the evil one, who precedes the gods, I caused her to establish her residence. The regular offerings and the other offerings I increased over what they were and I established for her.

[iii.38-42] As for you, O Anunitu, great lady, when you joyfully enter that temple, look joyfully upon my good deeds and every month, at sunrise and sunset, petition Sin, your father, your begetter, for favors on my behalf.

[iii.43-51] Whoever you are whom Sin and Šamaš will call to kingship, and in whose reign that temple will fall into disrepair and who build it anew, may he he find the inscription written in my name and not alter it. May he anoint it with oil, perform a sacrifice, place it with the inscription written in his own name and return it to its original place. May Šamaš and Anunitu hear his supplication, receive his utterance, march at his side, annihilate his enemy and daily speak good recommendations on his behalf to Sin, the father, their creator.