ABC 25 (Walker Chronicle)

For a very brief introduction to the literary genre of chronicles, go here. The Walker Chronicle was published by C.B.F. Walker in G. van Driel e.a. (eds.): Zikir Šumim: Assyriological Studies Presented to F.R. Kraus on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday (1982). More information can be found in Jean-Jacques Glassner, Mesopotamian Chronicles (Atlanta, 2004).

[1] Tukulti-Ninurta, king of Assyria,^note[King of Assyria between 1233 and 1197.] took Babylon and Sippar and controlled Karduniaš.

[2] Adad-šuma-usur^note[A successful Babylonian king (1206-1177) who defeated Tukulti-Ninurta of Assyria.] ... restored ... and rebuilt the wall of Nippur.

[3] ... he firmly established. Enlil-kudurri-usur, king of Assyria,^note[King from 1186 to 1182.]

[4] ... Adad-šuma-usur mustered his troops, attacked, and defeated him.

[5] The officers of Assyria seized Enlil-kudurri-usur, their lord, and gave him to Adad-šuma-usur,

[6] ... the people of Karduniaš who had fled to Assyria

[7] surrendered to Adad-šuma-usur. Adad-šuma-usur, to conquer Babylon,

[8] marched ... Somebody, the son of a nobody, whose name is not mentioned,^note[A rebellion during the reign of Adad-šuma-usur. A "son of a nobody was a ruler without notable ancestors. The addition in italics is hypothetical.] [ascended to the throne].

[9] Hearing this unexpected news, Adad-šuma-usur raised a revolt, and, enjoying eternal divine protection, he entered Babylon and

[10] he became ruler of the land and established himself on his royal throne.

[11] ... they killed him.

[12] ... he attacked and removed the king of Mari in a rebellion.

[13] ... he controlled Mari.

[14] ... fear of Elam fell on him and

[15] ... on the bank of the Euphrates he built a city and

[16] ... of Sumer and Akkad he brought within it,

[17] ... was cut off and the people became poor in deficiency and famine.

[18] ... they killed him in a rebellion.

[19] Enlil-nadin-apli,^note[Enlil-nadin-apli was king of Babylonia from 1103 to 1100. His father had ruled the country from 1125 to 1104.] son of Nebuchadnezzar, marched on Aššur to conquer it.

[20] Marduk-nadin-ahhe,^note[King from 1099 to 1082.] brother of Nebuchadnezzar, and the nobles rebelled against him and

[21] Enlil-nadin-apli returned to his land his city. They killed him with the sword.

[22] Marduk-nadin-apli and the nobles rebelled against Enlil-nadin-apli

[23] he returned

[24] ... and defeated him.

[25] He attacked and he had him killed with the sword.

[26] Tiglath-pileser,^note[Tiglath-pileser I was king from 1114 to 1076.] king of Assyria attacked and ...

[27] Marduk-šapik-zeri,^note[King of Babylonia from 1081 to 1069.] son of Marduk-nadin-ahhe, rebuilt the wall of Babylon.

[28] ... kings of the lands he defeated. During his reign, the people of the land enjoyed abundance and prosperity.

[29] Adad-apla-iddina,^note[Adad-apla-iddina was king of Babylonia from 1068 to 1047; Itti-Marduk-balatu from 1139 to 1132. The section is identical to several lines from the Eclectic Chronicle.] descendant of Itti-Marduk-balatu, the Arameans and an usurper king rebelled against him and

[30] desecrated all the sanctuaries of the land. Akkad, Der, Dur-Anki (Nippur),

[31] Sippar and Parsa (Dur-Kurigalzu) they demolished.

[32] The Suteans attacked and took home the booty of Sumer and Akkad.

[33] He repeatedly visited the shrines of Marduk and appeased the heart of Bêl and the son of Bêl.

[34] ... he fully restored their cults.