Nabonidus Chronicle

Museum number BM 35382 [1], ABC 7 [2, p. 21], CM 26 [3, p. 232].

Origin: Purchased by the British Museum from an antiquities dealer in 1879.

First Translated: 1924 by S. Smith [4].

Translation

      i
1  [...] ... [...]
2  [...] ... he carried, the king
3  [... of] their land he/they brought to Babylon.
4  [...] ...
5  [...] ... he did not carry
6  [...] ... their whole family
7  [...] ... the king mustered his army and
8  [marched]
7  to Hume.
8  [...] ...
9  [The second year: ...] in the month Tebet, in Hamath it was cold.
10 [...] ...
11 [The third year: ... the mon]th Ab the Ammananu mountain
12 [...] ... orchards, all of the fruit
13 [...] ... from within them into Babylon
14 [... became il]l but recuperated. In the month Kislev the king
15 [mustered]
14 his army
15 [...] ... and to Nabu Bel-dan, brother
16 [...] ... of Amurru to
17 [...] they/he encamped [against A]dummu
18 [...] ... the large army
19 [... the g]ate of RUGdini
20 [...] ... he killed/defeated him
21 [...] ...
22 [...] army
Lacuna
      ii
1  (Astyages) mustered (his army) and marched against Cyrus (II), king of Anshan, for conquest [...]
2  The army rebelled against Astyages and he was taken prisoner. Th[ey handed him over] to Cyrus (II). ([...])
3  Cyrus (II) <marched> to Ecbatana, the royal city. The silver, gold, goods, property, [...]
4  which he carried off as booty (from) Ecbatana he took to Anshan. The goods (and) property of the army of [...]
5  The seventh year: The king (was) in Tema (while) the prince, his officers, (and) his army (were) in Akkad. [The king]
6  did not come to Babylon
5  [in the month Nisan].
6  Nabu did not come to Babylon. Bel did not come out. The [Akitu festiv]al [did not take place].
7  The offerings
8  were presented
7  (to) the gods of Babylon and Borsippa a[s in normal times] in Esagil and Ezida.
8  The urigallû-priest made a libation and inspected the temple. ([...])
9  The eighth year: (Blank space)
10 The ninth year: Nabonidus, the king, (was) <in> Tema (while) the prince, the officers, (and) the army (were) in Akkad. The king
11 did not come
10 to Babylon in the month Nisan.
11 Nabu did not come to Babylon. Bel did not come out. The Akitu festival did not take place.
12 The offerings were presented (to) the gods of <Babylon> and Borsippa as in normal times in Esagil and Ezida.
13 On the fifth day of the month Nisan the queen mother
14 died
13 in Dur-karashu which (is on) the bank of the Euphrates upstream from Sippar.
14 The prince and his army were in mourning for three days (and) there was (an official) mourning period. In the month Sivan
15 there was (an official) mourning period for the queen mother
14 in Akkad.
15 In the month Nisan Cyrus (II), king of Parsu, mustered his army and
16 crossed the Tigris below Arbail. In the month Iyyar [he marched] to Ly[dia].
17 He defeated its king, took its possessions, (and) stationed his own garrison (there) [...]
18 Afterwards the king and his garrison was in it([...])
19 The tenth year: The king (was) in Tema (while) the prince, the officers, and his army (were) in Akkad. The king [did not come to Babylon in the month Nisan].
20 Nabu did not come to Babylon. Bel did not come out. The Akitu festival did not take place. The offerings
21 were presented (to) the gods of Babylon and Borsippa as in normal times
20 in E[sagil and Ezida].
21 On the twenty-first day of the month Sivan [...]
22 of Elammya in Akkad ... [...] the district governor in Uru[k ...]
23 The eleventh year: the king (was) in Tema (while) the prince, the officers, and his army (were) in Akkad. [The king did not come to Babylon in the month Nisan].
24 [Nabu] did not come [to Bab]ylon. Bel did not come out. The Akitu festival did not take place. The of[ferings]
25 were presented [(to) the gods of Bab]ylon and Borsippa [as in normal times
24 in Esagil and Ezida].
Lacuna
      iii
Lacuna
1  [...] killed/defeated. The river ... [...]
2  [...] ... Ishtar Uruk [...]
3  [...] of the Sea[land ...]
4  [...] ... [...]
5  [The seventeenth year: ... N)abu [came] from Borsippa for the procession of [Bel. Bel came out].
6  [... In the month] Te bet the king entered Eturkalamma. In the temple [...]
7  [...] ... He made a libation of wine ... [...]
8  [... B]el came out. They performed the Akitu festival as in normal times. In the month [...]
9  [... the gods] of Marad, Zababa and the gods of Kish, Ninlil [and the gods of]
1O Hursagkalamma entered Babylon. Until the end of the month Elul the gods of Akkad [...]
11 which are above the ... and below the ... were entering Babylon. The gods of Borsippa, Cuthah,
12 and Sippar did not enter (Babylon). In the month Tishri
13 when
12 Cyrus (II)
13 did
12 battle at Opis on the [bank of]
13 the Tigris against the army of Akkad, the people of Akkad
14 retreated. He carried off the plunder (and) slaughtered the people. On the fourteenth day Sippar was captured without a battle.
15 Nabonidus fled. On the sixteenth day Ugbaru, governor of the Guti, and the army of Cyrus (II)
16 entered Babylon
15 without a battle.
16 Afterwards, after Nabonidus retreated, he was captured in Babylon. Until the end of the month the shield-(bearing troops)
17 of the Guti surrounded the gates of Esagil. (But)
18 there was no
17 interruption (of rites) in Esagil or the (other) temples
18 and no date (for a performance) was missed. On the third day of the month Marchesvan Cyrus (II) entered Babylon.
19 ... were filled before him. There was peace in the city while Cyrus (II)
20 spoke
19 (his) greeting to
20 all of
19 Babylon.
20 Gubaru, his district officer, appointed the district officers in Babylon.
21 From the month Kislev to the month Adar the gods of Akkad which Nabonidus had brought down to Babylon
22 returned to their places. On the night of the eleventh of the month Marchesvan Ugbaru died. In the month [...]
23 the king's wife died. From the twenty-seventh of the month Adar to the third of the month Nisan [there was] (an official) mourning period in Akkad.
24 All of the people bared their heads. On the fourth day when Cambyses (II), son of C[yrus (II)],
25 went to Egidrikalammasummu the ...official of Nabu who ... [...]
26 When he came, because of the Elamite ... the hand of Nabu [...] ... [...]
27 [sp]ears and quivers from [...] ... crown prince to the wo[rk ...]
28 [...] Nabu to Esagil ... before Bel and the son of B[el ...]
      iv
Lacuna
1  [...] ...
2  [...] Babylon, water
3  [...] ... clouded over
4  [...] ... the gate was ruined
5  [...] Eanna of EZEN-X-KAS
6  [...] bit mummu, he went out
7  [...] ...
8  [...] in Babylon ...
9  [...] Babylon he strove.

[2, p. 105]

Key Information

ii Lines 1-2: (Astyages) mustered (his army) and marched against Cyrus (II), king of Anshan, for conquest [...] The army rebelled against Astyages and he was taken prisoner. Th[ey handed him over] to Cyrus (II)., Note this is before the seventh year of Nabonidus (ii Line 5) (likely the sixth).

iii Line 14: the fourteenth day Sippar was captured without a battle (14/VII).

iii Lines 15-16: On the sixteenth day Ugbaru, governor of the Guti, and the army of Cyrus (II) entered Babylon (16/VII).

iii Line 19: On the third day of the month Marchesvan Cyrus (II) entered Babylon. (3/VIII).

References