The Sennacherib Prism lyrics

In my third campaign I marched against Hatti.

Luli, king of Sidon, whom the terror-inspiring

glamor of my lordship had overwhelmed,

fled far overseas and perished.

The awe-inspiring splendor of the "Weapon" of Ashur,

my lord, overwhelmed his strong cities (such as)

Great Sidon, Little Sidon, Bit-Zitti, Zaribtu, Mahal liba,

Ushu, Akzib, Akko, (all) his fortress- cities,

walled and well provided with feed

and water for his garrisons, and they bowed in

submission to my feet. I installed Ethba'al (1a)

upon the throne to be their king and imposed

upon him tribute due to me as his overlord

to be paid annually without interruption.

As to all the kings of the Amurru and Menahem

from Samsimuruna, Tuba'lu from Sidon,

Abdili'ti from Arvad, Urumilki from Byblos,

Mitinti from Ashdod, Buduili from Beth-Ammon,

Kammusunadbi from Moab and Aiarammu from Edom,

they brought sumptuous gifts (1b)

and fourfold their heavy tamartu-presents to me

and kissed my feet.

Sidqia, however, king of Ashkelon,

who did not bow to my yoke,

I deported and sent to Assyria, his family gods,

himself, his wife, his children, his brothers,

all the male descendants of his family.

I set Sharruludari, son of Rukibtu, their former king,

over the inhabitants of Ashkelon

and imposed upon him the payment of tribute

and of katru - presents due to me as overlord

and he now pulls the straps of my yoke !

In the continuation of my campaign I besieged

Beth Dagon, Joppa, Banai-Barqa, Azuru,

cities belonging to Sidqia who did not bow to my feet

quickly enough; I conquered them and

carried their spoils away.

The officials, the patricians and the common people of

Ekron, who had thrown Padi, their king, into fetters

because he was loyal to his solemn oath

sworn by the god Ashur, and had handed

him over to Hezekiah, the Jew

and he Hezekiah held him

in prison, unlawfully, as if he (Padi) be an

enemy had become afraid and had called (for

help) upon the kings of Egypt (Mu,s(u)ri) (and)

the bowmen, the chariots and the cavalry

of the king of Ethiopia (1c)

an army beyond counting

and they actually had come to their assistance.

In the plain of Eltekeh their battle lines were drawn up

against me and they sharpened their weapons.

Upon a trust-inspiring oracle, given by Ashur,

my lord, I fought with them

and inflicted a great defeat upon them.

In the melee of the battle, I personally captured alive

the Egyptian charioteers with their princes and

the charioteers of the king of Ethiopia.

I besieged Eltekeh (and) Timnah,

conquered them and carried their spoils away.

I assaulted Ekron and killed the officials and

patricians who had committed the crime and hung

their bodies on poles surrounding the city.

The common citizens who were guilty of minor

crimes, I considered prisoners of war.

The rest of them, those who were not of crimes

and misbehavior, I released.

I made Padi, their king, come from Jerusalem (1d)

and set him as their lord on the throne,

imposing upon him the tribute due to me as overlord.

As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit

to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities,

walled forts and to the countless small villages

in their vicinity, and conquered them

by means of well-stamped earth-ramps

and battering-rams brought near to the walls

combined with the attack by foot soldiers,

using mines, breeches as well as sapper work.

I drove out of them 200.150 people, young and old,

male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels,

big and small cattle beyond counting,

and considered them booty.

Himself I made a prisoner in Jerusalem,

his royal residence, like a bird in a cage.

I surrounded him with earthwork in order to

molest those who were in his city's gate.

His towns which I had plundered,

I took away from his country and gave them over

to Mitinti,king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron,

and Sillibel, king of Gaza.

Thus I reduced his country, but I still increased the tribute

and the katru -presents due to me as his overlord

which I imposed later upon him beyond the former tribute,

to be delivered annually.

Hezekiah himself, whom the terror-inspiring

splendor of my lordship had overwhelmed

and whose irregular and elite troops

which he had brought into Jerusalem,

his royal residence, in order to strengthen it,

had deserted him, did send me later,

to Nineveh, my lordly city,

together with 30 talents of gold,

800 talents of silver, precious stones, antimony,

large cuts of red stone, couches inlaid with ivory,

nimedu-chairs inlaid with ivory,

elephant-hides, ebony-wood, boxwood

and all kinds of valuable treasures,

his own daughters, concubines,

male and female musicians.

In order to deliver the tribute

to do obeisance as a slave

he sent his personal messenger.

• Artist:Songs of Ancient Mesopotamia