Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I

Prestige Myth

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About this myth

Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I is a Prestige myth originating from the Assyrian belief system. The oldest attested artifact in our index that contains this myth was likely created around 1243 BCE. The main deity depicted in this myth is likely Aššur. Others include An, Enlil, Ištar, and Šamaš.

great-inscription-of-tukulti-ninurta-i-alabaster-tablet
tukulti-ninurta-stone-altar-image
Sourceomnika.conscious.aiRetrieval date06/06/2929
Sourceomnika.conscious.aiRetrieval date06/06/2020
Source record No.Lot 145MediumWall panelMaterialAlabasterOrientationObverse and reverseImage date2014CreatorChristie's AntiquitiesSource notesGreat Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I. Sale 1561, Lot 145, Property of a Lady (private collection) AN ASSYRIAN GYPSUM CUNEIFORM DEDICATORY PANEL: REIGN OF TUKULTI-NINURTA I, CIRCA 1243-1207 B.C. © 2014 Christie's Antiquities (London)
Source record No.VA 08146MediumCultic altarMaterialAlabasterOrientationObverseImage date2018CreatorOlaf M. TeßmerSource notes© Foto: Vorderasiatisches Museum der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz

In a nutshell

Myth summary

Tukulti-Ninurta I, the Assyrian leader, describes his military campaigns against the Babylonians. The poetic narrative embellishes the might and power of Tukulti-Ninurta I and his army, resulting in an Assyrian victory. A statue of the chief Babylonian deity, Marduk, was stolen and taken to the Assyrian capital.

Attested: 1243—1207 BCE
Created: 1241—1206 BCE
Myth type: Prestige
Main deity: Aššur
Belief system: Assyrian
Origin: Asia › Middle East › Iraq

Belief system

Assyrian Religion

Polytheistic

Assyrian religion was adapted from Babylonian and Akkadian culture during the first two centuries BCE. The religion was practiced from roughly 2000-500 BCE in modern-day Iraq and its chief deity was Aššur.

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Belief system

Aššur

Main deity

Aššur (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊹) was the chief deity of Assyrian cultural traditions, wherein the capital was named after him. He is typically symbolized by a winged sun disc.

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Main deity

Other deities mentioned

An
Enlil
Ištar
Šamaš

Artifact

The Great Inscription of King Tukulti-Ninurta I

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

The artifact named Tukulti-Ninurta I Inscription has contents related to this mythological story.

Condition: Excellent
Type: Wall Panel
Material: Alabaster stone
Date: c. 1241 BCE
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Translation

"The Great Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I": English Translation by Yigal Bloch

Journal article · Yigal Bloch · 2017

Bloch's work provides both a transliteration and an English translation of Tukulti-Ninurta's inscription on pages 21-35. It is organized in seven columns and contains only a few missing lines. The whole work is a tribute to the cruel Assyrian conqueror's accomplishments and was written c. 1241–1206 BCE. (Note that the line numbers are not sequential.).

Included: Translation, Collation (full)
Language: Akkadian ⟶ English
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Artifacts related to this myth

The Great Inscription of King Tukulti-Ninurta I

Alabaster stone Wall Panel

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Stone Altar of Tukulti-Ninurta I

Alabaster stone Bas-Relief

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Texts related to this myth

See full texts of this myth via related artifacts. Where available, a translation is included.

All texts

Title
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"Tukulti-Ninurta I A.0.78.1" Book · Albert Kirk Grayson · 1987
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"The Great Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I" Journal article · Yigal Bloch · 2017
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"Tukulti-Ninurta I A.0.78.27" Book · Albert Kirk Grayson · 1987
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Full Translation, Collation (full)

Akkadian ⟶ English a

Source(s) a Bloch, "The Great Inscription: Translation and Transliteration," 21–35. More info launch

How did we get this date?

1243—1207 BCE

The attested date for the myth named 'Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I' is derived from the oldest artifact we have: Stone Altar of Tukulti-Ninurta I. The creation date for this artifact is a range because the exact date is unknown. We derived this from the source(s) listed below:

Notes (see bottom of page for full bibliography)

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    How did we get this date?

    1241—1206 BCE

    The creation date for the myth named 'Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I' is derived from other scholars. The creation date is a range because the exact date is unknown. We derived this from the source(s) listed below:

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    Cite this page

    MLA Modern Language Association (8th ed.)

    OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 27 Apr. 2020, omnika.org/stable/546. Accessed 17 May. 2024.

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    APA American Psychological Association (6th ed.)

    OMNIKA (2020, April 27). Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/546

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    CMS Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)

    OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Epic of Tukulti-Ninurta I." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created April 27, 2020. Accessed May 17, 2024. https://omnika.org/stable/546.

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    Bibliography

    Symbolic base with inscription Tukulti-Ninurta I, 1243-1207 BCE. Alabaster stone base. VA 08146, Vorderasiatisches Museum (Museum of the Near East), Berlin, Germany. Accessed May 10, 2020. http://www.smb-digital.de.
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    Bahrani, Zainab. The Graven Image: Representation in Babylonia and Assyria. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.
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    Bloch, Yigal, and Laura A. Peri. "I Placed My Name There: The Great Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I, King of Assyria, from the Collection of David and Cindy Sofer." Israel Museum Studies in Archaeology 8 (2016-2017): 2-55.
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    Bloch, Yigal. "'The Great Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I': English Translation by Yigal Bloch." In "I Placed My Name There: The Great Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I, King of Assyria, from the Collection of David and Cindy Sofer," Yigal Bloch and Laura A. Peri, 21-35. Israel Museum Studies in Archaeology 8 (2016-2017): 2-55.
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    Grayson, Albert K. "Tukulti-Ninurta I A.0.78.1." In Assyrian Rulers of the Third and Second Millennia BC (to 1115 BC), edited by Ronald F. G. Sweet, 231-239. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1987.
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    Grayson, Albert K. "Tukulti-Ninurta I A.0.78.27." In Assyrian Rulers of the Third and Second Millennia BC (to 1115 BC), edited by Ronald F. G. Sweet, 279-280. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1987.
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    Grayson, Albert K., Grant Frame, Maynard P. Maidman, and Douglas R. Frayne. Assyrian Rulers of the Third and Second Millennia BC (to 1115 BC). Vol. 1, The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia, Assyrian Periods. Edited by Ronald F. G. Sweet. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1987.
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    Peri, Laura A. [exhibit curator]. The Great Inscription of Tukulti-Ninurta I. Alabaster wall panel. Ca. 1239 BCE. [Special display] Ancient Near East Section, Neighboring Cultures Gallery, Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Archaeology Wing, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel. Accessed June 1, 2020. https://museum.imj.org.il/exhibitions/Tukulti-Ninurta/index.html.
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    Fast facts

    Myth
    Assyrian Belief system
    Assur Main deity
    Origin
    location_city Iraq Middle East
    event_note c. 1243 BCE Attested

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