Chapter VIII: Appendix: Assyrian Measures of Length

60 Uban ('fingers') 1 Ammat ('cubit').
6 Ammat 1 Qanu ('reed').
2 Qanu 1 Gar.
60 Gar 1 Sussu ('soss').
30 Sussi 1 Kaspu.

MEASURES OF CAPACITY[6].

10 GAR[7] 1 QA.
27 QA 1 AP.
36 QA 1 PI (or Persian Ardeb).
60 QA 1 Homer.
3 Homers (or 5 Ardebs) 1 GUR (about 250 quarts).

[6] As determined by Dr. Oppert.

[7] Capitals denote that the Semitic pronunciation of the
ideograph is unknown.

MEASURES OF WEIGHT AND COINAGE.

60 Shekels 1 Silver Mana ('Mina') = L9.
60 Silver Manas 1 Silver Talent.
60 Gold Manas 1 Gold Talent (L8400).

The silver shekel was worth about 3_s._

THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

Assyrian Name. Sumerian Name.
Zodiacal Sign. Corresponding Months.

(1) Nisannu (Nisan) Month of 'the dweller in the Asherah[8]
Aries March-April.

(2) Aaru (Iyyar) 'The directing bull'
Taurus April-May.

(3) Sivanu (Sivan) 'Bricks' (?)
Gemini May-June.

(4) Duzu (Tammuz) 'The growth of seed'
Cancer June-July.

(5) Abu (Ab) 'The fiery-hot'
Leo July-August.

(6) Ululu (Elul) 'The message of Istar'
Virgo August-September.

(7) Tasritu (Tisri) 'The holy mound'
Libra September-October.

(8) Arakh-savna 'Opposite the foundation (of the year)
(Marchesvan, 'the eighth month')
Scorpio October-November.

(9) Kisilivu (Chisleu) 'The cloudy'
Sagittarius November-December.

(10) Dhabitu (Tebet) 'The cave of the dawn' (?)
Capricornus December-January.

(11) Sabadhu (Sebat) 'The curse of rain'
Aquarius January-February.

(12) Addaru (Adar) The month of 'cultivation'
Pisces February-March.

(13) Arakh-makhru (Ve-Adar), the intercalary month.

[8] _Zaggara_, rendered by the Semitic _bit ili_ (Beth-el),
'house of God,' as well as by _asirtu_, 'the symbol of the
goddess Asherah' (mistranslated 'grove' in the Authorized
Version of the Old Testament).

BABYLONIAN KINGS.
B.C.

Sargon of Akkad 3800

Naram-Sin his son 3700

(1) The Dynasty of Babylon: 11 kings for 304 years 2478-2174
The sixth king of the dynasty was Khammurabi 2356-2301

(2) The Dynasty of Lagas: 11 kings for 368 years 2174-1806

(3) The Kassite Dynasty: 36 kings for 576 years 9 months 1806-1229

Among the kings of this dynasty were Burna-buryas (cir. B.C. 1420), the contemporary of the Egyptian Pharaohs Amenophis III and Amenophis IV, and Kuri-galzu (cir. B.C. 1400).

The last six kings were:

Rimmon-nadin-suma 1297
Conquest of Babylon by Tiglath-Uras of Assyria 1291
Expulsion of the Assyrians; Rimmon-suma-natsir king 1284
Meli-sipak 1261
Merodach-baladan I 1246
Zamama-nadin-sumi 1233
Bel-suma-nadin 1232

(4) The Dynasty of Isin: 11 kings for 72 years 6 months 1229-1156

(5) The Dynasty of the Sea-coast: 3 kings for
21 years 5 months 1156-1135

(6) The Dynasty of Bit-Bazi: 3 kings for
20 years 3 months 1135-1115

(7) An Elamite usurper for 6 years 1115-1109

(8) The 31 [kings] of the Dynasty of Babylon[9] 1109- 730

Among them were:

Nebuchadrezzar I 1109-1096
Merodach-nadin-akhi 1096-1090
Merodach-sapik-zirrat cir. 1075
Nebo-baladan cir. 880
Merodach-balasu-iqbi cir. 820
Nabu-natsir (Nabonassar) 747
Nabu-nadin-ziri (Nadios) his son 733
Nabu-suma-yukin his son 731

(9) The Dynasty of Sape: Yukin-zira (Chinziros) 730

(10) The Assyrian Dynasties:
Pulu (Pul, Poros), called Tiglath-pileser III in Assyria 727
Ulula, called Shalmaneser IV in Assyria 725
Merodach-baladan II, the Chaldaean from the Sea-coast 721
Sargon of Assyria 709
Sennacherib his son 704
Merodach-zakir-sumi for 1 month 702
Merodach-baladan III for six months 702
Bel-ebus of Babylon 702
Assur-nadin-suma son of Sennacherib 700
Nergal-yusezib 694
Musezib-Merodach 693
Sennacherib a second time 689
Esar-haddon his son 681
Samas-suma-yukin (Saosduchinos) 668
Kandalanu (Kineladanos) 648
Nabu-pal-utsur (Nabopolassar) 626
Nabu-kudurri-utsar (Nebuchadrezzar) his son 605
Evil-Merodach his son 562
Nergal-sarra-utsur (Nergalsharezer) 560
Laborosoarchod, his son, for 3 months 556
Nabu-nahid (Nabonidos) 556
Cyrus conquers Babylon 538
Cambyses his son 529
Gomates (Gaumata) the Magian (the pseudo-Bardes or Smerdis) 521
Dareios (Darayavaush) the son of Hystaspes (Vishtaspa) 521
Xerxes I (Khshayarsha) his son 485
Samas-erba, rebel-king 480
Xerxes restored 479
Artaxerxes I (Artakshatra) Longimanus his son 465
Xerxes II, his son, for two months 425
Sogdianos, his half-brother, for seven months 425
Dareios II, Nothos (or Okhos) his brother 424
Artaxerxes II (Mnemon) his son 405
Okhos (Uvasu) the son of Artaxerxes 362
Arses his son 339
Dareios III, Kodomannos 336
Conquered by Alexander the Great 330

[9] The fracture of the tablet makes the arrangement of this
Dynasty not absolutely certain.

ASSYRIAN KINGS.

Sargon asserts he was preceded by 330 Assyrian kings.

HIGH PRIESTS OF ASSUR.

B.C.

Isme-Dagon cir. 1850
Samas-Rimmon I his son 1820

Igur-Kapkapu ?
Samas-Rimmon II his brother ?

Khallu ?
Irisum his son ?

KINGS OF ASSYRIA.

B.C.

Bel-Kapkapu 'the founder of the monarchy' ?

Ada'si ?
Bel-basi his son ?

Assur-bil-nisi-su, cir. 1450
Buzur-Assur, 1440
Assur-nadin-akhi, 1420
Assur-yuballidh his son, 1400
Bel-nirari his son, 1380
Pudilu (Pedael) his son, 1360
Rimmon-nirari I his son, 1340
Shalmaneser I his son (founder of Calah), 1320
Tiglath-Uras I his son, 1300
Assur-natsir-pal I his son, 1280
Assur-narara, 1270
Nebo-dan his son, 1265

Bel-kudurri-utsur, 1230
Uras-pileser, 1215
Assur-dan I his son, 1185
Mutaggil-Nebo his son, 1160
Assur-ris-ilim his son, 1140
Tiglath-pileser I his son, 1115
Assur-bil-kala his son, 1090
Samas-Rimmon I his brother, 1070

Assur-irbi ?

Tiglath-pileser II, 950
Assur-dan II his son, 930
Rimmon-nirari II his son, B.C. 911
Tiglath-Uras II his son, 889
Assur-natsir-pal II his son, 883

Shalmaneser II his son 858
Assur-dain-pal (Sardanapallos), rebel-king 825
Samas-Rimmon II his brother 823
Rimmon-nirari III his son 810
Shalmaneser III 781
Assur-dan III 771
Assur-nirari 753
Tiglath-pileser III, Pulu (Pul, Poros), usurper 745
Shalmaneser IV, Ulula, usurper 727
Sargon usurper 722
Sennacherib (Sin-akhi-erba) his son 705
Esar-haddon I (Assur-akhi-iddina) his son 681
Assur-bani-pal (Sardanapallos) his son 668
Assur-etil-ilani-yukinni his son ?
Sin-sarra-iskun (Sarakos) ?
Destruction of Nineveh 606

SYNCHRONISMS BETWEEN ASSYRIAN AND BIBLICAL HISTORY.

B.C.

Battle of Qarqar; Shalmaneser II defeats Hadadezer of
Damascus, Ahab of Israel, &c. 853
Campaigns against Hadadezer of Damascus 850-845
Campaign against Hazael of Damascus; tribute paid
to Shalmaneser by Jehu 'the son of Omri' 41
Damascus captured by Rimmon-nirari III; tribute paid
by Samaria 804
Pul, who takes the name of Tiglath-pileser III, usurps
the throne, April 745
War with Hamath; submission of Uzziah; fall of Arpad 843-840
Tribute paid to Tiglath-pileser (Pul) by Menahem of
Samaria and Rezon of Damascus 738
Damascus besieged; the tribes beyond the Jordan carried
away; Jehoahaz (Ahaz) of Judah becomes an Assyrian vassal 734
Pekah put to death; Hosea succeeds 733 (? 729)
Damascus captured; Rezon slain; Ahaz at Damascus 732
Capture of Samaria by Sargon 722
Embassy of Merodach-baladan to Hezekiah 712
Capture of Ashdod by the Assyrians 711
Campaign of Sennacherib against Judah 701
Murder of Sennacherib 681
Manasseh of Judah tributary to Esar-haddon 676
Destruction of Thebes (No-Amon) in Egypt by the Assyrians 665
Babylonian invasion of Egypt 567

THE PRINCIPAL DEITIES OF BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIA.

Arm (Sumerian Ana), the sky-god of Erech, and wife Anat.

Bel the elder (Sum. Mul-lil or El-lil), the earth-god of Nipur,
and wife Beltis.

Ea, the water-god of Eridu, and wife Dav-kina.

Bel-Merodach (Maruduk) of Babylon, the son of Ea, and wife Zarpanit.

Istar, the goddess of the evening-star, the daughter of Sin.

Sin, the Moon-god of Ur, the son of Bel of Nipur.

Samas, the Sun-god, the son of Sin; also called A.

Rimmon (Rammanu) or Barqu (Sum. Mer), the air-god.

Uras[10], the warrior-god of Nipur, the minister of the elder Bel.

Nebo (Nabu), 'the prophet' of Borsippa, the minister of Merodach.

Tasmit, 'the hearer,' the wife of Nebo.

Nusku, a Sumerian deity identified with Nebo.

Nergal, the warrior-god of Kutha.

Assur, the national-god of Assyria.

[10] The reading of the name of this god is doubtful. It has
been variously transcribed Bar, Nin-ip, and Adar, the last of
which, however, is certainly wrong.

Oxford

HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

End of Project Gutenberg's A Primer of Assyriology, by Archibald Henry Sayce

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