Literature & Language
Photographs of Cuneiform Tablets can be found at The Oriental Institute’s Inscribed Material List .
Some Babylonian Proverbs from the Library of Ashurbanipal, c. 1600 BCE . Courtesy of the Ancient History Sourcebook.
Tiglathpileser I ruler of the Assyrian Empire from 1115-1077 BC describes his conquests.
Read excerpts from the Inscriptions by King Ashur-nasir-pal II (884 Ð 859 BC).
The Banquet of Ashurnasirpal II The feast was held to commemorate the inaugration of the new palace in the capital city of Calah.
The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is an inscription by Ashurnasirpal’s son Shalmanser III that was engraved on an obelisk of black marble five feet in height..
The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III A translation (adapted from Luckenbill 1926:200-211) of the obelisk’s inscriptions.
The Panel from Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III Relief of plaster with five bands of illustrations with cuneiform inscription above and between bands. Black patina.
Accounts of the Campaign of Sennacherib, 701 BCE are provided by the Ancient History Sourcebook.
Prayer of Ashurbanipal to Shamash (the sun god) This text is a hymn of praise to the god Shamash, to which has been appended a prayer for the well-being of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, 668-633 BC.
The Assyro-Babylonian Mythology – Frequently Asked Questions Includes history, myths, and an annotated list of who’s who in the myths — but check its accuracy against your knowledge!
Hittite/Hurrian Mythology Includes history, myths, and an annotated list of who’s who in the Hittite pantheon.
IshtarAn article on the goddess Ishtar or Inanna (Summerian) from the Britannica online.
NinurtaAn article on the god Ninurta or Ningirsus from the Britannica online.
ShamashAn article on the god Shamash or Utu (Sumerian) from the Britannica online.
Nergal An article on the god Nergal from the Britannica online.
Bel An article on the god Bel or Enlil (Summerian) from the Britannica online.
AshurAn article on the god Ashur from the Britannica online.
AdadAn article on the god Adad from the Britannica online.
TeshubAn article on the god Teshub from the Britannica online.
Ea An article on the god Ea from the Britannica online.
Mesopotamian religion An article on Mesoptamian religon, its history and practice from the Britannica online.
