12 



INSCRIPTION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR, KINO OF BABYLON 



FROM A RECENTLY-DISCOVERED CLAY CYLINDER 



IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



COLUMN I. 



1. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, 



2. the exalted prince, the worshipper of the god Marduk 



3. the supreme lord, the beloved of the god Nebo, 



4. the unwearied prince of the gate, 



5. the restorer of the temple SAG-ILI and the temple ZIDA 



6. who to the god Nebo and the god Marduk his lords 



7. worship has performed before their persons 



8. the exalted one, who causes the ituti to be deep, the 



messenger of the great gods, 



9. the eldest son of Nabu-pul-usur (Nabopolassar), 



10. the king of Babylon am I. 



11. Prince Marduk the great lord then caused me to hold 



firmly 



12. a sceptre (?) to rule the people [as a] shepherd, 



13. to restore the fortresses, and to renew the temples 



14. greatly he encouraged me. 



15. I put my trust in Marduk, my lord, my judge, 



lb*. his supreme fortress, the citadel his high place [the walls], 



17. Imgur-Bel, Nimitti-Bel 



18. I caused to be completed over their great fortresses 



19. upon the threshold of its great gates 



20. mighty lords (gods) 



21. and [images] of poisonous snakes 



22. I set up 



23. the which never had any king my predecessor made. 



24. The quay (of the fortress), its ditch (moat) . 



25. with bitumen and brick 



26. the father my begetter built and completed for a bulwark. 



27. As for me, the paths of the ancient quay 



28. once, twice 



29. I built up with bitumen and brick, and 



30. the quay which my father had worked I excavated. 



31. I caused its foundation to be laid with huge flat slabs, and 



32. I raised up its summit like a mountain. 



33. The quay of brick at the ford of the setting sun 



34. within Babylon I completed. 



