Sennacherib and the Tablet of Destinies

Abstract

K 6177 + 8869 is a copy in Neo-Babylonian script, now in the British Museum's Kuyunjik collection, of probably no more than two short inscriptions. Only its bottom half is extant, and so the first inscription is lost to us all but its last few fragmentary lines, which conclude a prayer (Text A). After a ruling a second, much better preserved text is given, and it is this, an inscription of Sennacherib in high literary style, which is of interest here (Text B). Text B describes the Tablet of Destinies (ṭuppi šīmāti), with the figure of Aššur apparently depicted on it, presumably by means of a seal impression. The text continues with a description of a representation of the king standing in homage before Aššur, which, if the text has any unity of construction, would also suggest a seal impression. The text is concluded with a routine royal prayer.The tablet—or rather half of it, the fragment K 6177—was known to pioneers in Sennacherib studies, having appeared accredited to that king in Bezold's Catalogue (II, p. 768), but it was deemed of too little significance to warrant more than passing reference by Meissner and Rost (Senn., p. 119). The join to K 8869, which provides Text B with its conclusion, was made by W. G. Lambert, who kindly brought the piece to my attention.

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