The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria

Book excerpt: The Royal Inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) and Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC), Kings of Assyria (Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period 1) carries on where the Assyrian Periods sub-series of the Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia (RIM) Project ended. The volume provides reliable, up-to-date editions of seventy-three royal inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III and of his son and immediate successor Shalmaneser V, eleven late Neo-Assyrian inscriptions which may be attributed to one of those two eighth-century rulers, and eight texts commissioned by Assyrian queens and high-ranking officials. Following the style of the now-defunct RIM series, each text edition (with its English translation) is supplied with a brief introduction containing general information, a catalogue containing basic information about all exemplars, a commentary containing further technical information and notes, and a comprehensive bibliography. RINAP 1 also includes: (1) a general introduction to the reigns of Tiglath-pileser III and Shalmaneser V, the corpus of inscriptions, previous studies, and dating and chronology; (2) translations of the relevant passages of Mesopotamian king lists and chronicles; (3) several photographs of objects inscribed with texts of Tiglath-pileser III and Shalmaneser V; (4) indices of museum and excavation numbers and selected publications; and (5) indices of proper names (Personal Names; Geographic, Ethnic, and Tribal Names; Divine Names; Gate, Palace, and Temple Names; and Object Names). The RINAP Project is under the direction of G. Frame (University of Pennsylvania) and is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.