Assyrian and Babylonian literature

(New York :  D. Appleton and Company,  1901.)

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  Page 63  



CYLINDER   OF   SARGON                             63

(Ea), who gives decisions, who warns from snares, of the
light of heaven and earth, hero of the gods. Sin, which re¬
ceived its name " Month of the Brick-God " by a decree
of Anu, Bel, and Ea, lord of wisdom, because in it bricks
are made, and cities and houses built; on the festival day
of the son of Bel, the all-wise Nabu, writer of all tablets,
ruler of all the gods, I ordered the making of its bricks;
to the brick-god, the lord of brick foundations, and the
chief architect of Bel, I offered a sacrifice and poured out
libations and lifted up my hands (in prayer). In Ab,
the month of the servant of the fire-god, who destroys
fresh vegetation, who lays the platform foundations of city
and house, I founded it and laid its brick.

Well-founded shrines, which were founded as if for all
time, I built therein to Ea, Sin, Ningal, Ramman, Shamash,
and Ninib. I built a palace of ivory, of ushu-wood, of
box(?)-wood, of palm(?)-wood, of cedar-, cypress-, juniper-,
and pistacia-wood for my royal residence; I constructed
a colonnade after the style of a Hittite palace In front of
its gates, and I covered it with beams of cedar and cypress.
Four sar, three ner, one sos, three kane, two cubits,^ the
(numerical) value of my name, I made the measure of its
wall, and laid its platform foundation on stones from the
high mountains.

In front and behind, on both sides. In the direction
of the eight winds I opened eight city-gates: "Shamash,
who granted to me victory," " Ramman, who controls its
prosperity," I named the gates of Shamash and Ramman on
the east side; " Bel, who laid the foundation of my city,"
" Belit, who gives riches in abundance," I named the
gates of Bel and Belit on the north side; " Anu, who gave
success to the work of my hands," " Ishtar, who causes its
people to flourish," I made the names of the gates of Anu
and Ishtar on the west side; " Ea, who controls its
springs," " Belit-ilani, who grants to it numerous off¬
spring," I ordered to be the names of the gates of Ea and
Belit-ilani on the south side.    (I  called)  its inner wall

.    ' 4 X 3,600 + 3 X 600 + 60+ 3x6 + 2 = 16,280 cabits.
  Page 63