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Secondary sourceBook1927

Rassam Cylinder, First Column

Daniel David Luckenbill · 1927

A printed English translation of part of Ashurbanipal's own cylinder inscription describing his introduction and first campaign against Egypt.

Presents a translation of Ashurbanipal's own inscribed account of his reign and campaigns.

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Scanned printed page titled ASSURBANIPAL, THE RASSAM CYLINDER, showing two columns of English translation text with section numbers and headings for Introductory paragraphs and First campaign against Egypt.
D. D. Luckenbill, translation of the Rassam Cylinder, 1927.

About this source

What it is

This is a page from a 1927 scholarly edition by Daniel David Luckenbill, presenting an English translation of the Rassam cylinder, a clay cylinder inscribed with the words of Ashurbanipal. The page covers the introductory section and the account of his first campaign against Egypt.

Why it matters

The original cylinder was commissioned by Ashurbanipal himself to record his deeds, including his wars and his view of his own reign. Modern scholars like Luckenbill translated and studied these texts so they could be read by people who cannot read cuneiform, making them central sources for understanding how Assyrian kings presented themselves.

Look closer

  • Remember this is a translation and modern edition, not the original clay object — what might be lost or changed in translation?
  • Why would a king want to record his own military campaigns in writing?
  • What kind of language would you expect a king's own account to use about himself?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ashurbanipal on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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