Library of Ashurbanipal

The more than 25,000 clay tablets extensive library of Ashurbanipal (also Aschschurbanipal, Assurbanipal ) in Nineveh is the largest known collection of literary works of the ancient Near East and is among the most significant finds of Assyriology, from the immense knowledge of the cultures of ancient Mesopotamia can be drawn and which provided a great contribution to the decipherment of cuneiform. It is part of the Assyrian state archives.

Library construction

Content

King Ashurbanipal brought to his court together a library that represented all the knowledge of that time. This knowledge was strongly influenced by magic, dark magic and faith, which means that most of the library was filled with works of Summoning, Omen and ritual science. So spectacular collection of medical works was a strong medical- magical character. Also found themselves in this ancient library contains a number of works of mathematics, philosophy and philology. However, particularly noteworthy are the epic- mythical narratives (such as copies of the famous Epic of Gilgamesh and the Babylonian creation myth Enûma Elish ). However, there were also prayers, songs, legal documents, such as a copy of the Code of Hammurabi, economic and administrative texts, letters, contracts, astronomical and historical texts, political Palace notes, lists of kings as well as poetic literature.

The texts are written in Assyrian and Babylonian dialect of Akkadian language and also in Sumerian. Numerous texts are available both in Sumerian as well as Akkadian, including encyclopedic works and dictionaries. For a single text six copies were created, which was a great help in deciphering them. Overall, the Library of Ashurbanipal, the largest known to date collection of Akkadian literature dar.

Formation

The issue goes directly back to the Neo-Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, his interest in written texts allowed him to create the Tontafelsammlung in his palace. Even his predecessor Tiglath- pileser I and Sargon II laid to small palace libraries, but none developed such a collective zeal as Ashurbanipal. There were dispatched to various parts of the empire to customize there copies of all texts or Assurbanipal ordered from the larger archives of the temple (eg in Babylon) transcripts, which are then customized the priest and scribe sent to Nineveh. Sometimes, however, he left on his campaigns also confiscate all Tontafelsammlungen and kidnap his capital. He was always concerned about the expansion of its library.

Management

Numerous lexical lists and comments attest to how hard you tried at the court of the filing and processing of texts and the study of language and writing. In addition, Ashurbanipal was also much in the order in its library. Each panel was provided with his name, as well as the original plates are given in the colophons, after which the copy was created. New acquisitions were recorded in detail, the library once contained hundreds of " codes " (coated with wax folding panels that could be described more than once), as is evident from records, but has not received any of these panels.

Effects

The unusual interest Assurbanipal received posterity some of the important structures in cuneiform literature. In some cases, much older texts have survived only through copies of his library.

Assurbanipal boasted of being able to read and write, the only Assyrian king cuneiform. He wrote about himself: "I have learned what made the wise Adapa, I acquired the hidden treasure, the entire board clerk art, I am in science inaugurated by the sign in the heavens and on earth, be discussed at a meeting of scholars, interpret with the most experienced liver showers the Leberomina. I can solve complicated and opaque division and multiplication problems 've read always artfully written boards in hard to understand Sumerian and tedious to entzifferndem Akkadian, have insight into Scripture stones from the period before the Flood, which are utterly incomprehensible. "

Also Assurbanipal royal inscriptions are distinguished by special literary quality.

The core of the Tontafelsammlung was excavated in the 19th century in the north- west palace of Nineveh and is now in the British Museum. Even today, scientists at the Zusammenpassung individual fragments to the panels (English joins ), the sorting and deciphering.

Pictures

"Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa " with astrological predictions

Panel with synonyms