Aššur, God of the Assyrian Empire
God, city, and empire fused in one name — the king of Assyria ruled only as Aššur's viceroy.
Assyria's national god, Ashur, began as the deity of the city that bore his name and rose, with the empire, to supremacy in the Assyrian north. Assyrian kings ruled explicitly as his viceroys, campaigned 'at the command of Ashur,' and reported their conquests to him. So central was he that Assyrian scribes re-edited the Babylonian creation epic to put Ashur in Marduk's place. The fusion of god, city, and empire was tightest here: to serve Assyria was to serve Ashur, and the king was first of all the god's appointed steward and high priest.
Key passages(20)
I, Ashurbanipal, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), offspring of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land
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[ Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, pious ] shepherd [ who reveres the great gods, guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance ], goes to the aid of t
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[ S ] ennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, [ king of the fou ] r [ quarters ] (of the world), leader of a widespread population, [ the one who fashioned image (s) o
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[ Sennacherib ], great king, [ strong king, king of the world ], king of Assyria, [ king of the ] four [ quar ] ters (of the world), capable [ shepherd, (i 5) favorite of the ] great [ gods, guardian
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Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), (i 5) capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, [ guar ] dian of truth who loves
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Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, (i 5) guardian of truth who loves just
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Sennacherib, king of Assy [ ria ], the one who fashioned image (s) of (the god) Aššur and the great gods: [ Through ] divination, at the command of the gods Šamaš and [ Adad, I built ] the akītu - hou
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Pal [ ac ] e of Sargon (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Ak [ k ] ad, favorite of the great gods. The gods Aššur, Na
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I, Ashurbanipal, the creation of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, the senior son of the king of the House of Succession, the one whom (the god) Aššur and the god Sîn — the lord of the (lunar)
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I, Ashurbanipal, great king, [ strong king ], king of the world, king of Assyria, king of [ the four quarters (of the world) ], creation of the hands of (the god) Aššur (and) the goddess Mullissu; one
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The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, (i 5) son of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon (II
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[ Sargon (II), appointee of the god Enlil, nešakku-priest (and) desired object of the god Aššur, chosen of the gods Anu and Dagān, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of
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Continued from several unpreserved slabs I shattered their very strong walls [ wi ] th a mighty battering ram, leveling (them) to the gr [ ou ] nd. I took as booty [ the people ], [ together ] with th
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Palace of Sargon, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters (of the world), favorite of the [ gre
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Lacuna [ I added... pay ] ment [ and ] imposed (it) [ upon them ]. [ As for him, He ] zekiah, [ fear of ] my lordly [ brilliance (i´ 5´) overwhelmed him and he had ] the auxiliary forces [ and his ] e
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[ To (the god) Aššur ], the king of the gods, the father of the gods, the lofty one, the creator, the great god, [ the one who molds ] the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, the one who holds the lead-rope of t
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Lacuna [... ] the god Marduk, the sage of the god [ s, granted me a broad mind ] (and) extensive knowledge [ as a gift ]; the god Nabû, the scribe of everything, bestowed on me the pr [ ecepts of his
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[ I, Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, with the suppo ] rt of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Iš [ tar...: Tamm ] arītu, the king of the land Elam, the (very) image of gallû - demon s, [ did not inquire
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The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters, true shepherd, favorite of the great god
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Lacuna [... ]... [... ] I se [ nt my officials, the gover ] nors [ of the boundary areas of their land, with th ] em and they trampled [ the people living in ] those [ cities (and) made (them) b ] ow
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