Krisztián Simkó The Oxford Postgraduate Conference in Assyriology Wolfson Collage, University of Oxford 21 February 2013 The Neo-Assyrian Royal Inscriptions and the epic Lugale Abstract Lā kišitti šamme – a phrase appearing in one of Esarhaddon’s building inscriptions. Although this inscription has already been treated many times and many comments were made on it, a meaningful translation of the phrase in question has not been proposed yet. Based partly on the comments made by preceding authors, I would suggest a new translation of this phrase in the first part of my presentation. The unparalleled nature of the new translation, however, poses further questions, which lead us to the realm of stones as they are discussed by the Neo- Assyrian building inscriptions and the epic Lugale. In the second part of my presentation I try to give answers to these questions. First, I discuss the word šamme, which appears in Esarhaddon’s obscure passage and it has an important role in the epic Lugale as well. Second, I describe that cultural background, which made the creation of such a unique passage in Esarhaddon’s inscription possible. 1 An obscure phrase in one of Esarhaddon’s inscriptions In his inscription known as Aššur-Babilon A (AsBbA) in the scholarly literature, 1 Esarhaddon boasts that good omens concerning the refurbishment of the statues of Babylonian gods and the rebuilding of the shrines of Babylon had been revealed to him. 2 In order to choose suitable craftsmen and the city in the workshop of which the refurbishment of the statues has to take place, an extispicy was performed. 3 The divination was successful and the old capital city, Aššur has been chosen. Therefore, on a favourable day Esarhaddon entered the city, having with him carpenters (nagar), goldsmiths (kug-dím), coppersmiths (tibira) and lapidaries (bur-gul), 4 whom he also provided with raw materials needed for refurbishing the statues of gods. 1 K 2801 + 3053 + DT 252 // K 221 + 2669; see BORGER, R., Die Inschriften Asarhaddons Königs von Assyrien, (AfOB 9), Graz 1956, 78. 2 AsBbA rev. 2. 3 AsBbA rev. 20-26. 4 AsBbA rev. 27-30.