BACK TO SENNACHERIB'S AQUEDUCT AT JERWAN: A REASSESSMENT OF THE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

The aqueduct in limestone blocks at Jerwan in the present day Dohuk region of Iraqi Kurdistan is one of the most imposing monuments erected by the Assyrian king Sennacherib (704-681 B.C.) as part of his vast hydraulic program for Nineveh. This aqueduct, subject of a precise and innovative, albeit brief, investigation by Thorkild Jacobsen and Seton Lloyd in 1933, was re-examined in September 2012 by the two authors with an eye to the cuneiform texts engraved on the stone surfaces. The present study is aimed at a survey of the various specimens of royal inscriptions A-C, in their various occurrences and in relation to the architectural features of the monument; specifically, a new geographical analysis of inscription B is suggested. An updated contextual overview is provided of the approximately 200 inscribed blocks bearing so-called "inscription D", benefitting from new collations. Finally, working hypotheses are presented on the probable place of origin of this text, and on the historical phase in which the puzzling placement of its written components could have taken place. ةﺎﻨﻘﻟا ةﺎﺜﺘﻤﻟا ﻦﻣ ﺮﺠﺤﻟا ناﻮﺼﻟا ﻲﻓ ناوﺮﺟ ﺔﻌﻗاﻮﻟا ﺎﻴﻟﺎﺣ ﻲﻓ ﺀﺎﺼﻗ كﻮﻫد ﻲﻓ ن ﺎﺘﺳ ﺮ ﻛ قاﺮﻌﻟا ﻲﻫ ةﺪﺣاو ﻦﻣ ﺐﻤﻨﻟا ﺔﺒﻴﻬﻤﻟا ﻲﺘﻟا ﺎﻫﺎﻘﺗا ﻚﻠﻤﻟا يرﻮﺷلأا ﺎﺠﺑ؛رﺎﺣﺬﺳ (704 - 681 ق م ) ﺀﺰﺠﻛ ﻦﻣ ﻪﺠ ﻣ ﺎﻧﺮ ﺑ ﻢﺨﻀﻟا ﻊ ﻳر ﺎﺸ ﻤﻠﻟ ﺔﻴﺋﺎﻤﻟا ﻲﻓ دﻮﻬﻧ . هﺬﻫ ةﺎﻨﻘﻟا ﻲﺘﻟا ﺖﻧﺎﻛ ع ﻮﺿ ﻮ ﻣ تﺎﻳﺮﺤﺘﻤﻣ ﺔﻘﻴﺌﻛا ةﺮﻜﺘﺒﻤﻟا ةﺮﻴﺼﻘﻟا ﻲﺘﻟا مﺎﻗ ﺎﻬﺑ ﺪﻠﻴﻛرﻮﺗ ﻦﺴﺑﻮﻛﺎﻳ و نﻮﺌﻴﺳ ﺪﻳﻮﻟ ﻲﻓ مﺎﻋ 1933 ﺪﻗ ﺪﻴﻋا ﺎﻬﺼﺤﻓ ﻲﻓ ﺮﻬﺷ لﻮﻠﻳا 2012 ﻦﻣ ﻞﺒﻗ ﻦﻴﻔﻟﺆﻤﻟا ﻦﻳﺰﻛﺮﻣ ﻰﻠﻋ ﺔﺑﺎﺘﻜﻟا ﺔﻳرﺎﻤﺴﻤﻟا ةرﻮﻔﺤﻤﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ حﻮﻄﻤﻟا ﺔﻳﺮﺠﺤﻟا . ﻒﻠﻬﺘﺳاو ﺚﺤﺒﻟا ﻲﻟﺎﺤﻟا تﺎﺣﻮﺴﻣ ﺖﻳﺮﺟا ﻰﻠﻋ ﻒﻠﺘﺨﻣ تﺎﻨﻴﻋ ﻮﺼﻨﻟا ﺔﻴﻜﻠﻤﻟا A- C ، ﻲﻓ ﻊﻗاﻮﻣ ﺎﻫﺪﺟاﻮﺗ ﺔﻔﻠﺘﺨﻤﻟا ﺎﺻﻮﺼﺧو ﺎﻤﻴﻓ ﻖﻠﻌﺘﻳ ﻢﻟﺎﻌﻤﻟﺎﺑ ﺔﻳرﺎﻤﻌﻤﻟا ﺐﺼﻨﻠﻟ ؛ حﺮﺘﻘﻳو ةرﻮﺼﺑ ﺔﺻﺎﺧ ﻞﻴﻄﺗ ﻲﻓاﺮﻐﺟ ﻦﻤﻜﻟ و . اﺬﻫ ضﺮﻤﺗو ﺔﻟﺎﺜﻤﻟا ةﺮﻈﻧ ﺔﻴﻗﺎﻴﺳ ﺔﻣﺎﻋ ﺚﻠﺣا ﻦﻋ ﺎﻣ برﺎﻘﻳ ﻦﻣ 200 ﻦ ﻤ ﻧ ﻞﻤﺤﺗ ﺎﻣ ﻰﻋﺪﻳ ب " ﻦﻤﻨﻟا D " ةﺪﻴﻔﺘﺴﻣ ﻲﻓ ﻚﻠﻧ ﻦﻣ ﻒﻴﻨﺼﺘﻟا ﺪﻴﻨﺠﻟا . ﻲﻓ ﺔﻳﺎﻬﻨﻟا ﻢﺒﻘﺗ ﺔﻟﺎﻘﻤﻟا تﺎﻴﺿﺮﻓ ﻞﻤﻋ ﺮ ﻴﺜﺗ ﻰﻟا ﻊﻗاﻮﻤﻟا ﺔﻠﻤﺘﺤﻤﻟا لﻮﺻلأ هﺬﻫ صﻮﺼﻨﻟا ، ﻞﺣاﺮﻤﻟاو ﺔﻴﺨﻳرﺎﺘﻟا ﻲﺘﻟا ﻢﺗ ﺎﻬﻟلاﺧ ﺮﻔﺣ هﺬﻫ صﻮﺼﺨﻟا