king, and indeed of the general state of the
Eastern world, at the period in question--which synchronizes certainly
with some portion of the dominion of the Judges over Israel, and
probably with the early conquests of the Dorians in Greece--it is
thought advisable to give in this place such an account of it, and such
a number of extracts as shall enable the reader to form his own judgment
on these several points.

The document opens with an enumeration and glorification of the "great
gods" who "rule over heaven and earth," and are "the guardians of the
kingdom of Tiglath-Pileser." These are "Asshur, the great Lord, ruling
supreme over the gods; Bel, the lord, father of the gods, lord of the
world; Sin, the leader(?) the lord of empire(?); Shamus, the establisher
of heaven and earth; Vul, he who causes the tempest to rage over hostile
lands; Nin, the champion who subdues evil spirits and enemies; and
Ishtar, the source of the gods, the queen of victory, she who arranges
battles." These deities, who (it is declared) have placed
Tiglath-Pileser upon the throne, have "made him firm, have confided to
him the supreme crown, have appointed him in might to the sovereignty of
the people of Bel, and have granted him preeminence, exaltation, and
warlike power," are invoked to make the "duration of his empire continue
forever to his royal posterity, lasting as the great temple of
Kharris-Matira."

In the next section the king glorifies himself, enumerating his royal
titles as follows: "Tiglath-Pileser, the powerful king, king of the
people of various tongues; king of the four regions; king of all kings;
lord of lords; the supreme (?); monarch of monarchs; the illustrious
chief, who, under the auspices of the Sun-god, being armed with the
sceptre and girt with the girdle of power over mankind, rules over all
the people of Bel; the mighty prince, whose praise is blazoned forth
among the kings; the exalted sovereign, whose servants Asshur has
appointed to the government of the four regions, and whose name he has
made celebrated to posterity; the conqueror of many plains and mountains
of the Upper and Lower country; the victorious hero, the terror of whose
mane has overwhelmed all regions; the bright constellation who, as he
wished, has warred against foreign countries, and under the auspices of
Bel--there being no equal to him--has subdued the enemies of Asshur."

The royal historian, after this introduction, proceeds to narrate his