will, and to whom they had intrusted their country.
In the anger of my heart, I hastily marched against the
town of Markasi, with my chariots and horsemen, who
followed on my steps, I treated Muttallu, his son and the
families of the country of Bit-Pa'alla in its totality, as
captives, and seized as booty the gold and silver and the
numberless treasures of his palace. I reinstated the men of
Gamgum and the neighboring tribes, and placed my Lieutenant
as Governor over them; I treated them like the
Assyrians.

32 Azuri, King of Ashdod,[20] determined within himself to
render no more tributes; he sent hostile messages against
Assyria to the neighboring kings. I meditated vengeance
for this, and I withdrew from him the government over
his country. I put his brother Akhimit on his throne.
But the people of Syria, eager for revolt, got tired of Akhimit's
rule, and installed Iaman, who like the former, was
not the legitimate master of the throne. In the anger of
my heart, I did not assemble the bulk of my army nor
divide my baggage, but I marched against Ashdod with
my warriors, who did not leave the trace of my feet.

33 Iaman learnt from afar of the approach of my expedition;
he fled beyond Egypt toward Libya (Meluhhi),[21] and no
one ever saw any further trace of him. I besieged and
took Ashdod and the town of Gimtu-Asdudim;[22] I carried
away captive Iaman's gods, his wife, his sons, his daughters,
his money, and the contents of his palace, together
with the inhabitants of his country. I built these towns
anew and placed in them the men that my arm had conquered.

34 I placed my Lieutenant as Governor over them, and I
treated them as Assyrians. They never again became
guilty of impiety.

35 The King of Libya[23] lives in the middle of the desert, in an
inaccessible place, at (a month's) journey. From the most
remote times until the renewal of the lunar period[24] his
fathers had sent no ambassadors to the kings, my ancestors,
to ask for peace and friendship and to acknowledge the
power of Merodach. But the immense terror inspired by
my Majesty roused him, and fear changed his intentions.
In fetters of iron he threw him (Iaman), directed his steps
toward Assyria and kissed my feet.

36 Muttallu, of Commagene, a fraudulent and hostile man,
did not honor the memory