| Chronicle P | |
|---|---|
 A portion of Chronicle P referring to the events surrounding the reign ofTukulti-Ninurta I.[1] | |
| Height | 12 cm |
| Width | 18 cm |
| Discovered | before 1882 |
| Present location | London,England,United Kingdom |
Chronicle P, known asChronicle 22 in Grayson’sAssyrian and Babylonian Chronicles[2] andMesopotamian Chronicle 45: "Chronicle of the Kassite Kings" in Glassner'sMesopotamian Chronicles[3] is named forT. G. Pinches, the first editor of the text. It is a chronicle of the second half of the second millennium BC or theKassite period, written by a first millennium BCBabylonian scribe.
The chronicle is preserved on a single fragment 180 mm wide and 120 mm long and is in fairly poor condition. It is the lower third of what was originally a largeclay tablet inscribed with two columns ofAkkadian cuneiform per side, and is held in theBritish Museum, now bearing the museum reference BM 92701. Its provenance is unknown but the internal evidence from the script characteristics betrays it to be a late Babylonian copy. It was purchased by the museum fromSpartali & Co in 1882 and originally given the accession number 82-7-4, 38.
The text is episodic, divided by horizontal lines into sections of differing length concerning the events of particular reigns. The narrative style switches from classic chronicler to epic poem when describing the events of the reign ofKurigalzu II, suggesting more than one historical source was consulted in its preparation. Although the section concerning the deposing of the grandson ofAššur-uballiṭ I differs from theAssyrianSynchronistic History with respect to the names of the characters concerned, the identical phraseology suggests that the passages derive ultimately from a common source.[5] Similarly, the section relating to Kurigalzu II and thebattle of Sugagu varies only in the name of his Assyrian counterpart and the outcome of the battle.
The narrative begins with discussion of a treaty and some form of restoration work, but the identity of the protagonist (Burna-Buriyåš I?) is lost. It continues with a passage concerningKadašman-Ḫarbe I that has been interpreted as a confusion of the history of this earlier king with that ofKara-ḫardaš, the short-lived successor toBurna-Buriaš II.[5] Kurigalzu’s victory against theElamites is likewise thought to confuse the campaign ofKurigalzu I with his later namesake.[6] The history then hops to the events surrounding Tukulti-Ninurta’s conquest of Babylonia, providing the only extant confirmation of his seven year rule through governors. It records the revolt which placedAdad-šuma-uṣur on the throne and then describes the events surrounding Tukulti-Ninurta’s overthrow (by Aššur-nasir-apli, probably a reproduction of the error forAššūr-nādin-apli on some copies of theAssyrian King List[7]). The text concludes with two sections about the incursions of Elamite king Kidin-Ḫudrudiš, thought to represent Kidin-Hutran, against the Kassite monarchsEnlil-nādin-šumi andAdad-šuma-iddina, kings recorded aspreceding Adad-šuma-uṣur on theBabylonian king list
The text is insufficiently preserved for it to be possible to ascertain its intended purpose. It contains a number of scribal errors, but, in marked contrast to theSynchronistic History, it portrays Babylonian setbacks as matter of fact alongside their victories, which has led some modern historians to praise its impartiality, despite its apparent muddling of historical events.[2]
Despite its fragmentary state, the text has been published by scholars in the following publications: