| Ashurnasirpal I | |
|---|---|
| King of Assyria | |
 The White Obelisk sometimes associated with Ashurnasirpal I (although it is usually dated to the reign ofAshurnasirpal II) | |
| King of theMiddle Assyrian Empire | |
| Reign | 1050–1031 BC |
| Predecessor | Shamshi-Adad IV |
| Successor | Shalmaneser II |
| Issue | Shalmaneser II,Ashur-rabi II |
| Father | Shamshi-Adad IV |
Ashurnasirpal I (Aššur-nāṣir-apli I, inscribedmaš-šur-PAB-A, meaning "the godAssur is the protector of the heir") was the king ofAssyria, 1049–1031 BC, and the 92nd to appear on theAssyrian Kinglist. He was the son and successor ofShamshi-Adad IV, and he ruled for 19 years[i 1] during a troubled period of Assyrian history, marked by famine and war with nomads from the deserts to the west. He is best known for his penitential prayer toIštar ofNineveh.
According to a royal hymn composed in his honor, he was born "in the mountains that nobody knows", suggesting he may have been born in exile, or perhaps a literary device, as it continues: "I was without understanding and I prayed not of your majesty". It relates that, when Ishtar appointed him to the kingship, he had restored her overthrown cult. Known from a single copy from thelibrary of Ashurbanipal, it includes a plea to the goddess to restore him to health from the sickness that afflicted him, citing his temple-restoration, and devotions, to persuade her. It addresses Ištar of Nineveh, and Ištar ofArbil, as though they were separate deities.[1] A second, fragmentary literary prayer thanks her for her favor.[2]
TheSynchronistic Kinglist[i 2] gives hisBabylonian counterpart asKashshu-nadin-ahi (c. 1006–1004 BC), but probably only for stylistic purposes as there seems to have been no recorded contact between the kingdoms during this period.[3]
A single shortbrick-inscription comes from his palace inAssur,[i 3] which was located between the south-west front of theziggurat and theAnu-Adad temple. The "White Obelisk"[i 4] is sometimes attributed to him by historians, but more usually to his later namesake,Ashurnasirpal II, because its internal content (hunting, military campaigns, etc.) better matches what is known about his reign.[4]
He was succeeded by his son,Shalmaneser II, who mentions him in one of his own inscriptions[i 5] and later by another son, the long-reigningAššur-rabi II.
| Preceded by | King of Assyria 1050–1031 BC | Succeeded by |