'Ashurbanipal, the King Who Is Resplendent like a Bright Light'

Mitto, Tonio; Novotny, Jamie (2021): 'Ashurbanipal, the King Who Is Resplendent like a Bright Light'. Gyges’ Dream in Ashurbanipal’s E Prisms Revisited. In: State Archives of Assyria Bulletin, Vol. 27: pp. 133-158

Abstract

This closer look at the extant E Prism material of Ashurbanipal, the Gyges narrative(s) in particular, reveals that the current understanding of the E Prisms needs to be significantly revised since both the Prism E₁ and Prism E₂ inscriptions very likely contain one and the same description of Gyges’ extraordinary first contact with Ashurbanipal. This new interpretation makes it clear (1) that there were (at least) three E Prism inscriptions and (2) that the Prism E₂ inscription was composed earlier than the Prism E₁ text, and not the other way around as scholars have assumed for over the last forty years. This paper will re-evaluate Ashurbanipal’s E Prisms in light of a previously unrecognized parallel in the earliest accounts of the Gyges narrative.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Keywords: Ashurbanipal, Gyges, Assyria, Lydia, royal inscriptions
• Faculties: History and Art History > Department of History > Ancient History
• Subjects: 900 History and geography > 900 Geschichte; 900 History and geography > 930 History of ancient world (to ca. 499)
• Language: English