Nabonidussylinderne refererer til kileskrift-inskripsjoner av kong Nabonidus av Babylonia (556-539 f.Kr.). Disse inskripsjonene ble gjort på leiresylindere. De inkluderer Nabonidussylinderen fra Sippar og Nabonidussylinderen fra Ur, fire i tallet.
Beskrivelse Nabonidussylinderen fra Sippar er en lang tekst der Nabonidus beskriver hvordan han reparerte tre templer: (helligdommen til måneguden Sin i Harran, helligdommen til krigsgudinnen Anunitu i Sippar og tempelet Šamaš i Sippar.
Nabonidussylinderen fra Ur inneholder teksten for grunnleggelsen av en ziggurat kalt E-lugal-galga-sisa, som hørte til i Sin tempelet i Ur. Nabonidus beskriver hvordan han reparerte strukturen. Det er trolig kongens siste bygningsinskripsjon og kan dateres til ca. 540 f.Kr. Teksten er interessant fordi det gir en full synkretisme av Sin, Marduk og Nabu.
Nabonidussylinderen fra Ur er også verdt å merke seg fordi de nevner en sønn som heter Belsassar som er nevnt i Daniels bok. I sylinderne står det:"As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great godhead and grant me as a present a life long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the eldest son -my offspring- instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart and may he not commit any cultic mistake, may he be sated with a life of plenitude."https://www.livius.org/na-nd/nabonidus/cylinder-ur.html The translation of the Nabonidus Cylinder was made by Paul-Alain Beaulieu, who is also the author of The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556-539 B.C. (1989).
Arkeologisk utgraving miniatyr|Nabonidussylinderen fra Sin-tempelet i Ur, Mesopotamia. . I 1854 fant J. G. Taylor fire kileskriftsylindere i grunnmuren til en ziggurat i Ur. Disse ble avsatt av Nabonidus; alle fire har tilsynelatende identisk inskripsjon.
I 1881 gjorde assyriologen Hormuzd Rassam ett viktig funn i Sippar i Babylonia (nå kalt Abu Habba), hvor han oppdaget soltempelet. Der fant han også en leiresylinder av Nabonidus.Goodspeed, George Stephen (1902). Chapter 2, The Excavations in Babylonia and Assyria. A History of the Babylonians and Assyrians. New York. Charles Scribner's Sons. Paragraph 20. Accessed April 4, 2011. Denne sylinderen, som ble gravd ut i det kongelige palasset, er nå i Pergamon-Museet i Berlin. En kopi er i British Museum i London. Teksten ble skrevet etter Nabonidus' retur fra Arabia i sin trettende styringsår, men før krigen brøt ut, med den persiske kong Kyros den store, som ble kalt et instrument for gudene.
Nabonidussylinderen fra Sippar inneholder et ekko fra tidligere grunnleggelsestekster, og utvikler de samme temaene som de senere, som den bedre kjente Kyrossylinderen: en lang overskrift, en historie om en vred gud som har forlatt sin helligdom, som er gjenforent med sitt folk, som beordrer en konge til å gjenopprette templet og en konge som med fromhet øker den daglige ofringen. Bønnene inkludert.
Oversettelsen av Sipparsylinderen Oversettelsen av Nabonidussylinderen fra Sippar ble gjort av Paul-Alain Beaulieu, forfatter av "The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556-539 B.C."http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300057706Review of Paul-Alain Beaulieu, The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556-539 B.C., in Biblical Archaeologist 55/4 (Dec. 1992): 234-35.
[i.1-7] I, Nabonidus, the great king, the strong king, the king of the universe, the king of Babylon, the king of the four corners, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, for whom Sin and Ningal in his mother's womb decreed a royal fate as his destiny, the son of Nabû-balâssi-iqbi, the wise prince, the worshiper of the great gods, I:
[i.8-ii.25] Ehulhul, the temple of Sin in Harran, where since days of yore Sin, the great lord, had established his favorite residence - his great heart became angry against that city and temple and he aroused the Mede, destroyed the temple and turned it into ruin - in my legitimate reign Bel and the great lord, for the love of my kingship, became reconciled with that city and temple and showed compassion.
In the beginning of my everlasting reign they sent me a dream. Marduk, the great lord, and Sin, the luminary of heaven and the netherworld, stood together. Marduk spoke with me: 'Nabonidus, king of Babylon, carry bricks on your riding horse, rebuild Ehulhul and cause Sin, the great lord, to establish his residence in its midst.'
Reverently, I spoke to the Enlil of the gods, Marduk: 'That temple which you ordered me to build, the Mede surrounds it and his might is excessive.'
But Marduk spoke with me: 'The Mede whom you mentioned, he, his country and the kings who march at his side will be no more.'
At the beginning of the third year [Summer 553], they aroused him, Cyrus, the king of Anšan, his second in rank. He scattered the vast Median hordes with his small army. He captured Astyages, the king of the Medes, and took him to his country as captive. Such was the word of the great lord Marduk and of Sin, the luminary of heaven and the netherworld, whose command is not revoked. I feared their august command, I became troubled, I was worried and my face showed signs of anxiety. I was not neglectful, nor remiss, nor careless.
For rebuilding Ehulhul, the temple of Sin, my lords, who marches at my side, which is in Harran, which Aššurbanipal, king of Assyria, son of Esarhaddon, a prince who proceeded me, had rebuilt, I mustered my numerous troops, from the country of Gaza on the border of Egypt, near the Upper Sea [the Mediterranean] on the other side of the Euphrates, to the Lower Sea [the Persian Gulf], the kings, princes, governors and my numerous troops which Sin, Šamaš and Ištar -my lords- had entrusted to me. And in a propitious month, on an auspicious day, which Šamaš and Adad revealed to me by means of divination, by the wisdom of Ea and Asalluhi, with the craft of the exorcist, according to the art of Kulla, the lord of foundations and brickwork, upon beads of silver and gold, choice gems, logs of resinous woods, aromatic herbs and cuts of cedar wood, in joy and gladness, on the foundation deposit of Aššurbanipal, king of Assyria, who had found the foundation of Šalmaneser [III], the son of Aššurnasirpal [II], I cleared its foundations and laid its brickwork.
I mixed its mortar with beer, wine, oil and honey and anointed its excavation ramps with it. More than the kings -my fathers- had done, I strengthened its building and perfected its work. That temple from its foundation to its parapet I built anew and I completed its work. Beams of lofty cedar trees, a product of Lebanon, I set above it. Doors of cedar wood, whose scent is pleasing, I affixed at its gates. With gold and silver glaze I coated its wall and made it shine like the sun. I set up in its chapel a 'wild bull' of shining silver alloy, fiercely attacking my foes. At the Gate of Sunrise I set up two 'long haired heroes' coated with silver, destroyers of enemies, one to the left, one to the right. I led Sin, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna -my lords- in procession from Babylon, my royal city, and in joy and gladness I caused them to dwell in its midst, a dwelling of enjoyment. I performed in their presence a pure sacrifice of glorification, presented my gifts, and filled Ehulhul with the finest products, and I made the city of Harran, in its totality, as brilliant as moonlight.
[ii.26-43a] O Sin, king of the gods of heaven and the netherworld, without whom no city or country can be founded, nor be restored, when you enter Ehulhul, the dwelling of your plenitude, may good recommendations for that city and that temple be set on your lips. May the gods who dwell in heaven and the netherworld constantly praise the temple of Sin, the father, their creator. As for me, Nabonidus king of Babylon, who completed that temple, may Sin, the king of the gods of heaven and the netherworld, joyfully cast his favorable look upon me and every month, in rising and setting, make my ominous signs favorable. May he lengthen my days, extend my years, make my reign firm, conquer my enemies, annihilate those hostile to me, destroy my foes. May Ningal, the mother of the great gods, speak favorably before Sin, her beloved, on my behalf. May Šamaš and Ištar, his shining offspring, recommend me favorably to Sin, the father, their creator. May Nusku, the august vizier, hear my prayer and intercede for me.
[ii.43b-46] The inscription written in the name of Aššurbanipal, king of Assyria, I found and did not alter. I anointed it with oil, performed a sacrifice, placed it with my own inscription, and returned it to its place.
[ii.47-iii.7] For Šamaš, the judge of heaven and the netherworld, concerning Ebabbar ['shining house'], his temple which is in Sippar, which Nebuchadnezzar, a former king had rebuilt and whose old foundation deposit he had looked for but not found -yet he rebuilt that temple and after forty-five years the walls of that temple had sagged- I became troubled, I became fearful, I was worried and my face showed signs of anxiety. miniatyr|Nabonidussylinder fra Sippar: utdrag om Naram-Sin og Sargon While I led Šamaš out of its midst and caused him to dwell in another sanctuary, I removed the debris of that temple, looked for its old foundation deposit, dug to a depth of eighteen cubits into the ground and then Šamaš, the great lord, revealed to me the original foundations of Ebabbar, the temple which is his favorite dwelling, by disclosing the foundation deposit of Naram-Sin, son of Sargon, which no king among my predecessors had found in three thousand and two hundred years.
In the month Tašrîtu, in a propitious month, on an auspicious day, which Šamaš and Adad had revealed to me by means of divination, upon beds of silver and gold, choice gems, logs of resinous woods, aromatic herbs, and cuts of cedar wood, in joy and gladness, on the foundation deposit of Naram-Sin, son of Sargon, not a finger's breadth too wide or too narrow, I laid its brick work. Five thousand massive beams of cedar wood I set up for its roofing. Lofty doors of cedar wood, thresholds and pivots I affixed at its gates. Ebabbar, together with E-kun-ankuga ['pure stairway to heaven'], its ziggurat, I built anew and completed its work. I led Šamaš, my lord, in procession and, in joy and gladness, I caused him to dwell in the midst of his favorite dwelling.
[iii.8-10] The inscription in the name of Naram-Sin, son of Sargon, I found and did not alter. I anointed it with oil, made offerings, placed it with my own inscription and returned it to its original place.
[iii.11-21] O Šamaš, stor herren himmelen og underverdenen, lys av gudene -dine fedre - avkom av Synd og Ningal, når du går inn Ebabbar din kjære tempel, når du tar opp residens i ditt evige pallen, ser med glede på meg, Nabonidus, Babel-kongen, prinsen din vaktmester, den som behager deg, og bygget ditt august kapell, og ved mine gode gjerninger, og hver dag ved soloppgang og solnedgang, i himmelen og på jorden, gjør min forvarsler gunstig, godta mine bønner og motta mine bønner. Med septer og legitime ansatte som er plassert i hendene mine kan jeg som regel alltid.