As Shalmaneser I lived over
six hundred years earlier than Esarhaddon, he was obviously in a better
position to ascertain the periods at which the events recorded took
place, but the discrepancy between the figures he gives and those of
Esarhaddon is disconcerting. It shows that Assyrian scribes could make
bad mistakes in their reckoning, and it serves to cast discredit on the
absolute accuracy of the chronological notices contained in other
late Assyrian inscriptions. So far from helping to settle the unsolved
problems of Assyrian chronology, these two recent finds at Sherghat
have introduced fresh confusion, and Assyrian chronology for the earlier
periods is once more cast into the melting pot.
In addition to the recovery of the names of hitherto unknown early
rulers of Assyria, the recent excavations at Sherghat have enabled us to
ascertain the true reading of the name of Shalmaneser I's grandfather,
who reigned a considerable time after Assyria had gained her
independence. The name of this king has hitherto been read as Pudi-ilu,
but it is now shown that the signs composing the first part of the name
are not to be taken phonetically, but as ideographs, the true reading of
the name being Arik-den-ilu, the signification of which is "Long
(i.e. far-reaching) is the judgment of God." Arik-den-ilu was a great
conqueror, as were his immediate descendants, all of whom extended the
territory of Assyria.
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