Çelebibağ (A 11-1)
The upper section of a tall stele was first noticed by Lehmann and Belck in the 1890s, reused as a pavement stone in front of the mosque of the village of Çelebibağ, on the northern shore of Lake Van, about 8 km southwest of Erciş. A cross in a shallow niche indicates it was used as an Armenian gravestone in later ages. The stele was removed in 2009 and taken to the Van Museum. It is inscribed on both faces. The preserved section is 167 cm tall, 67 cm wide, and 35 cm thick. The text concerns Argišti II’s agricultural activities in the region and is a partial duplicate of another stele found nearby (Hagi, A 11-2).
Transliteration:
obverse
1 dhal-[di-e e-ú-ri]-i-e
2 i-ni [pu-lu-si mar-giš-ti]-še
3 m⸢ru⸣-[sa-hi-ni-še ku-gu]-⸢ú⸣-ni
4 ul-⸢ú?⸣-[gu-ši-ia-ni e-di]-ni
5 ma-⸢ni⸣-[ni dhal-di-ni bi-di]-ni
6 m⸢ar⸣-[giš-ti-e mru-sa-hi-ni]-e
7 [a-ru-ú-še e-ku-ú?-še? iš-pu-i]-še
8 [ul-gu-še pi-ṣu-ú-še al-su-i]-še
9 [e-ia-ar-di-še ar-a-ni uš-ma]-še
10 [dhal-di-ni-ni al-su-ši-ni EN-si-ni]-⸢ni⸣
11 [mar-giš-ti-še mru-sa-a-hi-ni]-še
12 [dhal-di-ni-še LÚARAD-še a]-li
13 [dhal-di-ni-ni uš-ma-ši-ni EN-si]-⸢ni⸣-ni
14 [a-lu-uš-me šú-i-ni e-si-ni mu]-ṣi
15 [ú-e-še-la-še ú-e-ši-i-gi a-lu]-⸢uš⸣-me
16 ⸢ṭu-bar⸣-[du-ni ú-bar-a-du-ia]-⸢a⸣-li
17 ⸢a-lu-uš⸣-[me] MAN-[tú-hi tar-a-gi a]-ru-ni
18 na-ha-di MAN-tú-[hi-ni-na-a] ⸢GIŠ⸣GU.ZA-a
19 te-ru-me GIŠ MAN-tú-[hi-ni]-i šú-gu-ki
20 uš-ha-nu-me ú-[e-še]-la-še ⸢mu⸣-ṣi
21 a-lu-ka ú-e-⸢ši⸣-[ia-ú]-li bur-ga-la-ni
22 KUR.KURMEŠ uš-ha-[nu-me] ⸢dhal⸣-di-še
23 EN-ú-še hu-ṭu-[tú-hi] ⸢gu-nu⸣-ú-še
24 e-ʾa ⸢LÚ⸣ÚTUL-⸢še⸣ šú-i-ni-i DU₆-i
25 mar-giš-ti-še a-li URUNA4.ANŠE-a
26 a-su-ni-e KURqu-ri-a-ka-a-⸢gi⸣
27 KIMEŠ qu-ul-di-ni ma-nu ú-i gi-i
28 ⸢ab⸣-si-i ⸢GÁN GIŠ⸣Ú.ŠE ul-di za-⸢a-ri⸣
29 iš-ti-ni ma-nu-ri ú-i PA5 iš-[ti-ni]
30 a-ga-ú-ri ⸢šú-ú-ki⸣ dhal-di-i-še
31 i-zi-du-ni a-ru-me dhal-di-še
32 za-du-bi i-ni ṣu-e a-su-a-hi-na
33 KURba-ba-na-di KURa-i-ri ṣu-e
34 KURba-ba-ni-e-di a-li-li
35 KURba-ba-ni-li ṣu-ni-a bi-di-i-e
36 KURam-ú-ni-ni KURbu-du-ú-a-ni
37 KURna-gi-li-a-ni KURšá-la-tar-a-ni
38 [KUR]ú-ra-e mar-giš-ti-še a-li
39 šú-si-ni ṣu-ni-ni e-si ú-i gi-i
40 [ab]-si-i am-ú-di iš-ti-ni ma-nu-ri
41 [ú-i] ⸢PA5⸣ a-ga-ú-ri ú-⸢te-e?⸣
42 [x x x] ⸢i-ni⸣ [x x x]
reverse
1 UDU ŠE 2 UDU d⸢te-i-še⸣-ba-a
2 UDU ŠE 2 UDU d[ši-ú-i-ni]-⸢e⸣
3 ⸢UDU? ŠE?⸣ UDU d[ʾa-ru-ba-i-ni]-⸢e⸣
4 UDU d⸢i-nu?-a⸣-[ú-e]
5 UDU d⸢i-nu?-a?⸣-[na-ú-e]
6 GU4? mar-giš-ti-⸢ni-e DINGIR⸣
7 GU4? mar-giš-ti-⸢ni-e NIN⸣
8 GU4? da-⸢ni?-qu?-ú?⸣-[gi?-e?]
9 4 UDU DINGIRMEŠ ⸢šú-i-ni⸣-ni
10 4 UDU DINGIRMEŠ x x x x
11 UDU d[x-x-x]-i? [x x x]
12 UDU dna-la-ni-[e]
13 UDU dqu-ú-⸢e-ra⸣-[a]
14 GU4 KURa-ia-ri? x x x
15 2 UDU KURba-ba-na-[ú]-e
16 GU4 d?i-x-x-x-x
17 20 UDU i-nu-ka-x x-di-ni
18 1 GU4 7 UDU at-qa-na-na-ka-i
19 a-la-gi KURqa-i-⸢na⸣-ru-ú
20 ú-i-la-ni-ni a-la-a-gi
21 dIM-ni-ni GIŠ⸢šú?-ri⸣-i-ni
22 4 ka-a-pi?-e ⸢ú?-ri?-ni?-e⸣
23 6 ṭí-ru-si GEŠTIN ⸢ar⸣-du-ú?-⸢ni?⸣
24 i-na-ni? KURx-x-ši-i-li
25 ( v a c a t )
26 a-še AMEŠ e-ši-a-ṣi-ú-li
27 UDU ŠE UDU dhal-di-i-e ŠUM
28 UDU dte-i-[še]-e-ba-a
29 UDU dši-ú-i-ni-⸢e⸣
30 UDU d⸢ʾa⸣-ru-ba-i-ni-e
31 UDU di-na?-a-ú-e
32 UDU di-nu-a-na-ú-e
33 UDU mar-giš-ti-ni-e DINGIR
34 UDU mar-giš-ti-ni-e dNIN
35 UDU da-la-i-ni-ni
36 UDU da-ni-qu-ú-e
37 UDU dú-x-x
38 [x x x x]-ú-e x
39 [UDU? d]⸢na⸣-la-i-ni-⸢i?-e?⸣
40 [x x x x] x e x [x x x x]
41 [x x x x] x x [x x x x]
Translation:
“(obv. 1) For the god Hal[di], his (or: the) [Lord, Argišti], son of R[usa, erec]ted this [stele] for his life. (5) Ma[y it be on be]half [of the god Haldi] for A[rgišti, son of Rusa], [aruše, ekuše, dom]inion(?), [life, joy, great]ness, [strength of a lion(?), favor(?), protec]tion. (10) [Through the greatness of the god Haldi, the (or: his) Lord, Argišti, son of Rusa, servant of the god Haldi, sa]ys: [Through the protection of the god Haldi, (his) Lord, who bestows(?) me faithfully with all the place(s) and power(?)], (15b) [w]ho [endowed] me with strength(?), who gave [me the mighty] king[ship], (18) I sat down [on the ro]yal throne, he placed in my hand the sceptre(?) of kingship, he granted me faithfully the [po]wer(?), he who rules the enemy lands, the god Haldi, the (or: his) Lord, granted me brave[ry(?)], pugnacity and leadership over all the highlands(?). (25) Argišti says: near the city NA4ANŠE, in front of Mount Quria, the land was deserted, nothing was there, not even a field of grain, a vineyard (nor) a fruit orchard was there, no canal had (ever) been dug there. (30b) Once the god Haldi gave the command, the god Haldi gave it to me. I made this lake asuahina, a lake towards the mountainous land Airi; towards the mountainous land whose mountains on the side of the lake are Mount Amuni, Mount Buduani, Mount Nagiliani, Mount Šalatarani, [Mount] Urae. (38b-42) Argišti says: aside from this one lake (there was) no place, not even an amudi was there, not (even) a canal had been dug, . . .
(rev. 1) a fat sheep and two sheep for the god Teišeba, (2) a fat sheep and two sheep for [the (Sun)-God Šiuini], (3) a fat sheep(?) and a sheep for the goddess [ʾArubaini], (4) a sheep for the godess Inua, (5) a sheep for the Inua goddesses(?), (6) an ox(?) for the (personal) god of Argišti, (7) an ox(?) for the (divine) Lady(?) of Argišti, (8) an ox(?) for the goddess Aniqu(?), (9) 4 sheep for the gods of the totality, (10) 4 sheep for the gods . . ., (11) a sheep for the god . . ., (12) a sheep for the god Nalani, (13) a sheep for the god Quera, (14) an ox for the mountain Aiari . . ., (15) two sheep for (all) the mountains, (16) x an ox(?) for the god(?) I-x, (17) 20 sheep from here(?), (18) 1 ox and 7 sheep in front of the sacrifices, (19) ordered(?) for(?) the land Qainaru, (20) uilanini ordered(?), (21) from the weapon of the Weather-God, (22) 4 kapi units for the wealth(?) (of the country), (23) 6 ṭirusi wine as an offering (24) of this mountain [x-x-]šili (25) (vacat) (26) When they let the water flow(?) (27) they shall sacrifice a fat sheep and a sheep for the god Haldi, (28) a sheep for (the Weather)-God Teišeba, (29) a sheep for (the Sun)-God Šiuini, (30) a sheep for the goddess ʾArubaini, (31) a sheep for the goddess Inua, (32) a sheep for the Inua goddesses(?), (33) a sheep for the (personal) god of Argišti, (34) a sheep for the divine Lady/(personal goddess) of Argišti, (35) a sheep for the god Alainini, (36) a sheep for the god Aniqu, (37) a sheep for the god U-x-x, (38) [a sheep] for the [ ], (39) [a sheep(?)] for the [god Na]laini (40) [ . . .]”
References:
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 535–537, v. 3 pp. 324–325, v. 5 pp. 301–305.
Salvini, M. 2010. “Die Stele Argišti’s II. aus Çelebibağı bei Erciş. Kollationen und Ergänzungen,” Hethitica 16, 151–174.
Salvini, M. 2010. “L’altra faccia della stele. Van, July 2009,” Orientalia 79, 120–129 and Plts. XII–XX.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007092).
CTU A 11-1 = CICh 148 = HchI 125 = UKN 275 = KUKN 407
Image Sources:
M. Salvini, 2018