Palu (A 5-5)
The inscription is carved into a large rock niche at the edge of a cliff atop Palu Fortress, located by the Murat River near the town of Palu in Elazığ. It was first copied by A. H. Layard in 1847. The niche is 3.20 m high, 1.66 m wide, and 35 cm deep. The main part of the inscription, a celebration by King Minua of his successful campaign in the area, is written in the upper half of the niche. The seven-line text at the bottom is a curse formula against anyone who damages the monument. On a blank section of the niche, there is a short 19th-century inscription in Arabic script.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-ni uš-ta-a-be ma-si-ni-i-e
2 GIŠšú-ri-e ka-ru-ni URUše-be-te-ri-a-ni
3 KUR-ni-e ka-ru-ni URUhu-za-na-a-ni KUR-ni-e
4 ka-ru-ni KURṣu-pa-a-ni dhal-di-i ku-ru-ni
5 dhal-di-i-ni GIŠšú-ri-i ku-ru-ni
6 dhal-di-ni-ni uš-ma-ši-ni uš-ta-a-be
7 mmì-nu-a-ni miš-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hé
8 ha-ú-ni URUše-be-te-ri-a-ni KURe-ba-ni-e
9 ha-ú-ni URUhu-za-a-na-ni KURe-ba-ni-e
10 ha-ú-ni KURṣu-ú-pa-a-ni ku-ṭu-ni
11 pa-a-ri-e KURha-a-ti-i-na-a
12 dhal-di-e-i NA4pu-lu-si ku-gu-u-ni
13 URUše-be-te-ri-a dhal-di-i ia-ra-ni
14 ši-di-iš-tú-ni URUše-be-te-ri-a a-su-ni
15 ⸢KUR?.KUR?⸣MEŠ-li-e ha-a-ú-a-li
16 MAN URUmì-li-ṭi5-i-a-al-hí ʾa-al-du-ú-ni
17 me-ši-ni pi-i dhal-di-ni-ni al-su-u-i-ši-i-ni
18 mmì-nu-a-ni miš-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hé
19 MAN DAN-NU MAN al-su-ú-i-ni-e
20 MAN KURbi-i-a-i-na-a-ú-e
21 a-lu-si-e URUṭu-uš-pa-a-e URU
(blank space)
22 mmì-nu-a-še a-li a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te
23 pi-tú-li-i-e a-lu-še tú-ú-li-i-e
24 a-lu-še ú-li-e i-ni-li du-li
25 tú-ri-ni-ni dhal-di-še dIM-še dUTU-še
26 DINGIRMEŠ-še ma-a-ni dUTU-ni pi-e-i-ni-e
27 mì-i ar-hi ú-ru-li-a-ni mì-i i-na-i-ni
28 mì-i na-ra-a a-ú-i-e ú-lu-ú-li-e
Translation:
“(1) The god Haldi set off with his weapon, he conquered the territory of the city Šebeteria, (3) he conquered the territory of the city Huzana, he conquered the land Ṣupa (Sofene). (4b) Behind(?) the god Haldi, behind(?) the weapon of the god Haldi, (6) through the protection of the god Haldi Minua, son of Išpuini, set off, (8) he conquered the territory of the city Šebeteria, (9) he conquered the territory of the city Huzana, (10) he conquered the land Ṣupa. He came to the land Hati (Hatti). (12) He set up a stele for the god Haldi. (13) In the city Šebeteria, he built a chapel(?) of the god Haldi. (14b) Near by the city Šebeteria he conquered (some) lands. (16) He put the king of Miliṭia (Malatya) under tribute. (17b) Through the greatness of the god Haldi I am Minua, son of Išpuini, (19) strong king, great king, king of the Bia lands, lord of Ṭušpa-City. (22) Minua says: (as for the one) who destroys this inscription, (as for the one) who damages it, (24) (as for the one) who makes anyone else do such things, (25) may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, the Sun-God and (all) the gods annihilate him under the sun! . . . (rest untranslatable)”
References:
Köroğlu, K. & A. M. Dinçol. 1989. “Palu yazıtı üzerine bir not”, Anadolu Araştırmaları 11, 123–129.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 192–193, v. 3 pp. 119–120, v. 5 pp. 108–109.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006903).
CTU A 5-5 = CICh 31 = HchI 25 = UKN 39 = KUKN 56
Image Sources:
Bora Bilgin, 2024