Sıhke (A 5-91)
The small stele was built into a wall in the church of Sıhke (now Bostaniçi) village, where its outward-facing back was seen and copied in the late 1820s by F. E. Schulz. In 1898/99, W. Belck and Lehmann removed the stele and transported it to Van. It was later transferred to Tbilisi, where it remains in the Georgian Museum. It measures 1 m in height, 36.5 cm in width, and 22 cm in depth. The text celebrates the abilities of a horse of Minua named Arṣibini, which allegedly jumped 22 cubits (10 m)—a world record by modern standards. The reverse side, damaged by a later carved cross, contains a curse formula against damaging the stele.
Transliteration:
obverse
1 ⸢d⸣hal-di-ni-⸢ni⸣
2 uš-ma-a-ši-⸢ni⸣
3 [m]mì-nu-ú-a-⸢še⸣
4 [m]iš-pu-u-i-ni-hi-ni-⸢še⸣
5 ⸢a⸣-li i-nu-ka-ni
6 ⸢e⸣-si-ni-ni ANŠE.KUR.RA
7 ⸢ar⸣-ṣi-bi-ni ti-ni
8 mmì-nu-a pi-i
9 a-iš-ti-bi 22 1-KÙŠ
reverse
1 [mmì]-nu-a-⸢še⸣
2 [a]-li ⸢a⸣-lu-še
3 ⸢i⸣-ni ⸢pu⸣-lu-si
4 ⸢e⸣-si-i-ni
5 su-u-i-du-⸢li⸣-e
6 tú-⸢ri-ni⸣-ni
7 dhal-di-še
8 dIM-še dUTU-še
9 ma-ni ar-mu-zi
10 NUMUN.NUMUN d[UTU] pi-ni
Translation:
“(obv. 1) Through the protection of the god Haldi Minua, son of Išpuini, says: (5) from this place the horse named Arṣibini jumped under Minua 22 cubits. (rev. 1) Minua says: (as for the one) who removes? this stele from its place (6) may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, (and) the Sun-God annihilate him and (his) offspring and the offspring of (his) offspring under [the sun (or: the Sun-God)].”
References:
Lehmann-Haupt, C. F. 1928–1935. Corpus Inscriptionum Chaldicarum, Berlin-Leipzig (No. 102).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 p. 264, v. 3 p. 188, v. 5 p. 181.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006989).
CTU A 5-91 = CICh 55 = HchI 75 = UKN 110 = KUKN 136
Image Sources:
M. Salvini, 2008
Sihke (A 18-5)
A small fragment of an annalistic text from Sihke, northeast of the city of Van, was seen and copied in the 19th century but was subsequently lost. A separately published marble fragment, said to have been found in a cave near Karataş in the Gevaş region and measuring 14 cm high and 53 cm wide, is believed to be the same fragment.
Transliteration:
1 […]-na-ni LÚ É.GAL-ni LÚARAD […]
2 […]-ni-i É-gi 3? LIM 5 ME 51 PIT-[HAL–LUMEŠ]
3 […] a?-zi?-bi i-šá-na ap-ti-i-ni […]
Translation:
“. . . a man of the fortress, servant [. . .] . . . of the house. 3551 horsemen . . . azibi from that side [. . .].”
References:
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 p. 646, v. 5 pp. 358–359.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007120).
CTU A 18-5 = CICh 175 = HchI Inc 77a(=77b!) = UKN 311a–c = KUKN 483