Zvartnots (A 12-8)
In the late 19th century, the stele was found beneath the ruins of the northwest gate of the church of Surp Zvartnots. It is displayed outdoors in front of the museum at the medieval Armenian site of Zvartnots, a few kilometers east of Echmiadzin (now Vagharshapat) in Armenia. The stele is 2.70 m high, 64 cm wide, and 36 cm thick. It is inscribed on one side with an inscription of Rusa II that celebrates the founding of a new city and developments around it. It further mentions animal offerings to various deities and ends with a curse formula. The stele is on display by the museum at the Zvartnots ruins.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-e EN-ŠÚ i-ni
2 NA4pu-lu-si mru-sa-a-še
3 mar-giš-te-hi-ni-še ku-gu-ni
4 dhal-di-ni-ni uš-ma-ši-ni
5 mru-sa-a-še mar-giš-te-hi-ni-še
6 a-li KURqu-ub-li-ni hu-bi-i
7 qi-ú-ra-a-ni šú-li-e ma-nu
8 ú-i gi-e-i iš-ti-ni ma-nu-⸢ri⸣
9 ⸢šú⸣-ki dhal-di-še ú-bar-du-du-ni
10 ⸢i⸣-e-še i-ni GIŠul-di-⸢e⸣
11 ⸢te⸣-ru-bi GÁN GIŠÚ.ŠE GIŠza-⸢ri⸣
12 šú-hi-e iš-ti-ni te-ru-ú-⸢bi⸣
13 URU šú-hi iš-ti-ni šá-tú-ú-ú-⸢li⸣
14 pi-li ÍDil-da-ru-ni-a-ni
15 ⸢a⸣-gu-ú-bi ú-me-ši-ni ti-ni
16 ⸢i⸣-nu-ka-hi-ni-e mru-sa-i-ni-e
17 hu-bi-gi a-še pi-li ni-ki-du-li
18 UDU.MÁŠ.TUR dhal-di-e
19 ni-ip-si-du-li-ni UDU dhal-di-e
20 ŠUM UDU dIM-a UDU dUTU-ni-⸢e⸣
21 še-ha-di-e da-ni-qu-gi-⸢e⸣
22 ⸢a⸣-še AMEŠ e-ši-a-ṣi-ú-li
23 ⸢MÁŠ⸣.TUR dhal-di-e ni-ip-si-du-li
24 UDU dhal-di-e ŠUM UDU dIM-⸢a⸣
25 ⸢UDU⸣ dUTU-ni-e še-ha-di ⸢da-ni-ta⸣
26 [m]ru-sa-a-ni mar-giš-te-hi-e
27 [MAN] DAN-NU MAN al-su-i-ni MAN-ni
28 [KUR]šú-ra-u-e MAN KURbi-a-i-na-a-u-e
29 [MAN] MANMEŠ-ú-e a-lu-si-⸢e⸣
30 URUṭu-uš-pa-e pa-ta-ri
31 [m]ru-sa-a-še mar-giš-te-hi-ni-še
32 ⸢a⸣-li a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te-⸢e⸣
33 ⸢tú⸣-li-e a-lu-še pi-tú-li-e
34 ⸢a⸣-lu-še e-si-i-ni su-u-i-du-li
35 ⸢a⸣-lu-še KITIM ⸢hi⸣-pu-li-i-e
36 ⸢a⸣-lu-še AMEŠ hu-šú-li-e
37 [a]-lu-še ú-li-še ti-ú-li-e
38 ⸢i⸣-e-še za-du-ú-bi a-lu-še
39 ⸢ti⸣-ni-ni tú-li-e ma-si-e
40 ⸢ti⸣-ni te-li-i-e a-i
41 KURbi-a-i-ni-še-e a-i
42 [KUR]lu-lu-i-ni-še dhal-di-še
43 ⸢d⸣IM-še dUTU-ni-še DINGIRMEŠ-še
44 ⸢mì⸣-i ti-i-ni mì-i
45 ar-mu-zi-i mì-i
46 ⸢zi⸣-il-bi-i qi-ú-ra-i-⸢di⸣
47 ⸢ku⸣-li-e-tú-ú-⸢ni⸣
Translation:
“(1) For the god Haldi, his Lord, Rusa, son of Argišti, erected this stele. (4) Through the protection of the god Haldi, Rusa, son of Argišti, says: the valley of the land of Qublini was void, nothing was there; (9) As soon as(?) the god Haldi gave the command, I planted this vineyard, (and) I planted a grain field and a new fruit orchard. (13) I founded a new city (or: settlement) there, I dug a canal from the river Ildarunia, –Umešini is (its) name – in the appertaining valley of Rusa. (17b) When the canal flows, a lamb should be sacrificed for the god Haldi, a sheep for the god Haldi, a sheep for the Weather-God, a sheep for the Sun-God should be sacrificed, (and) a cow(?) for the deity Aniqu. (22) When the waters decrease(?) a kid should be sacrificed for the god Haldi (and) a sheep should be sacrificed for the god Haldi. A sheep for the Weather-God, a sheep for the Sun-God, (and) a cow(?) for the deity Anita. (26) (I am) Rusa, son of Argišti, strong king, great king, king of the lands, king of the Bia lands, king of kings, lord of Ṭušpa-City. (31) Rusa, son of Argišti, says: (as for the one) who destroys this inscription, (as for the one) who damages it, (34) (as for the one) who removes it from its place, (as for the one) who throws it down to earth, (36) (as for the one) who throws it into the water, (as for anyone) else who says: ‘I made it,’ (38b) (as for the one) who erases (my) name and puts his name, (may it be) either an Urartian, or a foreigner, (42a) may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, the Sun-God (and all) the gods annihilate his name, his offspring, his progeny from (lit. towards) the earth.”
References:
König, F. W. 1955. Handbuch der Chaldischen Inschriften, Graz (No. 126).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 579–581, v. 3 pp. 360–362, v. 5 pp. 332–334.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007107).
CTU A 12-8 = CICh 151 = HchI 126 = UKN 281 = KUKN 421
Image Sources:
Beko, 2016 (CC BY-SA 4.0)