Honor God

This excerpt shows us a little bit about the author's beliefs and some of the type of things he grew up with. For example, Ahikar talks a lot about God and how Nadan should respect and work to honor God. So that must mean that the author has some kind of belief in God and his power. This passage gives us a glimpse of the civilizations belief in heredity and who should receive what after the passing of a relative. In the summary, before the text, it explains how Ahikar did not have any male descendants so he decided to pass on his wisdom to his nephew. This shows us that typically a male descendant would receive the best "stuff" the family rather than a female. This also shows us a little about the position and view of Men and women in the civilization and how women are not equal to men. The artist might have been a scribe or assistant to the king because the art shows how the civilization reigned victorious and the king probably wanted his victory recorded. These panels show us that the civilization was in a period of war, because of course, the panels depict a battle scene. It also tells us that the king thought this battle was important to his civilization and his reign over it. In the beginning of my government, five kings . . . with an army of twenty thousand men . . .--and whose power no king had ever broken and overcome in battle--trusting to their strength rushed down and conquered the land of Qummuh (Commagene). With the help of Ashur, my lord, I gathered my war chariots and assembled my warriors; I made no delay, but traversed Kashiari, an almost impassable region. I waged battle in Qummuh with these five kings and their twenty thousand soldiers and accomplished their defeat. Like the Thunderer (the storm god Adad) I crushed the corpses of their warriors in the battle that caused their overthrow. I made their blood to flow over all the ravines and high places of mountains. I cut off their heads and piled them up at the walls of their cities like heaps of grain. I carried off their booty, their goods, and their property beyond reckoning. Six thousand, the rest of their troops, who had fled before my weapons and had thrown themselves at my feet, I took away as prisoners and added to the people of my country.

At that time I marched also against the people of Qummuh, who had become unsubmissive, withholding the tax and tribute due to Ashur, my lord. I conquered Qummuh to its whole extent, and carried off their booty, their goods, and their property; I burned their cities with fire, destroyed, and devastated.