The Sitz im Leben of Esarhaddon's Apology

Abstract

Since the publication of Hayim Tadmor's seminal 1983 essay, “Autobiographical Apology in the Royal Assyrian Literature,” scholars have almost universally accepted that the imminent nomination of Ashurbanipal as crown prince provided the impetus for the composition of Esarhaddon's apology (i 8–ii 11 of his Nineveh A inscription). In this article, I reassess this conclusion. I suggest instead that the defeat of the Assyrian army in Egypt in 674 BCE raised concerns about Esarhaddon's legitimacy, concerns fueled by his assumption of his murdered father's throne in dubious circumstances. Esarhaddon therefore commissioned the apology as one part of a greater propagandistic campaign to reinforce his legitimacy. I conclude by showing that although Tadmor's work is often cited to support connecting the apology's composition exclusively to Ashurbanipal's nomination, the eminent historian also considered the Egyptian debacle to have undermined Esarhaddon's position on the throne, providing him with impetus to commission the Nineveh A inscription.