Ashurbanipal
/ˌæʃ.ʊərˈbæn.ɪ.pəl/noun
An Assyrian king of the 7th century BCE, famed for his military power and the Library of Ashurbanipal.
Did you know?Like many ancient royal names, Ashurbanipal is a theophoric name built around a god’s name, turning identity itself into a public act of divine legitimation.
Etymological Timeline
Neo-Assyrian period
Akkadian
Aššur-bāni-apli
“‘Ashur is the creator of an heir’ or ‘Ashur has created an heir’”
Ancient Assyria
Akkadian
Aššur
“The national god and namesake of Assyria”
Ancient Mesopotamia
Akkadian
bānu
“to create, build, produce”
Ancient Mesopotamia
Akkadian
aplu
“son, heir”
Classical Antiquity
Greek/Latin
Asurbanipal / Sardanapalus
“Greek and Latin renderings of the Assyrian royal name, later distorted in transmission”
Modern English
English
Ashurbanipal
“Standard modern form of the Assyrian king’s name”