English: Basalt statue of King Shalmaneser III, 858-824 BCE (Neo-Assyrian Period). Found in Assur (Qala't Sharqat). Today it is displayed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, in the Museum of the Ancient Orient section. This text is from a display at this statue, a translation of script on the actual statue:

The king gives a brief account of his genealogical titles and characteristics as follows:

"Shalmaneser, the great king, the mighty king, king of all the four regions, the powerful and the mighty rival of the princes of the whole universe, the great ones, the kings, son of Assur-Naşirapli, king of universe, king of Assyria, grandson of Tukulti-Ninurta, king of universe, king of Assyria."

The inscription continues with describing his campaigns and deeds of the lands of Urartu, Syria, Namri, Que and Tabal, and ends with this:

"At that time I rebuilt the walls of my city Ashur from their foundations to their summits. I made an image of my royal self and set it up by the metal-workers gate."