Position in chronology
SAA 08 051. Venus and Mercury in Sagittarius (RMA 209) [planetary]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) If Šarur and Šargaz in the sting of Scorpius keep gaining radiance: the weapons of Akkad will be raised. (3) — Venus becomes visible in Sagittarius. (4) If Ištar wears the crown of the moon: there will be wailings ... (6) "Wailings" are "weepings." (7) — Mercury stands in the wes[t behin]d Venus. (r 1) [If] Venus wea[rs] a black crown: [(pregnant) women] will give birt[h to male child]ren. (r 3) — A planet [stands] with [Venus]. (r 4) It is bad for the people of the land [...]. (r 5) If Venus [becomes visible ...] in Kislev (IX): [there will be] famine of barley and str[aw in the land]. (r 7) From Nabû-ahhe-eri[ba].
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P336511/
Why it matters
Transliteration
1 MUL.⸢ŠÁR.UR⸣ [u] MUL.⸢ŠÁR.GAZ ša zi-qit⸣ MUL.⸢GÍR⸣.[TAB] / it-ta-na-an-bi-ṭu GIŠ.TUKUL KUR—URI.KI ZI-ú / MUL.dil-bat ina ŠÀ MUL.PA.BIL.SAG in-na-mar-ma / 1 dU.DAR AGA d30 ap-rat MU NÍG.SI.SÁ / ú-ru-ba-a-ti GÁL-MEŠ / ú-ru-ba-a-ti bi-ka-a-⸢ti⸣ / MUL.UDU.IDIM.GUD.UD ina dUTU.ŠÚ.[A] / [ina] ⸢EGIR?⸣ MUL.dil-bat iz-za-az-[ma] / [1] ⸢MUL⸣.dil-bat AGA GI₆ ap-[rat MÍ.(PEŠ₄)-MEŠ] / [NITA]-⸢MEŠ⸣…
Scholarly note
Astrological report from a court scholar to an Assyrian king, edited by Hermann Hunger (SAA 8, 1992). Celestial and meteorological observation correlated with omens. ORACC text P336511.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P336511). source
Translation excerpted from Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P336511/.
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