Position in chronology
SAA 08 053. Mars Stationary in Scorpius (RMA 070) [planetary]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) If the moon becomes visible in Sivan (III) on the 30th day: the Ahlamû will devour the wealth of the Westland. (3) If the moon becomes visible on the 30th day: there will be frost, variant: rumor of the enemy. (5) If the moon at its appearance is visible early: the month will bring worry. (7) 2 months after each other (the moon) rejected the day, Iyyar (II) (and) Sivan (III). (9) If a cloudbank lies to the right of the sun: Adad will devastate, variant: rains and floods will come. (r 2) Mars has turned around, started moving, and is going forward in Scorpius; that is a bad sign. (r 5) Let them finish the muster quickly. The going out of the king my lord should be rare, until we see how (Mars) moves and stands. (r 9) From Nabû-ahhe-eriba.
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P336402/
Why it matters
Transliteration
1 30 ina ITI.SIG₄ UD 30-KÁM IGI / ṭuḫ-du MAR.TU.KI aḫ-la-ma-a KÚ / 1 30 UD 30-KÁM IGI šu-ru-up-pu-u / KI.MIN ri-gim LÚ.KÚR GÁL-ši / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú ḫar-piš na-an-mur / ITI ni-ziq-tú ub-ba-la / 02 ITI-MEŠ da-rat a-ḫe-e-iš / UD-mu ut-tirir-ra ITI.GUD ITI.SIG₄ / 1 ina 15 20 ni-du na-di / dIM RA-iṣ KI.MIN A.AN-MEŠ A.KAL-MEŠ / il-lak-u-ni / MUL.ṣal-bat-a-nu is-su-uḫ-ur / ut-ta-me-iš ina…
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 P336402.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P336402). 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/P336402/.
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