Position in chronology
SAA 08 178. Cancer in Lunar Halo (RMA 111) [planetary]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [The moon] was surrounded by a halo, Cancer [sto]od in it. This is its interpretation: (3) [If the moon] is surrounded by a halo and Cancer stands in it: the king of Akkad will extend the life. (5) [If the moon] is surrounded by a halo and the north wind blows: the gods will raise [..., and] the gods will provide good fortune for the land. (8) [If the moon] is surrounded by [a halo] and it lingers on: givi[ng of the re]ign to [the king]. (r 1) [If] there is fog [in the land]: plenty [for the people]. (r 2) [If] there is continually fog [in] the land: the dynasty of the land will rule the world. (r 4) [If] there is continuous fog every day: business will become abundant. (r 6) [From] Šumaya.
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P336433/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[d30] ⸢TÙR⸣ NIGIN-mi MUL.AL.LUL ina ŠÀ-bi / [it-ti]-ti-⸢iz⸣ an-ni-ú pi-še-er-šu / [1 30] ⸢TÙR⸣ NIGIN-ma MUL.AL.LUL ina ŠÀ-bi-šú / [iz]-⸢zi⸣-iz LUGAL URI.KI ba-la-ṭu ur-ra-ak / [1 30] ⸢TÙR⸣ NIGIN-ma IM.SI.SÁ DU-ik / [x] DINGIR-MEŠ ÍL-MEŠ-⸢šú⸣-[ma?] DINGIR-MEŠ / [du]-mu-uq KUR ú-kal-lu / [1 30 TÙR] NIGIN-ma id-lip na-⸢da⸣-[an] / [pa]-⸢le⸣-e a-na [LUGAL] / [1 ina KUR] IM.DUGUD GÁL-ši nu-ḫuš [UN-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 P336433.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P336433). 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/P336433/.
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