Position in chronology
SAA 08 251. Predicting an Eclipse of the Moon in Elul (RMA 030) [eclipses]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) If the moon becomes visible on the 1st day: reliable speech, the land will become happy. (3) If the moon at its appearance wears a crown: the king will reach the highest rank. (5) If at the moon's appearance its right horn becomes long, its left horn short: the king will conquer a land not his own. (8) If the moon at its appearance is very large: there will be an eclipse. (r 1) If the moon at its appearance becomes very bright: the harvest of the land will prosper. (r 3) The day reached its normal length: a reign of long days. — (The moon) will complete the 30th day. (r 6) In Elul (VI) the moon will make an eclipse (concerning) Elam. (r 8) From Nergal-eṭir.
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P237863/
Why it matters
Transliteration
1 30 UD 01-KÁM IGI-ir KA GI.NA / ŠÀ KUR DÙG.GA / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú AGA a-pir / LUGAL a-šá-ri-du-ti il-lak / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú SI ZAG-šú GÍD.DA-ma / SI KAB-šú ik-ru / LUGAL KUR la šu-a-tum ŠU-su i-kaš-šad / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú ma-gal GAL / AN.MI GAR-an / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú ma-gal ib-ta-il / BURU₁₄ KUR SI.SÁ / UD-mu a-na mi-na-ti-šú GÍD.DA / BALA-e UD-MEŠ GÍD.DA-MEŠ / UD 30-KÁM ú-šal-lam-ma / 1 ina ITI.KIN AN.MI NIM.MA.KI / d30 GAR-an / šá mdU.GUR—⸢KAR⸣-ir
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 P237863.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237863). 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/P237863/.
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