Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

SAA 08 303. New Moon on 1st Day, Meteor (RMA 028) [lunar, occasional]

~670 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·P236917

Translation · reference

High confidence
(1) If the moon becomes visible on the 1st day: reliable speech; [the land will become happy]. (2) If the day reaches its normal length: [a reign of long days]. (3) If the moon at its appearance is covered with white patches: kursissu will attack and devour the sesame. — It is seen with [......]. (7) If (the moon) [wears] a crown: the king will reach the highest rank. (r 2) [If] a star flares up and sets like a torch [fr]om west to east: the enemy will conquer a border town of mine in Elam; (fall) of the army of Elam. (r 6) From Zakir.

Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P236917/

Why it matters

Transliteration

1 30 ina UD 01-KÁM IGI KA GI.[NA ŠÀ KUR DÙG] / 1 UD-me ana ŠID-ME-šú GÍD.DA ⸢BALA⸣ [UD-MEŠ GÍD.DA-MEŠ] / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú UD ZÁLAG e-di-[iḫ] / ku-ru-sis-su ZI-ma / ŠE.GIŠ.Ì KÚ / KI [x x] IGI-ma / 1 AGA [a-pir] LUGAL a-šá-ri-du-tú / DU-ak / [1] MUL SUR-ma ki-ma di-pa-ri / ⸢TA⸣ dUTU.ŠÚ ana dUTU.È ŠÚ ina KUR.NIM.KI / ⸢URU⸣ ZAG-MU KÚR KUR <ŠUB>-tim / ERIM-ni šá KUR.NIM.KI [x x] / šá mza-kir

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 P236917.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P236917). 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/P236917/.

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