Position in chronology
SAA 08 346. Invisibility of the Moon (RMA 249) [lunar]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [If the day of disapp]earance of the moon is at an inappropriate time: the ruin of the Gutians will take place. (3) That means the moon disappears on the 27th day. (4) If the day of disappearance of the moon in the third month [...]. there will be an eclipse, and the gods [......]. (6) 3 days [it stayed] inside the sky. (7) If the moon in Elul (VI) [becomes visible] on the 30th day: dispersal of the land [Subartu]. (9) On this 30th day [the moon became visible]. The lord of kings will say: "Is [the sign] not affected?" The moon disappeared on the 27th; the 28th and the 29th it stayed…
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P237877/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[1 UD].⸢NÁ⸣.ÀM ina* NU* ŠID-MEŠ-šú GÁL-ši / [šal]-pú-tim gu-ti-i GAR-an / [ša] UD 27-KÁM 30 TÙM-⸢ma⸣ / 1 UD.NÁ.ÀM ina ITI 03-šú [x x] / AN.MI GAR-ma DINGIR-MEŠ ki [x x] / 03 UD-mu ina AN-e [bu-ú-ut] / 1 30 ina ITI.KIN UD 30-[KÁM IGI] / BIR-aḫ KUR.[SU.BIR₄.KI] / UD 30-KÁM a-ga-a [d30 it-tan-mar] / EN LUGAL-MEŠ i-qab-bi um-[ma GISKIM?] / la la-pi-it UD 27-KÁM 30 it-ta-[bal] / UD 28-KÁM UD 29-KÁM…
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 P237877.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237877). 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/P237877/.
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