Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

SAA 08 382. Eclipse of the Moon in Kislev (RMA 085) [eclipses]

~670 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·P237867

Translation · reference

High confidence
(1) If the moon disappears: evil will be established for the land. (2) If the moon is carried off at an inappropriate time: there will be an eclipse. — The moon disappeared on the 24th day. (5) If the sun on the day of the moon's disappearance is surrounded by a halo: there will be an eclipse of Elam. (7) In Kislev (IX) there will be a watch for an eclipse. The halo which surrounded the sun, and the moon which disappeared, appeared for the sake of the eclipse watch of Kislev. The king should know it; let the king my lord be happy. (8) From Rašil the older, servant of the king.

Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P237867/

Why it matters

Transliteration

1 30 it-bal ḪUL-tim KUR GAR-an / 1 30 ina la mi-na-ti-šú bi-ib-lum ú-bil / AN.MI GAR-an / UD 24-KÁM 30 i-tab-bal-ma / 1 dUTU ina UD.NÁ.ÀM TÙR NÍGIN / AN.MI NIM.MA.KI GAR-an / ina ITI.GAN ma-ṣar-ti šá AN.MI / TÙR šá dUTU il-mu-ú / u 30 šá it-ba-lu / a-na ma-ṣar-ti šá AN.MI / šá ITI.GAN in-nam-mar / LUGAL lu i-di / ŠÀ-bi LUGAL be-lí-ia / lu ṭa-a-bi / šá mTUK-ši—DINGIR ARAD šá LUGAL IGI-u

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 P237867.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237867). 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/P237867/.

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