Position in chronology
SAA 08 506. New Moon on 1st Day (RMA 045) [lunar]
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's position at its appearance is stable: the gods will make a favorable decision about the land. (5) I.e., it becomes visible on the 1st day. (6) If the day reaches its normal length: a reign of [long] day[s. ......] (r 1) — [The 30th day] will complete [the length of the month. On the 14th day] (the moon) will be seen [with the sun]. (r 3) Elul (VI), Tishri (VII), [Marchesvan (VIII), Kislev (IX)], these four months the moon became visible on the 1st day. [That is good] for the king my [lord ......]. (r 7) The ki[ng ......] (Rest destroyed)
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P237304/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[1] 30 ina UD 01-KÁM [IGI] / KA GI.NA ŠÀ [KUR DÙG-ab] / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú KI.GUB-su* GI.[NA] / DINGIR-MEŠ GALGA KUR ana MÍ.SIG₅ GALGA-⸢MEŠ⸣ / šá ina UD 01-KÁM in-nam-ma-⸢ru⸣-[ma] / 1 UD ana mi-na-ti-šú GÍD.DA / BALA UD-⸢MEŠ⸣ [GÍD.DA-MEŠ] / [x x x x x x x x] GUB? / [mi-na-at ITI UD 30]-KÁM ú-šal-lam-[ma] / [UD 14-KÁM KI dUTU] ⸢in⸣-nam-mar [o] / ITI.KIN ITI.⸢DU₆⸣ [ITI.APIN ITI.GAN] / 04 ITI-MEŠ ⸢an⸣-[nu-ti] / 30! UD 01-KÁM IGI [du-un-qu] / šá LUGAL be-[lí-ia x x x x] / ⸢LUGAL⸣ [x x x x x x]
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 P237304.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237304). 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/P237304/.
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