Position in chronology
SAA 04 035. Will Scythian and Cimmerian Troops Invade Bit-Hamban? (AGS 036) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [Šamaš, great lord], give [me] a firm [positive answer to what I am asking you]! (2) [From this day, the 25th day of this month], Sivan (III), to the 24th day [of the coming month, Tammuz (IV), of this year, 30 days] and nights, the stipulated t[erm] — (4) [within this stipulated term, will the troops of] the Scythians, (and) the tro[ops of the Cimmerians emerge from the pass of ... to Bit]-Hamba[n ......] (Break) (r 2) [...... The 'finger' is th]ick. The upper part is eleva[ted ......]. (r 3) [...... The 'station' is pre]sent. The 'path' is present. The 'strength' and 'well-being' are…
Source: Starr, I. 1990. Queries to the Sungod: Divination and Politics in Sargonid Assyria. SAA 4. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa04/P238891/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[dUTU EN GAL-ú šá a-šal-lu-ka an-na] ⸢GI⸣.NA a-pal-[an-ni] / [TA UD an-ni-i UD 25-KAM šá ITI an-ni-i] ITI.SIG₄ a-di UD 24-[KAM] / [šá ITI TU-ba ITI.ŠU šá MU.AN.NA NE-ti 30 UD-MEŠ] 30 MI-MEŠ ši-kin a-[dan-ni] / [i-na ši-kin a-dan-ni šu-a-tu LÚ.ERIM-MEŠ] LÚ.iš-ku-za-a.a LÚ.[ERIM-MEŠ] / [LÚ.gi-mir-ra-a.a TA né-ri-bi šá URU.x x x a-na É]—⸢URU⸣.ḫa-am-⸢ban⸣ [x x x x x] / [x x x x x x x x x x BE U]…
Scholarly note
Extispicy query addressed to Šamaš, the sungod and patron of divination, edited by Ivan Starr (SAA 4, 1990). The king asks the deity to render a yes/no verdict on a political or military question. ORACC text P238891.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P238891). source
Translation excerpted from Starr, I. 1990. Queries to the Sungod: Divination and Politics in Sargonid Assyria. SAA 4. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa04/P238891/.
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