Position in chronology
SAA 04 053. Fragment Similar to No. 52 (AGS 007) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(Beginning destroyed) (1) [Disregard that he who touches the fore]head of the sheep [is dressed] in his ordinary [soiled] garments. (2) [Disregard that I], the haruspex your servant, [am dressed] in my ordinary [soiled] garments, [(that) I have eaten, drun]k, or touched [anything unclean], (that) I have changed [or altered] the proceedings. (4) [Let them be taken out] and put aside! [Give me a firm positive ans]wer! (r 1) [I ask you, Šamaš], great [lord], whether from t[his] day, [the ...th day of the month ... of] this [year], to the 21st day of the mo[nth ...], (r 3) [... days] and nights, Kaštar[itu, city lord of Karkaššî ...] (Rest destroyed)
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/P238986/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[e-zib šá TAG-it pu]-ut UDU.NÍTA ⸢TÚG gi-né-e⸣-[šú ár-šat lab-šú] / [e-zib šá a-na-ku DUMU]—⸢LÚ⸣.ḪAL ARAD-ka TÚG gi-né-e-a [ár-šá-ti lab-šá-ku] / [mim-ma lu-ʾu-ú KÚ NAG]-⸢ú⸣ ú-lap-pi-tu ku-un ŠU BAL-[ú uš-pe-lu] / [lu-ú ZI-MEŠ-ḫa] lu-ú bé-e-ra an-[na GI.NA a-pal-an-ni] / [a-šal-ka dUTU EN] GAL-ú GIM TA UD-mu ⸢NE⸣-[i UD x-KÁM šá ITI.x] / [šá MU.AN.NA] ⸢an⸣-ni-ti EN UD 21-KÁM šá ⸢ITI⸣.[x x x x x x x x] / [x UD-MEŠ x]+⸢x⸣ MI-MEŠ mkaš-ta-⸢ri⸣-[ti EN—URU šá URU.kar—kaš-ši-i]
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 P238986.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P238986). 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/P238986/.
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