Position in chronology
SAA 04 107. Will the Assyrian Army Conquer a City Named on Papyrus? (AGS 094) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(Beginning destroyed) (1) [within this stipulated term, should Esarhaddon, king of Assyria], who is no[w intent on ......, (and whom) your great] divinity [knows, ......]? (4) [Will ...... th]at city [......] (5) either through [......] (6) that city [......]? (7) Will the army o[f Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, conquer it]? (8) Will he who can see, see [it? Will he who can hear, hear it? Does your great divinity know it]? (9) Disregard what happens af[ter my stipulated term ......]. (10) Disregard what [they speak] with [(their) mouths, or what they think]. (11) Disregard the (formulation) of…
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/P238981/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[i-na ši-kin a-dan-ni šu-a-ti mdaš-šur—ŠEŠ—SUM-na LUGAL KUR—aš-šur.KI] / šá ⸢TA⸣-[an-ni x x x x x x x x x x ti-iṣ-mu-ru-ma] / DINGIR-ut-[ka GAL-ti ZU-u x x x x x x x x x x x x] / URU šu-[a-ti x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x] / lu-ú ina ṣa-[x x x x x x x x x x x x x x] / URU šu-a-⸢ti⸣ [x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x] / e-mu-⸢qu šá⸣ [mdaš-šur—ŠEŠ—SUM-na LUGAL KUR—aš-šur.KI i-kaš-šá-a-da] / IGI-ru…
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 P238981.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P238981). 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/P238981/.
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