Position in chronology
SAA 04 136. Fragment Similar to No. 132 (AGS 086) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(Beginning destroyed) (r 1) [Disregard that he who touches the forehead of the sheep is dressed in] his ordinary soiled garments, has eaten, drunk, (or) anointed himself with [anything unclean, (or) has altered] or changed [the proceedings]. (r 4) [Disregard that I, the] haruspex your servant, [am dressed in] my ordinary [soiled] garments, have s[een f]ear and terror [at night, or have] jumbled [the oracle query in my mouth].Let them be taken out [and put aside]! (r 7) [I ask you, Šamaš, great lord], whether the th[ings written on this papyrus and placed] before your great divinity [will be…
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/P238999/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[e-zib šá TAG-it SAG.KI UDU.NÍTA] TÚG gi-né-e-šú ár-[šat lab-šú] / [mim-ma lu-ʾu-ú] ⸢KÚ⸣ NAG-ú ŠÉŠ-šú ú—[lu] / [ku-un ŠU.2 BAL-ú] uš-⸢pe⸣-[lu] / [e-zib šá a-na-ku DUMU—LÚ].ḪAL ARAD-ka TÚG gi-né-e-[a ár-šat] / [lab-šá-ku i-na MI gi]-lit-ti pi-rit-ti ⸢IGI⸣-[ru] / [ú—lu ta-mit i-na KA-ia ip]-tar-ri-du lu-ú ZI-[MEŠ lu-ú BAR-MEŠ] / [a-šal-ka dUTU EN GAL]-ú ki-i di-ib-[bi šá i-na] / [ni-a-ra an-na-a…
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 P238999.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P238999). 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/P238999/.
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