Position in chronology
SAA 04 282. Is Šamaš-šumu-ukin Fleeing to Elam? (PRT 109) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [The base of the 'station'] is protruding pointedly. The 'path' is present. (2) [...] is present. The left of the gall bladder is attached. (3) [If in the t]op of the left surface of the 'finger' there is a 'weapon'-mark which faces the [top] of the 'finger': the enemy's [ons]laught will be successful. (5) [If] there is a 'weapon'-mark [abo]ve the 'increment' which rises from right [to l]eft: my army will take the enemy's booty. (7) If the 'mass' rides upon the left of the gall bladder: the mass of the enemy's army (will march) against my country. (8) The upper part is elevated. (9) The…
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/P237755/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[BE SUḪUŠ NA] šá-miṭ GÍR GAR / [x x x] GAR 150 ZÉ ṣa-mid / [BE ina] ⸢SAG EDIN⸣ 150 U GIŠ.TUKUL GAR-ma / [SAG] U IGI ⸢ZI⸣-ib? KÚR kaš-du / [BE ina] ⸢UGU⸣ MÁŠ GIŠ.TUKUL GAR-ma TA 15 / [ana] ⸢150⸣ te-bi ERIM-ni ḫi-im-ṣa-ta ERIM KÚR KÚ / BE gíp-ši 150 ZÉ U₅ gíp-ši ERIM KÚR ana KUR-MU / BE AN.TA-ti DU-ik / BE SA-ti UGU U.SAG U₅ / BE ina 150 MUR GÌR GAG.ZAG.GA SAG-sà DU₈ / BE ŠÀ.NIGIN 14 ŠÀ UDU.NÍTA…
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 P237755.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237755). 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/P237755/.
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