Position in chronology
SAA 04 296. Fragment Referring to the Cimmerians (PRT 138) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) If the middle of the 'station' is effaced: Ištar is filled with anger at the man. For the sick man: his illness will linger. (3) The 'path,' 'strength,' and 'well-being' are present. (4) In the left of the gall bladder there is a 'foot'-mark which faces the base of the 'finger.' (5) The left of the gall bladder is split. The 'base of the throne' is present. (6) The front of the gall bladder is located to the right. (7) A 'weapon'-mark is present. The 'finger' is raised and turned. (8) The 'weapon'-mark of the 'increment' rises to the left. (9) If the upper part and the lower part are in…
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/P336366/
Why it matters
Transliteration
BE MURUB₄ NA pa-áš-ṭa / d15 lib-bat LÚ DIRI-at ana <GIG> GIG-us-su / GÍD.DA-ik GÍR KALAG SILIM GAR-MEŠ / BE ina 150 ZÉ GÌR SUḪUŠ ŠU.SI IGI / BE 150 ZÉ DU₈ ŠUB—AŠ.TE GAR-in / BE ZÉ IGI-MEŠ-šá ana 15 GAR-MEŠ / BE GIŠ.TUKUL GAR ŠU.SI ZI? u GUR-úr / BE GIŠ.TUKUL MÁŠ ana 150 ZI-bi / BE AN.TA-tum KI.TA-tum šit-qu-la / taš-nin-tum mur-ta-mu i-zi-nu-ú / BE ku-tal MUR 15 DU₈ suḫ-ḫur-ti ERIM-MU ku-[tal x x…
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 P336366.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P336366). 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/P336366/.
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