Position in chronology
SAA 08 101. Mars in Cancer, not Stationary (RMA 235) [planetary]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) Mars has reac[hed] Cancer and entered it. I kept wat[ch]: it did not become stationary, it did not stop; it tou[ched] the lower part (of Cancer) and goes on. (4) (Its) going out (of Cancer) remains to be s[een]. When it will have gone out I shall [send] its interpretation to the king my lord. (6) Maybe someone will wr[ite] to the king my lord as follows: "If a strange star (i.e. Mars) comes close to Cancer: the ruler will [die]." If it had become stationary (and) stopped, that [would have been evil-boding]; this is bad for Akkad. (10) Maybe someone will w[rite] to the king my lord as…
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P336529/
Why it matters
Transliteration
MUL.ṣal-bat-a-nu MUL.AL.LUL ik-ta-[šad] / ina ŠÀ-šú e-ta-rab ma-ṣar-tu at-ta-[ṣar] / la in-né-mid la i-zi-iz KI.TA il-[ta-pat] / il-lak ú-ṣu-um-ma re-e-ḫe a-na a-[ma-ri] / ki-ma it-tu-ṣi pi-šìr-šú ana LUGAL EN-ía a-[šap-pa-ra] / is—su-ri me-me-e-ni ana LUGAL EN-ía i-šap-⸢pa⸣-[ar] / ma-a 1 MUL.MÌN-ma ana MUL.AL.LUL TE NUN ⸢ÚŠ⸣ / ki-ma it-te-mid it-ti-ti-iz šu-u-tú [i-lap-pat] / lum-nu ša…
Scholarly note
Astrological report from a court scholar to an Assyrian king, edited by Hermann Hunger (SAA 8, 1992). Celestial and meteorological observation correlated with omens. ORACC text P336529.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P336529). source
Translation excerpted from Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P336529/.
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