Position in chronology
SAA 08 258. Mercury Near New Moon (RMA 039) [planetary]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) If the moon becomes visible on the 1st day: reliable speech; the land will become happy. (3) If the moon at its appearance wears a crown: the king [will reach] the highest rank. (4) If its horns are equally clear: enemy kings will be reconci[led].96) — It will be seen together with the sun. (7) [...] at the appearance [......] will become long [...]. (r 1) Well-being will come down on the land. The moon-god will smite the enemy. (r 3) — Mercury stands in ... of the moon. (r 5) From Nergal-eṭir.
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P240334/
Why it matters
Transliteration
1 30 UD 01-KÁM IGI KA GI.NA / ŠÀ KUR DÙG.GA / 1 30 ina IGI.LAL-šú AGA a-pir LUGAL SAG.KAL [DU] / 1 SI-MEŠ-šú TÉŠ.BI ZÁLAG-⸢MEŠ⸣ / LUGAL-MEŠ KÚR-MEŠ SILIM-[MEŠ] / it-ti dUTU IGI-mar-[ma] / [x x] É ta-mar-ti [x x] / [x x] ⸢GÍD⸣.DA-⸢MEŠ?⸣ [x x] / šul-mu SIG₅ ana KUR ur-ra-[ad] / d30 KÚR i-maḫ-ḫa-[aṣ] / MUL.UDU.IDIM.GUD.UD ina ⸢x x⸣ / iz-za-az-⸢ma⸣ / šá mdU.GUR—KAR-ir
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 P240334.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P240334). 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/P240334/.
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