Position in chronology
SAA 08 296. Moon Near Pleiades (RMA 240) [lunar]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) If the Pleiades come close to the top of the moon and stand there: the king will exercise world dominion and expand his land. (3) From Nabû-iqiša of Borsippa. (4) May Bel and Nabû grant long days and happiness to the king of all lands, my lord! (7) ... the king established our freedom (from corvée work). (Yet) at this very moment, I build a storeroom in the Review Palace with my brothers, and the townspeople with whom the king has made me take (fields), have killed my farmer and harass me saying: "Perform your ilku-duty with us!" (r 5) But I want to do work with my brothers and keep watch for the king my lord. Why shall I do [...] twice? May Bel and Nabû bless [the king my lord! Let] the king [decide] my case, [whether ...] is little [... or] much.
Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P236978/
Why it matters
Transliteration
1 MUL.MUL ana UGU 30 SI₄-ma GUB-iz / LUGAL ŠÚ-tú DÙ-uš KUR-su DAGAL / šá mdAG—BA-šá DUMU BÁR.SIPA.KI / dEN u dPA UD-MEŠ GÍD.DA-MEŠ / ù ṭu-ub ŠÀ-bi a-na LUGAL KUR.KUR / be-lí-ia lid-di-nu / ⸢x x x⸣ LUGAL za-ku-ta-ni il-ta-kan / en-na a-du-ú it-ti ŠEŠ-ME-e-a / ina É.GAL ma-sa-ar-ti É—ŠU.2 / ep-pu-uš ù DUMU-ME URU šá ana-ku? / it-ti-šú-nu LUGAL ú-šá-aṣ-bi-tan-ni / LÚ.ik-ka-ra-a id-du-ku ù ia-a-ši /…
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 P236978.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P236978). 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/P236978/.
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