Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

SAA 08 381. Mercury in Sagittarius (RMA 227) [planetary]

~670 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·P237315

Translation · reference

High confidence
(1) [If] the stars of [Ant]asurra [...] ...: [...] will come to the land. Antasurra is the mišhu of Sagittarius. — M[erc]ury stands inside Sagittarius. (8) [...] a reign of long days and well-being of the king of the world. (r 1) Mercury [became visible] in the east; its period will not pass; its [...] is made manifest. (r 4) Let [the king] my lord be happy. (It means) [well-being] for the king, the son of the king, [and] his wives. (r 7) [From Raš]il the older, servant of the king.

Source: Hunger, H. 1992. Astrological Reports to Assyrian Kings. SAA 8. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa08/P237315/

Why it matters

Transliteration

[1 MUL.AN].⸢TA⸣.SUR.RA MUL-MEŠ-šú / [x x]+⸢x⸣ DIR / [x x x x] ana KUR DU-kam / ⸢MUL⸣.AN.TA.SUR.RA / mi-ši-iḫ dPA.BIL.SAG / ⸢MUL*⸣.[UDU.IDIM].GUD.UD ina ŠÀ MUL.PA.BIL.SAG / GUB-ma / [x x] BALA UD-MEŠ GÍD.DA-MEŠ / ⸢ù⸣ šá-lam LUGAL ŠÚ / [MUL].UDU.IDIM.GUD.UD ina GIŠ.NIM / [it-ta-mar] ⸢x⸣ a-dan-šú ul it-ti-iq / [x x x]-šú šu-pi / [ŠÀ šá LUGAL] be-lí-ia lu ṭa-a-bi / [DI-mu a]-na LUGAL DUMU—LUGAL / [ù MÍ]—É.GAL-MEŠ-šú / [šá mTUK]-⸢ši⸣—DINGIR ARAD šá LUGAL IGI-u

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 P237315.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237315). 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/P237315/.

Related tablets

Related sources