Sumerian·Book

Position in chronology

SAA 08 388. Predicting an Eclipse of the Moon (RMA 273) [eclipses]

~670 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·P240250

Translation · reference

High confidence
(1) On the 14th day the moon will make an eclipse. It (predicts) evil for Elam and the Westland, good for the king my lord. Let the king my lord be happy. (7) (Already) when Venus became visible, I said to the king my lord: "An eclipse will take place." (r 4) From Rašil 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/P240250/

Why it matters

Transliteration

UD 14-KÁM AN.MI d30 i-šak-kan / ḪUL šá KUR.NIM.MA.KI / u KUR—MAR.TU.KI / SIG₅ šá LUGAL be-lí-ia / ŠÀ-bi šá LUGAL be-lí-ia / lu-ú ṭa-a-bi / ul-tu MUL.dil-bat / in-nam-mar / a-na LUGAL be-lí-ia / aq-ta-bi / um-ma AN.MI iš-šak-kan / šá mTUK-⸢ši⸣—DINGIR / ARAD šá [LUGAL pa]-nu-ú

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 P240250.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P240250). 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/P240250/.

Related tablets

Related sources