SAA 08 259. Mercury Visible at New Moon (RMA 022A) [planetary]

~670 BCE·Neo-Assyrian·P237914

Translation — scholar edition

SAA 8

High confidence

(1) [If the moon] becomes visible [on the 1st day: speech] will become reliable; the land will become happy. (4) [If ...] originates in the lower part of the appearing moon: [...] a throne of quiet; [the king's] reign will become stable; [...] will order much [business]. (r 3) [— Merc]ury is seen at the appearance of the moon. (r 6) [From] Nergal-eṭir.

State Archives of Assyria, volume 8 — scholar edition (ORACC).

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Transliteration

[1 30 UD 01-KÁM in]-na-mir / [KA] i-ka-nu / [ŠÀ] ma-a-ti i-ṭa-bi / [1 ina] SUḪUŠ ta-mar-ti d30 / [x x] it-tab-ši / [x] GIŠ.GU.ZA NE.ḪA / [LUGAL] ⸢BALA⸣-šú i-ka-nu / [KI.LAM] ma-aʾ-du / [x x ú]-⸢ma⸣-ʾa-ar / [MUL.UDU.IDIM].GUD.UD / ⸢ina⸣ ta-mar-ti d30 / [in]-na*-mar-ma / [šá md]U.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 P237914.

Attribution

Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.earth/artifacts, P237914). 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/P237914/.

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