Position in chronology
SAA 04 039. Will Scythians and Cimmerians Invade Bit-Hamban and Paršumaš? (PRT 095) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...] of this [year, ... days and nights, my stipulated term] — (2) [within this stipulated term, will the troo]ps of the Ci[mmerians (and) the troops of the Scythians emerge from the pass of ...] to Bit-[Hamban and to Parsumaš] (4) [......]...[..., will they strive and plan, co]me to [the district of Bit-Hamban ......], and [kill, plunder and loot]? (Rest destroyed)
Source: Starr, I. 1990. Queries to the Sungod: Divination and Politics in Sargonid Assyria. SAA 4. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa04/P237423/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[x x x x x x šá MU.AN.NA] NE-⸢ti⸣ [x UD-MEŠ x MI-MEŠ ši-kin a-dan-ni-ia] / [ina ši-kin a-dan-ni šu-a-tú LÚ.ERIM]-MEŠ LÚ*.gi-[mir-ra-a.a LÚ.ERIM-MEŠ LÚ.iš-ku-za-a.a] / [TA né-ri-bi šá URU.x x]+⸢x⸣ a-na ⸢É⸣—[URU.ḫa-am-ban a-na KUR.par-su-maš] / [ú-ṣu-nim-ma x x x x x] ḫu ḫar ⸢ra⸣ [x x i-ṣar-ri-mu-ú i-kap-pu-du-ú] / [x x x x x x x]+⸢x⸣ a-na [na-gi-i šá É—URU.ḫa-am-ban] / [x x x x il-la]-⸢ku⸣-nim-ma [šá GAZ GAZ-MEŠ-ú šá SAR SAR-MEŠ-ú]
Scholarly note
Extispicy query addressed to Šamaš, the sungod and patron of divination, edited by Ivan Starr (SAA 4, 1990). The king asks the deity to render a yes/no verdict on a political or military question. ORACC text P237423.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P237423). source
Translation excerpted from Starr, I. 1990. Queries to the Sungod: Divination and Politics in Sargonid Assyria. SAA 4. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa04/P237423/.
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