Position in chronology
SAA 04 283. Will Šamaš-šumu-ukin Fall into the Hands of Assyrian Troops? (PRT 107) [military and political]
Translation · reference
High confidence(1) [...] the 'path' reaches its 'seats.' (2) [... The 'streng]th' (and) 'well-being' are present. The 'path' on the left of the gall bladder [is long] and reaches the place of the 'base of the throne.' (4) [... 'finge]r' is raised [...]. (one line broken) (6) The left [......]. (7) There is a design in the middle surface of the 'finger' which penetrates from right to left. (9) [... is n]ormal. The upper part is elevated. (10) The base of [the midd]le ['finger' of the lung] is 'bound.' (11) [The breas]t-bone is thick. (12) [The coils of the colon are ... and are ...] in number. (r 1) [From]…
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/P238265/
Why it matters
Transliteration
[x x x]+⸢x⸣ GÍD GÍR DAG-MEŠ-šú KUR-id / [x x] ⸢KALAG⸣ SILIM GAR GÍR 150 ZÉ / [x x x]-ma KI ŠUB—AŠ.TE KUR-⸢ud⸣ / [x x x ŠU].⸢SI?⸣ ul-lu-ma / 150 ⸢ZÉ?⸣ [x x x x x] / BE ina EDIN U MURUB₄ GIŠ.ḪUR / ⸢TA⸣ 15 ana 150 er-bet / [BE x x] ⸢šá?⸣-lim AN-ti DU / [BE U—MUR] ⸢MURUB₄⸣ SUḪUŠ-sà KÉŠ-is / [BE GAG].⸢ZAG⸣.GA KUG / [BE ŠÀ.NIGIN x x] ŠID-šú-nu / [TA] ⸢UD⸣ 16-KÁM šá ITI an-ni-i / ⸢ITI⸣.APIN šá MU.AN.NA…
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 P238265.
Attribution
Image: BM — (British Museum, London, UK) — from Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts, P238265). 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/P238265/.
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