Catalogue information

British Museum

K.2314

Nineveh›Nineveh (Kuyunjik)

joins:

K.2314 + K.6519 + K.15255

CDLI:

P394343

Publication

Copy:

AAT 82 [K.2314]

ACh Ištar 21-22 [K.2314] [composite copy]

Commentary

Divination›Astrological. Enūma Anu Enlil

mukallimtu 2a

Base text:

Enūma Anu Enlil 55

Commentary no:

Tablet information

Assyrian

Fragment

Columns:

1 (or >)

Lines:

obv. 27, rev. 11

Size:

5,08 × 4,76 × 2,22 cm

7th cent (Assurbanipal libraries and other Assyrian cities)

Colophon

Asb Typ k

Bibliography

CAD Š/1 426b[On line 4: Cited in a report?]

Fincke, 2001J. C. Fincke, “Der Assur-Katalog der Serie enūma anu enlil (EAE)”, Orientalia Nova Series, vol. 70, pp. 19-39, 2001.
[On line obv 1]: 29

Frahm, 2011E. Frahm, Babylonian and Assyrian Text Commentaries. Origins of Interpretation. Ugarit-Verlag, 2011.: 43, 133, 150

Reiner, 1998aE. Reiner, “Celestial Omen Tablets and Fragments in the British Museum”, in tikip santakki mala bašmu.. Festschrift für Rykle Borger zu seinem 65. Geburtstag am 24. Mai 1994, S. M. Maul, Ed. Styx, 1998, pp. 215-302.: 223

Record

Frazer, 06/2017 (Transliteration)

Frazer, 06/2017 (Translation)

Frazer, 06/2017 (Introduction)

Jiménez, 06/2017 (Suggestions)

Frazer, 10/2017 (Corrections [ll. 12 & 14])

By Mary Frazer |

How to cite

Frazer, M., 2017, “Commentary on Enūma Anu Enlil 55 (CCP 3.1.55.B),” Cuneiform Commentaries Project (E. Frahm, E. Jiménez, M. Frazer, and K. Wagensonner), 2013–2024; accessed April 26, 2024, at https://ccp.yale.edu/P394343. DOI: 10079/wpzgn58

BibTex XML RIS

Introduction

Large fragment in Neo-Assyrian script containing all or parts of the first twenty seven lines of a commentary on EAE 55 (according to the Nineveh numbering system) on its obverse, and parts of the commentary’s last seven lines on its reverse. The fragment consists of three smaller fragments (K.2314 + K.6519 + K.15255), joined by E. Reiner and W. G. Lambert. The commentary is followed by a two-line rubric and the remains of an Ashurbanipal colophon (possibly ‘Typ i-k’ = BAK no. 323).

The rubric identifies the preceding text as a mukallimtu-commentary,1 which is consistent with the text’s indentation format: only those lines which begin with a quotation of a new omen are not indented (but cf. o 6 and 10). The commentary also uses cola, albeit inconsistently, to equate the base text with the explanation (e.g., o 2 and 3). In two cases, it uses cola alongside line indentation (o 7 and 11).

The commentary focuses on omens derived from the movement and appearance of the Yoke Constellation (wr. mulšudun and mulšu.pa, = modern Boötes), although the final entry begins, “If the Waggon Constellation …” (wr. mulmar.gíd.da. The commentary equates the Yoke Constellation with Jupiter several times – the equation is made both explicitly (o 2) and implicitly (o 14-15, 16-17, 18, 19 and 20-21) – and with Mars once (o 22-23). Jupiter is also implicitly equated with both Mercury (o 6-7 and 10-11) and Venus (r 2′-3′ and 4′-5′).

The opening line, when read in conjunction with the opening line of CCP 3.1.55.G, l. 1, allows the incipit of EAE 55 to be identified securely as šumma mulnīru ina āṣīšu šaqûma ītanmar (“If the Yoke Constellation, when it rises, is (literally: was) high and visible”).2

1. Specifically, mukallimtu rubric type 2a, according to E. Frahm, Babylonian and Assyrian Text Commentaries. Origins of Interpretation. Ugarit-Verlag, 2011. P. 43 with n. 165.
2. Previously, only the last word of the incipit was certain: see J. C. Fincke, “Der Assur-Katalog der Serie enūma anu enlil (EAE)”, Orientalia Nova Series, vol. 70, pp. 19-39, 2001. Pp. 24 I 10′ and 28-29 I 10′

Edition

ccpo

AAT pl. 82 (K 2314)


Obverse
o 1o 1	[* ^mulŠUDUN] ina ⸢È⸣-šú šá-qu-um-ma ⸢it⸣-[tan-mar]1	“If the Yoke Constellation, when it rises, is (lit: ‘was’) high and [visible],
o 22	BURU₁₄ KUR SI.SÁ ^mulŠUDUN : ^dSAG.[ME.GAR ...]2	the harvest of the land will prosper.” “The Yoke Constellation” means “Ju[piter” …]
o 33	šu-pu-ú : ba-nu-u ina IGI.LÁ-šú GUR₄-ma [: ...]3	“to appear” means “to create.” “When it appears it is exceptionally bright” [ means “…”]
o 44	* ^mulŠUDUN ina È-šú ana ^dUTU.È ⸢IGI-šú⸣ [GAR^nu : ...]4	“If the Yoke Constellation, when it rises, [faces] east” [means “…]
o 55	^imU₁₈.LU GIŠ.ḪUR ina ^itiKIN U₄.⸢10^?⸣.[KAM]	the South Wind […] a halo in Month 6 day 10[(+ n) …]
o 66	^dSAG.ME.GAR ina IGI.LÁ-šú KI.TA ⸢x⸣ [...]	Jupiter, when it appears, below … […]
o 77	: ^dGU₄.UD ina ^dUTU.È^!(DU) [DU]5	means “Mercury [will move] into the east.”
o 88	* ^mulŠUDUN ina È-šú ana ^dUTU.ŠÚ.A IGI-šú GAR⸢^na⸣	“If the Yoke Constellation, when it rises, faces west”
o 99	IM mim-ma la i-zi-qa SU.GU₇ GAR[^an]6	(means) “No wind will blow (and) there will be famine.”
o 1010	^dSAG.ME.GAR ina IGI.LÁ-šú AN.TA-ma [...]	Jupiter, when it appears above and […]
o 1111	: ^dGU₄.UD ina ^dUTU.ŠÚ.A [DU^?]7	means “Mercury [will move] into the west.”
o 1212	* ina IGI ^mulŠUDUN ^mulGE₆ IGI GI.NA [(...)]	“If the Black One is visible in front of the Yoke Constellation … […]”
o 1313	ina IGI ^dSAG.ME.GAR ^dSAG.UŠ ⸢x^?⸣ [...]	(means) “Before Jupiter, Saturn […”]
o 1414	* ^mul⸢ŠUDUN ina^? KI.GUB⸣ ^{d^?}UTU^?⸢^{šú^?}⸣ GUB^iz ⸢x⸣ [...]	“If the Yoke Constellation stands in the position of the sun … […]”
o 1515	⸢ina⸣ AN.GE₆ ^dUTU ^d⸢SAG⸣.[ME.GAR^? ...]8	(means) “In an eclipse of the sun, Jup[iter …]
o 1616	* ^mulŠUDUN ma-diš SA₅ ḪÉ.GÁL ina [KUR GÁL^ši]	“If the Yoke Constellation is very red, [there will be abundance in [the land]
o 1717	^dSAG.ME.GAR i-ba-[aš^?-ši^? ...]9	(means) “Jupiter will [be …]”
o 1818	* ^mul⸢ŠUDUN ma-diš SIG₇⸣ SU.GU₇ ina KUR GÁL^ši ^dSAG.ME.[GAR]	“If the Yoke Constellation is very yellow-green, there will be a famine in the land” (means) “Jupi[ter.]”
o 1919	* ^mulŠUDUN ma-diš <x> AN.GE₆ KUR.KUR ^dSAG.ME.[GAR ...]	“If the Yoke Constellation is very <…>, (there will be) an eclipse (affecting) all the lands” (means) “Jupi[ter.]”
o 2020	* ^mulŠU.⸢PA ana^?⸣ MUL.MUL TE ^dIMIN.BI ⸢x⸣ [...]10	“If the Yoke Constellation approaches the Pleiades” means “The Sebettu … […]”
o 2121	^dSAG.ME.GAR ina MUL.MUL ⸢DU^?⸣ [(...)]11	(means) “Jupiter will move into the Pleiades [(…)].”
o 2222	* ^mulŠU.PA a-dir LUGAL URI^ki ZI-ma KUR ELAM.MA⸢^ki⸣ [(...)]	“If the Yoke Constellation grows dark, the king of Akkad will arise and […] the land of Elam.”
o 2323	^dṣal-bat-a-nu ú-KAL-[x]12	(means) “Mars will …”

o 2424	[x x] ⸢x x⸣ [x x] DIRI ^dé-a IDIM-MEŠ-šú ^dIŠKUR [...]	[…] … Ea his underground waters, Adad […]
o 2525	[...] ⸢x⸣ ina ^mulGU.LA i-⸢x⸣-[...]	[…] in the Gula Constellation […]
o 2626	[...] ⸢x⸣ mi [...]	[…] … […]
o 2727	[...] x x [...]	…
Reverse
r 1'r 1'	⸢^d⸣[...]	(means) “…”

r 2'2'	* ^mul⸢SAG⸣.[ME.GAR ...]	“If Jup[iter …]
r 3'3'	^ddil-bat ina [x (x)] ⸢x⸣ x [...]13	(means) “Venus in […]”
r 4'4'	* ^mulMIN ^mulAŠ.GÁN KUR-⸢ma⸣ [...]	“If ditto reaches the Field Constellation […]
r 5'5'	^ddil-bat ina ^mulLÚ.⸢ḪUN.GÁ⸣ [...]14	(means) “Venus in the Ares Constellation […]”

r 6'6'	* ^mulMAR.GÍD.DA ana ^mulŠUDUN [...]	“If the Waggon Constellation […] to the Yoke Constellation”
r 7'7'	ir^*-ru-ur ^ddil-bat ⸢x x x⸣ [...]	“It will be convulsed” (means) “Venus … […]”

r 8'8'	⸢mu⸣-kal-lim-ti ⸢šá⸣ U₄ AN ^dEN.LÍL.[LÁ]	Mukallimtu-commentary on (the series) Enūma Anu Enlil, [(with) oral explanations following the sayings of a (master-)scholar, (referring to entries)]
r 9'9'	[šá] ⸢ŠÀ⸣ * ^mulŠUDUN ina È-šú šá-[qu-um-ma it-tan-mar]	[fro]m “If the Yoke Constellation, when it rises, is h[igh and visible”]
r 10'10'	[KUR] ⸢^m⸣AN.ŠÁR-DÙ-A MAN GAL MAN dan-⸢nu⸣ [MAN ŠÚ MAN KUR AN.ŠÁR^ki]	[(Property) of the palace] of Ashurbanipal, great king, mighty king, [king of the four quarters, king of Assyria]
r 11'11'	[x x x] ⸢x⸣ [(x)] IGI-MEŠ-šu-ma [...]15	[… who]se eyes … […]

1Since Craig made his copy the first words in the line have broken away, but they can be restored on the basis of o 4, 8 and 14 and r 9'. The correctness of the restoration of ītanmar is assured by CCP 3.1.55.G o 1 and the Assur catalogue of EAE incipits (Fincke 2001: p. 24 I 10').

2In CCP 3.1.55.G, “The harvest of the land will prosper” is cited as the apodosis in the base text. For the equation of the Yoke Constellation with Jupiter elsewhere see Brown (2000: 60).

3Both šu-pu-ú and ina IGI.LÁ-šú GUR₄-ma must be drawn from somewhere between the first entry in the base text and the entry cited in l. 4. Neither are commented on in CCP 3.1.55.G.

4This protasis is also explained in CCP 3.1.55.G o 3.

5The apparent equation of Jupiter in the base text with Mercury may be due to the fact that it shares the name “Marduk planet” with Mercury (Brown 2000: 57).

6The protasis quoted in l. 8 is explained differently in CCP 3.1.55.G o 5 (as: “Together with Jupiter it grows small in the west and sets early”).

7Restoration based on the presumed parallel in o 6-7.

8Yoke Constellation = Jupiter.

9Yoke Constellation = Jupiter.

10Pleiades = Sebettu.

11Yoke Constellation = Jupiter.

12Yoke Constellation = Mars.

13Jupiter = Venus.

14This explanation appears to equate Jupiter with Venus and the Field with Ares.

15Compare BAK no. 323 (Asb. Typ i-k).