CCP 3.8.1.B - Iqqur īpuš, série génerale B

Catalogue information
Yale Babylonian Collection
MLC 2627
Uruk(Uruk)
CDLI: 
P297024
Publication
Copy: 
BRM 4 24
Editions: 

Labat, 1965R. Labat, Un calendrier Babylonien des travaux des signes et mois (séries iqqur īpuš). Librairie Honoré Champion, 1965.: §§ 1, 5, 7-13, 15-16, 22-24, 26 [obv]

Livingstone, 2013A. Livingstone, Hemerologies of Assyrian and Babylonian Scholars. CDL Press, 2013.: 83-101 [rev]

Commentary
DivinationMenologiesSérie générale

Broken

Base text: 
Iqqur īpuš, série génerale
Commentary no: 
B
Tablet information
Babylonian
Fragment
Columns: 
3
Lines: 
i 36, ii 31, iii 22, iv 5, v 13
Neo/Late Babylonian, specifics unknown
Bibliography

Frahm, 2011E. Frahm, Babylonian and Assyrian Text Commentaries. Origins of Interpretation. Ugarit-Verlag, 2011.
[With collations]
: 29, 39, 216, 302

Freedman, 1998S. M. Freedman, If a City is set on a Height. The Akkadian omen series šumma ālu ina mēlê šakin. Volume 1: Tablets 1-21. The University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1998.
[On line i 16]
: 84 fn. 1

Labat, 1957R. Labat, Nouveaux textes hémérologiques d'Assur, Mitteilungen des Instituts für Orientforschung, vol. 5, pp. 299–345, 1957.: 313-321

Labat, 1965R. Labat, Un calendrier Babylonien des travaux des signes et mois (séries iqqur īpuš). Librairie Honoré Champion, 1965.
[Edition]
: §§ 1, 5, 7-13, 15-16, 22-24, 26

Labat, 1972R. Labat, Hemerologien, Reallexikon der Assyriologie, vol. 4, pp. 319-323, 1972.
[s.v. Hemerologien]
: 317b, 321b

Lauinger, 2016J. Lauinger, Iqqur īpuš at Tell Tayinat, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 68, pp. 229-248, 2016.
[On line 22]
: 241 ad obv 5

Livingstone, 2013A. Livingstone, Hemerologies of Assyrian and Babylonian Scholars. CDL Press, 2013.
[Edition of list of lucky days]
: 83-101

Oelsner, 1986J. Oelsner, Materialien zur Babylonischen Gesellschaft und Kultur in Hellenistischer Zeit. Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, 1986.
[Ob BRM IV 24 (Serie Iqqur īpuš) aus dem hellenistischen Uruk stammt, ist unsicher. DieTafel macht aber paläographisch einen späten Eindruck.]
: 173

Stol, 1987M. Stol, Leprosy: New Light from Greek and Babylonian Sources, Jaarbericht Ex Oriente Lux, vol. 30, pp. 22-31, 1987.
[On line ii 26-27: šaḫaršubbû]
: 29

Watanabe, 1984K. Watanabe, Die literarische Überlieferung eines babylonisch-assyrischen Fluchthemas mit Anrufung des Mondgottes Sîn, Acta Sumerologica Japonica, vol. 6, pp. 99-119, 1984.
[šaḫaršubbû, an incurable disease]
: 111

Record
Panayotov, 01/2016 (Transliteration)
Jiménez, 01/2016 (Collation)
Jiménez, 01/2016 (Translation)
Panayotov & Jiménez, 02/2016 (Introduction)
Frazer, 02/2016 (Correction [Introduction])
Jiménez, 08/2016 (Commentary markup)
By Strahil Panayotov & Enrique Jiménez | Make a correction or suggestion
How to cite
Panayotov, S. & Jiménez, E., 2016, “Commentary on Iqqur īpuš, série génerale (CCP 3.8.1.B),” Cuneiform Commentaries Project (E. Frahm, E. Jiménez, M. Frazer, and K. Wagensonner), 2013–2024; accessed March 28, 2024, at https://ccp.yale.edu/P297024. DOI: 10079/prr4xvw
© Cuneiform Commentaries Project (Citation Guidelines)
Introduction

The tablet MLC 2627 probably stems from the city of Uruk, in Babylonia. It represents the only published commentary on a tablet with a projection (a so-called amulet-shaped tablet) discovered to date. The tablet contains a “hemerological compilation,” a type of hemerological treatise that is created by combining material from various sources. 1 The sources of the present compilation are (1) on the obverse, Iqqur īpuš (a series that specifies which months are favourable for a given activity), with some lines from a commentary, and (2) on the reverse, a list of lucky days. Only favourable prognoses from Iqqur īpuš are excerpted – a frequent practice in hemerological compilations. The entries preserved on the tablet deal with house construction.

This type of hemerological compilation, i.e. a digest of Iqqur īpuš together with a commentary and a list of lucky days, are attested elsewhere. The tablet CCP 3.8.1.A, for example, contains, according to its colophon, “lucky days for doing what one wants, and favourable for anyone to achieve his desire, together with 25 lines from its mukallimtu-commentary, extract (nisḫu) from Iqqur īpuš, (copied) from many tablets of Šumma Ālu (i.e., the canonical series of terrestrial omens), Iqqur īpuš, and Abšegida (i.e., the Babylonian Almanach), whose original was from Babylon.” CCP 3.8.1.A was written by the Assyrian scholar Nabû-zuqup-kēnu, who lived in the 8th and 7th centuries.

The commentarial entries on the obverse of the present tablet are identical with the “25 lines from its mukallimtu-commentary” of Nabû-zuqup-kēnu’s tablet. The series Iqqur īpuš consists of a series of paragraphs of 12 lines each, which all begin by stating an action in the form of a protasis (e.g., “if he lays the foundations of a house”). This protasis is followed by an apodosis, which contains a prognosis for each of the twelve months of the year. The mukallimtu-commentary on Iqqur īpuš is concerned only with protases: its purpose is to provide specifications for the actions of each paragraph. Thus the protasis “if he builds a house” (= Iqqur īpuš §5) is explained in the commentary as “(referring to a man) who erects a door.” Similarly, the entry “If a person enters his house” (=Iqqur īpuš §16) is explained as “(referring to a man) who had leprosy, but then was healed and entered his house.” The only technical term used in the commentary is ša, which appears at the beginning of every commentarial entry.

 

Mesopotamian divinatory calendars on tablets with a projection are attested since the last half of the second millennium BC. Such artefacts, pierced and unpierced, are fundamentally different from divinatory calendars on quadrangular tablets, since the tablets with a projection were designed for display, presumably like modern calendars and almanacs. Quadrangular tablets containing calendars, on the other hand, were probably stored in libraries.

MLC 2627 has an unpierced projection, a format similar to other Iqqur īpuš texts (e.g. T 1927). 2 If the artefact is displayed in a way so that the projection is at the top of the tablet, then the script on the obverse has an archaic orientation (from top to bottom), similar to other magic calendars, such as STT 300. If the artefact is displayed in a way so that the projection is on the left side, the script on the obverse has the regular orientation of first millennium tablets (from left to right), and the script on the reverse has a table format. This suggests that the artefact was, indeed, viewed with the projection on its left side. However, the fact that the projection is unpierced suggests that the tablet was not hung up, and that the magic calendar could be turned around while being consulted.

Who used this commentary text on a calendar (Iqqur īpuš) with rather vague advice for house construction? While someone might have consulted it in order to determine the optimal month for maintaining a house, the rather vague commentarial explanations and the unpierced projection suggest rather that the tablet was used as a model for teaching purposes. Through MLC 2627 a Babylonian professor (ummânu) could have demonstrated to his students what a magic calendar on a tablet with a projection looks like, and how the script might have been orientated. In addition, the professor or his disciple might have written down the highly abstract explanations, which were then discussed in class.

 

Collation of the tablet in January 2016 has yielded a few new readings: they are marked with an asterisk in the edition below.

Edition

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BRM 4, 24

Obverse
Column i
o i 1'o i 1'

[iti]AB* itiZÍZ [itiŠE x x x]

[Ṭeb]ētu (X) Šabāṭu (XI), [Addaru (XII), ...]


o i 2'2'

* UŠ₈ É BAD-ma SIG₄ ŠUB[di]

“If he opens the foundations of a house and lays a brick.” (cf. Iqqur īpuš §1).

o i 3'3'

* ina itiŠU É BI DINGIR TUKUši

In (the month) Duʾūzu (IV), that man will have a god.

o i 4'4'

* ina itiNE É BI DUMU-MEŠ TUKUši

In (the month) Abu (V), that house will have children.

o i 5'5'

* ina itiDU₆ DINGIR-šú ana MUNUS.SIG₅ -MEŠ-šú

In (the month) Tašrītu (VII), his god will continuously escort him with care.

o i 6'6'

* ina itiAPIN mim-mu-šú ana IGI-šú DUak

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), his possessions will grow larger.

o i 7'7'

* ina itiŠE Á.TUKU TUKUši

In (the month) Addaru (XII), he will gain profit.


o i 8'8'

* É šá gišIG i-zaq-qa-pu

“If he builds a house” (= Iqqur īpuš §5) (refers to the man) who erects a door.

o i 9'9'

* ina itiSIG₄ ŠÀ.ḪÚL.LA

In (the month) Simānu (III), (there will be) happiness.

o i 10'10'

* ina itiŠU É BI SUMUNbar

In (the month) Duʾūzu (IV), that house will grow old.

o i 11'11'

* ina itiNE lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Abu (V), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o i 12'12'

* ina itiDU₆ lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Tašrītu (VII), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o i 13'13'

* ina itiAPIN mim-mu-šú ana IGI-šú DUak

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), his possessions will grow larger.

o i 14'14'

* ina itiZÍZ É

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), a house will be built.

o i 15'15'

* ina itiŠE É

In (the month) Addaru (XII), a house will be built.


o i 16'16'

* É iq-qur šá SUMUN KÚR-ma GIBIL šú

“If he tears down a house” (= Iqqur īpuš §7) (refers to the man) who removes an old (house) and builds a new one.

o i 17'17'

* ina itiGU₄ É BI DAGAL

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), that house will expand.

o i 18'18'

* ina itiŠU DU₈ ḪUL

In (the month) Duʾūzu (IV), evil will be dissolved.

o i 19'19'

* ina itiAB lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Ṭebētu (X), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o i 20'20'

* ina itiZÍZ É

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), a house will be built.

o i 21'21'

* ina itiŠE DU₈ ḪUL

In (the month) Addaru (XII), evil will be dissolved.


o i 22'22'

* É iṣ-ṣi šá si*-i-ri i-ḫal-la-šú

“If he tears down a house” (= Iqqur īpuš §8) (refers to the man) who scrapes off the wall-plaster.

o i 23'23'

* ina itiGU₄ lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o i 24'24'

* ina itiKIN É BI SUMUNbar

In (the month) Elūlu (VI), that house will grow old.

o i 25'25'

* ina itiDU₆ lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Tašrītu (VII), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o i 26'26'

* ina itiZÍZ É

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), a house will be built.

o i 27'27'

* ina itiŠE DU₈ ḪUL

In (the month) Addaru (XII), evil will be dissolved.


o i 28'28'

* É is-suḫ šá lìb-bi É u-šap-pa*-lu₄*1

“If he tears out a house” (= Iqqur īpuš §9) (refers to the man) who digs deep the interior of the house.

o i 29'29'

* ina itiGU₄ lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o i 30'30'

* ina itiNE É BI DAGAL

In (the month) Abu (V), that house will expand.

o i 31'31'

* ina itiKIN É BI SUMUNbar

In (the month) Elūlu (VI), that house will grow old.

o i 32'32'

* ina itiZÍZ É

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), a house will be built.

o i 33'33'

* ina itiŠE DU₈ ḪUL

In (the month) Addaru (XII), evil will be dissolved.


o i 34'34'

* É tam-la-a SA₅ šá ŠÀ É-šú* šap*-lu₄2

“If he fills out the platform of a house” (= Iqqur īpuš §10) (refers to the man) who fills out the interior of his house(, which was) low,

o i 35'35'

SA₅-ma : te--tu : sik-kát kar-ri É-su / NIGIN-ma

and studs his house with a painted overlay; (variant: with) knobbed nails.

Column ii
o ii 1'o ii 1'

* [ina itix ...]

[In (the month) ...]

o ii 2'2'

* ina [itix ...]

I[n (the month) ...]

o ii 3'3'

* ina iti[x ...]

In [(the month) ...]


o ii 4'4'

* ana É-šú MAN-[ma KÚRir-ma šá x x x]

“If [he changes] into another house of his (= Iqqur īpuš §12) [(refers to the man) who ...]

o ii 5'5'

   mim-ma ana É-šú [x x x (x x)]

and something to his house [...].

o ii 6'6'

* ina itiGU₄ lìb-bi [DÙG.GA]

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o ii 7'7'

* ina itiSIG₄ SAG.PA.LAGAB [ina SU DU₈]

In (the month) Simānu (III), the wailing [will be dissolved from the man’s body].

o ii 8'8'

* ina itiAPIN DU₈ [ḪUL]

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), evil [will be dissolved].

o ii 9'9'

* ina itiZÍZ DU₈ [ḪUL]

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), evil [will be dissolved].

o ii 10'10'

* ina itiŠE NA BI UGU EN IMIN-šú GUBza*

In (the month) Addaru (XII), that man will prevail over his litigant.


o ii 11'11'

* ana É-šú MAN-ma KÚRir-ma LAL šá ana É-šú MAN-ma / it-ti-qu-ma LALú

“If he changes into another house of his and inspect it” (= Iqqur īpuš §13) (refers to the man) who crosses over into another house of his.

o ii 12'12'

* ina itiGU₄ e-ma DUku ma-gir

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), wherever he goes, it will be favorable.

o ii 13'13'

* ina itiSIG₄ É BI* ana* EN-šú ḪÉ.GÁL na-ši

In (the month) Simānu (III), that house will bring prosperity to its owner.

o ii 14'14'

* ina itiAPIN NA BI UGU! EN INIM-šú GUBza

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), that man will prevail over his litigant.

o ii 15'15'

* ina itiAB i-sa-dir-ma DUku

In (the month) Ṭebētu (X), he will prosper.

o ii 16'16'

* ina itiZÍZ ŠU.BI..ÀM

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), ditto.

o ii 17'17'

* ina itiŠE SIG₅ INIM ki-di i-šem-me

In (the month) Addaru (XII), it is good; he will hear (good) news from outside.


o ii 18'18'

* ana É-šú GUR šá la GISKIM È u ana É-šú GURru

“If a person returns to his house” (= Iqqur īpuš §15) (refers to the man) who left without any omen and returned to his house.

o ii 19'19'

* ina itiBÁRA ŠÀ DÙG.GA SAG.PA.LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈

In (the month) Nisannu (I), (there will be) gladdening of the heart, the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body.

o ii 20'20'

* ina itiGU₄ DU₈ ḪUL

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), evil will be dissolved.

o ii 21'21'

* ina itiSIG₄ ŠÀ.ḪÚL.LA

In (the month) Simānu (III), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.

o ii 22'22'

* ina itiŠU lìb-bi DÙG.GA DINGIR u dLAMMA TUKUši

In (the month) Duʾūzu (IV), (there will be) gladdening of the heart, the man will have (his) god and protective spirit (with him).

o ii 23'23'

* ina itiZÍZ NA BI UGU EN INIM-šú GUBza

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), that man will prevail over his litigant.

o ii 24'24'

* ina itiŠE SAG.PA.LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈

In (the month) Addaru (XII), the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body.


o ii 25'25'

* ana É-šú KU₅ šá SAḪAR.ŠUB.BAa SA₅-ma / DADAG-ma ana É-šú ir-ru-bu

“If a person enters his house” (= Iqqur īpuš §16) (refers to the man) who had leprosy, but then was healed and entered his house.

o ii 26'26'

* ina itiBÁRA SAG.PA.LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈

In (the month) Nisannu (I), the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body.

o ii 27'27'

* ina itiGU₄ e-ma DUku ma-gir

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), wherever he goes, it will be favorable.

o ii 28'28'

* ina itiSIG₄ É BI ana EN-šú ḪÉ.GÁL na-ši

In (the month) Simānu (III), that house will bring prosperity to its owner.

o ii 29'29'

* ina itiDU₆ lìb-bi DÙG.GA

In (the month) Tašrītu (VII), (there will be) gladdening of the heart.


Column iii
o iii 1'o iii 1'

ana IDIM x [...]3

to the noble ... [...]

o iii 2'2'

* ina itiGU₄ [...]

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), [...]

o iii 3'3'

* ina itiSIG₄ [SAG.PA.LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈]

In (the month) Simānu (III), [the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body].

o iii 4'4'

* ina itiAPIN [IDIM ina É ÚŠat]

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), [a nobleman will die in the man’s house].

o iii 5'5'

* ina itiGAN lìb-[bi DÙG.GA]

In (the month) Kislīmu (IX), [(there will be) gladdening of the] he[art].

o iii 6'6'

* ina itiŠE UGU EN [INIM-šú GUBza]

In (the month) Addaru (XII), (that man) [will prevail] over his liti[gant].


o iii 7'7'

* IDIM-BI BADte šá É?-[šú ...]4

“If he opens his idim (= Iqqur īpuš §23) (refers to the man) who [opens] the door [...].

o iii 8'8'

* ina itiGU₄ ŠÀ.ḪÚL*.[LA]

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), (there will be) happiness.

o iii 9'9'

* ina itiŠU SAG.PA.[LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈]

In (the month) Duʾūzu (IV), [the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body].

o iii 10'10'

* ina itiZÍZ UGU* EN [INIM-šú GUBza]

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), (that man) [will prevail] over his liti[gant].

o iii 11'11'

* ina itiŠE SAG.[PA.LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈]

In (the month) Addaru (XII), [the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body].


o iii 12'12'

* IDIM-BI KÚR-ma LAL [šá ...]

“If he changes his idim and inspects it” (= Iqqur īpuš §24) [(refers to the man) who ...].

o iii 13'13'

* ina itiGU₄ e-[ma DUku ma-gir]

In (the month) Ayyāru (II), where[ver he goes, it will be favorable].

o iii 14'14'

* ina itiSIG₄ É [BI ana IGI-šú GIN]

In (the month) Simānu (III), that house [will grow larger].

o iii 15'15'

* ina itiAPIN É BI x [...]

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), that house... [...]

o iii 16'16'

* ina itiZÍZ ŠU.BI.[.ÀM]

In (the month) Šabāṭu (XI), dit[to].

o iii 17'17'

* ina itiŠE SAG.PA.[LAGAB ina SU NA DU₈]

In (the month) Addaru (XII), the wail[ing will be dissolved from the man’s body].


o iii 18'18'

* NÍG. KUDis šá [x x x x x (x)] / lu-u ap-ta? [...]

“If he cuts a binding” (= Iqqur īpuš §26) (refers to the man) who a door [...] or a window [...].

o iii 19'19'

* ina itiSIG₄ SAG*.[PA.LAGAB ina SU DU₈]

In (the month) Simānu (III), the wail[ing will be dissolved from the man’s body].

o iii 20'20'

* ina itiAPIN [SAG.PA.LAGAB ina SU DU₈]

In (the month) Araḫsamna (VIII), [the wailing will be dissolved from the man’s body].

o iii 21'21'

* ina itiGAN [...]

In (the month) Kislīmu (IX), [...].

undetermined number of columns missing
Reverse
Column i
r i' 1'r i 1'

* giš*KIRI₆* giš*GIŠIMMAR* [iz-qup šá ...]

“If he plants a garden of palms” (= Iqqur īpuš §46) [(refers to the man) who ...]

r i' 2'2'

* [ina iti]BÁRA* [...]

[In (the month)] Nisannu (I) [...].

r i' 3'3'

* [ina itix ...]

[In (the month) ...].

r i' 4'4'

* ina iti[x ...]

In (the month) [...].

r i' 5'5'

* ina iti[x ...]

In (the mon[th) ...].

Column ii
r ii'r ii The list is written from top to bottom
r ii' 11

BÁRA 1 4.1/2 6.1/2 8 10 11 14 16 23 x.1/2 [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Nisannu (I): 1 8 10 11 14 16 23 ... [...]

r ii' 22

GU₄ 2 6 8 10 12 15 16 18 22 24* [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Ayyāru (II): 2 6 8 10 12 15 16 18 22 24 [...]

r ii' 33

SIG₄ 1 3 9 11 12 13 15 16 x [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Simānu (III): 1 3 9 11 12 13 15 16 ... [...]

r ii' 44

ŠU 1 3 7 11 13 17 19 21 22 24* [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Duʾūzu (IV): 1 3 7 11 13 17 19 21 22 24 [...]

r ii' 55

NE 1 2 5.1/2 9 10 13 [x x] 16* [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Abu (V): 1 2 9 10 13 [...] 16 [...]

r ii' 66

KIN 1 2 3 5 7 9 11 14 15 17* 19 21 23 [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Elūlu (VI): 1 2 3 5 7 9 11 14 15 17 19 21 23 [...]

r ii' 77

DU₆ 1 6 8.1/2 11 13.1/2 14 17 19 21 22 23 26* 28* x [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Tašrītu (VII): 1 6 11 13½ 14 17 19 21 22 23 26 28 ... [...]

r ii' 88

APIN 2 6 7 9 11 13 15* 18 19 21 23 24 25 26? [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Araḫsamna (VIII): 2 6 7 9 11 13 15 18 19 21 23 24 25 26 [...]

r ii' 99

GAN 1 5 9 11 13 16 18 21 23 25 [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Kislīmu (IX): 1 5 9 11 13 16 18 21 23 25 [...]

r ii' 1010

AB 1 7 11.1/2 13 14 18* 21? x [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Ṭebētu (X): 1 7 11½ 13 14 18 21 ... [...]

r ii' 1111

ZÍZ 1 3 11.1/2 13 17.1/2 [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Šabāṭu (XI): 1 3 11½ 13 17½ [...]

r ii' 1212

ŠE 1 2 4 5 x [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Addaru (XII): 1 2 4 5 ... [...]

r ii' 1313

BÁRA 2.KÁM 1 2 3 5 6 [...]

(Favorable days in the month) Second Nisannu (I.2): 1 2 3 5 6 [...]

1The two last signs, not copied in BRM 4, are written in a smaller script under the line. The same explanation can be found in K.98+ (CCP 3.8.1.A) r 16.

2The end of the line was misread by Labat, R. CBII (1965) pp. 66-67 ad loc, but the copy is accurate.

3This section probably refer to Iqqur īpuš §22.

4Traces of a horizontal are visible on the tablet, but not copied in BRM 4. THey may be the beginning of a É.

Photos by Enrique Jiménez

© Yale Babylonian Collection