CCP 3.1.u91 - Enūma Anu Enlil Šamaš and Adad

Catalogue information
British Museum
Sm.9
NinevehNineveh (Kuyunjik)
joins: 
(+) Sm.1038?
CDLI: 
P373895
Publication
Copy: 
RA 14 20
RA 17 175
Photo: 
CM 43 pl. 29
Editions: 

Gehlken, 2008E. Gehlken, Die Adad-Tafeln der Omenserie Enuma Anu Enlil. Teil 2. Die ersten beiden Donnertafeln EAE 42 und 43, Zeitschrift für Orient-Archäologie, vol. 1, pp. 256-314, 2008.: 286 [partial]

Gehlken, 2012E. Gehlken, Weather Omens of Enūma Anu Enlil. Thunderstorms, Wind and Rain (Tablets 44–49). Brill, 2012.: 127, 161 [partial]

Commentary
DivinationAstrological. Enūma Anu Enlil

None

Base text: 
Enūma Anu Enlil Šamaš and Adad
Tablet information
Assyrian
Fragment
Columns: 
3 (or >)
Lines: 
i 16, ii 29, iii 25
Size: 
11,43 × 9,52 cm
7th cent (Assurbanipal libraries and other Assyrian cities)
Bibliography

Frahm, 2011E. Frahm, Babylonian and Assyrian Text Commentaries. Origins of Interpretation. Ugarit-Verlag, 2011.: 58, 134-35

Gehlken, 2005E. Gehlken, Die Adad-Tafeln der Omenserie Enūma Anu Enlil. Teil 1: Einführung, Baghdader Mitteilungen, vol. 36, pp. 235-273, 2005.: 256-258

Gehlken, 2008E. Gehlken, Die Adad-Tafeln der Omenserie Enuma Anu Enlil. Teil 2. Die ersten beiden Donnertafeln EAE 42 und 43, Zeitschrift für Orient-Archäologie, vol. 1, pp. 256-314, 2008.: 286

Kilmer, 1965A. D. Kilmer, The Strings of Musical Instuments: Their Names, Numbers, and Significance, in Studies in Honor of Benno Landsberger on His Seventy-Fifth Birthday, April 21, 1965, H. G. Güterbock and Jacobsen, T. , Eds. The University of Chicago, 1965, pp. 261-272.
[On line v' 23: nīd qabli, collated]
: 263 and fn. 19

Kilmer, 1971A. D. Kilmer, The Discovery of an Ancient Mesopotamian Theory of Music, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 115, pp. 131-149, 1971.
[On line v' 23: nīd qabli]
: 135 fn. 20

Langdon, 1916S. Langdon, Assyrian Grammatical Texts, Revue d'Assyriologie, vol. 13, pp. 27-34, 1916.
[Copy and reading notes]
: 20

Powell, 1978M. A. Powell, Ukubi to Mother.. The Situation is Desperate, Zeitschrift für Assyriologie, vol. 68, pp. 163-195, 1978.
[On line v' 20-22]
: 191

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.: 275

Weidner, 1941aE. F. Weidner, Die astrologische Serie Enûma Anu Enlil, Archiv für Orientforschung, vol. 14, pp. 172-195, 1941.: 184, 190-191

Record
Jiménez, 06/2014 (ATF Transliteration)
Jiménez, 06/2014 (Translation)
Jiménez, 06/2014 (Lemmatization)
Jiménez, 06/2014 (Introduction)
Jiménez, 08/2016 (Commentary markup)
By Enrique Jiménez | Make a correction or suggestion
How to cite
Jiménez, E., 2014, “Commentary on Enūma Anu Enlil Šamaš and Adad (CCP 3.1.u91),” Cuneiform Commentaries Project (E. Frahm, E. Jiménez, M. Frazer, and K. Wagensonner), 2013–2024; accessed April 19, 2024, at https://ccp.yale.edu/P373895. DOI: 10079/xsj3v99
© Cuneiform Commentaries Project (Citation Guidelines)
Introduction

This tablet preserves three columns of a tabular commentary on several tablets of Enūma Anu Enlil. The entries are divided in groups of two or more lines, and the groups usually end with a sort of short rubric which provides the incipit of the tablet to which the entries above it belong. This rubric is introduced simply by ina libbi + incipit, "from (the tablet) ..." The incipits are only occasionally identifiable with incipits from Enūma Anu Enlil: thus e.g. line v' 8 is identical with the incipit of EAE 40, while v' 17 contains the incipit of EAE 42. A remarkable feature of the tablet, first noticed by E. Gehlken,1 is that the entries in this commentary do not seem to be arranged in the same order of the tablets to which they belong: thus v' 9-12 contains entries from EAE 47, while v' 13-17 comments words from EAE 42 or 43.

Remains of three columns are preserved. The first column from the right contains rubrics that refer to solar phenomena: they probably belong to the Šamaš section of EAE (EAE 23-36). The middle column refers rather to meteorological phenomena, thus making it likely that it comments on the Adad section of EAE (EAE 37-49). The third column from the right is almost completely lost, but the best preserved part of it, the verb izīqa, "it blows" (said of the wind), suggests that it also contained glosses on meteorological omens. It is possible that the fragment originally contained comments on all the tablets of EAE, but this remains uncertain. In any case the order of the columns further suggests that the fragment belongs to the reverse of a tablet, even if its surface is rather flat.

Most entries in this tablet cannot be related with certainty to their base text. Moreover, most of the incipits quoted in the rubrics are equally unknown. This is especially surprising in view of the fact that the incipits of the Šamaš and Adad sections of EAE are relatively well known: one wonders therefore if the rubrics could in fact quote not the incipit of the tablets, but other omens from the beginning or end of the commented subsections.

Surprisingly enough for a Kuyunjik tabular commentary, the exegesis seems not to be predominantly philological, but rather of a speculative nature. Although philological glosses can be found (e.g. v' 24 lītu = būrtu, "'cow' means 'calf'"), they are exceptions. Most of the well preserved glosses offer alternative interpretations of signs, sometimes with equations otherwise unattested and probably created ad hoc: thus e.g. v' 13-15 equals the sign bad with zunnu, "rain;" nesû, "to be far away;" and bašû, "to exist." These three equations are either extremely rare or altogether unattested, and their value for the accurate, philological interpretation of the base text must have been rather limited. The exegete thus goes beyond the strictly philological commentary for reasons that the fragmentary nature of the text prevents us from knowing.

The tablet is in all likelihood part of the same tablet as Sm.1038 (CCP 3.1.u90), although a direct joins does not seem possible. Another similar commentary tablet is K.4593 (CCP 3.1.14.B), which, however, is probably not part of the same tablet according to J.F. Fincke (privatim).

Edition

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ccpo

RA 017, 175 (Sm 0009)

Obverse
x52NaN  (missing)
Reverse
Column iv
r iv' 1r iv 1

    x-[x x x x x x]

...

r iv' 22

ina ŠÀ * x [x x x x x x]

From "If [...]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).


r iv' 33

áp--ma-ku

[x x x x]

apsamaku (= a geometrical shape) means [...]

r iv' 44

    x

x-[x x x]

...

r iv' 55

    LÍMMU

er-bet-[]

LIMMU means "group of four."

r iv' 66

áp--ma-ku

ad-x-[x x]

apsamaku (= a geometrical shape) means [...]

r iv' 77

SA.PÀR

li-[mi-]1

"Net" means "circumference"

r iv' 88

    ina ŠÀ * ina SAG KASKAL šu-ut [dé-a]

From "If at the top of the Path of [Ea]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).


r iv' 99

* 20 GIŠ.ḪUR NIGINma u SIG₇ [x x x]

"If the sun is surrounded by a drawing and it is yellow [...]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r iv' 1010

    BAL

ḫa-x-[x]2

BAL means [...].

r iv' 1111

    ina ŠÀ * 20 IGI.BAR-ma GIŠ.ḪUR [NIGIN-(ma SIG₇)]

From "If when you look at the sun [it is surrounded] by a drawing [and it is yellow]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).


r iv' 1212

* 20 ŠÚ-ma ina KI.GUB-šú ba-[a?-lu? GUB]

"If the sun sets and [Mars stands] in its place" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r iv' 1313

    BAL

na-bal-[ku-]

BAL means "to cross over."

r iv' 1414

* 20 ŠÚ-ma 20 KUR-ma šá KÚR x-[x x]

"If the sun sets and the sun rises, that of the enemy [...]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r iv' 1515

    KUR

ra-[x x]3

KUR means [...].

r iv' 1616

    ŠÚ

a-[x x]

ŠÚ means [...].

r iv' 1717

ŠUBti? u KUR

: na-[x x]4

"If it roars and rises, [...]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r iv' 1818

    KUR

ra-[x x]

KUR means [...].


r iv' 1919

ILLU DU-ma ur-x [x x x]

"The flood will come and [...]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r iv' 2020

APIN

[x x x]

APIN means [...],

r iv' 2121

SAG

[x x x]

SAG means [...],

r iv' 2222

ina ŠÀ * UD.DA-MEŠ [x x x x]

From "If heat [...]" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).


r iv' 2323

mul<d>AMAR.UTU ina ANe x-[x x x x x]

The star of Marduk in the sky [...],

r iv' 2424

KUR URIki ina x-[x x x x x]

the land of Akkad in [...].

r iv' 2525

    x-[x

x x x x]

...

Column v
r v' 1r v 1

    [ina ŠÀ] * U₄ ŠÚ-ma dIŠKUR ŠUB

From "If the day grows dark and Adad roars" (= Enūma Anu Enlil 39 (?)).


r v' 22

[* ina] itiBÁRA MU GÁL

"[If in] the month of Nisannu ..., there will be a battle" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r v' 33

[* AN].GE₆ GAR-ma dIŠKUR -šú ŠUB-ma

"[If] there is an eclipse and Adad roars" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).


r v' 44

[* ina] MÚRU ANe MURU₉ iḫ-ru-ru

"If in the middle of the sky a cloud is digging" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r v' 55

šu-ubŠUB

ba-šú-u

ŠUB means "to be (available)."

r v' 66

--am

ka-a-a-nu5

"Perhaps" means "certainly."

r v' 77

--am

i-ṣu

"Perhaps" means "small."

r v' 88

ina ŠÀ * IGI.BAR-ma mu-še-lu-u

From "If when you look a mušēlû-cloud formation (can be seen)" (= Enūma Anu Enlil 40).


r v' 99

e-pe-qu

da-na-nu

"To embrace" (= Enūma Anu Enlil 47 obv 33) means "to be strong."

r v' 1010

ka-ra-ru-u

i-šá-

"Midday heat" (= Enūma Anu Enlil 47 rev 20') means "fire."

r v' 1111

    TIL

ba-šú-ú

TIL (= BAD) means "to be (available)."

r v' 1212

ina ŠÀ * ina im1 NIM.GÍR ib-ríq

From "if lightning strikes in the south" (= Enūma Anu Enlil 47).


r v' 1313

    BAD

zu-un-nu6

BAD means "rain."

r v' 1414

    TIL

ba-šu-u

TIL (= BAD) means "to be (available)."

r v' 1515

    BAD

-su-u

BAD means "to be far away."

r v' 1616

U₄.TE.NA

še-e-

U₄.TE.NA means "morning."

r v' 1717

ina ŠÀ * ina itiBÁRA dIŠKUR -šú ŠUB7

From "if in the month of Nisannu Adad roars" (= Enūma Anu Enlil 42).


r v' 1818

    BAL

ra-ḫa-ṣu

BAL means "to trample."

r v' 1919

dIŠKUR it-ta-na-áš-ma-aḫ

"(If) Adad once and again is made to flourish,

r v' 2020

imLÍMMU.BA ZI-MEŠni8

the four winds will rise towards you" (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).

r v' 2121

IM.KÍD

ZI-ma9

In "IM.KÍD will rise,"

r v' 2222

    KÍD

e-ze-zu

KÍD means "to be furious" (whence IM.KÍD means "furious wind").

r v' 2323

GIM pi-it-ni ŠUB

pi-it-nu šá ŠUB! MÚRU10

"(If Adad) roars like a lyre," "lyre of the nīd qabli mode."

r v' 2424

lit-

bur-

"Cow" means "calf."

r v' 2525

ba-a-

ṣe-11

bāru means "open country."

r v' 2626

I.SI.

da-um-ma-12

ISIŠ means "darkness."

r v' 2727

I.SI.

ba-ku-u

ISIŠ means "to cry."

r v' 2828

    ina ŠÀ * dIŠKUR ina KUR 20 x-x-[x]13

From "If Adad ..." (= Enūma Anu Enlil unknown).


r v' 2929

[(x)]-x-mi x-[(x)

x x x]

...

Column vi
r vi' 1'r vi 1'

[x x x

x x]-

...

r vi' 2'2'

[x x x

x]-x-šá

...


r vi' 3'3'

[x x x

x x]-

...

r vi' 4'4'

[x x x

x x]-pàr

...


r vi' 5'5'

[x x x

ina u₄]-mi-šú-ma

[...] means "in the same day."

r vi' 6'6'

[x x x

x x]-šú AN.GE₆

[...] eclipse

r vi' 7'7'

[x x x

x x]-šú ana im1 BAD

[...] it is open towards the south.


r vi' 8'8'

[x x x

x] x-a-nu

...

r vi' 9'9'

[x x x

x x]-x

...


r vi' 10'10'

[x x x

x x]-ma

...

r vi' 11'11'

[x x x

x]-e?-

...

r vi' 12'12'

[x x x

x]-ma i-zi-qa

[...] and it blows.

r vi' 13'13'

[x x x

x x] x

...


r vi' 14'14'

[x x x

x] x-te

...

r vi' 15'15'

[x x x

x x]-u

...

r vi' 16'16'

[x x x

x x]-

...

r vi' 17'17'

[x x x

x x x]

...


(rest of column missing)

1The restoration of the last word is uncertain; the explanandum probably refers to the sapar manzât, "net of the rainbow" (CAD S 162).

2The sign after ḫa is perhaps ár.

3While in the base text ŠÚ is surely erēbu and KUR is napāḫu, the commentary seems to interpret the logograms in a different way.

4The signs before KUR have been erased.

5Note the archaizing writing of pí-qá-am, elsewhere apparently unattested in first millennium text (incidentally no astrological text with pīqa is known). pīqa = kayyānu is also attested in the ṣâtu-commentary on Ālu CCP 3.5.41 r 4.

6This equation seems to be elsewhere unattested.

7None of the entries of this section can be related to omens in the relatively well preserved Enūma Anu Enlil 42, and one wonders if the entries might in fact refer to the poorly known Enūma Anu Enlil 43, whose incipit has the same protasis as Enūma Anu Enlil 42 (šumma ina nisanni adad rigimšu inaddi).

8According to CAD Š/1 289a, lines 19-20 would refer to ACh Adad 29 2 (K.11089), but no overlap between the two texts could be found.

9Compare IM.KÍD = edēpu ša šāri in Nabnītu F 22.

10ŠUB is written over an erasure.

11According to CAD B 120b, this is a hapax legomenon, a loanword from Sumerian bar.

12This equation seems to be elsewhere unattested.

13The sign after MAN is not KA, and therefore this line is not identical with the incipit of Enūma Anu Enlil 45 (šumma adad ina nipiḫ šamaš rigimšu inaddi).

© Trustees of the British Museum

Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum