CCP 7.2.u49 - Uncertain

Catalogue information
British Museum
BM 41481
81-6-25,93+ 81-6-25,251
Babylon(Babylon)
joins: 
BM 41481(+) BM 41635
CDLI: 
P461204
Commentary
DivinationAstrological. Sîn ina tāmartīšu
Base text: 
Uncertain
Tablet information
Babylonian
Neo/Late Babylonian, specifics unknown
Record
Jiménez, 12/2015 (Transliteration)
Jiménez, 12/2015 (Translation)
Jiménez, 12/2015 (Introduction)
Jiménez, 11/2016 (Commentary markup)
By Enrique Jiménez | Make a correction or suggestion
How to cite
Jiménez, E., 2015, “Commentary on Uncertain (CCP 7.2.u49),” Cuneiform Commentaries Project (E. Frahm, E. Jiménez, M. Frazer, and K. Wagensonner), 2013–2024; accessed November 13, 2024, at https://ccp.yale.edu/P461204. DOI: 10079/7sqvb50
© Cuneiform Commentaries Project (Citation Guidelines)
Introduction

The previously unpublished fragments BM 41481 and BM 41635 belong both to the British Museum’s 81-6-25 consignment of tablets, which is reported to stem mostly from Babylon. Both fragments are in all likelihood part of the same tablet, although they do not join physically. The big and neat script of the fragments is reminiscent of the very late Egibatila commentaries, most importantly of the Šumma Ālu commentary CCP 3.5.31, BM 41586 (81-6-25,201), which belongs to the same consignment.1 Scribes from the Egibatila family are responsible for some of the latest literary tablets, among them the latest datable commentary yet discovered, CCP 3.8.2.B (dated to 103 BCE).

The exact identity of the text commented upon in these fragments cannot be established. However, it seems clear that the base text is of divinatory nature. This is suggested first by several lines of the commentary that appear to contain apodoses (o 1, 7-8, 10, 23′, and 28′). Secondly, several parallels can be found between the quotations from the base text in the present commentary and several omen texts, among them the teratological series Šumma Izbu (o 1?), the astrological series Enūma Anu Enlil (o 28′), and the series of terrestrial omens Šumma Ālu (o 21′).

The technical term ana is used to specify from which lemma a certain word derives: for instance, the rare word sugû, “famine” (a loanword from Sumerian su.gu₇) is said to derive “from (the verb) sagû” (ana sagê), which means “to cause trouble” (o 21′, see also o 27′). The term šanîš, “alternatively,” which usually introduces alternative explanations to the same explananda, appears in r 2′. An interesting explanation appears in line o 10: according to it, the sign , when read /aš/, would mean “with” (itti). The rarity of the equation of with itti (which is attested only here) suggests that it represents an ad hoc attempt to explain a difficult use of the preposition ina, “in, with” (which is usually written simply with the sign ) in the base text. Rather than assuming that the text is corrupt, as a modern philologist would do, the exegete prefers to interpret that the sign is a logogram for itti, far-fetched though it may be.

  • 1. The script is also very similar to one of the other two known commentaries from the 81-6-25 consignment, CCP 7.2.u51 (BM 41637). It is, however, different from that of the Alamdimmû commentary CCP 3.7.2.K
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ccpo

BM 041481 (+) BM 041635[via ccpo]

Obverse
x179BM 41635 a
Obverse
o 1o 1

[... LUGAL? u? DUMU?]-MEŠ?-šú in--[bi?-tu₄?]1

[... the king and his ch]ildren will be des[troyed].

o 22

[...] DABbat : DAB : ṣa-ba- : DAB [x x x]

[...] DAB-bat, DAB means “to seize,” DAB [means ...]

o 33

[...] : ZAG : pa-aṭ : ZAG : i-[mit- (x x)]

[...] ZAG means “border,” ZAG means “ri[ght” ...],

o 44

[...] x : MIN : ina a-ka-lu ig-gam-[mar? x x]

[...] ..., ditto means “he will be anni[hilated] while eating” [...].

o 55

[...]-ma-ri : lil-lu : li?-[il?-lu?]

[...] ... lil-lu means id[iot [l[i-il-lu],

o 66

[...] x : TI : le-qu-[ú]

[...] ... TI- means “to take,"

o 77

[...] : i-šar-šú-nu- : a-šá-ri : sa-na-[qu]

[...] “he will inspect them” stems from “to inspect,” which means “to check.”

o 88

[...] x : LUGAL i-šaq-qa : UGU : mu-uḫ-ḫu [...]

[...] ... means “the king is high.” UGU means “skull.”

o 99

[...] x : muš-ke-nu- DUak : É A-NI : É AD-šú

[...] ... means “he will become poor.” É A-NI means “his father's house.”

o 1010

[...]-MEŠ DUMU-MEŠ-šú i-la-ku : áš : it-ti : 2

[...] ... his sons will go,” , read //, means “with.”

o 1111

[...]-ri ri-kis KÉŠ SIBsi-bi : 3

[...] ... “totality” (can be written as) KÉŠ, SIB, read /si-bi/.

o 1212

[...] IBILA?-šú : DUMU-šú GALú : ni-sik-? x x x

[...] “his heir” means “his oldest son.” “Selection” ...

o 1313

[...]-x-um/ra GABA : ana DUMU x [x x]

[...] ... to the son ... [...]

Uncertain number of lines missing between the end of BM 41635 and the beginning of BM 41481
BM 41481 a
o 14'14'

[...]-ra-ri : la [x x]

[...] ... [...]

o 15'15'

[...] x-ni-ma dul-lu šá [x x (x)]

[...] ... or any ritual which [...],

o 16'16'

[...] x muḫ-ḫi-šú pi-šú [x x]4

[...] ... his skull, his mouth [...]

o 17'17'

[... ?KUR].GAR.RAú- šá U₄um x x [(x x)]

[... kurg]arrûtu which on the day [...],

o 18'18'

[...] ta?-kul- ana nap-pa-x [...]

[...] meal ... [...]

o 19'19'

[...]-ka : ni-ši : ma-mit : 5

[...] ... “vow” means “oath.”

o 20'20'

[...] x ŠAMšá-am i-ḫi-iṭ : a-mi-ʾi-du šá ku-ra-ra6

[...] ... ŠAM, read /šam/, “it weighs” means “I am great,” said of a pustule.

o 21'21'

[...] na-piš- : su-ga : ana sa-ge-e7

[...] means “life.” “Famine” (sugû) stems from “to cause trouble” (sagû).

o 22'22'

[...] x : ḫa-šá-ḫu : ni-ši qatqa-at

[...] ... means “to need.” “Hand-lifting"

o 23'23'

[...]-da/šim sad-rat-su ḫe-U₄-BI na-ša

[means ...] ... will be numerous for him. Broken. That day ...

o 24'24'

[...] x : šùmšu-um -šú : MU šu-u

[...] ... the name (MU, read /šum/) will be small for him, MU means name (šû).

o 25'25'

[... e]-ki-im : DUMU NU TUKU :

[... “ch]ildless means (a person who) has no child.”

o 26'26'

[... uzu]SA. : da-da-nu : 8

[...] uzu.S]A.GÚ means “tendon of the neck.”

o 27'27'

[...] ana? sa-pa-ḫu : -šá-ṣu : -šá-ṭu : 9

[...] derives from “to scatter.” iššāṣu means iššāṭu.

o 28'28'

[...] ÉRIN GAL -šal-lal : IGI pa-ni : 10

[...] a great army will be taken prisoner,” IGI means “in front of.”

o 29'29'

[...] x x x

[...] ...

Side b of BM 41635 is lost
Reverse
rBM 41481 b
r 1'1'

[...] x : i-x-[x x]

[...] ...

r 2'2'

[...] x : 13 : šá-niš

[...] ... 13, alternatively

r 3'3'

[...] ra-da-da

[... means] “to chase.”

r 4'4'

[...] iḫ-mid-ma :

[...] he hoarded.

r 5'5'

[...] x-ME NU

[...] ... did not do ...

r 6'6'

[...] IGI : ma-ḫar

[...] IGI means “in front of.”

r 7'7'

[...]-ti DÙG ŠÀ DAB-su-nu-ti!?

[...] ... happiness will seize them.

r 8'8'

[...] : nab-lu : i-šá-

[...] “flame” means “fire.”

r 9'9'

[...] su-uḫ-ḫu-mu : sa-ka-pu11

[...] “to oppress” means “to push down.”

r 10'10'

[... SI :] še-bu-u : SI : na-ma-ri

[... SI] means “to be full,” SI means “to be bright.”

r 11'11'

[...] : ṣur-ru-pu

[...] means “to burn.”

r 12'12'

[...] : x-nu-[x (x)]

...

r 13'13'

[...] x ? x x [x (x)]

...

r 14'14'

[...] x ḫi [...]

...

r 15'15'

[...] x [...]

...

r 16'16'

[...] ina lìb-[bi x x x]

[...] in the cen[ter ...]

r 17'17'

[...] x [...]

...

1Compare Šumma Izbu XVIII 94': LUGAL u DUMU-MEŠ-šú in--bi-tu₄.

2The last equation of the line was hitherto unattested: it is probably an ad hoc creation to explain a difficult use of ina.

3The gist of this entry escapes us.

4Alternatively, it would be possible to read : ME-šú instead of pi-šú, but in this tablet the MEs look different. lem: X; X

5The last equation is also attested in BM 38137 l. 8 (MSL 14 329 = CCP 6.1.16.A.b).

6The interpretation of this line remains uncertain, it may be a quotation from an unknown text.

7The rare word sugû, "famine," is attested in four Neo-Babylonian and Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions (CAD S 344-345). Outside of them, only one occurrence of the word is booked in the dictionaries: CT 39 22 4, a manuscript of Šumma Ālu LXI.

8The equation is quoted from Ḫḫ XV 53.

9It is uncertain how the last two words should be parsed.

10The apodosis is attested in Enūma Anu Enlil: BM 35045+ r 11' and 13' (BPO 4 pp. 40-43). The protasis of BM 35045+ r 11' includes the logogram IGI (¶ [MUL SAG.ME].GAR ana IGI MUL ṣal-bat-a-nu DU).

11The line contains a vertical quotation from Erimḫuš II 202-203.

Photos by Enrique Jiménez

Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum