This tablet preserves a commentary on the opening section of the astrological series Enūma Anu Enlil. This series opens with a short bilingual introduction referring to how Anu, Enlil, and Ea appointed Sîn (or, in the Akkadian version, Šamaš) to be the omen-bearing sign in the sky. As argued by Lambert, the divergences between the Akkadian and the Sumerian versions of this section are probably the result of a not altogether successful attempt at combining the Sumerian part of the introduction to the Moon section of Enūma Anu Enlil (tablets 1-22) with the Akkadian part of the prologue to the Sun section of the series (tablets 23-36).
The base text is cited in full at the beginning of the commentary (ll. 1-14), the Akkadian being introduced by the word šanîš, "alternatively," after the Sumerian part. The commentary follows the text. At the beginning it explains the beginning and end of the temporal clauses of the main text: ud ... ta in Sumerian, enūma in Akkadian. Then it states that the phrase "barge of the sky" is a sobriquet for the moon. It then continues equating moon and month and, apparently, the signs mú and dù,
Lines 24ff represent a different section, of astrological character. It mentions several constellations, and some of the words used had already appeared in the previous lines (e.g. napāḫu). However, the tablet is very damaged at this point, and the relationship of this section with the previous one remains uncertain.
It is possible that the tablet had a colophon, but the meager remains at the end of the reverse are not sufficient to settle the question.
Make a correction or suggestion
