Biggs - More Babylonian Prophecies_1967

More Babylonian "Prophecies"Author(s): Robert D. BiggsSource: Iraq, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Autumn, 1967), pp. 117-132Published by: British Institute for the Study of IraqStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4199829 .

Accessed: 14/05/2014 10:36

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

British Institute for the Study of Iraq is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toIraq.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 108.81.114.222 on Wed, 14 May 2014 10:36:57 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=bisi

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4199829?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


MORE BABYLONIAN " PROPHECIES"

By ROBERT D. BIGGS

ONE of the intriguing aspects of studies on the Babylonian ' prophecy ' texts' has been the theory that, even though couched in familiar omen terminology

and ostensibly predicting the future, the prophecies are post eventum and in fact reflect a specific historical period and real historical events.2

It should be stressed that these ' prophecy ' texts are in no way related to Old Testament prophecy3 and that they cannot be considered the collected utterances of a seer. Neither have they any relationship to the practices attested in Mari, which are probably of Western origin and not from MIesopo- tamia proper.4 The 'prophecies ' must, I believe, be considered simply a peculiar part of the vast Mesopotamian omen tradition, from which the ' prophecies ' appeared to differ only because they lacked protases (i.e. a clause 'if such-and-such occurs '). The new material to be published here, however, shows that there are protases, at least in some cases. Of particular interest is the fact that some of the 'prophecies ' can now be shown to be connected specifically with astrology.

The purpose of this literary genre may be guessed at,5 but the fact remains that we do not know. If the 'prophecies ' were political tracts, who was to read them and be influenced by them? It must not be forgotten that literacy in Mesopotamia, largely because of the complexity of the writing system, was almost exclusively the prerogative of professionally trained scribes. The composition seems, in fact, thoroughly scholarly and traditional in tone, and, as is usual in Mesopotamian literary works, without the slightest hint of a real event or real people coming through to us.6

1 See the most recent edition, ' Akkadian Prophe- cies ', by A. K. Grayson and W. G. Lambert, JCS I 8 (I1964), pp. 7-30, with previous literature.

2 See, for example, the comment of E. Weidner, AJO 13 (1939-40), p. 235: 'Das Material, das der Verfasser des Textes benutzt hat, geht gewiss auf historische Quellen zuriick', and the reservations of Grayson, JCS I8, p. 9.

' For a brief description of prophets and prophecy in ancient Israel, sec John Bright, Jeremiah (= The Anchor Bible vol. 2i), i965, pp. xv-xxvi.

' The dpil/ (fem. dpiltu), literally 'answerer', is attested only in Mari as a member of the cultic person- nel. See A. Lods, ' Une tablette ine'dite de Mari, interessante pour l'histoire ancienne du prophetism semitique', Studies in Old Testament Prophecy Presented to T. H. Robinson, i95 o, pp. Io8-iio, now also ARMT

13 23. In these cases the utterances reported are very specific and refer to an immediate situation. The same is true of the ma14t, a cultic ecstatic about whose function we are still poorly informed. See W. von Soden, ' Verkiindung des Gotteswillens durch prophetisches Wort in den altbabylonischen Briefen aus Mi'i, W.O. I (947-50), PP. 397-403.

5See Grayson, JCS i8, pp. gf. S It must be admitted that other ' prophecy ' texts,

not discussed here, relate such dramatic events as (in time of famine) a mother barring her door against her daughter, though this probably became only another literary cliche (cf. the traditional cliches of the lamenta- tion texts), along with the common prediction that people will sell their children, though, of course, people did actually sell their children in desperate times. See A. L. Oppenheim, "'Siege Documents' from Nippur", Iraq 17 (x195), pp. 6-q89.



ii8 ROBERT D. BIGGS

The main text discussed here, part of which has been known for many years,7 is a unique composition whose structure is difficult to understand because of the fragmentary state of the first few lines.8 It begins with what seems to be a somewhat mythological report of celestial phenomena and the action taken by the gods Anu-rabCu and Enlil in relation to them, reported in the preterite tense, just as the protases of omens are.9 The rest of the main text consists only of line after line of predictions (i.e. omen apodoses), whence the characterisation of the text as a prophecy. The predictions include many standard omen apodoses, but here again, there are some unique features. The most interesting of these is a description of a mis'aru-act,10 which is obviously a general alleviation of all sorts of troubles, when the displaced or homeless are gathered back, when the poor become better off (through remission of debts ?), when the possessions of the poor are safe (from seizure for debt ?), when officials are returned to office, when betrayers are executed.

The rest of the predictions, even in the few cases where they do not have precise verbal parallels in the omen literature, are completely in the usual omen style. The rest of the text seems, in fact, to be a collection of omen protases gathered from various sources, just as the standard omen collections probably are. Note especially the occurrence of a second person prediction (line 24), among the more usual third person predictions.'1

The new fragment of this composition published here,12 while by no means

I The main source is C1 13 50, to which Grayson and Lambert added new duplicates, thus adding to the comprchension of the text. It is now known from cight fragmcnts, six of which were used by Grayson and Lambert. Their sigla for the various sources have been retained here. The line numbering has been continued to include the new texts.

8 The first six lines remain very obscure, mainly bccause the text cannot be rcconstructed with any confidence. The three copies preserving thcse lines arc fragmentary and the overlaps are few, and, moreover, the distribution of lines is different, so that several more w )rds may be missing than my transliteration suggcsts. I have assumed that these lincs, in spite of their unusual character, arc intended as an omen protasis and I havc therefore translated the prcterite vcrbal forms with the present tensc.

9 Another ' prophecy' text, KAR 421 (see JCS I8, pp. i2if) also had a mythological introduction (lines i-8 of column i), concerned with Igtar and Anu, but so little of it remains that it is not possible to make connect_d sense of it.

10 See F. R. Kraus' most recent description of a mi'iiaru-act, S'iudies Landfberger, p. 23I, also his funda- mental study, Ein F.dikl des K6nigs Ammi-Saduqa von Bab)lon (= Studia el documenla ad iura orien/tis antiqui perti/entia, vol. 5), 1958.

1" Second person predictions are by no means rare, cspecially in Old Babylonian omen texts and Standard Babylonian extispicv. Whatever the original source

of the omcns may be, they seem to have bcen systcma- tiscd at somc point according to the omen protases, but without changing the person. It may bc suggested that somc peculiar writings, best known in tcxts from Elam (for the clearest examples, from Susa itself, see the tcxts cited by R. Labat, Sludies Landsberger, pp. 257-26o) in the Standard Babylonian astrological texts, mainly in Elamite month namcs and writings of Jarru as zoo and ana as 9P, cntrerd the scholarly tradition in this way.

12 The tablet, in Nco-Babylonian script, is from Nippur (where I was cpigrapher for the Ninth season, I964-1965), and bears the ficld number 9 NT zi. It is now in the collection of the Oriental Institute, Univcrsity of Chicago, museum numbcr A 32332. The tablct was found on the surfacc of the mound and is somewhat pitted from exposure. No attempt is made to utilise the first column, of which only ends of lines are preservcd. It is sccn to consist also of a long section of common omen phrases. The reverse is destroyed. To judgc from the flatness of the frag- mcnt, it is from a wide tablet, perhaps wider than the two columns which are preserved.

The new fragment shows that Grayson and Lambert correctly idncitified K.i849 (copy only, JCS i8, p. z2) as a prophccy text. It proves to bc a duplicate of the niew scction provided by the Nippur tcxt. W. G. Lambert has kindly informed mc, in responsc to my qucry, that K.I849 is not the same tablet as K.786i (= Cl I3 so), the major source for this composition.



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES I19

filling all the lacunae, carries the text further-past the main text which was previously known-and shows unmistakably that the genre is connected with astrology. The same conclusion, however, could also be reached independently on the basis of the internal evidence of the newly recovered parts of the main text.13

The following brief synopsis of the main text can be given: (i-6) obscure, but seem to describe divine communications with the people (through celestial phenomena?), then communication between Enlil and Anu-rabcu; (7-I 2)

description of a mnzJsaru-act; (I3-17) a king of Babylon is killed, a son comes to the throne, but the land revolts and he is killed in his palace, general enmity follows (described as brother against brother, friend against friend); (X8) the major temples destroyed, citizens of Nippur killed; (igf.) the gods consult and restore the king's rule; booty is carried off from lamutbal; (20ff.) a prince who is not considered an heir to the throne seizes the throne and takes control of the temples, after which plague and famine come (as punishment?); the reign ends; (25f.) the king and his family are all killed; the feeling of the country changes and all take up arms; there is fighting among kingdoms; the gods consult, the king's reign is short(?); (27) Amorites attack, sanctuaries, king and people are destroyed; there is an omen relating to Esnunna, and Esnunna is reinhabited, and the land is secure; (29f.) destruction of Elam, there is [peace(?)] in the major cities.

13 See the commentary to line 28 below.

(For Transliteration and Translation see follow)ing pages)



I 20 ROBERT D. BIGGS

I.14 [DIS MUL].X -#si-a-am-m[a TA duT]u.E ana d UTU'.A i-ti-i[q] X KA BE

2. [lam-r]i1(?) is-sa-a-ma KUR if-me [x x x x x] if-mu-ti

3. [IZI] KI.A.dID GAL-ma AN.UR A ana A-f DU.MES

4. [ina lib]-bi dBIL.GI 7i-kir-fi KIN dEn-lil ana AN.GAL-Mifu/-ma ti-bil-ma

p.[A fP-ri fIU-luM AN-GAL ana t5 i-bil-ma dr-hif ha-an-tif t-r-dm-ma

6. [IGI(?).D]U8(?).A.ME-fi U KA BE GIS.IG.MES AN-e fd KUR if-mi-i

7. [d]A-num ana dEn-lil mi-fd-ra Id-ka-na i[q-bi] mi-Id-ru if-fak-kan [e-fd-a-tu]

8. uf-te-fe-ra dal-ba-a-tum i-zak-ka-a sa-a[p-bu-tum i-pa/j-bu-ra]

9. na-as-hu-tUM KI.MIN ki-na-a-tum uk-tan-na-mva [x x x x]-in-nu

10. LU.NIG.NU.TUKU.MES i-fdr-r-t DUMU LU.NIG.TUKU.M[ES i-lap-pi-n]u I I. LU.SIk mim-mu-fi i-fal-lim EN KIN ana KIN-fd GUR-ar L[U x x x x x x] x ub-

bar(!) 12. mu-ub-bir-Iti-nu ina KAR A EN.NUN KI.MIN ina KAR E si-bit-hUm GAZ.MES-ma

[xxx] I3. LUGAL KUR-SUd t-d-Zaq LUGAL URI.KI KIN-Il NU KUR-ad LUGAL KA.DINGIR.

[RA.KI ia GI9.TUKUL SUB]

I4. DUMU LUGAL d ina AS.TE u-fa-bU KUR UR.BI BAL-su-ma a-a-b[i-It NU KUR-ad

KUR]

I 5. LUGAL u ma-li-ki-su ina E.GAL ina-ar URU KI URU E KI E [i-nak-kir]

i6. SES SES-fti ru-'ti-i-a ru-'-a-ft ma GIS.TUKUL i-ra-nGp NfG.G[A E .GAL-]] i-a

Variants 2. (c) i]s-sa-a UN.ME9 KUR SE.GA X. Combining of texts uncertain, see commentary. 3. (a) AN.UR sa (collated), see JCS i8 pp. i6 and 29.

S. (c) dEn-4ll instead of d50, (a) dr-h[i-il, (b) dr]-1il 6. (c) [IG]I( ?).BAR.MEW-JU, , omitted

16 The texts are the following, with indications of d = BM 33726 (JCS I8 P. 24), lines 8-17 the lines represented in the various copies: e = K.7204 (JCS I8 P. 24), lines 15-26

a = K.786i (CT 13 5o), lines i-3i f = K.7127 (JCS i8 p. 25), lines I-28

b = K.7i3 7 (JCS I8 P. 24), lines i-io g = 9 NT 21 (A 32332), COPY Plate XLV, lines 13-39

c = K.i10o26 (JCS i 8 p. 2-4), lines x-8 h = K. i849 (JCS 18 P. 2.5), lines 3 2-3 9



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES" I2I

i. [If the star(?)] . . . rises and passes over [from] east to west, [. 2. [it makes a frightful(?)] sound and the land hears, [. .. the . . .] hear, 3. there is a sulphur [fire] with ... going along beside it, 4. (that means?): its message is by means of fire. The messenger(?) of Enlil

brings greeting to Anu-rabu, 5. [a mes]senger brings the greeting of Anu-rabfu to Enlil and is immediately

dispatched(?) with haste, then 6. [they look(?)] (favourably) upon him(?), and (there is?) the sound of the

opening(?) of the doors of heaven which the land hears. 7. Anu [commands] Enlil to promulgate a m7faru-act. A mJsaru-act will be

promulgated, [the confusion] 8. will be corrected, the disturbance cleared, those who have been dis[persed

will be gathered back], 9. those who have been removed DITTO, the righteous will be re-established,

and then [. . .] . . . . IO. the poor will become rich, the rich [will become poor] . . . , Ii. the possessions of the lowly will be safe, the office-holder will return to

his office, the [. . .] will denounce(?) the [. . . s], I 2. their denouncer will be executed in the . . . of the guardhouse,

variant: in the . . . of the prison, and then [. . 13. The king will cause his land to complain, the king of Akkad will not

achieve his goal, the king of Babylon [will be killed]. 14. The entire land will rebel against the prince who will sit on the throne

and [he will not conquer his] enemies, [an enemy] I5 . will murder the king and his counsellors in the palace. City [will turn

against] city, family will turn against family, i6. brother will slay brother, friend will slay friend, the possessions [of his

palace] will go out.

8. (C) GAR-an x, (d) [dal]-rba-al-th, ruling after this line in (c)

9. (d) [n]a-as-bu-tu ki-nu-[t'-iu], ]-in-nu from (d) io. (d) LU.NU.NIG.TUKU.ME?, (b) rMES LIU.NIG.TUKU1

i i. (d) LU instead of LU. A

I 3. (d) KUR instead of KUR-ad

14. (g) la i-na GU.ZA d!-bu

I S. (d) E.GAL-14, (g) i-na g.GAL-lU i-na-dr

I6. (Ce) rUI-'U ru-'u-4[u, (g) ru-'u ru-'uz-Ju i-na GI?.TUKUL i-na-[dr



122 ROBERT D. BIGGS

17. GI.PISAN e-muq-ti BE-ma UN.MES KUR i-ma-la-la GIR.NITA d[En-lilu L]UGAL ia GIS.TUKUL SUB.SUB

I 8. e-ret DINGIR.MES GAL.MES Us-sab-ha-a RI.RI.GA DUMU.MES EN.LIL.KI ina GIS.

TUKUL GAL

19. DINGIR.MES GAL.MES UR.BI GALGA.MES-ma ur-tul ana a-ba-met suM-nu-ma

20. BAL LUGAL ana KI-SU GUR.MES tal-lat Ia-mu-ut-ba-li it-tal-lal

21. DUMU LUGAL sa ina KA UN.MES MU-tu la na-bu-,i DU6+-DU-ta AS.TE DIB

22. DUMU LUGAL E.MES DINGIR.MES i-be-el<i> SUB-tim MAS.ANSE dGIR itma KUR GAR-an

23. GIS.TUKUL dPr-ra dan-nit ina KUR GAR-ma UN.MES KUR DUMU.MES L[UGAL(?)]

td SU.KU IGI.MES

24. SIG6 IGI.MES a-dan-tu MU.7.KAM -kal-la-a-ka TIL BAL na-!Zaq KUR

25. SUB-tim LUGAL qd-du IM.RI.A-tu GALGA KUR MAN-ni GIS.TUKUL.MES Ima KUR

UR.BI GAR.MES-ma

26. AS.TE AS.TE i-dar-ri-is Sur-ma DINGIR.MES GAL.MES GALGA.MES-Mta BAL LUGAL

LUGUD(!).DA t[U(?) X X x]

27. tuml-ma ZI-ut MAR.TU a-na KUR a-na EGIR-at UD-Mi GAL-ma ZAH et-re-e-ti

28. ZAH LUGAL KI.MIN ZAH KUR U UN.ME[S-td] ES.BAR-Sv a-na tt-nun.KI na-di-in

29. .I-nun-na.KI Ku-ab x [x x x] SA KUR Duio-ab ZAH NIM.MA.KI U UN-tU

30. fi-te-r[a] x [x x x (x)]

3I. ina Eri4-[duo U)D].NUN.KI SES.UNUG.KI UNUG.KI U" [EN.LIL.KI X X X (X) GAL]

32. DIS IZI.GAR TA AN.PA a-na AN.UR IS-ru-u[r x x x m]a-ga/ ZALAG-ir

33. ina sA-s dIM KA-Si ka-l[a UD-Mi X X X (X)]

Variants

17. (e) [i]p-pet-te-ma, (g) PISAN, BE-te-ma UN KUR

i8. (g) fe-re-et instead of el-ret 19. (g) DINGIR.MES UR.BI ur-th a-na a-ba-mes suM-nu-[ma

20. (e) -mut-ba-li, (g) NAM.RA Ia-mut-ba-li



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES" 123

I7. The housekeeper's storage-container will be opened and the people of the land will plunder (it). The official of [Enlil and] the king will be slaughtered.

i 8. The shrines of the great gods will be obliterated, there will be a reduction of the inhabitants of Nippur by slaughter.

I9. The great gods will consult one another, send word to one another, and then

zo. they will restore the king's rule. The booty of lamutbal will be carried off. 21. A son of the king who is not mentioned by the people (as a successor)

will seize the throne. 22. The son of the king will control the temples of the gods. There will be

death among the domestic animals in the land, 23. the mighty weapon of Erra (i.e. plague) will be in the land and the people

of the land, the children [of the king(?)] who have experienced famine 24. will experience good times whose duration(?) will be indicated to you as

seven years; end of the reign, complaint of the land, 25. downfall of the king together with his family. The counsel of the land

will change; the entire country will take up arms, and then z6. one throne will overthrow another. Either the great gods will consult one

another and the rule of the king will be short( ?), . . . [] ..] 27. or there will be an Amorite attack against the land later on and then there

will be destruction of the sanctuaries, 28. destruction of the king, variant: destruction of the land and [its] people.

The (astrological) omen concerns 29. Egnunna; Esnunna will be (re)inhabited, ... .], the interior of the land will

be happy, there will be destruction of Elam and its people 30... . will return.... [...]. 3I. In Eri[du, Ad]ab, Ur, Uruk, and [Nippur there will be . .

32. If a torch (i.e. a meteorite) flashes from the height of the sky to the horizon, [. . .] shines very brightly,

33. at the same time Adad thunders, the whole [day the . . .1

zz. (e) E'.MES DINGIR.MES GAL.MES, (g) DUMU.MES LUGAL

23. (g) UN KUR DUMU.MES L[UGAL(?)

2.4 (e) SIG5,-MES' I[GI, (g) u-kal-lam-ka

25. (e) SUB-ti LUGAL EN I[M, UIR.BI GAL.MIES-ma

26. (e) GIS.[GU.ZA, (g) GU.JZA1, im-tdl-li-ku-ma

z7. text from (g) (a) ana KUR ana



124 ROBERT D. BIGGS

34. NU in-na-ta-lu IM DAL.[BA.NA X X X (X)]

35. a-na dEn-lil ES.BAR BI ana KUR NIM.MA.KI [SUM]

3 6. NIM.MA i-bar-ru-ub el-re-tu-id Us'-td1-pa-[ta] 37. [SA.DUG4 DINGIR].MES GAL.MES ip-par-ra-as x x [x x x (x)] 38. KI.LAM LA K[UR EN M]AN-ma TUKU-1` ITI.9.K[AM LUGAL(?) X KI BE(?)]

39. DIS I[ZI.GAR X X X (X)] rest destroyed

Variants

34. (h) i-na-ta-&#ME? u, IM bi-ri-ti

Commentary

i. Restoration of MUL iS a guess, based in part on a comparison with such passages as [DIS . . .] MUL ina ka-la UD-Mi TA dUTU.E ana dUTU.SU.A SUR-ma . . . KA-tu is-si-ma '[if] a star flashes the whole day from east to west and ... makes a sound' (real meaning obscure) ACh Supp. 2 Itar 63 iv i8f. Note that there is also reference there to hearing: te-mu-d if-me ibid. 20. KA BE at the end of the line is completely obscure. A preterite verbal form is expected.

2. The reconstruction of this line is very difficult. It seems probable that UN.MES KUR SE.GA 'the people of the land heard' of text c is a variant of KUR

is-me the land heard' in text a (unless one should read issa uN(!) KUR i-me, cf. variant in line 23); it-mu-u in text b is grammatically impossible in this phrase, so we must assume that its subject (the gods?) is lost in the lacuna.

3. Restoration of izi is based on such passages in astrology as IZI KI.A.ID ACh Supp. 2 Sin 23b r. 5. The rest of the line is obscure, for AN.UR (normally = itid fame' ' horizon ') is unintelligible here (note that text a has AN.UR sa). Possibly, however, text a should be restored as AN.UR sa-[am-ta im-bas] ' the horizon is [streaked with red] ', see BBR 1-20: 101. A ana A-SU is known in astrology, normally referring to celestial bodies proceeding together, e.g. ACh Supp. Sin 7: I5, alsO A ana A MUL.MES DU.MES-It STT 339: 6'. See now H. Hirsch, 'Idi ana idi, Or. NS 35 (I966) pp. 4I 3-4i6.

4. Interpretation is very difficult. The texts are perhaps not correctly combined. The direct speech suggested by -mi (' message of Enlil to Anu-rabu` '?) is not clear. The phrase i-na lib-bi i-td-a-ta al-tap-par ' I sent a message by means of a fire signal' ABL I430: x5f. would suggest that one restore [ina lib]-bi at the beginning of the line, possibly taking it as an explanation of the previous line: ' (that means): its message is by means of fire.' Perhaps KIN is not for tipir here, but should be emended to <A>.KIN ' messenger' to form a parallel with the following line (if correctly restored).



MORE BABYLONIAN PROPHECIES I25

34. cannot be seen, (and) a wind(?) between [ ...] 35. to Enlil, its (astrological) omen [concerns] Elam, 36. Elam will lie waste, its shrines will be destroyed, 37. [the regular offerings of the] major [gods] will cease, . . . 38. prices will increase, [the land] will have another [master], in the ninth

month [the king(?) of. . . will die(?)].

39. If a tor[ch . . .].

6. The beginning of the line is difficult and the restoration (for which there may not be room enough) is a guess based on my attempt to harmonise it with [IG]I(?).BAR.MES'-M of the variant. For the ' doors of heaven ', see the passages cited in CAD s.v. daltu p. 5 5b.

9. KI.MIN refers to paadru (if correctly restored) in the previous line.

io. Restoration is suggested by such passages as the parallel lines LU.UKU

i-iar-ra and LU.NIG.TUKU i-la-ap -p-in KUB 37 i68 r. 4 and 6, and, in a 'prophecy' text NIG.TUKU.MES UKU(!).ME? UKU.MES NfG.TUKU.MES JCS I8 p. 13 Second Side ii 15 (read so, with R. Borger, AJO I8 (1957-8) p. ii8).

i i. I know of no precise parallel, but the sense of the passage, mostly destroyed, may be 'a . .. will denounce the ... .s.' Cf. LU LU SAL SAL ub-bar-ma 'a man will denounce a man, a woman a woman' ACh A dad 6: 9.

13. The death of the king is obviously referred to since the following line refers to the king's son coming to the throne.

I4. Note that text g has GU.ZA (i.e. omitting GIs) throughout. The restoration at the end of the line is quite uncertain. The reading a-a-b[i] is based on collation, see JCS i8 p. 29.

I6. The word ru',2 occurs a number of times in 'prophecy' texts, but the only occurrence I have found in omen texts is ru-'u-a ru-['i-a-J4 . .] ACh Adad I2 i 2.

17. The form of the PISAN sign in g (see copy) is unusual. For the GIR.NITA

of a deity, see E. Sollberger, UET 8 p. 3. The restoration of Enlil is a guess, based in part on the occurrence of Nippur in the next line.

I8. te-re-et ' omens ' in text g can be considered an error.

20. Iamutbal does not, to my knowledge, otherwise occur in omen texts. If this passage does not refer to a specific historical event, which is doubtful, it



PLATE XLV

ITY

\ Ffr |?tgfzW >4 20

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~32



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES O

Ii26

may, taken together with Esnunna and the other cities mentioned in line 3I, be considered evidence for an Old Babylonian date for the composition of the text.

2I. Note the parallel DUMU LUGAL ida-na NAM.LUGAL la Zak-rw GI?.GU.ZA DIB-bat ' a son of the king who is not mentioned for kingship will seize the throne' Thompson Rep. 27I: 7, apparently quoting from DUMU-3/4 Id ana NAM.LUGAL la zak-rU AS.TE DIB-ma ACh Sin 25: 29.

2 3 . Cf. GIS.TUKUL dPr-ra dan-nu ina [KUR GAL] AChG JItar 20: 3 5, dupl. TCL 6 i6: 27 (the preceding line in both texts has NAM.BE (= -mtanu) dan-nu ina KUR GAL-Di.

24. The interpretation of the end of the line as ' end of the rule, suffering of the land ' is clear from parallels TIL (= taqtft) BAL na-fzaq KUR CT 39 2I: 15 5, and the opposite sequence in na->aq KUR TIL BAL-e CT 39 3I: i, and passim in omen texts.

The word kullumu in the sense ' appear', 'occur ' is also attested a number of times in astrological texts. Note [UD.NA.AM] AN.MI d-kal-lam-ka 'an eclipse will appear to you [on the day of the new moon]' ACh Supp. Sin 28: 9 (-AfO I7 (1954-6) 83: 9), also ACh Supp. Sin 29: 13, understood by Weidner, AfO I7 (I954-6) p. 84 to mean 'the day of the new moon will show you an eclipse', but, I believe, the usage in astrology requires that 7m bubbuli be understood as an adverbial expression 'on the day of the new moon'; note especially AN.MI zi-kal-lam-k-a AfO I7 p. 85: IO, where, with the exception of attalM, no word which could be construed as a subject occurs. See also DIS ESDAR i-na SAG MU 4-kal-lim-ma 'if Venus makes an appearance on the first of the year' ACh Supp. I%tar 40: i 9, but cf., perhaps, PAP I 2 UZU.MES HA.LA .d TE.LU ia 30 U UTU ina lib-bi DIB.MES uk-tal-lim-ka 'Total: twelve . . . of the portion of Aries, in the midst of which the sun and moon pass by. It(?) has been shown(?) to you ' JCS 6 (I952) p. 66: 20.

26. Since a common apodosis is expected here, an emendation of UD tO LUGUD seems justified.

28. The very close similarity of these lines to the top lines of text c (K. iioz6, JCS i8 p. 24, see ibid. p. i6: I'-5') is striking.

The phrase purussd naddnu is attested only in reference to celestial phenomena, which is further evidence for the dependence of this 'prophecy' text on astrological omens. The phrase occurs frequently in astrological texts, where it is usually, as here, purussdfu ana GN inandin GN. . . 'the omen concerns GN, GN will . .", e.g. [ana LUGAL] KA.DINGIR.RA.KI E9.BAR SUM-in LUGAL KA.DINGIR.RA.[KI BE UN.MES-!4 sal-ma] 'the omen concerns [the king of] Baby- lon, the king of Babylon [will die, but his people will be safe] 'ACh Supp. Sin 27: II, partly restored from ACh SUpp. 2 Sin 26: i, na sA A-ga-dh.KI ES.BAR SUM-in

(2609) E



127 ROBERT D. BIGGS

LUGAL A-ga-[d2.KI X X X] ACh Supp. 2 Sin 24: 5, also ia sX Id(?) NUN.KI E?.BAR SUM 'the omen concerns Eridu' UET 6 413: 22, also, referring to Der, Nippur, and Ur ibid. 24. The same phrases are found in the Neo-Assyrian astrological reports: pu-ru-Us-su a-na SES.UNUG.KI na-din' the omen concerns Ur' ABL ioo6: 6 (=- Thompson Rep. 286), ina sA SES.UNUG.KI U LUGAL SES.UNUG.KI

ES.BAR SUM-in LUGAL SES.UNUG.KI SU.KU IGI the omen concerns Ur and the king of Ur, the king of Ur will experience famine' Thompson Rep. 271: 4, AN.MI GAR-ma ES.BAR-14 a-na LUGAL KI.SAR.RA SES.UNUG.KI U MAR.TU.KI i-nam-din' there will be an eclipse and its omen will concern the far kiffdti of Ur and Amurru ' Thompson Rep. 272B: 3f. (see ZA 35 (1923-4) p. 305), also ES.BAR-114a-na SES.

UNUG.KI ABL 38 r. 5, and passim in astrological texts. Note also, in a Seleucid astrological text concerned with signs of the zodiac: KI ES.BAR LUGAL(!)

NIM.MA.KI KI AN.TA.LU 'region (of the heavens) for an omen concerning the king of Elam, region (for the occurrence of) an eclipse ' TCL 6 12 ii 4ff., and passim in this text. In fact, purUss4 in omen texts normally refers to omens and predictions derived from astrology (note, exceptionally: ES.BAR MUL.MES MUSEN.MES

U GUD.MES' omen(s) concerning celestial bodies, birds, and oxen ' KAR 4 r. z, and, at the end of a collection of bird omens: ES.BAR MUSEN.MES ka-la-fd-nu 'omen(s) concerning all the birds ' Boissier DA 3 5: 3).

Esnunna, though destroyed in the Old Babylonian period, lives on in the omen tradition. Cf., for example, ana LUGAL fi-nun-na.KI ES.BAR SUM Zi-ut ERfN-man-da KI.MIN ERfN-MU GAL 'the omen concerns the king of Esnunna; there will be an invasion by the Ummanmanda DITTO (= there wiU be an uprising) of my troops' ACI) Sin 33: 29f., also LUGAL Pt-nun-na.KI [ . .] ACh Sanmal 14: 2 5.

29. Cf. EBUR KUR.NIM.KI GAL-ma ?Si-nUn.KI Ku-ab 'Elam will have a (good) harvest and Esnunna will be (re)inhabited ' AC!) Adad 6: 7, and note, for this meaning of a&dbu: URU BI SUB-ma NU Ku-ab ' that city will fall and will remain uninhabited' CT 39 10 K.I49+: 24 (Alu).

3 I. The combining of the texts is not quite certain. The listing of cities in this way is unusual, but cf., in a late astrological text, Sip-f.par.KIl UNUG.KI U

UD.UNUG.KI ' Sippar, Uruk, Larsa' A 3451: 7' (unpublished tablet in the Oriental Institute).

37. The opposite prediction is given in DUMU ma(!)-a[m]-ma-na-ma DU6+DU-aYa AS.TE DIB-bat E.MES DINGIR.MES GAL.MES ania KI-1i-na GUR.MES SA.DUG4 DINGIR.MES

GAL.XES 4-kan E DINGIR.MES GAL.MES i-nis i-;Za-an-na-an a son of a nobody will arise and seize the throne, the temples of the great gods will be restored, he \vill (re)establish the regular offerings of the great gods, he will provide for all the temples of the great gods ' ACh Stipp. Iar 49: 3ff., cf. sat-tuk d-g?-g) sa TAR-SU DU-an 'the regular offerings for the Igigi-gods which had ceased he will (re)estabfish ' JCS I 8 p. I 3 iii 4 ('prophecy').



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES" I28

38. The restoration is suggested by occurrences of KUR EN MAN-ma TUKU-Zi, e.g. TCL 6 I: 8. The restoration at the end of the line is quite uncertam.

An additional 'prophecy' text which I have identified will also be given here, despite the poor state of preservation. The text is LBAT I 543,15 a Seleucid fragment, probably from Babylon. It belongs to the group of 'prophecies' which predict the length of the ruler's reign and the main events of the reign.'6 The supposed relevance of these texts for historical purposes depends mainly on the years of rule which the texts provide. In spite of the fact that the kings are never mentioned by name, attempts have been made to correlate the years with other chronological information, mainly from the king lists, and thus to indicate the kings referred to.17

Though in this new fragment most of the figures giving the length of reign are destroyed, a preserved section gives a reign of 27 years (the highest previously known in these texts was I8), followed by one of 7 years.18 The historicity of these figures may well be doubted. In my opinion, too much reliance has been placed on these numbers. They can hardly be considered separately from other figures which are given in the omen texts,19 particularly in astrology. Note, among many, the following: LUGAL URI.KI ana MU.5 .KAM

BE-ma 'the king of Akkad will die during (his) ffth year' ACh Supp. Sin 20: 2I; 37 MU.MES 6.ITI.ME EBUR KUR NU SI.SA 'for thirty-seven years and six months the crops of the land will fail' ACh Adad 34 21; ina MU BI ana 6 ITI LUGAL

su BE-ma ' in that year during the sixth month a sar kisBdti will die ' ACh Iftar 24: 20; MU.3.KAM ITI.3.KAM UD.I0.KAM KUR KA.GAL KUR URI.KI DIB in the third year, third month, on the tenth day, the enemy will seize the gate of Akkad ' ACh Spp. Iftar 54: zI, and passim in ACh. Any theory which would attribute historical accuracy to the years in the ' prophecies ' must also take into account these (and many other) chronological indications in the omen literature.

This type of ' prophecy ', I believe, is also to be regarded as simply a literary

"I W. G. Lambert has very kindly collated several passages for me.

16 The only previously known example of this type of ' prophccy' is a single tablet from Assur. See JCS i8 pp. IO and I2 ff. The preserved parts of that text are in no way connected with astrology, each section beginning simply 'a ruler will arise'. Moreover, the pattern of alternating 'good' and ' bad' reigns, pointed out by Grayson, JCS i8 p. 10, is apparently not a feature of the new text.

17 See especially Weidner, AfO 13 p. 235, cited above, note 2.

18 No such actual sequence is known.

19 See, on the question of the relevance of omen texts for history, the views of J. J. Finkelstein, ' Mesopotamian Historiography', Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. I07 (I963) pp. 46I- 472, especially p. 463, and the doubts expressed by Grayson in La divination en M6sopotamie ancienne, I966 p. 76 n. 2. While undoubtedly there is authentic historical information embedded in the omens, I am doubtful that, by and large, they should be relied upon for specific historical data except in the cases where names are actually given. They are ' historical ' more, I believe, in the sense that they reflect what were considered possible events in terms of the Mesopo- tamians' view of their own existence.

(2609) E2



129 ROBERT D. BIGGS

creation without reference to specific historical events. Note that one of the more striking events described, the ruler's death from a scorpion sting, is not known from any authentic historical record.

The structure of the text apparently differs somewhat from the other

LBAT I543

obv.(?) 1. traces Z'. [X X X (X) ilia] GIS.TUKUL [SuB(?)]

3'. [x x x x x (x)] i a Zi-qit GfR.TAB [BE]

4'. [x x X (x)] LA(?) NUN 27 MU.MES NUN.MES DU-SU

5'. [x x X (x)] x X KUR.SU.BIR4.KI i-da-al ZAH

6'. [x x x (x)] x i Ul GAL AB.rBAI.ME KUR NUN GALGA

7'. [la ku-iir4 GALGA.M]ES-ma NUN ana KUR-Mi HUL zi-ba-la 8'. [NUN ARAD.MES]- Mina GIS.TUKUL i-gam-mar NUN BI ina URU-SM GAZ-./i-ma

9'. [SA.TAM.M]ES L.GAL( !)-M i-ma-la-lu

IO'. [x X MUL X U] MUL.UR.BAR.RA TE-hu ina UD NU NAM-S[1 B]E

I I . [DUMU LUGAL AS.T]E NU DIB-bat KU DU-ma NUN 7 MU.MES N[UN.ME? DU-d]f

I2'. [x x x (x)] ra MU-it mu-dr is rad KUR X [X X]

3 . [x x X (x)] xx SES.MES X [X X]

14'. [x x x (x)] x di ina KUR GA[L-s`'z X X XI

15'. traces

rev.(?)

I. traces 2'. [x x x (X)] x x ia KUR-e x

3'. [x x x (x) NUN X M]U.MES NUN.MES DU-[/S]

4'. [x x x (x)] x x [i]k-tum x an rid(?) Ku-ab 5'. [X KI.S]U.PES5 -kan-nia x &d x &4(?) sal bu ri(?) 6'. [KI.LAM] LA KUR.MAR.TU.KI x x rKUl(?)-rab1(?) a x la x 7'. [x GA]AL(?)-Si KUR.MAR.TU.KI [x x] ki x x v



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES " 130

'prophecy' of this type. Presumably a ruler is referred to in the beginning, then the astrological omen connected with his death is given. The rest of each section then apparently deals with the manner in which his successor comes to the throne, and the events of the latter's reign.

obv.( ?)

2'. [the... will be] slaughtered.

3'. [. , he [will die] from the sting of a scorpion. 4'. [. , the ruler will exercise rule for 27 years. 5'. [. will trample the land of Subartu. [There will be] destruction 6'. [of . .], his . . . will not occur, the elders of the ruler's land will [give

bad] advice 7'. and the ruler will bring harm upon his land, 8'. [the ruler] will slaughter his [officials]. They will kill that ruler in his own

town, and 9'. the [iatammu-officials] will plunder his palace.

IO'. [If . . .] the ' wolf star ' [and...] have a conjunction(?), he will die before his time.

II'. [A son of the king] will not seize the [throne], the opinion (of the land) will be solidified and the ruler will [exercise rule] for 7 years.

I2'. [. .. whose name is called, the... of the land(?) [. . I3'. [. ,his . . ., brothers . ] I4'. [. wil be in the land,[...]

rev.(?)

3'. [.. . the ruler] will exercise rule for [x] years. 4'. [. ,will dwell 5'. [.0.] he will establish a ho[ly town(?)], . ..

6'. [prices] will rise, the land of Amurru [. 7'. [there will b]e(?) a [. . .], the land of Amurru [.



I31 ROBERT D. BIGGS

8'. [x x] x rSi-nal ru-'-a-[U] X X [X X] X NAM(?).BE

9'. [x X x (x)] x DUMU(!)-th AS.rTEl NU DIB-bat

10'. [x x x (x)] il-tap-pu-4(?) [d]an ni' x du iu II'. [X X X (X) NUN X MU].MES NUN.ME9(1) [DU'-U& X x X]

I2'. [X X X (X) M]U(?)-ar KUR ti ru(?) x [x x x] x 13'. [xxx(x)] x a ti4iax [xxx(x)]

14'. [x x x (x)] x la x [x x x (x)]

I 5'. traces

Commentary

3'. Dr. E. Sollberger has kindly collated this line and confirmed the reading. The interpretation is suggested by [DIg MU]L Sal-bat-a-nu ana sX MUL.GfR.TAB

TU NUN ina Zi-qit GIR.TAB BE ' [if] Mars enters Scorpio, the ruler will die from the sting of a scorpion ' LBAT I 5 26 r. i i (this passage is to be deleted from CAD s.v. sibittu p. I56 mng. id), also NUN ina TAB GIR.TAB BE LBAT 1532:

i6, cf. TCL 6 6 i I 5, and DUMU.NITA LUGAL ina !i-qit GIR.TAB BE TCL 6 32. 3:

4'. In view of similar passages in 'prophecies ', JCS I8 pp. Izff., NUN.MES iS

patently a writing for .sarritu. I assume the ending u on ippu&u to be an erroneous late writing.

7'f. These lines are cited from, or are at least a duplicate of, the apodosis in ACh Iltar Supp. 33: 65f. (= Labat Calendrier ?85: 31-34): AB.BA.MES KUR NUN

GALGA la ku-zir4 GALGA.MES-ma LUGAL ana KUR-3U IHUL-ta ub-bal LUGAL rARAD1.

MEg-lr ina GIS.TUKUL TIL.MES.

9'. The restoration is suggested by occurrences of latamma ekallam imallalit. See AHw. s.v. malilu for references, to which add SI.TAM.MES E.GAL i(l)-ma(!)- la-/u KAR 460: 17.

10'. TE-X7 probably refers to a conjction. Cf. MUL.UDU.IDIM MUL.UD.AL.TAR

KUR-ma TE.MES ' if a bibbu-planet reaches Jupiter and they have a conjunction' ACh Ittar 20: 39.

NAM is here a writing for gmtu. Cf. ina uD-Um la Pi-ma-ti AIBRT I 47: I7, i-na UD.ME la li-im-ti-siu ur-ru-hi-i3 im-tfl-ut OIP 2 4I v I 3, etc.

I 1'. I assume KU to be temu. The usual phrase in omens is t/m mdti iianni ' the opinion of the country will change'.



MORE BABYLONIAN "PROPHECIES I32

8'. [. . .] their [. . .], friend [wvill kill friend(?)] (there will be) plague(?). 9'. [. . .] ... his son will not seize the throne.

I 2'. W. G. Lambert's collation shows rad (not pi).

r. 8'. Although the traces do not allow a certain restoration, one expects ru-2-a to occur again. Cf. the other occurrences in the ' prophecy' texts.

r. 9'. The reading of this line is due to Lambert's collation.

r. io'. The remainder of the text is too damaged and uncertain for translation.



Biggs - More Babylonian Prophecies_1967

Documents

Transcript of Biggs - More Babylonian Prophecies_1967