CT 54, 404 (P238978)
Letter, Neo-Assyrian, Nineveh · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | CT 54, 404 |
|---|---|
| ID | P238978 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Letter |
| Find spot | Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) |
| Coordinates | 36.3582, 43.1621 |
English translation
By ORACC project saao/saa04 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:1] o 1o 1–o 1o 1 | [Šam]aš, great lord, [give me a firm positive answer] to what I am asking y[ou]! |
| Obverse [1:4] o 22–o 44 | [Es]arhaddon, king of Assyria, who now is intent on send[ing to the destin]ation of his preference [the troops and armed forces wh]ich are written in this papyrus, and [placed before your great divinity, and (whom) your great divinity knows] — |
| Obverse [4:6] o 55–o 66 | [in accor]dance with the command of your great divinity, Šam[aš], great lord, and your [favor]able decisions, should the subject of this query strive and plan? [Should he send] these troops and armed forces to where he wishes? Is it pleasing [to your great divinity]? |
| Obverse [6:9] o 77–o 99 | If he, having planned, sends (them), will t[hese] troops and armed forces go [to where he wishes]? Will the enemy whose name is written in this papyrus and p[laced] before your great divinity [...], (and) mount a dangerous attack against them? |
| Obverse [9:10] o 1010–o 1010 | [Will they kill what there is to kill, sei]ze what there is to seize, plunder what there is to plunder, loot what there is to loot? |
| Obverse [10:11] o 1111–o 1111 | [Will they ......]? Does your great div[inity] know it? |
| Obverse [11:12] o 1212–o 1212 | [Will ......] these t[roops] and armed forces |
| Obverse [12:13] o 1313–o 1313 | [......] depart fr[om ......] |
| Obverse [13:14] o 1414–o 1414 | [......]? Will they see [...] of the enemy? Will they kill, plunder, take (away)? |
| Obverse [14:15] o 1515–o 1515 | [......] seize? |
| Obverse [15:16] o 1616–o 1616 | [......] Will they be afraid? |
| Obverse [16:17] o 1717–o 1717 | [Will they pre]vail [...]? |
| Obverse [17:18] o 1818–o 1818 | [Is it decreed and confirmed in a favorable case, by the command of your great divinity, Šamaš, great lord? Will he who can see], see it? Will he who can h[ear, hear it]? |
| Obverse [18:20] o 1919– | [Disregard the (formulation) of the prayer for today's case, be it good, be it faulty, (and that) a clean or an uncle]an person [has touched the sacrificial sheep]. |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1r 1–r 1r 1 | [Disregard that the ram (offered) to your divinity for the performance of the extispicy is deficient or] faulty. |
| Reverse [1:3] r 22–r 33 | [Disregard that he who touches the forehead of the sheep is dressed in his ordinary soiled garments], has seen [fe]ar and terror [at night, has eaten, drunk, or anointed himself with anything unclean], (or) has touched [the (libation) beer, the maṣhatu-flour, the water], the container, and the fire. |
| Reverse [3:6] r 44–r 66 | [Disregard that I, the haruspex your servant, a]m [dressed in my ordinary soiled garments], have seen fear and terror at night, [have eaten, drunk, or anointed myself with anything unclean], (or) have changed or altered [the proceedings, or (that) the oracle query has become jumbled in my mouth]. |
| Reverse [6:8] r 77–r 88 | [I ask you, Šamaš, great lord, whether the subject of] this [query, Esarhaddon, king of Assy]ria, [should send the men, horses, and armed forces which are written] in [this document] and placed [before yo]ur great [divinity, to where he wishes, (whether) it is pleasing to your great] divinity, |
| Reverse [8:11] r 99–r 1111 | [(whether), if he se]nds them and [they go, the enemy who is written] in [this] pa[pyrus and placed before your great divinity], will [... mount] a dangerous [attack] against [them], |
| Reverse [11:12] r 1212–r 1212 | (and whether) they will kill [what there is to kil]l, [seize] what there is to se[ize, plunder what there is to plunder, and loot what there is to loot]. |
| Reverse [12:13] r 1313–r 1313 | [The 'paths' are 2], the left 'path' is located over the right 'path.' The middle of the 'path,' on the left [......]. |
| Reverse [13:14] r 1414–r 1414 | [The coils of the colon ...] (and) are 15 in number and are damp. In the middle [......] |
| Reverse [14:15] r 1515–r 1515 | [......] is curled. The 'cavity' of [the 'crucible'] of the 'path' of the left is split in one place. |
| Reverse [15:16] r 1616–r 1616 | [......] The base of the [mid]dle ['finger' of the lung] is twisted. The 'ear' is present [......]. |
| Reverse [16:17] r 1717–r 1717 | Bel-epuš, Bel-ušallim, Nabû-ušallim [......]. |
| Reverse [17:18] r 1818–r 1818 | [May (this query) go] to your great divinity, O Šamaš, great lord, [and may an oracle be given as an answer]. |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| o | ||
| 1 | {[d]}⸢UTU⸣ EN GAL-u₂ ša₂ a-šal-lu-⸢ka⸣ [an-na GI.NA a-pal-an-ni] | |
| 2 | {1}AN].ŠAR₂—ŠEŠ—SUM-na LUGAL KUR—AN.ŠAR₂ ša₂ ⸢TA⸣-an-⸢ni⸣ [ERIM-MEŠ A₂.KAL-MEŠ] | |
| 3 | [ša₂] i-na {u₂}ur-ba-an-ni an-ni-⸢i⸣ šaṭ-ru-ma ⸢ina⸣ [IGI DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-ti šak-nu] | |
| 4 | ⸢KI⸣ ŠA₃-ba-šu₂ ub-lam a-na ⸢KIN-šu₂⸣-ma ti-iṣ-⸢mu⸣-[ru-ma DINGIR-ut-ka GAL-ti ZU-u₂] | |
| 5 | ⸢GIM⸣ KA DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-ti {d}⸢UTU⸣ EN GAL-u₂ EŠ.BAR-ka [šal]-mu EN—MU.⸢MU NE-i⸣ {1}AN.ŠAR₂—ŠEŠ—SUM-na LUGAL KUR—AN.ŠAR₂] | |
| 6 | ⸢li-iṣ-rim⸣ lik-⸢pid₂⸣-ma ERIM-MEŠ A₂.KAL-MEŠ šu-nu₃-ti KI ⸢ŠA₃⸣-ba-šu₂ ub-lam [liš-pur] | |
| 7 | [UGU DINGIR-ti-ka GAL]-⸢ti⸣ DUG₃-ab GIM ik-tap-du-ma il-tap-ru ERIM-MEŠ A₂.KAL-MEŠ ⸢šu⸣-[nu₃-ti] | |
| 8 | [KI ŠA₃-ba-šu₂ ub-lam] DU-ku-u₂ {lu₂}KUR₂ ša₂ ina {u₂}ur-ba-an-ni an-ni-i šaṭ-ru-ma ina IGI DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-tu₂ ⸢šak⸣-[nu] | |
| 9 | [x x x x] ⸢ZI⸣-bu ši-⸢ih⸣-ṭu ša₂ {mi₂}HUL ana UGU-hi-šu₂-ni i-šak-⸢ka-nu⸣ | |
| 10 | [ša₂ GAZ GAZ-ku ša₂] ⸢DIB⸣ DIB-⸢tu ša₂⸣ SAR SAR-tu ša IR i-šal-la₂-lu | |
| 11 | [x x x x x x x]-u₂ ⸢DINGIR-ut⸣-ka GAL-ti ZU-e | |
| 12 | [x x x x x x x x] ⸢ERIM⸣-[MEŠ] A₂.KAL-MEŠ šu-nu₃-ti | |
| 13 | [x x x x x x i-na] ⸢ŠA₃⸣-bi E₃-MEŠ-u₂ | |
| 14 | [x x x x x x x x x] {lu₂}KUR₂ IGI-ru-ma GAZ-ku SAR-tu TI-u₂ | |
| 15 | [x x x x x x x x x] DIB-tu | |
| 16 | [x x x x x x x x x x ŠA₃]-⸢ba-šu₂-un⸣ ia-ʾa-da-ru | |
| 17 | {[giš}TUKUL-MEŠ ša₂ x x x x x x x i]-⸢mar⸣-ri-⸢ru⸣ | |
| 18 | [e-zib ša₂ di-in UD NE GIM DUG₃ GIM LAL e-zib ša₂] ⸢KUG⸣ lu-ʾu-u₂ UDU ⸢SISKUR⸣.[SISKUR TAG-MEŠ u₂-lu] ⸢ana⸣ IGI ⸢SISKUR⸣.[SISKUR] ⸢GIL⸣ | |
| 19 | [e-zib ša₂ x x x x x e-zib ša₂ KI MAŠ₂] ⸢lu⸣-ʾu-u₂ ⸢lu⸣-[ʾu-u₂-tu DIB-MEŠ-ma] u₂-[le-ʾu-u₂] | |
| r | ||
| 1 | [e-zib ša₂ UDU.NITA₂ DINGIR-ti-ka ša₂ a-na MAŠ₂ MAŠ₂]-⸢u₂⸣ LAL-u₂ ha-ṭu-[u₂] | |
| 2 | [e-zib ša₂ TAG-it pu-ut UDU.NITA₂ TUG₂] ⸢gi⸣-ne₂-e-šu₂ ⸢ar₂-ša₂⸣-a-ti lab-šu₂ ina MI ⸢ŠA₃⸣.MUD ŠA₃.MUD IGI-[ru] | |
| 3 | [mim-ma lu-ʾu-u₂ KU₂ NAG-u₂ ŠEŠ-šu₂ mi₃]-⸢ih⸣-hu {zid₂}MAD.GA₂ A-⸢MEŠ⸣ haṣ-bu u IZI TAG-[MEŠ] | |
| 4 | [e-zib ša₂ a-na-ku DUMU—{lu₂}HAL DUMU—{lu₂}HAL ARAD-ka TUG₂ gi-ne₂-e-a ar₂-ša₂-ti lab-ša₂]-⸢ku⸣ ina MI ŠA₃.MUD ŠA₃.MUD IGI-ru | |
| 5 | [mim-ma lu-ʾu-u₂ KU₂ NAG ŠEŠ₂-šu₂ ku-un qa-ti] BAL-u₂ uš-pe-el-lu | |
| 6 | [u₂—lu ta-mit i-na KA-ia ip-tar-ri-du lu-u₂ ZI-MEŠ-ha lu-u₂ be₂]-e-ra | |
| 7 | [a-šal-ka {d}UTU EN GAL-u₂ ki-i EN—MU.MU] NE-[i {1}AN.ŠAR₂—ŠEŠ—SUM-na LUGAL KUR—AN].ŠAR₂ | |
| 8 | {[lu₂}ERIM-MEŠ {anše}KUR.RA-MEŠ A₂.KAL-MEŠ ša₂] ina {u₂}⸢ur⸣-[ba-an-ni an-ni-i šaṭ-ru-ma ina IGI DINGIR-ti]-⸢ka⸣ GAL-tu₂ GAR-ni | |
| 9 | [KI ŠA₃-ba-šu₂ ub-lam i-šap-pa-ru ina] IGI DINGIR-[ti-ka GAL-ti DUG₃.GA GIM il]-⸢tap⸣-ru-ma | |
| 10 | [DU-ku {lu₂}KUR₂ ša₂ ina {u₂}ur-ba-an]-ni an-nim-ma [šaṭ-ru-ma ina IGI DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-ti šak-nu] | |
| 11 | [x x x x x ZI-bu ši-ih-ṭu ša₂] {⸢mi₂⸣}HUL ana UGU-⸢šu₂⸣-[nu i-šak-ka-nu] | |
| 12 | [x x x ša₂] ⸢GAZ⸣ GAZ-ku ša₂ ⸢DIB⸣ [DIB-tu ša₂ SAR SAR-tu ša₂ IR i-šal-la₂-lu] | |
| 13 | [BE GIR₂ 02-⸢ma⸣ GIR₂ 150 UGU GIR₂ 15 GAR MURUB₄ GIR₂ 150 [x x x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 14 | [ŠA₃.NIGIN x x]-MEŠ 15 ŠID-šu₂-nu u sal-hu ina MURUB₄ [x x x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 15 | [x x x] ka-pi₂-iṣ₃ SAL.LA [NIG₂.TAB] GIR₂ ša₂ 150 01 ⸢DU₈⸣ [x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 16 | [x x] ⸢MURUB₄⸣ SUHUŠ-sa₃ zi-ri ha-si-si GAR-in [x x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 17 | {1}{d}EN—DU₃-uš {1}{d}EN—SILIM-im {1}⸢d.AG⸣—SILIM-[im x x x x x x x x x] | |
| 18 | ⸢UGU⸣ DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-ti {d}UTU EN GAL-u₂ [lil-lik-ma KIN li-tap-pal] | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.