AD -286A (X102861)
Astronomical Diary, Hellenistic, Babylon · c. 330 BCE–141 BCE
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| Designation | AD -286A |
|---|---|
| ID | X102861 |
| Museum no. | BM 55541 |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Hellenistic · c. 330 BCE–141 BCE |
| Genre | Astronomical Diary |
| Find spot | Babylon |
| Coordinates | 32.5434, 44.4222 |
English translation
By ORACC project adsd/adart1 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [1:3] o 2'2'–o 3'3' | [... the river level] ... receded 4 fingers, total: 6 was the na (gauge). |
| Obverse [2:3] o 3'3'–o 3'3' | [Month II, ...] ... 2/3 cubit; first part of the night, Jupiter was 3 cubits below ε Leonis. [...] |
| Obverse [3:4] o 4'4'–o 4'4' | [...] gusty [wind]. Night of the 4th, [beginning of the night, the moon was] 1 1/2 cubits [...] δ Cancri. [Night] of the 5th, [...] |
| Obverse [4:5] o 5'5'–o 5'5' | [... Venus’ first appearance in the west in Taurus;] sunset to setting of Venus: [nn]+1°; (ideal) first appearance on the 1st ... [...] ... 2/3 cubit. The 6th?, [...] in the morning, ... [...] |
| Obverse [5:6] o 6'6'–o 6'6' | [...] ... [...] 2/3 cubit [...] when Saturn became stationary to the west, [...] |
| Obverse [6:7] o 7'7'–o 7'7' | [...] ... [... Night of the 10th, beginning of the ni]ght, the moon was 2 cubits in front of α [Virgi]nis, above [...] |
| Obverse [7:8] o 8'8'–o 8'8' | [... beginn]ing of the night, the moon was [...] crossed the sky, rain? [...] Night of the 14th, beginning of the night, [the moon was ... α Scorpii ...] |
| Obverse [8:9] o 9'9'–o 9'9' | [...] measured (despite) clouds; clouds [...] ... [...] 8 [...] night, totality [...] |
| Obverse [9:10] o 10'10'–o 10'10' | [...] ... onset, tota[lity, and clearing ... during tota]lity, Saturn set; the remain[der of the planets did not stand there ...] |
| Obverse [13:14] o 14'14'–o 14'14' | [...] gusty north wind. Night of the 24th, last part [of the night, ...] |
| Obverse [14:15] o 15'15'–o 15'15' | [... Night of the 27th, last part of the night,] the moon was [...] behind α Tauri [...] |
| Obverse [15:16] o 16'16'–o 16'16' | [...] minas. At that time, [...] |
| Obverse [16:18] o 17'17'–o 18'18' | [... to the end of the mon]th, the river level [...] 1 2/3 cubits; 6 was the na (gauge). |
| Obverse [17:18] o 18'18'–o 18'18' | [Month III, ...] sunset to moonset: [...] measured. [...] ... [...] |
| Obverse [18:19] o 19'19'–o 19'19' | [... Night of the 4th, beginning of the night, the moon was ... ρ] Leonis [...] |
| Obverse [19:20] o 20'20'–o 20'20' | [...] Night of the 7th, beginning of the night, the moo[n was] 8 fingers [...], in front of Sat[urn ...] |
| Obverse [20:21] o 21'21'–o 21'21' | [... Night of the 11th, beginning of the night, the moon was ... β] Scor[pii ...] |
| Obverse [21:22] o 22'22'–o 22'22' | [...] first part of the night, [...] |
| Reverse [1:2] r 2'2'–r 2'2' | [...] fingers. Night of the 5th, beginning of the night, the moon was [...] behind α Scorpii [...] |
| Reverse [2:3] r 3'3'–r 3'3' | [... Night of the 9th, the moon ...,] it stood 1 1/2 cubits in front of Mars to the west. Night of the 10th, beginning of the night, the moon was [...] |
| Reverse [3:4] r 4'4'–r 4'4' | [...] The 14th, sunrise to moonset: 15°, measured. Night of the 16th, last part of the night, the moon was 2 [cubits] below η Tauri. [...] |
| Reverse [4:5] r 5'5'–r 5'5' | [...] ... Night of the 20th, last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit 8 fingers below β Geminorum, the moon being 8 fingers back to the west. Ni[ght? ...] |
| Reverse [5:6] r 6'6'–r 6'6' | [Night of the 22nd, last part of the night,] the moon was 1 cubit 8 fingers in front of ε Leonis. The 22nd, mist and haze crossed the sky, gusty wind. Ni[ght of the 23rd, ... Night of the 24th,] |
| Reverse [6:7] r 7'7'–r 7'7' | [last part of the night, the moon was] 2 cubits [below?] ϑ Leonis, it stood 2 cubits in front of Jupiter to the west. Night of the 25th, first part of the night, [...] |
| Reverse [7:8] r 8'8'–r 8'8' | [Night of the 27th, last pa]rt of the night, the moon was 1 1/2 cubits in front of Mercury. The 27th, moonrise to sunrise: 16°; equinox, I did not watch. Night of the 29th, first part of the night, [...] |
| Reverse [8:9] r 9'9'–r 9'9' | [That month, the e]quivalent (of 1 shekel of silver was): barley, 3 pānu 2 sūtu; d[at]es, 2 pānu 1 sūtu 3 qa; mustard, 2 kur; cress, 3 sūtu 3 qa; se[sa]me, 4 sūtu 3 q[a ...] |
| Reverse [9:11] r 10'10'–r 11'11' | [Mercury was in] Virgo, Mars was in Capricorn; Saturn, which had set, was not visible. That month, the river level receded 4 fingers, 29 was the na (gauge). |
| Reverse [10:11] r 11'11'–r 11'11' | [Month VII, the 1st (of which followed the 30th of the preceding month),] sunset to moonset: [nn], measured (despite) mist; it could be seen while the sun stood there; earthshine; the moon was 2 cubits in front of β Scorpii [... x]+1 cubit [...] |
| Reverse [11:12] r 12'12'–r 12'12' | [...] ... 1 cubit 4 fingers, it stood 1 1/2 cubits behind Venus to the east; first part of the night, Mars was 6 fingers below [γ/δ] Capricorni, the moo[n being ...] |
| Reverse [12:13] r 13'13'–r 13'13' | [... Night] of the 7th, beginning of the night, the moon was [...] in front of γ Capricorni [...] ... Night of the 8th, beginning of the night, the moon was 2 cubits behind Mars [...] |
| Reverse [13:14] r 14'14'–r 14'14' | [...] ... Night of the 13th, moonrise to sunset: 40'; last part of the night, the moon was [...] in front of η [Tauri. The 1]3th, sunrise to moonset: 7°. Night of the 14th, sunset to moonrise: 8° 40'; last part of the night, [...] |
| Reverse [14:15] r 15'15'–r 15'15' | [Night of the 16th, last part of the night, the m]oon was 1 cubit above μ Geminorum. Night of the 17th, last part of the night, the moon was 3 1/2 cubits [below] α Geminorum. Night of the 19th, last part of the night, [...] |
| Reverse [15:16] r 16'16'–r 16'16' | [Night of the 21st, last part of the night,] the moon was 2/3 cubit behind ρ Leonis. Night of the 22nd, last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit behind ϑ Leonis, [...] in front of Jupiter [...] |
| Reverse [16:17] r 17'17'–r 17'17' | [Night of the 25th, last part of the night, the moon was] 1 cubit [...] α Virginis, it stood 2 cubits in front of Saturn to the west. The 26th, in the morning, clouds were in the sky [...] |
| Reverse [17:18] r 18'18'–r 18'18' | [... cl]ouds crossed the sky?. The 29th, clouds were in the sky. That month, the equivalent (of 1 shekel of silver was): barley, 3 pānu 2+[x] sūtu [...] |
| Reverse [18:20] r 19'19'–r 20'20' | [... Venus was in Scorpius, at the end] of the month in Sagittarius; around the 7th, Saturn’s first appearance in the beginning of Libra; Mars was [in ...] |
| Reverse [19:20] r 20'20'–r 20'20' | [Month VIII ... Night] of the 3rd, the moon was 2 1/2 [cubits] in front of Venus [...] |
| Reverse [20:21] r 21'21'–r 21'21' | [...] clouds [...] |
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' | [...] ⸢x x⸣ [...] | |
| 2' | [...] ⸢x x⸣ 4 U LAL 6 na | |
| 3' | [GU₄ ...] ⸢x 2/3 KUŠ₃ USAN MUL₂.BABBAR SIG SAG-A 3 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [...] | |
| 4' | [...] ŠAR₂ GE₆ 4 [SAG GE₆ sin x] ⸢MUL₂-ar₂-ša₂⸣-ALLA-ša₂-ULU₃ 1 1/2 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [GE₆] 5 [...] | |
| 5' | [... dele-bat ina ŠU₂ ina MUL₂.MUL₂ IGI N]+1 na-su in 1 ⸢IGI⸣ [x] ⸢x⸣ [...] ⸢x⸣ 1 2/3 KUŠ₃ 5 [x x x] ina še-ri₃ ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 6' | [...] ⸢x x x x⸣ [...] 2/3 KUŠ₃ [x x x x] ⸢GENNA⸣ ana ŠU₂ ki ⸢UŠ⸣-[a ...] | |
| 7' | [...] ⸢x x⸣ [... GE₆ 10 SAG] ⸢GE₆⸣ sin ina IGI ⸢SA₄⸣-[ša₂]-⸢ABSIN⸣ 2 KUŠ₃ ⸢e⸣ [...] | |
| 8' | [...] ⸢SAG⸣ GE₆ sin [...] AN DIB AN [x] GE₆ 14 SAG GE₆ [sin x SI₄ ...] | |
| 9' | [...] ⸢DIR⸣ muš DIR [x x] ⸢x⸣ [...] 8 x⸣ [x x x] ⸢x⸣ GE₆ IR₂ [...] | |
| 10' | [...] ⸢x x x⸣ GAR ⸢IR₂⸣ [u ZALAG₂ ... ina] ⸢IR₂⸣ GENNA ŠU₂ IB₂.[TAG₄ {d}UDU.IDIM{meš} NU GUB{meš} ...] | |
| 11' | [...] ⸢x x⸣ [...] [...] | |
| 12' | [...] [...] | |
| 13' | [...] | |
| 14' | [...] ⸢SI ŠAR₂ GE₆⸣ 24 ina ⸢ZALAG₂⸣ [...] | |
| 15' | [... GE₆ 27 ina ZALAG₂] sin ar₂ is-le₁₀ ⸢N⸣ [...] | |
| 16' | [...] MA.NA i-nu-šu₂ [...] | |
| 17' | [... EN TIL] ⸢ITU⸣ ILLU 1 2/3 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [x] 6 na | |
| 18' | [SIG ...] na muš [x x x x x x] [...] | |
| 19' | [... GE₆ 4 SAG GE₆ sin ... MUL₂-TUR]-⸢ša₂⸣-4-KUŠ₃-[ar₂-LUGAL N N ...] | |
| 20' | [...] ⸢GE₆ 7 SAG GE₆ sin⸣ [...] 8 U ina IGI ⸢GENNA⸣ [...] | |
| 21' | [... GE₆ 11 SAG GE₆ sin x MUL₂]-e-ša₂-SAG-⸢GIR₂⸣.[TAB ...] | |
| 22' | [...] ⸢USAN⸣ [...] | |
| 23' | [...] ⸢x x⸣ [...] | |
| 24' | [...] [...] | |
| r | ||
| 1' | [...] ⸢x x x x⸣ [...] | |
| 2' | [...] SI GE₆ 5 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ SI₄ [...] | |
| 3' | [... GE₆ 9 ...] ina IGI AN 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ ana ŠU₂ GUB GE₆ 10 SAG GE₆ sin [...] | |
| 4' | [...] 14 15 na muš GE₆ 16 ina ZALAG₂ sin SIG MUL₂.MUL₂ 2 [KUŠ₃ ...] | |
| 5' | [...] ⸢x⸣ GE₆ 20 ina ZALAG₂ sin SIG MAŠ.MAŠ-ar₂ 1 KUŠ₃ 8 SI sin 8 U ana ŠU₂ LAL ⸢GE₆⸣ [...] | |
| 6' | [GE₆ 22 ina ZALAG₂] sin ina IGI SAG-A 1 KUŠ₃ 8 U 22 a-kam₂ u hi-il AN DIB IM ŠAR₂ ⸢GE₆⸣ 23 ... GE₆ 24 | |
| 7' | [ina ZALAG₂ sin SIG] ⸢GIŠ⸣.KUN-A 2 KUŠ₃ ina IGI MUL₂.BABBAR 2 KUŠ₃ ana ŠU₂ GUB GE₆ 25 USAN ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 8' | [GE₆ 27 ina] ⸢ZALAG₂⸣ sin ina IGI GU₄.UD 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ 27 16 KUR LAL₂-tim NU PAP GE₆ 29 USAN [...] | |
| 9' | [ITU BI] ⸢KI⸣.LAM še-im 3(BARIG) 2(BAN₂) ⸢ZU₂.LUM⸣ 2(BARIG) 1(BAN₂) 3 qa kas₃ 2 GUR sah-le₁₀ 3(BAN₂) 3 qa ŠE.⸢GIŠ⸣ 4(BAN₂) 3 ⸢qa⸣ [...] | |
| 10' | [GU₄.UD ina] ABSIN AN ina MAŠ₂ GENNA ša₂ ⸢ŠU₂-u₂⸣ NU IGI ITU BI ILLU 4 SI LAL 29 na | |
| 11' | [DU₆ 1 N] na a muš ina šamaš₂ GUB IGI AGA a-pir sin ina IGI MUL₂-e-ša₂-SAG-GIR₂.TAB 2 KUŠ₃ [x x] ⸢x x x⸣ [x x]+1 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [...] | |
| 12' | [...] ⸢x⸣ 1 KUŠ₃ 4 SI ar₂ dele-bat 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ ana ⸢NIM GUB⸣ USAN AN SIG MUL₂-[x-ša₂-SUHUR]-MAŠ₂ 6 SI ⸢sin⸣ [...] | |
| 13' | [...] ⸢GE₆⸣ 7 SAG GE₆ sin ina IGI MUL₂-IGI-ša₂-SUHUR-MAŠ₂ [x x x] ⸢x⸣ GE₆ 8 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ AN 2 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [...] | |
| 14' | [...] ⸢x⸣ GE₆ 13 40 NINDA ME ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI ⸢MUL₂⸣.[MUL₂ N N] 13 7 na GE₆ 14 8.40 GE₆ ina ZALAG₂ [...] | |
| 15' | [GE₆ 16 ina ZALAG₂] ⸢sin⸣ e MUL₂-ar₂-ša₂-še-pit₂-MAŠ.MAŠ 1 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 17 ⸢ina⸣ ZALAG₂ sin [SIG] ⸢MAŠ⸣.MAŠ-IGI 3 1/2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 19 ina ZALAG₂⸣ [...] | |
| 16' | [GE₆ 21 ina ZALAG₂] sin ar₂ MUL₂-TUR-ša₂-ar₂-LUGAL 2/3 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 22 ina ZALAG₂ sin ar₂ GIŠ.KUN-A 1 KUŠ₃ ina IGI ⸢MUL₂.BABBAR⸣ [...] | |
| 17' | [GE₆ 25 ina ZALAG₂ sin x] ⸢SA₄-ša₂-ABSIN⸣ 1 KUŠ₃ ina IGI GENNA 2 KUŠ₃ ana ŠU₂ GUB 26 ina še-ri₃ DIR AN ZA [...] | |
| 18' | [...] ⸢DIR AN DIB⸣ 29 DIR AN ZA ITU BI KI.LAM še-im 3(BARIG) 2+N(BAN₂) [...] | |
| 19' | [... dele-bat ina GIR₂.TAB ina TIL] ITU ina PA in 7 GENNA ina SAG RIN₂ IGI AN [ina ...] | |
| 20' | [APIN ... GE₆ 3 ⸢USAN⸣ sin ina IGI dele-bat 2 1/2 [KUŠ₃ ...] | |
| 21' | [...] DIR AN [...] | |
Sources & licences
- 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.