AD -207A (X202071)
Astronomical Diary, Hellenistic, Babylon · c. 330 BCE–141 BCE
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| Designation | AD -207A |
|---|---|
| ID | X202071 |
| Museum no. | BM 34671 + 35057 + 35540 + 35837 |
| 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/adart2 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:1] o 1o 1–o 1o 1 | [...] measured (despite) mist; (the moon) was high to the sun; the moon was 2 cubits in front of η Tauri, [it stood ...] in front of Mercu[ry to the west ...] |
| Obverse [1:2] o 22–o 22 | [... Venu]s was 1+[x] cubits above ζ Tauri. Night of the 3rd, the moon was [...] in front of β/ζ [Tauri ...] |
| Obverse [2:3] o 33–o 33 | [...] The 3rd, in the afternoon, clouds were in the sky. Night of the 4th, very overcast. The 4th, very overcast [...] |
| Obverse [3:4] o 44–o 44 | [...] very overcast? [...] Night of the 6th, beginning of the night, the moon was 1 1/2 cubits behind β Geminorum [...] |
| Obverse [4:5] o 55–o 55 | [...] having passed 1/2 cubit to the east; very overcast. The 7th, overcast [...] rain DUL. Night of the 8th, beginning of the night, cl[ouds ...] |
| Obverse [5:6] o 66–o 66 | [... x]+1 cubits; very overcast, thunder, thick rain [...] The 9th, very overcast. Night of the 10th, beginning of the night, [...] |
| Obverse [6:7] o 77–o 77 | [... Ni]ght of the 11th, beginning of the night, the moon was [...] behind β Virginis [...] overcast?; in the afternoon, rain D[UL]. Night of the ⸢xth⸣, very overcast; beginning of the night?, the m[oon? ...] |
| Obverse [7:8] o 88–o 88 | [... Night of the 1]3th, beginning of the night, the moon was 4? [cubits] below α Virginis [... Night of the 14th, ...] ... 3 cubits; last part of the night, overcast [...] |
| Obverse [8:9] o 99–o 99 | [...] crossed?, lightning flashed, thunder, thick rain, PISA[N ...,] strong gusty [...] winds blew. Night of the 1[5th, ...] |
| Obverse [9:10] o 1010–o 1010 | [...] overcast. Night of the 16th, sunset to moonrise: 10° 30'; sunset to setting of Mercury: 17°; [first] part of the night, [...] cubits? [...] |
| Obverse [10:11] o 1111–o 1111 | [... Night of the 17th, last part of the night, the moon was] 1 cubit [...] ϑ Ophiuchi; last part of the night, Mars was 2 [mm] below β Capricorni [...] |
| Obverse [11:12] o 1212–o 1212 | [... Night of the 21st, last] part of the night, the moon was 2 cubits in front of γ Capricorni. Night of the 22nd, very overcast [...] |
| Obverse [12:13] o 1313–o 1313 | [...] sections of a rainbow stretched on the south and east side. Night of the 20+[xth, ...] |
| Obverse [13:14] o 1414–o 1414 | [... Night of the 2]6th, last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit behind η Piscium, [it stood ...] in front of Jupi[ter to the west ...] |
| Obverse [14:15] o 1515–o 1515 | [... the equi]valent (for 1 shekel of silver was): barley, 1 pānu 2 sūtu; dates, 3 pānu 3 sūtu; mustard, 2 kurru 1 pānu 2 sūtu; sesame, 1 pānu 1 sūtu [...] |
| Obverse [15:16] o 1616–o 1616 | [... At that time, Jupiter's] first appearance in Aries; Venus was in Gemini; on the 20th?, Mercury’s last appearance in the west in Taurus; Saturn was in Taurus? [...] |
| Obverse [16:18] o 1717–o 1818 | [...] the peak flood came. That month, five dogs approached one bitch. |
| Obverse [17:18] o 1818–o 1818 | [Month II, (the 1st of which was identical with) the 30th (of the preceding month), ... the moon] stood 2 cubits [in front of] Saturn to the west, the moon being 2 1/2 cubits high to the north. The 1st, sunset to setting of Saturn: 15° [...] |
| Obverse [18:19] o 1919–o 1919 | [... Night of the 3rd, the moon was] 6 fingers [...] Venus; last part of the night, overcast, rain shower. The 3rd, very overcast, ... [...] |
| Obverse [19:20] o 2020–o 2020 | [... x]+1 cubits, the moon being 1/2 cubit back to the west. The 5th, Saturn’s [last appearance] in [Taurus ...] |
| Obverse [20:21] o 2121–o 2121 | [...] rain DUL. Night of the 7th, beginning of the night, clouds crossed the sky [...] very overcast ... [...] |
| Obverse [21:22] o 2222–o 2222 | [... Night of the 9th, beginning] of the night, the moon was 1 cubit in front of β Virginis [...] lightning flashed, thun[der ...] |
| Obverse [22:23] o 2323–o 2323 | [... ve]ry overcast. Night of the 11th, clouds were in the sky ...; beginning of the night, the moon was [...] in front of α Virgi[nis ...] |
| Obverse [23:24] o 2424–o 2424 | [...] rain DUL. Night of the 13th, overcast; beginning of the night, the moon was 2 cubits below α Librae. The 13th, [...] |
| Obverse [24:25] o 2525–o 2525 | [...] ... 1 cubit. The 14th, very overcast. Night of the 15th, moonrise to sunset: 14°; clouds, I did not watch; very overcast [...] |
| Obverse [25:26] o 2626–o 2626 | [... Night] of the 16th, beginning of the night, ... [...] 2 cubits [... ϑ Ophi]uchi?. The 16th, sunrise to moonset: 4° 20'; clouds, I did not watch; very overcast. Night of the 17th, last [part of the night, ...] |
| Obverse [26:27] o 2727–o 2727 | [...] ... stretched in the west. Night of the 18th, last [part of the night, the moon was] 1/2 cubit [in front of β Capricor]ni. Night of the 19th, last part of the night, the moon was 3 cubits in front of γ Capricorni [...] |
| Obverse [27:28] o 2828–o 2828 | [...] ... Night of the 20th, last part of the night, the moon was 1? 1/2 cubits behind δ Capricorni. Around the 20th, when Mars became stationary to the east, [it became stationary] 2 cubits in front of γ Capricorni [...] |
| Obverse [28:29] o 2929–o 2929 | [...] shower. Night of the 22nd (and) the 22nd, very overcast. Night of the 24th, last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit in front of η Piscium. Night of the 25th, last part of the night, the moon was 3 cubits below α Arietis. The 2[5th, ...] |
| Obverse [29:30] o 3030–o 3030 | [...] The 28th, moonrise to sunrise: 16°? 30'. The 29th, very overcast. That month, the equivalent was: barley, in the beginnning of the month, 2 pānu 3 sūtu, in the middle of the month, 4 pānu 4 sūtu, at the end of the month, 4 pānu; dates, 3 pānu; mustard, 2 k[ur? ...] |
| Obverse [30:31] o 3131–o 3131 | [...] were sold for 1 shekel of silver. At that time, Jupiter was in Aries; on the 25th, Venus’ last appearance in the west in Gemini; on the 19th, Mercury’s first appearance in the east ..., omitted; on the 5th, Saturn’s [last appearance] in T[aurus ...] |
| Obverse [31:33] o 3232–o 3333 | [...] 22nd, (the river level) receded 1/2 cubit, total: 15? was the na na-gauge. |
| Obverse [32:33] o 3333–o 3333 | [Month III, the 1st (of which followed the 30th of the preceding month), ... the moon was] 1 cubit [below α Geminorum], the moon having passed a little to the east. Night of the 2nd, the moon was 1 1/2 cubits in front of δ Cancri. Night of the 3rd, the moon was 2 cubits in front of ε Leonis. Night of the 4th, [...] |
| Obverse [33:34] o 3434–o 3434 | [... Night of the 5th, beginning of the night, the moon was] 1/2 cubit [...] ρ Leonis. Night of the 6th, beginning of the night, the moon was 1 1/2 cubits behind ϑ Leonis. The 5th, Mercury’s last appearance in the east ..., omitted ... [...] |
| Obverse [34:35] o 3535–o 3535 | [... Night] of the 8th, beginning of the night, the moon was 2 cubits behind γ Virginis. Night of the 9th, beginning of the night, the moon was 1 1/2 cubits behind α Virginis. The 9th, Venus’ first appearance in the east in Gemini [...] |
| Obverse [35:36] o 3636–o 3636 | [... Night of the 10th, beginning of the night, the moon was] 2 1/2 cubits [in front of α Lib]rae. Night of the 11th, beginning of the night, the moon was 1 cubit behind β Librae. Night of the 12th, beginning of the ni[ght, the moon was] 1 1/2 cubits in front of α Scorpii. The 12th, in the after[noon, ...] |
| Obverse [36:37] o 3737–o 3737 | [... cl]ouds crossed the sky, strong gusty winds from all four directions, rain shower. Night of the 14th, moonrise to sunset: 16° 50'; clouds, I did n[ot watch ...] very overcast. Night of the 15th, sunset to moonrise: 2° [...] |
| Obverse [37:38] o 3838–o 3838 | [... Saturn's] first appearance in [...]; it was bright, rising of Saturn to sunrise: 17° 30'; (ideal) first appearance on the 12th. The 15th, sunrise to moonset: 4°, measured. Night of the 16th, [last part of the night, the moon was] 2 1/2 cubits [be]hind? β Capricorni [...] |
| Obverse [38:39] o 3939–o 3939 | [...] 1/2 cubit. Night of the 20th, last part of the night, Venus was 1 cubit ... Saturn ... [... Night of the 21st, last part of the night, the moo]n was [...] in front of η [Piscium ...] |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1'r 1'–r 1'r 1' | [... kings ... Anti]ochus, his son. |
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 | [...] a muš ana šamaš₂ NIM ⸢sin⸣ [ina] IGI MUL₂.MUL₂ 2 KUŠ₃ ina IGI GU₄.⸢UD⸣ [N N ana ŠU₂ GUB ...] | |
| 2 | [... dele]-⸢bat⸣ e ŠUR-GIGIR-ša₂-ULU₃ 1+[x] KUŠ₃ GE₆ 3 sin ina IGI ŠUR-⸢GIGIR⸣ [...] | |
| 3 | [...] 3 ina KIN.SIG DIR AN ⸢ZA⸣ GE₆ 4 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ 4 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ [...] | |
| 4 | [...] ⸢ŠU₂.ŠU₂⸣ ... GE₆ 6 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ MAŠ.MAŠ-ar₂ 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ [...] | |
| 5 | [...] 1/2 KUŠ₃ ana NIM DIB ŠU₂.ŠU₂ 7 ŠU₂ [...] ⸢AN⸣ DUL-hat GE₆ 8 SAG GE₆ ⸢DIR⸣ [...] | |
| 6 | [... x]+1 KUŠ₃ ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GU₃ U AN kab-bar [...] 9 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ ⸢GE₆⸣ 10 SAG GE₆ [...] | |
| 7 | [...] ⸢GE₆⸣ 11 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ GIR₃-ar₂-ša₂-⸢A⸣ [...] ŠU₂ ina KIN.SIG AN ⸢DUL⸣-[hat] ⸢GE₆ x⸣ ŠU₂.ŠU₂ SAG GE₆ ⸢sin⸣ [...] | |
| 8 | [... GE₆] 13 SAG GE₆ sin SIG SA₄-ša₂-ABSIN 4 [KUŠ₃ ... GE₆ 14 ...] ⸢x x x⸣ 3 KUŠ₃ ina ZALAG₂ ŠU₂ [...] | |
| 9 | [...] DIB GIR₂ GIR₂ GU₃ U AN kab-bar ⸢PISAN⸣ [...] KALAG ⸢ŠAR₂-uʾ GIN{meš} GE₆ 15 [...] | |
| 10 | [...] ŠU₂ GE₆ 16 10.30 GE₆ 17 na ša₂ GU₄.⸢UD⸣ [(x)] ⸢USAN⸣ [...] KUŠ₃ [...] | |
| 11 | [... GE₆ 17 ina ZALAG₂ sin x] MUL₂-KUR-ša₂-KIR₄-šil-PA 1 KUŠ₃ ina ZALAG₂ AN SIG SI-MAŠ₂ 2 [N ...] | |
| 12 | [... GE₆ 21 ina] ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI MUL₂-IGI-ša₂-SUHUR-MAŠ₂ 2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 22 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ [...] | |
| 13 | [...] bu-tuq {d}TIR.AN A₂ ULU₃ u KUR GIB{meš} GE₆ 20+[x ...] | |
| 14 | [... GE₆] 26 ina ZALAG₂ sin ar₂ MUL₂-KUR-ša₂-DUR-nu-nu 1 KUŠ₃ ina IGI MUL₂.⸢BABBAR⸣ [N N ana ŠU₂ GUB ...] | |
| 15 | [... KI].LAM ŠE 1(BARIG) 2(BAN₂) ZU₂ 3(BARIG) 3(BAN₂) kas₃ 2(GUR) GUR 1(BARIG) 2(BAN₂) ŠE.GIŠ 1(BARIG) 1(BAN₂) [...] | |
| 16 | [... i-nu-šu₂ MUL₂.BABBAR ina] HUN.IGI dele-bat ina MAŠ.MAŠ in 20 GU₄.UD ina ŠU₂ ina MUL₂.MUL₂ ŠU₂ GENNA ina ⸢MUL₂⸣.[MUL₂ ...] | |
| 17 | [...] ⸢ILLU⸣ ŠU₂ GIN ITU BI 5 UR.KU{meš} ana SAL.UR TE{meš} | |
| 18 | [GU₄ 30 ... ina IGI] ⸢GENNA⸣ 2 KUŠ₃ ana ⸢ŠU₂⸣ GUB sin 2 1/2 KUŠ₃ ana SI NIM 1 15 na GENNA [...] | |
| 19 | [... GE₆ 3 sin x] dele-bat 6 U ina ZALAG₂ ŠU₂ AN UTAH 3 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 20 | [... x]+1 KUŠ₃ sin 1/2 KUŠ₃ ana ŠU₂ LAL 5 GENNA ina [MUL₂.MUL₂ ŠU₂ ...] | |
| 21 | [...] AN DUL-hat GE₆ 7 SAG GE₆ DIR AN ⸢DIB⸣ [x x x x] ⸢ŠU₂.ŠU₂ x⸣ [...] | |
| 22 | [... GE₆ 9 SAG] GE₆ sin ina IGI GIR₃-ar₂-ša₂-A 1 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [x x x x] x GIR₂ GIR₂ GU₃ [...] | |
| 23 | [...] ⸢ŠU₂⸣.ŠU₂ GE₆ 11 DIR AN ZA ⸢x x⸣ SAG GE₆ sin ina IGI SA₄-ša₂-⸢ABSIN⸣ [...] | |
| 24 | [...] AN DUL-hat GE₆ 13 ⸢ŠU₂ SAG⸣ GE₆ sin SIG RIN₂-ša₂-ULU₃ 2 KUŠ₃ 13 [...] | |
| 25 | [...] ⸢x 1 KUŠ₃ 14 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 15 14 ME DIR NU PAP ŠU₂.ŠU₂ [x] [...] | |
| 26 | [... GE₆] 16 SAG GE₆ ⸢x⸣ [...] ⸢šil⸣-PA 2 KUŠ₃ 16 4.20 na DIR NU PAP ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 17 ina [ZALAG₂ ...] | |
| 27 | [...] ⸢A₂⸣ MAR GIB GE₆ 18 ina ⸢ZALAG₂⸣ [sin ina IGI SI]-⸢MAŠ₂⸣ 1/2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 19 ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI MUL₂-IGI-ša₂-SUHUR-MAŠ₂ 3 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [...] | |
| 28 | [...] ⸢x⸣ GE₆ 20 ina ZALAG₂ sin ar₂ MUL₂-ar₂-ša₂-SUHUR-⸢MAŠ₂⸣ 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ EN 20 AN ana NIM ki UŠ-u₂ 2 KUŠ₃ <ina> IGI MUL₂-IGI-ša₂-SUHUR-⸢MAŠ₂⸣ [UŠ ...] | |
| 29 | [...] UTAH GE₆ 22 22 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 24 ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI MUL₂-KUR-ša₂-DUR-nu-nu 1 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 25 ina ZALAG₂ sin SIG MUL₂-ar₂-ša₂-SAG-HUN 3 KUŠ₃ 25 [...] | |
| 30 | [...] 28 16.30 ⸢KUR⸣ 29 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ ITU BI KI.LAM ŠE ina SAG ITU 2(BARIG) 3(BAN₂) ina MURUB₄ ITU 4(BARIG) 4(BAN₂) ina TIL ITU 4 PI ZU₂ 3(BARIG) PI kas₃ 2 ⸢GUR⸣ [...] | |
| 31 | [... a]-⸢na⸣ 1 GIN₂ [KU₃].⸢BABBAR⸣ ep₂-šu₂ i-nu-šu₂ MUL₂.BABBAR ina HUN in 25 dele-bat ina ŠU₂ ina MAŠ.MAŠ ŠU₂ in 19 GU₄.UD ina NIM UD.DA IGI DIB in 5 GENNA ina ⸢MUL₂⸣.[MUL₂ ŠU₂ ...] | |
| 32 | [...] 22 1/2 [KUŠ₃] LAL PAP 15 na | |
| 33 | [SIG 1 ... sin SIG MAŠ.MAŠ-IGI] 1 KUŠ₃ sin i-ṣa ana NIM DIB GE₆ 2 sin ina IGI MUL₂-ar₂-ša₂-ALLA-ša₂-ULU₃ 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 3 sin ina IGI SAG-A 2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 4 [...] | |
| 34 | [... GE₆ 5 SAG GE₆ sin x] MUL₂-TUR-ša₂-4-KUŠ₃-ar₂-LUGAL 1/2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 6 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ GIŠ.KUN-A 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ 5 GU₄.UD ina NIM UD.DA ŠU₂-šu₂ DIB ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 35 | [... GE₆] 8 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ DELE-ša₂-IGI-ABSIN 2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 9 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ SA₄-ša₂-⸢ABSIN⸣ 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ 9 dele-bat ina NIM ina MAŠ.MAŠ-IGI [...] | |
| 36 | [... GE₆ 10 SAG GE₆ sin ina IGI RIN₂-ša₂]-⸢ULU₃⸣ 2 1/2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 11 SAG GE₆ sin ar₂ RIN₂-ša₂-SI 1 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 12 SAG ⸢GE₆⸣ [sin] ina IGI SI₄ 1 1/2 KUŠ₃ 12 ina KIN.[SIG ...] | |
| 37 | [...] ⸢DIR⸣ AN DIB IM.LIMMU.BA ŠAR₂ KALAG AN UTAH GE₆ 14 16.50 ME DIR ⸢NU⸣ [PAP x] ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 15 2 GE₆ [...] | |
| 38 | [... GENNA ina x] IGI KUR 17.30 na-su in 12 IGI 15 4 na muš GE₆ 16 [ina ZALAG₂ sin] ⸢ar₂⸣ SI-MAŠ₂ 2 1/2 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [...] | |
| 39 | [...] 1/2 KUŠ₃ GE₆ 20 ina ZALAG₂ ⸢dele-bat x GENNA⸣ 1 KUŠ₃ ⸢x⸣ [... GE₆ 21 ina ZALAG₂] ⸢sin⸣ ina IGI ⸢MUL₂⸣-[KUR-ša₂-DUR-nu-nu N N ...] | |
| 40 | [...] ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| r | ||
| 1' | [... {m}an-ti]-⸢ʾu-uk-su A⸣-[šu₂ LUGAL{meš]} | |
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.