-137A (X301371)
Astronomical Diary, Parthian, Babylon · c. 141 BCE–224 CE
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| Designation | -137A |
|---|---|
| ID | X301371 |
| Museum no. | BM 45709 |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Parthian · c. 141 BCE–224 CE |
| Genre | Astronomical Diary |
| Find spot | Babylon |
| Coordinates | 32.5434, 44.4222 |
English translation
By ORACC project adsd/adart3 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:1] o 1'o 1'–o 1'o 1' | [...] ... [... x]+2 cubits. The 6th, clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew ... [...] |
| Obverse [1:2] o 2'2'–o 2'2' | [...] 2 cu[bits ... ρ Leo]nis [... The 7th], Sirius’ last appearance, I did not watch; very overcast; in the afternoon, a little rain shower. Ni[ght ...] |
| Obverse [2:3] o 3'3'–o 3'3' | [... clou]ds crossed the sky, lightning fl[ashed ... Night of the 9th], clouds crossed the sky, the north wind blew; first part of the night, the moon was 2 cubits in front of γ Virginis ... [...] |
| Obverse [3:4] o 4'4'–o 4'4' | [...] ... quickly; all night [...] when the comet became stationary, [...] between ... [...] |
| Obverse [4:5] o 5'5'–o 5'5' | [... ni]ght clouds crossed the sky, much slow rain, the north wind blew. The 11th, clouds crossed the sky, much slow rain; in the morning, a section of a rain[bow ...] |
| Obverse [5:6] o 6'6'–o 6'6' | [...] ... on the north side?; all night ..., lightning flashed. The 12th, clouds were in the sky, the south wind blew. Night of the 13th, beginning of the night, the moon was 2 cubits in front of β? Scorpii. The 13th, clouds were? in the sky. Ni[ght? of the 14th?, ...] |
| Obverse [6:7] o 7'7'–o 7'7' | [... Mercury was] 5 cubits [below α Gemi]norum. The 14th, moonset to sunrise: 4°, measured (despite) clouds; clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew; in the afternoon, very overcast. Night of the 15th, moonrise to sunset: 1°; clouds, I did not watch; lunar eclipse ...; dense clouds, when I watched I did not see it; at 35° before sunset [...] |
| Obverse [7:8] o 8'8'–o 8'8' | [...], measured; clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew. The 16th, clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew. Night of the 17th, clouds were in the sky; last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit in front of β Capricorni, the moon being 4 cubits low to the south. The 17th, clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew. Night of the 18th, clouds [...] the sky [...] |
| Obverse [8:9] o 9'9'–o 9'9' | [... last part of the night, the moon was] 2 cubits [in front of γ Ca]pricorni, the moon being 1 cubit low to the south. The 18th, clouds were in the sky. Night of the 19th, in the morning watch, very overcast; last part of the night, rain shower. The 19th, in the morning, very overcast, it thundered twice, rain shower, the north wind blew. Night of the 20th, ... [...] |
| Obverse [9:10] o 10'10'–o 10'10' | [... x]+1° behind it. The 20th, a meteor which was very bright and had a tail, flashed from south to north. The 22nd, sunset to setting of Mercury: 17°; the north wind blew. Night of the 23rd, last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit in front of η Piscium, the moon being 4? [cubits low to the south ...] |
| Obverse [10:11] o 11'11'–o 11'11' | [... around] the 24th, Mercury’s last appearance in the west in Gemini. Night of the 25th, last part of the night, the moon was 2 1/2 cubits in front of Jupitersic, 2/3 cubit below Mars. The 25th, the north wind blew. Night of the 26th, last part of the night, the moon was 2 1/2 cubits in front of α Tauri. The 26th, [...] |
| Obverse [11:12] o 12'12'–o 12'12' | [... Night] of the 28th, first part of the night, Venus was 3 cubits below ε Leonis. The 28th, thin clouds were in the sky, ZI IR; in the afternoon, very overcast. Night of the 29th, all night very overcast, ZI IR ... locusts? [...] |
| Obverse [12:13] o 13'13'–o 13'13' | [...] from the 20th to the 25th, 2 pānu 2 sūtu; the 26th, 27th (and) 28th, 2 pānu [...] the 29th (and) 30th [...] dates, until the middle of the month, 1 kurru 4 pānu? 2 sūtu?, until the end of the month, 1 kurru [...] |
| Obverse [13:14] o 14'14'–o 14'14' | [... Venus] reached Cancer; Mercury was in Gemini; around the 24th, Mercury’s last appearance in the west in Gemini; Saturn was in Libra; Mars, until the end of the month, was in Aries; the 30th, Mars reached Taurus. That month, the river [level ...] |
| Obverse [14:15] o 15'15'–o 15'15' | [... 14] 1/2 was the na (gauge); from the 23rd until the end of the month, it receded 4 fingers, total: 15 1/2 was the na (gauge). That month, the comet which had set in Libra?, on the night of the 20th in the west in the area of the path of [...] |
| Obverse [15:16] o 16'16'–o 16'16' | [...] from Uruk, went out from Babylon to Uruk. These troops of the king retreated at the midpoint of their journey. The 5th day, [...] |
| Obverse [16:17] o 17'17'–o 17'17' | [... from Seleucia which is] on the Tigris and the king’s canal, entered Babylon. The 21st day, thighs general and the general ... [...] |
| Obverse [17:18] o 18'18'–o 18'18' | [...] Bagajaša? who to the cities? of the province of Assyria [...] |
| Obverse [18:19] o 19'19'–o 19'19' | [...] ... mustered? highs [...] and to the cities of Media [...] |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1'r 1'–r 1'r 1' | [...] ... 8 ... [...] |
| Reverse [1:2] r 2'2'–r 2'2' | [...] ... [...] ...; cress, 3 i{sūtu}; sesame, in the beginning of the month, 2 i{sūtu}, in the middle <of the month>, 1 i{sūtu} 4 i{qa}, at the end of the month, [...] |
| Reverse [2:3] r 3'3'–r 3'3' | [...] Taurus; the 16th, Mars reached Gemini. That month, the river level receded 1 cubit 8 fingers, total: 26 was the na (gauge). That month, the 28th day, ... [...] |
| Reverse [3:4] r 4'4'–r 4'4' | [...] general who was above the 4 generals entered Babylon. That month, a fall of cattle ... [...] |
| Reverse [4:5] r 5'5'–r 5'5' | [...] Uruk and the cities which are on the Kutha canal, the Sūru canal, the Piqudu canal and the canals [...] |
| Reverse [5:6] r 6'6'–r 6'6' | [...] ... their ... they took and brought (them) up to Elam. The people of these cities in fear of ... [...] |
| Reverse [6:7] r 7'7'–r 7'7' | [...] ... and famine occurred in Susa and the cities of Elam. I heard as follows: the Urukeans ... [...] |
| Reverse [7:8] r 8'8'–r 8'8' | [...] planned evil. That month, I heard as follows: ... king Demetrius who before [...] highs troops from the cities of ... [...] |
| Reverse [8:9] r 9'9'–r 9'9' | [...] made [...] of Babylonia, and thighs king Arsaces went from the cities of Media to Babylonia, and ... [...] |
| Reverse [9:10] r 10'10'–r 10'10' | [...] brought about [the defeat] of highs troops, and seized highm and highs nobles, saying: king Arsaces [...] good peace for you? from ... [...] |
| Reverse [10:12] r 11'11'–r 12'12' | [...] in plenty, happiness and good peace in the cities of Media next to king Arsaces ... [...] |
| Reverse [11:12] r 12'12'–r 12'12' | [Month V, (the 1st of which was identical with) the 30th (of the preceding month)...] ...; first part of the night, Venus was 5 fingers below α Virginis, Venus being 2 fingers back to the west. The 1st, clouds were in the sky, gusty north wind, ZI IR. Night of the 2nd, clouds were in the sky, ZI IR; the moon was 2 1/2 cubits in front of γ Virginis [...] |
| Reverse [12:13] r 13'13'–r 13'13' | [... Night of the 3rd, the moon was] 2 1/2 cubits in front of α Virginis; all night clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew, ZI IR; last part of the night, Mars was 4? fingers above μ Geminorum. The 3rd, clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew, much ZI I[R ...] |
| Reverse [13:14] r 14'14'–r 14'14' | [... Night of the 4th, (beginning of the night,) the moon] stood 2 cubits 8 fingers behind Venus to the east; clouds were in the sky, ZI IR. The 4th, very overcast, gusty north wind, ZI IR. Night of the 5th, beginning of the night, the moon was 1/2 cubit above α Librae, the moon being 4 fingers back to the west, it stood 1 cubit behind Saturn to the east; clouds [...] |
| Reverse [14:15] r 15'15'–r 15'15' | [...] covered [the sky]; much ZI IR; in the afternoon, very overcast. Night of the 7th, beginning of the night, the moon was 2? cubits above α Scorpii, the moon having passed 1/2 cubit to the east; last part of the night, Mars was 3 cubits above γ Geminorum. The 7th, clouds were in the sky, the north wind [blew. Night] of the 8th, beg[inning? of the night ...] |
| Reverse [15:16] r 16'16'–r 16'16' | [... clou]ds and mist covered the sky, much ZI IR. Night of the 9th, ... [... Z]I IR. Night of the 10th, clouds were in the sky; in the morning watch, very overcast [...] |
| Reverse [16:17] r 17'17'–r 17'17' | [...] ... all day ZI IR. Night of the 12th, beginn[ing of the night, the moon was] 2/3? cubit [... γ] Capricorni [...] |
| Reverse [17:18] r 18'18'–r 18'18' | [...] thin clouds were in the sky, the north wind blew ... [...] |
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 KUŠ₃ 6 DIR AN ZA ⸢SI GIN x⸣ [...] | |
| 2' | [... MUL₂-TUR-ša₂-4-KUŠ₃]-⸢ar₂⸣-LUGAL 2 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ [... 7 KAK.BAN ŠU₂ NU PAP ŠU₂.ŠU₂ ina KIN.SIG AN UTAH i-ṣa ⸢GE₆⸣ [...] | |
| 3' | [...] ⸢DIR⸣ AN DIB GIR₂ ⸢GIR₂⸣ [... GE₆ 9 ⸢DIR AN⸣ DIB SI GIN USAN sin ina IGI DELE-ša₂-IGI-<<ša₂>>-ABSIN 2 KUŠ₃ ⸢x x⸣ [...] | |
| 4' | [...] ha-an-ṭiš TUH kal GE₆ [x x x x] {mul₂}ṣal-lum-mu-u₂ ki UŠ-a bi-rit MUL₂ ⸢x x⸣ [...] | |
| 5' | [...] ⸢GE₆⸣ DIR AN DIB AN MAH ⸢ne₂⸣-[hi] ⸢SI⸣ GIN 11 DIR AN DIB AN MAH ne₂-hi ina še-ri₃ bu-tuq-tu₄ {d}TIR.[AN.NA ...] | |
| 6' | [...] ⸢x⸣ A₂ SI kal GE₆ ⸢x x x⸣ NIM.GIR₂ GIR₂ 12 DIR AN ZA ULU₃ GIN GE₆ 13 SAG GE₆ sin ina IGI ⸢MUL₂-e⸣-[ša₂]-⸢SAG⸣-GIR₂.TAB 2 KUŠ₃ 13 DIR ⸢AN ZA GE₆⸣ 14 ...] | |
| 7' | [... GU₄.UD SIG MAŠ].MAŠ-IGI 5 KUŠ₃ 14 4 ŠU₂ DIR muš DIR AN ZA SI GIN ina KIN.SIG ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 15 1 ME DIR NU PAP AN.⸢KU₁₀ sin x x x⸣ DIR KALAG ki PAP NU IGI in 35 ME ana ŠU₂ ⸢šamaš₂⸣ [...] | |
| 8' | [...] ⸢muš⸣ DIR AN ZA SI GIN 16 DIR AN ZA SI GIN GE₆ 17 DIR AN ZA ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI SI-MAŠ₂ 1 KUŠ₃ sin 4 KUŠ₃ ana ULU₃ ⸢SIG⸣ 17 DIR AN ZA SI GIN GE₆ 18 DIR AN [...] | |
| 9' | [... ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI MUL₂-IGI-ša₂]-⸢SUHUR⸣-MAŠ₂ 2 KUŠ₃ sin 1 KUŠ₃ ana ULU₃ SIG 18 DIR AN ZA GE₆ 19 U₄.ZAL ŠU₂.ŠU₂ ina ZALAG₂ AN ⸢UTAH⸣ 19 ina še-ri₃ ŠU₂.ŠU₂ U 2-šu₂ GU₃-[šu₂] ŠUB AN UTAH SI GIN GE₆ 20 ⸢x x⸣ [...] | |
| 10' | [... x]+1 UŠ ar₂-šu₂ 20 MUL₂ GAL ša₂ ⸢ma-gal KUR⸣ u meš-hi TUK-u₂ TA ULU₃ ana SI SUR 22 17 na GU₄.UD SI GIN GE₆ 23 ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI ⸢MUL₂-KUR⸣-ša₂-DUR-nu-nu 1 KUŠ₃ ⸢sin 4 [KUŠ₃ ana ULU₃ SIG ...] | |
| 11' | [... in] 24 GU₄.UD ina ŠU₂ ina MAŠ.MAŠ ŠU₂ GE₆ 25 ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI MUL₂.BABBAR 2 1/2 KUŠ₃ SIG AN 2/3 KUŠ₃ 25 SI GIN GE₆ 26 ina ZALAG₂ sin ina IGI ⸢is-le₁₀⸣ 2 1/2 KUŠ₃ 26 [...] | |
| 12' | [... GE₆] 28 USAN dele-bat SIG SAG-A 3 KUŠ₃ 28 DIR SAL AN ZA ZI IR ina KIN.SIG ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 29 kal GE₆ ŠU₂.ŠU₂ ZI IR ⸢x⸣ [x] ⸢BURU₅⸣ [...] | |
| 13' | [...] TA 20 EN 25 2(BARIG) 2(BAN₂) 26 27 28 2(BARIG) [x x] 29 30 [x x] ⸢ZU₂⸣.LUM EN MURUB₄ ITU 1 GUR 4 BARIG 2 BAN₂ EN TIL ITU 1 GUR [...] | |
| 14' | [... dele-bat] ⸢ALLA⸣ KUR-ad₂ GU₄.UD ina MAŠ.MAŠ in 24 GU₄.UD ina ŠU₂ ina MAŠ.MAŠ ŠU₂ GENNA ina RIN₂ AN EN TIL ITU ina HUN 30 AN MUL₂.MUL₂ KUR-ad₂ ITU BI ⸢ILLU⸣ [...] | |
| 15' | [... 14 1/2 na TA 23 EN TIL ITU 4 U LAL PAP 15 1/2 na ITU BI {mul₂}ṣal-lum-mu-u₂ ša₂ ina RIN₂ ŠU₂ GE₆ 20 ina ŠU₂ ina KI ⸢KASKAL⸣ [...] | |
| 16' | [...] TA UNUG{ki} TA E{ki} ana UNUG{ki} E₃-u₂ ERIN₂-ni LUGAL MU-a-ti₃ ina BAR KASKAL{ii}{meš}šu₂-nu LAL{meš} U₄ 5 [...] | |
| 17' | [... TA {uru}se-lu-ke-ʾa-a ša₂ ana] ⸢muh⸣-hi {id₂}IDIGNA u ID₂ LUGAL ana E{ki} KU₄-ub U₄ 21 {lu₂}GAL ERIN₂ MU-a-ti₃ u {lu₂}GAL ERIN₂{meš} x [...] | |
| 18' | [...] {m}ba-ga-a-a-ša₂-a ša₂ ana URU{meš} ša₂ pi-hat KUR aš-šur{ki} [...] | |
| 19' | [...]-šu₂ id-ke-⸢e⸣-[ma] ⸢ana URU{meš⸣} ša₂ KUR ma-da-[a-a ...] | |
| 20' | [...] ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| r | ||
| 1' | [...] ⸢x⸣ 8 ⸢x x x⸣ [...] | |
| 2' | [...] ⸢x x x x x x⸣ [...] ⸢x⸣ sah-le₁₀ 3 BAN₂ ŠE.GIŠ ina SAG ITU 2 BAN₂ ina MURUB₄ <ITU> 1 BAN₂ 4 qa ina TIL ⸢ITU⸣ [...] | |
| 3' | [...] ⸢MUL₂⸣.MUL₂ 16 AN MAŠ.MAŠ KUR-ad₂ ⸢ITU BI ILLU 1 KUŠ₃ 8 U LAL ⸢PAP⸣ 26 na ITU BI U₄ 28.KAM₂ {m}⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 4' | [... {lu₂]}GAL ERIN₂{meš} ša₂ ana muh-hi 4 {lu₂}GAL ERIN₂{meš} ana E{ki} KU₄{meš}nu ITU BI ŠUB-ti₃ AB₂.GU₄{hi.a} x x [...] | |
| 5' | [...] UNUG{ki} u URU{meš} ša₂ ana muh-hi ID₂.GU₂.DU₈.A ID₂.su-u₂-ru ID₂.pi-qu-du u ID₂{meš} [...] | |
| 6' | [...] x x u₂ ni ŠA₃{meš}šu₂-nu TI-u₂ ana KUR NIM.MA u₂-še-lu-u₂ UN{meš} URU{meš} šu₂-nu-tu₂ ina gi-lit EN ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 7' | [... su]-un-qa u SU.KU₂ ina MUŠ₂.ŠEŠ₂{ki} u URU{meš} ša₂ KUR NIM.MA GAR-an al-te-me um-ma {lu₂}UNUG{ki}a-a si ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 8' | [...] ⸢x⸣ ik-pu-du-u₂ HUL-ti₃ ITU BI al-te-me um-ma x x x {m}de-meṭ-ri LUGAL ša₂ ina IGI-ma ERIN₂-šu₂ TA URU{meš} [...] | |
| 9' | [...] URI{ki} DU₃-uš u {m}ar-ša₂-ka-a LUGAL an-na-a TA URU{meš} ša₂ KUR ma-da-a-a ana KUR URI{ki} GIN-ma x [...] | |
| 10' | [...]{⸢meš⸣} ERIN₂-ni-šu₂ GAR-ma ša₂-a-šu₂ u {lu₂}GAL{meš}šu₂ ina ŠU{ii} iṣ-bat um-ma {m}ar-ša₂-ka-a LUGAL sa-lim SIG₅-ka TA ⸢x⸣ [...] | |
| 11' | [...] ina nu-hu-uš DUG₃.GA ŠA₃-bi u sa-lim SIG₅ ina URU{meš} ša₂ KUR ma-da-a-a ina ta-hu {m}ar-ša₂-ka-a LUGAL šak-[...] | |
| 12' | {[itu}NE 30 ...] ⸢x⸣ USAN dele-bat SIG SA₄-ša₂-ABSIN 5 SI dele-bat 2 SI ana ŠU₂ LAL 1 DIR AN ZA SI ŠAR₂ ZI IR GE₆ 2 DIR AN ZA ZI IR sin ina IGI DELE-ša₂-IGI-ABSIN 2 1/2 KUŠ₃ [...] | |
| 13' | [... GE₆ 3 sin ina] ⸢IGI⸣ SA₄-ša₂-ABSIN 2 1/2 KUŠ₃ kal GE₆ DIR AN ZA SI GIN ZI IR ina ZALAG₂ AN ⸢e⸣ MUL₂-ar₂-ša₂-še-pit₂-MAŠ.MAŠ 4 SI 3 DIR AN ZA SI GIN ma-diš ZI ⸢IR⸣ [...] | |
| 14' | [... GE₆ 4 (SAG GE₆) sin] ⸢ar₂⸣ dele-bat 2 KUŠ₃ 8 U ana NIM GUB DIR AN ZA ZI IR 4 ŠU₂.ŠU₂ SI ŠAR₂ ZI IR GE₆ 5 SAG GE₆ sin e RIN₂-ša₂-ULU₃ 1/2 KUŠ₃ sin 4 U ana ŠU₂ LAL ar₂ GENNA 1 KUŠ₃ ana NIM GUB DIR [...] | |
| 15' | [... AN] ŠU₂-im ma-diš ZI IR ina KIN.SIG ŠU₂.ŠU₂ GE₆ 7 SAG GE₆ sin e SI₄ 2 KUŠ₃ sin 1/2 KUŠ₃ ana NIM DIB ina ZALAG₂ AN e MAŠ.MAŠ-ša₂-SIPA 3 KUŠ₃ 7 DIR AN ⸢ZA SI⸣ [GIN GE₆] 8 ⸢SAG⸣ [...] | |
| 16' | [...] ⸢DIR⸣ u a-kam₂ AN ŠU₂-im ma-diš ZI IR GE₆ 9 ⸢x⸣ [x] ⸢x⸣ [x x] ⸢ZI⸣ IR GE₆ 10 DIR AN ZA U₄.ZAL ŠU₂.⸢ŠU₂⸣ [...] | |
| 17' | [...] ⸢x⸣ kal ME ZI IR GE₆ 12 ⸢SAG⸣ [GE₆ sin x MUL₂-IGI-ša₂]-⸢SUHUR⸣-MAŠ₂ 2/3 KUŠ₃ [...] | |
| 18' | [...] DIR SAL AN ZA ⸢SI GIN x⸣ [...] | |
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.