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CUNEIFORM TEXTS FROM
BABYLONIAN TABLETS, &C., IN THE
BRITISH MUSEUM.
P A R T X X V I I .
(50 Plates.)
PRINTED BY ORDER O F THE TRUSTEES.
SOLD AT T H E BRITISH MUSEUM; AND AT
LONGMANS & Co., 39, PATERNOSTER ROW; EERNARD QUARITCH, 11,
GRAFTON STREET, NEW BOND STREET;
ASHER & Co., 14, BEDFORD STREET, COSrENT GARDEN; AND
HENRY FROWDE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, AMEN CORNER, LONDON.
[ALL RIGHTS RZSER YED.]
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LONDON :
HARRISON AND SONS,
PRIN'I'ERS [N ORDINARY T O HIS LATE MAJESTY
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Part XXVII of " Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets, etc."
contains texts from fifty-nine tablets and fragments from the
Kouyunjil\: Collections. The texts are augural in character, and
are copied from tablets made by order of Ashur-bani-pal, King of
Assyria from B.C. 668 to B.C. 626, for the Royal Library at
Nineveh.
Augury plays an important part in Babylonian and Assyrian
religion, and a large and organized body of the priesthood
concerned itself with the interpretation of signs and portents, as
foretellers of the course of future events. Almost every event of
daily life had its significance to the trained expert, and it is
natural that special importance should have been attached to any
unusual phenomena attending both human and animal births. The texts
published in this Part are portions of a large series of tablets on
which the forecasts or onlens connected with birth have been
collected and classified by the Babylonian and Assyrian
priests.
In early days an augur, when consulted as to a portent that had
taken place, had, doubtless, to decide its meaning without
reference to precedent ; but, in course
of time, all extraordinary occurrences, and the results said to
have followed them, were written down. Thus, the successful
practitioner was obliged to undergo a prolonged study of the
augural literature before he was in a position to pronounce on the
significance of any particular event. T h e principal remains of
this class of Babylonian literature that have come down to us occur
on a large number of tablets from the Royal Library a t Nineveh, of
which several of the finest and best written texts are here
published. I t may be noted that while many of the birth portents
enumerate abnormalities, which are of not infrequent occurrence in
nature, others are of such a monstrous and impossible character
that they may reasonably be regarded as referring to events in
dreams, rather than to occurrences which might
be expected to take place in everyday life.
The copies have been made by Mr. P. S. P. Handcock, B.A., and
revised and 'corrected by Mr. L. W. King, M.A., F.S.A., Assistants
in the Department.
E. A. W A L L I S BUDGE.
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D E S C R I P T I O N P L A T E S .
Many of the tablets belonging to this series can be arranged in
order of sequence, either by means of their catch-lines, or by the
scribe's notification of the number in the series to which the
tablet in question belongs ; in the case of others, which are
without number or catch-line, it is sometimes possible to determine
their position in the series by comparison with those whose place
is already fixed. Many of the texts belonging to this series, while
admitting of a general classification, are found to contain only
extracts from one or more tablets. Often a note is appended stating
the number of lines taken from the composition. In two or three
cases the tablet is of the small oblong type, characteristic of
those containing astrological reports. There are yet other tablets,
and fragments of tablets, the contents of which, while apparently
dealing with the same class of portents, do not present a
sufficient degree of similarity with any already classified to
justify our assigning them to any particular place in the series. I
t should be noted that, in the following plates, some of these
tablets are, for the purpose of comparison, classified with the
numbered tablets of the series and their duplicates. I t is clear,
from the extraordinary character of some of the births which form
the subject of portents, that they are to be understood as relating
to dreams rather than to actual occurrences.
PLATE.
TABLETS I AND 11, Extracts from, etc.-KK. 258, 3672, 3688, 3939,
4005 : K. 3939, Obv., 11. 2-16, are duplicate of K. 258, Obv., 11.
22-37 ; with K. 3939, Rev., 11. 4-24, cf. K. 2945 + IC. 12553,
Obv., 11. 2-26 ; with K. 3688, Obv., 11.6 K, cf. K. 3672, 11. I ff.
; K. 4005, 11. 6 K, are duplicate of K. 3688, Rev., 11. I E ; K.
3793, Obv., 11. I ff., are duplicate of K. 3939, Obv., 11. 14 ff.
KK. 2945 + 12553, 3947, 7093, 8294, 11860, Sm. 1023, 7 9 - 7 4 109:
The catch-lines of K. 7093 and K. 258 correspond to K. 131, Obv.,
1. I ; with K. 3947, cf. Sm. I023 ; with K. 2945, Obv., 11. 28 K,
cf; 7 9 - 7 4 109, Obv., 11. 14 K Omens derived from births of
children with the heads of a lion, dog, pig, serpent, etc., and
... ... a.. ... from the births of twins, etc .... ... ... ...
1-15 TABLETS I11 AND IV, (i) Extracts from.-K. 2007, Obv., 11. I K,
are duplicate of
K. 131, Obv., 11. I ff, ; with the catch-lines of K. zoo7 and K.
8806, c$ K. 8265, Obv., K. 8266, Obv., I
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PLATE
TABLET VII1.-Sm. I532 and Sm. 1900 possibly give part of the
text of the eighth ... tablet. Omens derived from births of
children with two heads, etc. ... 30, 31
TABLET, X, ETC. KK. 3865,8763,95 17.-The colophon-line of K. 95
17 corresponds to K. 3998, Obv., 1. I. Omens derived from births of
children with one eye; from various peculiarities respecting their
heads, nails, feet, etc. ; also from the birth of a foal with the
tail of a dog, etc. ... ... ... ... . . , ... ... 31,32
TABLET XI, ETC. KK. 216, 3998, 4048, 6658.-I
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*TT read *+ {*TT ; 1. 18, the traces at the beginning are to be
restored ET (TG 1 E+ ~777 '4 ; 1. 23, for -:TrlT read *:TyyT ; 1.
25, for 7 A? TT TT *+ read 7 {TT 7: -+, seventy-two lines. P1. I I,
for " Obverse " read " Reverse," and for " Reverse " read " Obverse
" ; Obv., 1. g, for E$ g&$ < +?;l? .-=A\ read E$ &G *g:,
i.e., *[
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I N D E X T O R E G I S T R A T I O N N U M B E R S .
Registration Number .
... K . 53 ... S.. S..
... . K 131 ... ... ...
... K.209 ... ... ...
... . K 216 ... ... ...
... K . 258 ... ... ...
... K . 749 ... S.. S..
... K . 2007 ... ... ... ... K . 2945 + K . 52553 ...
... K . 3166 ... ... ...
... K . 3171 ... ... ...
... . K 3669 ... ... ...
... K . 3672 ... ... ...
Plate . 46 I 6
251 26
33, 34
14, I5
4 5
I71 18
9. 10
44
47. 48
50 8
Registration Number .
K . 4071 ... ... K . 4108 ... ... K . 4115 ... ... K . 4126 ...
... K . 4129 + K . 7046 K . 4132 ... ... K . 6658 + Rm . 236 K .
7093 ... ...
... . K 7229 ... K . 8265 ... ... K . 8266 ... ... K . 8294 ...
...
Plate . a.. ... 45 ... ...a 43 ... ... 43 ... ... 39 ... ... 45
S.. . S . 19 a.. ... 35 ... ... 8 S.. ... ... ... 43x 23 ... ... 2
0 S . . S.. 7
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The inscription on the edge at 8.
(ln this copy the outline , e t c . . could not be correctly
represerrted .)
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Reuerse.
Bu. 71 - 5 - q , 846. Bu. ql-S- q , l q 0 .
0 % ~ . Y &T q+ Go' obv.n& w p4 - 4 ~ E- aw $7'-
WP-W~FI
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OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3939,
OBVERSE,
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PLATE 2.
OBV. (CONT.).
OMENS FROM BIRTHS,
K. 3939.
REVERSE.
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PLATE 3.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3939,
REVERSE (CONT.).
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PLATE 4.
OMENS FROM' BIRTHS.
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PLATE 5.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3688,
OBVERSE.
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PLATE 6.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS. K. 3688,
REVERSE.
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PLATE 7.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 11860.
K. E793, OBVERSE.
K. 8294, OBVERSE.
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PLATE 8.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
1. The insertion on the left edge probubGy ufterwards deleted by
the scribe.
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PLATE Q.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 2946, OBVERSE. 0 d'
- F z 8 .d
>' m 0
3- Q, CV
Y
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PLATE 10.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 2945, REVERSE.
P-- ml%---<
Wn'tten wer an erasure.
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PLATE 11.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
' V )
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PLATE 12.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3947, OBVERSE.
K. 3947, REVERSE.
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PLATE 13.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
79, 7-8, 108, OBVERSE.
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PLATE 14.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 258, OBVERSE.
1. Lipre erased by the scri6c,
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PLATE 16.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 258, REVERSE.
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PLATE 16.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 131, OBVERSE.
@ E * Mq4q'WRFM m *H* ?B.N-T F+-
K. 181, REVERSE.
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PLATE 17,
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 2007, OBVERSE.
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3 erased dy the scribe.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 2007.
REVERSE.
2
PLATE 18.
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PLATE 19.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 4132, OBVERSE.
10 0 L n F
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PLATE 20.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
REVERSE.
K. 8266.
OBVERSE.
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PLATE 21.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 22.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 23.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 8265.
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PLATE 24.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 25.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 209, OBVERSE.
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PLATE 26.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 209. REVERSE.
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PLATE 27.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 8977, OBVERSE.
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OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3977, REVERSE.
83, 1-18, 234, OBVERSE. . .
. . . . . ' .
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PLATE 29.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3734 + K. 4002.
OBVERSE.
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PLATE 30.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3734 + K. 4002. REVERSE.
Sm. 1632.
*, .:...... . ..:.: : ;. . .'.'..'. ' ' .... . .. ':' ..,/..
[BROKEN SURFACE.] .... _..
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PLATE 31.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 9517, REVERSE.
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PLATE 32.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 88,
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 34.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 6668 + Rm. 288,
[BROKEN SURFACE.]
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PLATE 36.
OMENS FRQM BIRTHS.
K. 4048, OBVERSE.
-. .-. . .. .. .:.. . .::.:. [BROKEN SURFACE.] . ..C.:.:.. ....
4-
.:?&v. v+. . .
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PLATE 37.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3098, OBVERSE.
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OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3098, REVERSE.
eq* +T6Phq&; [BROKEN SURFACE.] Pfq* m+:;;>.,
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PLATE 89.
.OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 40.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3607 + K. 4l24. OBVERSE, K. 10244.
K. 3607 + K. 4124. REVERSE.
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PLATE 41.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3867 += K. 4065.
OBVERSE.
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PLATE
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 8867 + K. 4065. REVERSE.
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PLATE
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 4108, REVERSE. K. 4108, OBVERSE.
82, 3-23, 138, REVERSE.
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PLATE 44.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 45.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
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PLATE 46.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 55, OBVERSE.
2*mp-4 m@ -&WRF--- v+
g $wf+- *m+ m@ fl-fi*p 9.-
Wm-6
b -
K. 53, REVERSE.
F-5Jq-T**+ m -23 -4 P--
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PLATE 48.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 3171, REVERSE.
v - f W ~ B ~ @ ~ F b X v $ - ~ h- ~ ~ b + F 6 w r % W- 'h-
*Wrdw@K%fi&FP$@ - H Q* FYImTW~~ %WrTF@ 6i% R
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PLATE 49,
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 12609.
[BROKEN SURFACE.]
P
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PLATE 80.
OMENS FROM BIRTHS.
K. 8689.
OBVERSE.
K. 5669.
REVERSE.
Rm. 2.181.
OBVERSE.
Rm. 2.181.
REVERSE.
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Electronic publication prepared by
Kelvin Smith LibraryCase Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
for
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