A Babylonian Omen Text

Author(s): F. W. Geers
Source: The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures , Oct., 1926, Vol. 43,
No. 1 (Oct., 1926), pp. 22-41
Published by: The University of Chicago Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/528239

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT
BY F. W. GEERS
University of Chicago

Assyro-Babylonian literature abounds in material relating to

signs and portents. This correlating and associating of independent
facts, which up to this day lives on in the superstitions of the people,
was particularly prevalent in the Euphrates and Tigris Valley. What-
ever incident the old Babylonian observed, especially any untoward
or striking occurrence in daily life, was viewed in relation to possible
subsequent fortunate or unfortunate events.
On the basis of such observations, using known precedents as to
outcome, a large amount of omen material was current among the
people. Because, however, the individuals at large were too much
taken up with their daily tasks, it was left to a special class of the
priesthood to study and record such portentous matters. These classi-
fied all the extant omens, arranged them into a system, amplified
them by every conceivable incident in their experience, so tlat it
would be easy for them to run down the interpretation of a given
event.

We can distinguish in the main three classes of omens. Anything

that happened in house, city, field, the behavior of animals, the motion
of birds, the flickering of fire, the color and rippling of a river, etc.,
had to contribute their quota; such omens, connected and deduced
from everyday happenings on the earth may be called the "terrestrial
omens." Here may also be classified the "historical omens," derived
from the historical exploits of such kings as Sargon, Naram-Sin,
Ibi-Sin, or from events of a more general nature as in the text of
Boissier, Choix, page 253.
Besides paying attention to such terrestrial events, the Baby-
lonians were also diligent observers of the sky and used the different
constellations, eclipses, movements of the clouds, winds, and other
astronomical or meteorological events, to pierce the veil of the future.
We may call these the "celestial section" of Babylonian and Assyrian
"omenology."
22

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 23

These two classes were based on occurrences that could not be con-
trolled or brought about by the individual. The third group, however,
the so-called "liver omens," were deduced from sacrificial animals.
Because the liver was considered the seat of life, the idea was preva-
lent that possibly the god inscribed thereon the result of what the
sacrificer was about to undertake and so gave him a chance to execute
his work or modify it according to the interpreted marks on the liver
and the adjoining parts.
Among the collection of cuneiform tablets at the University of
Chicago, a tablet (A 3439 a+b) summarizes a number of such ter-
restrial omens for the information of the incantation priest, from which
they might make predictions about the course of a patient's ailment.
This tablet is 7.4 by 3.1 inches (18.6 by 7.8 cm.) in size, and con-
tains on the obverse sixty-nine lines of text in seven sections, and on
the reverse sixty lines divided into nineteen sections. Aside from the
first three sections on the reverse only a few signs of the beginning of
the lines are extant. The contents represent an extract out of two
treatises. Obverse, lines 1-42, are taken from the series, "When an
Incantation Priest Goes to the House of a Sick Man." According to
the colophon line (44), this portion should contain fifty items; in the
present state of the text only forty-three and the beginning of six
others (11. 22, 37, 39, 40, 41, and 42) have come down to us; the last
omen is totally broken away. The balance of the text (11. 45-126) is an
excerpt from "When You Approach a Sick Man." Here again, eighty-
nine sentences is the scribe's count; however, on account of the broken
state of the reverse only eighty-three omens are preserved in whole or
in part.
The number of situations in which a person might find himself
stated problematically to be sure, nevertheless portray the life of the
people, and together with the superstitious interpretation put upon
them enlarge our knowledge of the early civilization of the Euphrates
Valley.

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24 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

OBVERSE

1. e-nu-ma ana bit margi d ipu illaku(ku)

2. ina s kci aba zak.-pa immar marsu suatu na-kut' 14 itehi-a u

3. KI-UD-BA2 immar marpu uatu mamitu igbat-su u-za-bal-ma
uamdt
4. ubdna imna-su rabitu't ik-kip marpu uatu ana ime 7kam imdt

5. ubdna sumela-"u rabitut ik-kip is-sal-la- -ma3 imdt ........

6. dalat bit amdli asar ammarsi inadi u ina-zik marsu uatu ........

7. dalat bit amdli asar ammarsi inadi u kima ngli is-si maruitu ili-'u
ikkal u-sa-an- ...........
8. lu kalba salma lu sada salma immar mar u suatu ..........
9. a ad salma immar marsu uatu imdt ul-ta-pa-?ak-ma' iballut

10. "ahd pi.d immar marsu uatu iballut dannatu isabat-su .........
11. ahd sdma immar marsu uatu ana arab 3kam tmu 3kam........

12. sahd pild5 immar marpu uatu a-ga-ld-til-la-a6 maris na-kut la

fitehi-Jul

13. vahP'l zibbdetpl-su-nu na"pl-ma immar rmarqul [suatu] rna-kut1

la ritaei-ivu]

14. sahgl rakib tipl immar .....

1 nakut is used as mamit, nazak with miti or similar words understood] (cf. Jastrow'
Religion, II, 258).
2 KI. UD. BA. occurs also in Zimmern, Surpu 8, 58, among names for "oven,"
"flame," "warming-pan," "hearth," "bellows," and probably denotes an instrument of a
similar nature.

3 Issalla' has so far only been found in omen texts (cf. Hunger, Tieromina, p. 118, n.

Boissier, Choix, II, 40); perhaps Arab. U , "squeeze out, cleanse [the palm of need
by beating," affords a basis for the required meaning, "to be afflicted, suffer."
a ustapalaW is a III, 11, 2 form of pasi&cu, "to be painful."
5 DAR. A= pelM dark or bluish gray, cf. CT, XII, Plate 3, 10-14, all indicating a dark
shade.

6 agaldtilld taken over from the Sumerian (HWB 16; SAI 8876) was generally used for
"great suffering," and possibly means here only that his sickness will be extremely dis-
tressing.

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 25

OBVERSE

1. When an incantation priest goes to the house of a sick man,

2. should he see in the street a pot set up, as for that sick man, fear
shall not approach him;
3. if he sees a brazier(?), the curse which seized that sick man, he
will bear and it will bring about his death;
4. should he stub his right thumb, that sick man will die after 7
days;
5. if he stubs his left thumb, he will suffer pain and die, ....... ;
6. if the door of a man's house, where there is a sick man, falls and
is damaged, that sick man ............. ;
7. if the door of a man's house, where there is a sick man, falls a
roars like a lion, the evil of his god he shall eat ....... ;
8. should he see either a black dog or a black pig, that sick man.
9. if he sees a black pig, that sick man will die; (or) he will suffe
great pain, but get well;
10. if he sees a white pig that sick man will live; (or) misery wi
take hold upon him ............
11. if he sees a brown pig, that sick man in the 3rd month on
3rdday...............;
12. if he sees a dark-colored pig, that sick man suffe
fear shall not come near him;
13. if he sees pigs with their tails raised, as to that
shall not approach him;
14. if he sees pigs mounting ...................

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26 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

15. alpa piqd immar marqu uatu kdt ili-su 4t. di tdri-u .....

16. alpa ?alma immar marqu luatu ............

17. alpa sdma immar marqu A'uatu ..............
18. alpa pild immar marqu uatu dSarru kam-me-rmal ..........

19. alpa kcaran-?u makit-ma immar .................

20. alpu ik-rim fira .............
21. alpu ik-kip-?u ...........

22. k.aran
etetik]alpi.......
immar marqu .uatu imdt \ imbru [ana imni-?u
23. im~ru ana ?umgli-?u etetik (i ) ............
24. imera atdna rakib-ma immar marqu uatu ...........

25. imra piqd immar marqu suatu ST. DAM.MAT ...........

26. imrra pild immar .................
27. im~ra rapisu(su) [?] immar ........
28. sisa immar ............
29. immera immar ...........

30. ma-a1-6a-a immar ............

31. idu imnu-s'u iz-cut-sul

32. idu sJumglu-su iz-kut-su .........

33. gnu imnu-?u i?-6i-is-su ....... . ...
34. gnu ?umblu-gu ig-6i-is-su ina li-la-a-ti imdt...........
35. uznu imnu-s'u is-si muruq bit ............
36. uznu umlrnu-s'u is-si iballut ..............
37. de-gar-ra immar mi iqi(i?) dma62 \ TUS . SA. lB. U .......

38. ipat enzi immar 4dt etimmana iqbat-su murus-su arik \ amglu

39. ambla suk-ku-ka immar kat dNergal = kit dSamas libittu

AL .......

1 iskutau is pret. of zakdtu, "be sharp, pierce," as

oppress, desolate, tear," with suffix.
2 dmalt, "twin-gods," are, as Hunger, Becherwahrsagung, p. 32, observes, two mani-
festations of the god Nergal and therefore pointing to disastrous happenings.
* tuEu occurs as part of a house and in a more general meaning of "ruin," "disaster"
(this form from es14) (cf. Hunger, Tieromina MVAG, 14, 41; Boissier, op. cit., pp. 254-55
Rem.

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 27

15. if he sees a white ox, as to that sick man, it is

or the hand of his goddess ................;
16. if he sees a black ox, that sick man ..............
17. if he sees a brown ox, that sick man ..............;
18. if he sees a dark-colored ox, that sick man, the god of Sh

19. if he sees an ox whose horn has fallen off, ...........

20. if an ox destroys a snake, ...........
21. if an ox butts him, ................... ;
22. if he sees the horn of an ox, that sick man will die; if a donkey
(proceeds at his right) ....................;
23. if a donkey proceeds at his left, ...............;
24. if he sees a donkey mounting a female one, that sick man ...

25. if he sees a white donkey, that sick man .............

26. if he sees a dark-colored donkey, ................... ,
27. if he sees. a donkey threshing(?), ....................;
28. if he sees a horse ......................;
29. if he sees a sheep ...............;
30. if he sees a soothsayer ............. . ;
31. if his right side gives him a stabbing pain, .........
32. if his left side gives him a stabbing pain, .......... . ;
33. if his right eye irritates him, ...............;
34. if his left eye irritates him, in the night he will die; ......... ;
35. if his right ear rings, the sickness of the house .......... ;
36. if his left ear rings, he will live ............. ;
37. if he sees the god, Esharra, (it means) the smiting of the twin-
gods; if ................;
38. if he sees the skin of a goat, the hand of a de
his sickness will be long, ................;
39. if he sees a deaf man, it is the hand of Nergal, the ha
Shamash; if ....... ........ ;

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28 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

40. ambla mita immar marsu 'udtu iballut"ut narkabta immar ma

?uatu.............
41. "kak-ka-lal immar marsu subtu 'a me 1 -su ..
42. "sumba immar marsu udtu ina-an-zik GUR ?e im mald
immar ....

43. amela 1d ndfila immar mu

44. 50 minu'ti-8u duppi 1kam e-nu

45. amelu ana bitam marsi illaku

marqu ~'udtu iballut

46.ina
47. surdfl
se-rimana
inasumeli-svu etetik.(ik)
ku-tal bit ammargi marqu
surd iU iv-tu ,'udtu
za-me-i3imdt
sa imni ana
za-me-i s'a gumeli etetik (ik) marsu s u4tu ar-his .........

48. ina se-rim ina ku-tal bit ammargi surd?u istu za-me-i s'a umli
ana za-me-i sa imni etetik(ik) murus-su irrik-ma

49. ina ?e-rim ina ku-tal bit ammargi surd?i i-?a-' marqu u4tu imtui*t

50. issuru ina ku-tal bit ambli eli na-sa-bi4 izziz-ma mimma ikkal
?um-ma marqu imdt sum-ma iballut bit-su issapah(ah)

51. zi-i-bu ana imni amdli etetik (ik) ka'ad arrati ana marsi imti't

52. zi-i-bu ana s'umeli am li etetik (ik) 14 kadad arrati ana marqi iballut

53. zi-i-bu ina 'e-rim ana pdn ambli ina imni-svu iitassi kasad arrati

ana marsi imtCu

1 kaTcTcalu. This is probably also the word in DA, p. 27, 1. 3 (Boissier, op. cit., Vol. II,
p. 2, 1. 3), where we have to read ka instead of lii or ti (cf. SAI 3635); this appears to
be similar to kakkullu, "vessel, measure."
2Boissier, op. cit., II, 55, gives samples of bother omens about the surdS, or "falcon
za ami, "an inclosure, a park," is a noun as in K 1680 (cf. Luckenbill, Annals of
Sennacherib, 99, 44). After arhis the line is probably to be completed by iballut (cf. 1. 48).
4 nagabu (or nansabu) must be some container, a trough or chest having legs for sup-
port, or a pillar, post, or upright. Perhaps both ideas go back to the theme t , "stand."
as in Hebrew " and '1"i12 .

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 29

40. if he sees a dead man, that sick man will

that sick man ..............;
41. if he sees a small vessel(?), as to that sick man
42. if he sees a dray, that sick man will suffer harm; if
measure filletd with grain, .................;
43. if he sees a blind man, the sickness of the man's house wil
aggravated and .................;

44.. 50
Goes to sentences of Man."
the House of a Sick the 1"t tablet of: "When an I

45. If a man go to the house of a sick man (and) a falcon goes along
at his right, that sick man will get well;
46. if the falcon goes along on his left side, that sick man will die;
47. if in the morning the rear of a sick man's house a falcon proceeds
from an inclosure at the right to an inclosure at the left, that sick
man will speedily recover;
48. if in the morning in the rear of a sick man's house a falcon pro-
ceeds from an inclosure at the left to an inclosure at the right,
his sickness will be protracted;
49. if in the morning in the rear of a sick man's house a falcon flies
away that sick maan will die;
50. if a bird behind the house of a sick man sits upon a container (or
a pillar) and eats something, whether the sick man dies or lives,
his house will go to ruin;

51. if a wolf goes along at the right of the man, (it means) a curse
is reaching the sick man, he will die;
52. if a wolf goes along to the left of the man, a curse will not reach
the sick man, he will live;
53. if a wolf in the morning howls before a man toward his right, a
curse is reaching the sick man, he will die;

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30 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

54. zi-i-bu ina ge-rim ana pdn am8li ina 'umali-gu iltassi d1 kag
arrati ana marsi iballu4
55. zi-i-bu ina KIN "SIG1 ana pdn ambli ina imni-gu igtassi kaS
arrati ana margi imt't
56. zi-i-bu ina KIN -SIG ana pdn amdli ina lumeli-gu igtassi ld ka
arrati ana marqi iballut

57. a-ri-bu na-as-sis2 ina imni amdli igassi(si) marqu gudtu bi-k
immar(mar)
58. a-ri-bu na-as-sig ina sumgli amdli isassi(si) b6l amdti-sgu3 bi-ki-ti
immar(mar)
59. a-ri-bu na-as-si' ana pdn amdli isassi(si) bi-ki-ti immar(mar)
60. a-ri-bu na-as-sig ana arki ambli igassi bdl amdti-gu bi-ki-ti immar
(mar)

61. iqur 4urri ina eli ammargi izziz(iz) ana f-me-su-ma guatu iballu?
62. summatu ina eli margi izziz(iz) ,a-an-tig imdt: ana sattu Ikam
ezib-su

63. qiru ana eli wmaidl marqi imakcut(ut) marsu 'udtu iballu?

64. iru ana eli marqi imakut(ut) ana ame 3ka, imtat
65. g~ru ana eli marqi imtukut(ut) murus-su irrik-ma iballut4

66. qiru ana eli marsi sa murus-su arku imakut(ut) murus-su ezzib-gul

1 KIN.SIG. The meaning "evening, twilight" is fairly clear from Virolleaud, Samag,
19, 3-5 (= Bab., 4, 170) where an occurrence at nipbu ("sunrise"), tabal ami ("midday")
and KIN.SIG ("evening") is mentioned (cf. SAI 11329). This word found its way into
the Assyrian vocabulary as kizigu as shown in DA, p. 25, 11. 13 and 15.
2 nassis (an adverb from nasdsu, "wail, mourn") is found so far only in this passage.
I That b6l amdtisu marked an adversary was already noted by Jastrow, op. cit., II, 766,
n. 10.

4 L1. 65-71 contain a parallel text to DA, p. 265, 11. 33-41, with the transposition of a
few lines; a more complete edition in CT, Vol. XXXVIII shows this to be the twenty-
second tablet of Alu ina m9$l6 akin; of the text
L. 65 corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 33 = CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 72
L. 66 corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 35 = CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 74
L. 67 corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 36-37= CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 75
L. 68 corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 38-39= CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 76
L. 69a corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 34 = CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 73
L. 70 corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 41 = CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 78
L. 71 corresponds to DA, p. 265, 1. 40 = CT, XXXVIII, Plate 36, 1. 77
5The apodosis in 1. 66 reads: "His sickness shall fall on him [R U-vu]," but the text of
DA = CT has KID = ez$bu, "leaves," which appears to be more correct than R U.

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 31

54. if a wolf in the morning howls before a man to

curse is not reaching the sick man, he will live;
55. if a wolf in the twilight howls before a man tow
curse is reaching the sick man, he will die;
56. if a wolf in the twilight howls before a man to
curse is not reaching the sick man, he will live;

57. if a raven cries plaintively at a man's right, th

see weeping;
58. if a raven cries plaintively at a man's left, his adversary will see
weeping;
59. if a raven cries plaintively before a man, he will see weeping.
60. if a raven cries plaintively behind a man, his adversary will see
weeping;

61. if a cave-bird hovers over a sick man, he will live out his days;
62. if a pigeon hovers over a sick man, he will die quickly (or) in the
first year it will leave him;

63. if a serpent falls upon the couch of a sick man, that sick man will
live;
64. if a serpent falls upon a sick person, on the 3"r day he will die;
65. if a serpent hurls itself upon a sick person, his sickness will be
long; however, he will get well;
66. if a serpent falls upon a sick person, whose sickness is of long
standing, his sickness will leave him;

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32 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

67. g'ru ana eli margi a t-mi ma-'-du-ti mariq imakut(ut) marqu ud
tu iballut-ma balta rimarrusg

68. iru ana eli marsi s'a murus-su kabtu imakut(ut) marqu udit
mursu ina2 zumri-s'u ippattar-ma i-pa-as'-gah

69. iru ana kakkad marsi imakut(ut) ina 2mi 'udtata imdt giru
ina kakkad marsi ittazaz(az) kasap ildni-su u il ali-gu ikkal vatti
ma imdt

REVERSE

70. itebbibi
s.ru ina kakkad marsi ina3 imni ittazaz(az) a-ra-an-su ipatar
71. qiru ina kcakkad marsi ina svumgli ittazaz(az)4 kasap ildnivP -gu u il
ali-vui ikkal

72. s.ru ina kakkad irgi-gu imakut-ma ana pilli('i) irrub(ub) imdt

73. .iru ina kakkadi-su ig-lal kasap ildni-su u il ali-gu ikkal

74. g~iru ina utli-su ig-lal imit \ giru inalak-s'u imdt

75. zukak pu ana eli margi imakut(ut) ana fmu 10kam imdt
76. zukakipu ana eli marsi imtakut murus-su arik

77. zukak.pu ina kakkad irgi margi ittazaz(az) murus-su ar-is'i ezib-su

78. zuk.akpu ina igari pdn marsi izziz(iz) murus-su ezib-su

79. zukak.dpu ana utli marsi irrub maru s udtu iballut

80. ina bit rmmarqi lu siru lu zukak.pu immar ............ iballut

1 Duplicate has a different apodosis partly destroyed, namely, [ti-1la ur-rak= "life
will be long, lengthened"; cf. Hunger, Becherwahrsagung, A 36, B 57.
2 Duplicate (DA) omits ina, reading only murug zumri-5u.
a Duplicate reads ana imni instead of ina imni.
'Here also DA reads ana (for ina) bumgli ittazaz and adds then amglu udetu (kasap

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 33

67. if a serpent falls upon a, sick person, who has be

days, that sick man will get well, and a health
sick;
68. if a serpent falls upon a sick person, whose sickness is severe, as
to that sick person, the sickness in his body will be loosened and
he will be relieved;
69. if a serpent falls upon the head of a sick person, in that day he
will die; if a serpent keeps itself on the head of a sick person, the
money of his gods and of the god of his city he will enjoy for a
year and then he will die;

REVERSE

70. if a serpent hovers over a sick man's head at the right, his guilt
will be freed, he will rise;
71. if a serpent hovers over a sick man's head at the left, the money
of his gods and of the god of his city he will enjoy;
72. if a serpent falls at the head of his bed, and enters into a crack,
he will die;
73. if a serpent lies down on his head, the money of his gods and of
the god of his city he will enjoy;
74. if a serpent lies down on his lap, he will die; if a serpent bites
him, he will die;

75. if a scorpion falls upon a sick man, after the 10th day he will die;
76. if a scorpion dro,ps itself on the sick man, his sickness will be
long;
77. if a scorpion stands at the head of a sick man's bed; his sickness
will quickly leave him;
78. if a scorpion stands on the wall before a sick man, his sickness will
leave him;
79. if a scorpion enters a sick man's lap, that sick man will live;

80. if he sees in the house of a sick person a scorpion ...... he

will live;

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34 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

81. ina bit amargi lu SA-A lu ....................imdt

82. inabit amargi lu SA-A lu .................... iballut

83. ina bit amargi AN. KIM . E .................... iballut

84. margu mariq-ma ...................

85. amglu mari-ma .......................

86. amglu marins-ma ....................

87. kunuk amr li ........................

88. zuririttu .........................
89. zuririttu ........... ...............
90. zuririttu ...................
91. zuririttu ...................

92. qiru ........................

93. ana mu . .....................
94. ina UOR ......................

95. ina R ........................

96. ina S.A ......................
97. ina i-. ...................
98. ina i-. .....................
99. ina di-hi ..................
100. ina i-na ....................

101. marqu KAB ...................

102. .a-ma-.i-rrul ................

103. .a-ma-.i-rrul .................
104. ina bt ammari. .............
105. a-mi-tu ....................
106. a-mi-tu ....................

107 .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ..
108. iftu lumgli am li ......... . ............
I hamagiru also mentioned Boissier, op. cit., p. 6.

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 35

81. if in the house of a sick man either a SA-A or ...... he will

die;
82. if in the house of a sick man either a SA-A or ....... he will
live;
83. if in the house of a sick man .......... he will live;

84. if a sick man grows worse .................... ;

85-86. if a man is sick .................. ;

87-91. if a ..................

92. if a serpent .....................

93. if upon ...........................
94. if on the lap................

95. if on the lap .................

96. if in the Sha ...................
97-98. if in ....................

99-100. if in ....................

101............ ..............

102-3. if a shoat(?) .................

104. if in the house of a sick man .....

105-6. if a fly .....................

107. ...............
108. from the right of a man ..............

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36 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

109. ana pdn am li .........................

110. mi-ih-ra ............................
111. itu mu h .......................... .
112. ina ku-tal amr li .....................

113. ina ku-tal am~li .....................

114.ina imni am'li .......................

115. ina sumli ambli .................

116. bir-su ...........................
117. ina sum~li amr li ....................
118. ina massarti gab-ta ..............
119. ina massarti sab-ta ..............

120. birku ina imni ambli .............

121. ina sumbli amgli .................

122. ildtu ina imni-su nap-tat ..............

123. ina ?umgli-su nap-6at ................
124. nu-ur i ti ina imni-'u ................
125. ina umeli-su etik (ik) .......

126. ubdnu imnu-su nakisi" ana ammari ............

127. 89 mina'ti-su dup-rpul ..........................

128. ana marsi ina te i-ka bl sipti mIM ...........

129. ki-ma labiri-vu r[atirl-ma ka-atm ................

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 37

109. in front of a man ........................

110. toward ..............
111. from before ..........
112-13. behind a man ..............

114. at the right of a man .........

115. at the left of a man ...........

116. if a crack ...............

117. at the left of a man .........
118-19. in the watch he is taken ..............

120. if a lightning at the right of a man ............

121. if it is at the left of a man ....................

122. if a fire is burning at his right .............

123. if it flames up at his left ....................
124. if the light of a fire is at his right ..........
125. if it advances at his left ..................

126. if he cuts his right finger, the sick man ............

127. 189 are its sentences, ......... tablet of ..........

128. "When You Approach a Sick Man.".................

129. like its original (written[?]) by the hand of ..............

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38 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 39

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40 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES

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 A BABYLONIAN OMEN TEXT 41

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