SAA 04 139. Will There Be a Rebellion against Esarhaddon? (AGS 108) [military and political][via saao/saa04]

(1) [Šamaš, great lord, give me a firm positive answer] to what I am asking you!

(2) [From this day], the 6th day of this month, the month Ad[ar (XII), to the 5th day of the month Sivan (III) of the coming year], [for 90 day]s and nights, my stipulated term — [within this stipulated term],

(4) [will (any of) the] eunuchs and the bearded (officials), [the king's] entourage, [or senior members of the royal line, or] junior members of the royal line, or any relative of the king [whosoever],

(6) [or the prefect]s, or the recruitment officers and te[am] comma[nders, or the royal bo]dyguard, or (his) personal guard, or the king's chariot men, [or the keepers of the inner gates],

(8) [or the ke]epers of the outer gates, or the attendants of the mule stables, or the la[ckeys], [or the] cooks, confectioners (and) bakers, [the entire body of] craftsmen,

(10) [or the] Itu'eans, the Elamites, the mounted bowmen, [the Hittites and the Gurreans, o]r the Akkadians, Arameans, or Cimme[rians, o]r the Egyptians, or the Nubians, or the Qed[arites],

(13) or their brothers, or their sons, or [their nephews], or their friends, or [their] guests, [or their] accom[plices], be they eunuchs or bearded (officials), or [any] enemy [at all],

(16) whether by day or by night, or in the cit[y or in the country],

(17) whether while (he is) sitting on the royal throne, or in a chariot, or [in a rickshaw], or while walking, whether while going out or co[ming in],

(19) or while (he is) sitting on the ..., be it men [who are on a military assignment], or men who enter into and leave from tax-collection,

(20) or while he is eating o[r drinking], or girding or ungirding himself, or while enga[ged in washing himself],

(22) whether through deceit or guile or an[y ... whatsoever], make an uprising and rebellion against Esarhaddon, king of Assyria? [Will they act with evil intent against him]?

(24) Does your great divinity know it? Is the making of an uprising and rebellion against Esarhaddon, k[ing of Assyria], decreed and confirmed in a favorable case, by the command of your great divinity, Šamaš, great lord? [Will he who can see, see it? Will he who can hear, hear it]?

(r 1) Disregard the (formulation) of today's case, be it good, [be it faulty].

(r 2) Disregard that a clean or an unclean person has touched the sacrificial sheep, or [blocked the way of the sacrificial sheep].

(r 3) Disregard that an unclean man or woman has [come near] the place of the extispicy [and made it unclean].

(r 4) Disregard that an unclean person [has performed extispicy] in this place.

(r 5) Disregard that the ram (offered) to your great divinity for the perfor[mance of the extispicy is deficient or faulty].

(r 6) Disregard that he who touches the forehead of the sheep is dressed in his ordinary soiled garments, (or) [has eaten, drunk, or anointed himself with] anything [unclean].

(r 7) Disregard that I, the haruspex your servant, have eaten, drunk, or [anointed myself with] anything unclean, or changed (or) altered the proceedings.
Let them be ta[ken out and put aside]!

(r 8) [I ask you, Šamaš, great lord, wh]ether from this day, the 6th day of this month, Adar (XII), to the [5th d]ay [of the month Sivan (III) of the coming year, they will make] an uprising and rebellion against Esarhaddon, [king of Assyria], (and whether) [they will act] in a hostile manner [against him], (and) ki[ll him].

(r 13) Be present in this ram, [place (in it) a firm positive answer, favorable designs], favorable, propitious omens by the oracular [command of your great divinity, and may I see (them)].

(r 15) [May (this query) go to] your great [divinity], O Šamaš, great lord, [and may an oracle be given as an answer].

(r 16) [...] the 'path' is present. The 'strength' is absent. The left of the gall bladder is attached. [The middle sur]face of the ['finger' ...].

(r 17) [The base of the middle 'finger' of the lung] is 'bound.' The breast-bone is thick. The coils of the colon are turned on the right [......].

(r 18) [...] a flesh is torn. The 'increment' is normal. The upper part [is elevated].

(r 19) [...]. The coils of the colon are 12 in number.

(e. 1) Marduk-šumu-uṣur, Naṣiru, Tabnî,

(e. 2) Aqaraya, Marduk-šumu-ibni, Banî, [NN].

(e. 3) Month Adar (XII), 6th day, memorandum [......].