Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology

Feb.4] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCH/EOLOGY. [1890.

fromMr. Benin, thatI am enabled to offer the following rendering
of the passage, whichI venture to think muchmorenearlyexpresses
the meaning of the original.

54- <«? c£ 5«T «=-T S3 & 5fJ

Arakh Cuzallu arakh Dhabitu arakh Sabadhu karan

The-monthKisku, the-month Tebet, the-month Sebet. The-horn

-+ «< !T<« r m et 4ir - *i

D.P. Sin sumelu itsabbat- va itti as - ri

of-the-Moonthe-left-hand occupies, and withthe-stations

55- * W -TI *T *¥S £T 53

nu - ukh - khu - tu u - di - e

a - leading - back is - shown.

56. V TTT E« -+ V- <K T <V^ -+ 4iT «f *-
    Sa 3 arkhi an - nu - ti yumu 1 5 'ilu itti 'ilu la
    For these threemonths on-the-fifteenthday god withgod is not

<T-SI 4fHlT ¥ *T <«^ ^ ^fflf ^

innamar Sa yumu 30 la khalabu

seen. Ditto. For the 30Mday (it is) * not clouded.

Notes.

54. yy<« = As. T<T<y, Ak. gui, As. sumelu, "lefthanoV't The
    Euphratean North= our N.W., andthe right hand beingtowards
    the East, the left would be towards the West, our S.W.,Ak. Mar-
    martu (" the-point-of-the-road-of-sunset),J the S.VV. and S.E.being
    the part of the heavens occupiedby the Moon.
    'Occupies.' Lit. 'seizes.' ThesameexpressionJEJJ>-<,itsab
    bat, is applied to Mars§ when entering a zodiacal Sign. Such
    passages explainthe meaning of the Hindu termfor 'planet,' i.e.,
    Graha('Seizer').
    .— Jpf-^, as-ri,Ak. it, ' place,' etc. Thiswordgivesthe key to
    the meaning of the passage. The'places'areobviouslythe thirty
    moon-stationsor lunar mansionspreviouslyenumerated.

* I.e., the combination of Sun and Moon. t Bertin.

% Vide R. B., Jr., The Myth oj Kirkt, p. 99.

§ W.A.I. Ill, 53, No. 1, line 21.

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