List of Variants Between the Parallel Sources for EAE 63No. Tablets Variant Text Categorisation
V1 A:4 UD.8.KAM HV – Difference in cardinal number.^158
B:4 UD.7.KAM
V2 A:7 NAM.KÚR.MEŠ OV(l) – Difference in grammatical form.^159
B:7 SAL.KÚR.MEŠ
V3 A:10 UD.15.KAM HV – Difference in cardinal number.^160
B:10 UD.18.KAM
(^158) A has the period of superior conjunction as two months and eight days, recorded as two months and
seven days in B. The cuneiform system for writing numerals is such that discrepancies of one or ten occur
particularly frequently. Hence variation in numbers is common between the sources. In addition to poorly
written signs, the susceptibility of clay tablets to effacement means that numbers are often transmitted in-
correctly due to damaged texts. On this see J.D. Weir, Venus Tablets, 27-28, as well as S. Langdon, J.K.
Fotheringham, and C. Schoch, Venus Tablets, 7 n. 6. Regarding the astronomical terms used and the con-
cepts discussed here see R.R. Newton, "Introduction to Some Basic Astronomical Concepts," The Place of
Astronomy in the Ancient World (ed. F.R. Hodson; London: Oxford University Press, 1974). On Babylo-
nian astronomy A. Sachs, "Babylonian Observational Astronomy," The Place of Astronomy in the Ancient
World (ed. F.R. Hodson; London: Oxford University Press, 1974) can be consulted for a general introduc-
tion, and see O. Neugebauer, The Exact Sciences in Antiquity (New York: Dover Publications, 1969^2 ) 122-
32 for a complete description of the astronomical phenomena at issue here. 159
A has the rare spelling of nukurtu with the Sumerian abstract prefix NAM plus KÚR.MEŠ, nakāru. B
has the more common “SAL.KÚR.MEŠ,” 160 nukurtu.
A has the period of inferior conjunction as 15 days, recorded as 18 days in B.