38
translating šid literally as “counted” rather than “normal”. For a detailed discussion
of the reading of this passage, see Brown and Zólyomi (2001).
ud-da-ta en-nu-ug 3 -bi 3-am 3 ud gi 6 -bi-a ba-an-da-sa 2
i 3 -ne-eš-ta ud-da šid-bi ba-da-tur ud gi 6 -bi-a ba-da-bur 2
From today when its (i.e., the day’s) watch is 3 long, daylight is equal to night-time.
From now on the counted length of daylight becomes shorter, daylight converts to
night-time.
The passage begins by stating that on a given day the day’s watch, a term which
is known from other texts to be used to refer to the whole length of daylight, has the
length 3. The number 3 is given without units and can be interpreted in two ways:
either as a place value sexagesimal number of the kind found in mathematical texts
which can be equated to a measurement value by means of a metrological table of
equivalences, or, more simply, as the measurement value 3 with an implied unit.
Comparison with later texts suggests that the 3 can be understood as either 3 mina
or 3,0 (= 180) UŠ. The text continues by stating that on this date daylight is equal to
night-time. Thus, both day and night are 3 in length, and the passage is therefore
concerned with the date of the equinox defined temporally as day and night being of
equal duration in time. The passage then states that as we move forward in time, the
length of daylight becomes shorter as part of what had been day becomes night.
The second text, BM 17175 + 17284, presents values for the length of day and
night at the equinoxes and the solstices. The text can be transliterated and translated
as follows (the transliteration follows Hunger & Pingree, 1989: 163 but the translation is my own):
[i-na
iti
ŠE.GUR 10 UD.15.KAM 3 EN].
⌈
NU
⌉ u 4 -mi 3 EN.NU GE 6 [u 4 -mu ù GE 6 mi]-it⌈
ḫa
⌉
-ru
[iś-tu
iti
ŠE.GUR 10 .KU 5 UD.15.KAM a-di
iti SIG 4 ]
⌈ UD
⌉
.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i-na
iti
SIG 4
UD.15.KAM 1 EN.NU GE 6 a-n]a u 4 -mi i-na-ap-pa(!)-al [… 4 EN].
⌈
NU
⌉ u 4 -mi 2 EN.NUN
GE 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[iš-tu
iti SIG 4 UD.15.KAM]
⌈
a
⌉
-di
iti KIN.
d INANNA UD.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i-na
iti KIN.
d INANNA UD.15.KAM 1 E]N.NU u 4 -
⌈ mu a-na
⌉ GE 6 ut-te-er […] 3 EN.NU u 4 -mi 3
EN.NU GE 6 [u 4 -mu ù GE 6 ] mi-it-ḫa-ru
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[iš-tu
iti
KIN.
d
INANNA UD.1]5.KAM a-di
iti GAN.GAN.È UD.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i- na
iti GAN.GAN.È UD.15.KAM 1 EN].NU u 4 -mu a-na GE 6 i-na-ap-pa-al [… 2] EN.NU u 4 -mi
4 EN.NU GE 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[iš-tu
iti GAN.GAN.È UD.15.KAM a-d]i
iti
ŠE.
⌈
GUR 10 .KU 5
⌉ UD.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i-na
iti
ŠE.GUR 10 .KU 5 UD.15.KAM 1 EN].
⌈
NU GE 6 a-na
⌉ u 4 -
⌈
mi i
⌉ -na-ap-pa-al […] 3 EN.NU
u 4 -
⌈
mi 3
⌉ EN.NU GE 6 [u 4 -mu ù GE 6 ] mi-it-ḫa-ru
[On Month XII day 15, 3 is the wat]ch of the day, 3 is the watch of the night. [Day and night
are e]qual. [From Month XII day 15 to Month III] day 15 is 3 months. [On Month III day
15, 1 (of) the watch of the night] converts into day. [… 4 is the wat]ch of the day, 2 is the
watch of the night.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[From Month III day 15] to Month VI day 15 is 3 months. [On Month VI day 15, 1 (of) the
wa] tch of the day returns to the night. […] 3 is the watch of the day, 3 is the watch of the
night. [Day and night] are equal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------J. Steele
translating šid literally as “counted” rather than “normal”. For a detailed discussion
of the reading of this passage, see Brown and Zólyomi (2001).
ud-da-ta en-nu-ug 3 -bi 3-am 3 ud gi 6 -bi-a ba-an-da-sa 2
i 3 -ne-eš-ta ud-da šid-bi ba-da-tur ud gi 6 -bi-a ba-da-bur 2
From today when its (i.e., the day’s) watch is 3 long, daylight is equal to night-time.
From now on the counted length of daylight becomes shorter, daylight converts to
night-time.
The passage begins by stating that on a given day the day’s watch, a term which
is known from other texts to be used to refer to the whole length of daylight, has the
length 3. The number 3 is given without units and can be interpreted in two ways:
either as a place value sexagesimal number of the kind found in mathematical texts
which can be equated to a measurement value by means of a metrological table of
equivalences, or, more simply, as the measurement value 3 with an implied unit.
Comparison with later texts suggests that the 3 can be understood as either 3 mina
or 3,0 (= 180) UŠ. The text continues by stating that on this date daylight is equal to
night-time. Thus, both day and night are 3 in length, and the passage is therefore
concerned with the date of the equinox defined temporally as day and night being of
equal duration in time. The passage then states that as we move forward in time, the
length of daylight becomes shorter as part of what had been day becomes night.
The second text, BM 17175 + 17284, presents values for the length of day and
night at the equinoxes and the solstices. The text can be transliterated and translated
as follows (the transliteration follows Hunger & Pingree, 1989: 163 but the translation is my own):
[i-na
iti
ŠE.GUR 10 UD.15.KAM 3 EN].
⌈
NU
⌉ u 4 -mi 3 EN.NU GE 6 [u 4 -mu ù GE 6 mi]-it⌈
ḫa
⌉
-ru
[iś-tu
iti
ŠE.GUR 10 .KU 5 UD.15.KAM a-di
iti SIG 4 ]
⌈ UD
⌉
.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i-na
iti
SIG 4
UD.15.KAM 1 EN.NU GE 6 a-n]a u 4 -mi i-na-ap-pa(!)-al [… 4 EN].
⌈
NU
⌉ u 4 -mi 2 EN.NUN
GE 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[iš-tu
iti SIG 4 UD.15.KAM]
⌈
a
⌉
-di
iti KIN.
d INANNA UD.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i-na
iti KIN.
d INANNA UD.15.KAM 1 E]N.NU u 4 -
⌈ mu a-na
⌉ GE 6 ut-te-er […] 3 EN.NU u 4 -mi 3
EN.NU GE 6 [u 4 -mu ù GE 6 ] mi-it-ḫa-ru
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[iš-tu
iti
KIN.
d
INANNA UD.1]5.KAM a-di
iti GAN.GAN.È UD.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i- na
iti GAN.GAN.È UD.15.KAM 1 EN].NU u 4 -mu a-na GE 6 i-na-ap-pa-al [… 2] EN.NU u 4 -mi
4 EN.NU GE 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[iš-tu
iti GAN.GAN.È UD.15.KAM a-d]i
iti
ŠE.
⌈
GUR 10 .KU 5
⌉ UD.15.KAM ITI 3.KAM [i-na
iti
ŠE.GUR 10 .KU 5 UD.15.KAM 1 EN].
⌈
NU GE 6 a-na
⌉ u 4 -
⌈
mi i
⌉ -na-ap-pa-al […] 3 EN.NU
u 4 -
⌈
mi 3
⌉ EN.NU GE 6 [u 4 -mu ù GE 6 ] mi-it-ḫa-ru
[On Month XII day 15, 3 is the wat]ch of the day, 3 is the watch of the night. [Day and night
are e]qual. [From Month XII day 15 to Month III] day 15 is 3 months. [On Month III day
15, 1 (of) the watch of the night] converts into day. [… 4 is the wat]ch of the day, 2 is the
watch of the night.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[From Month III day 15] to Month VI day 15 is 3 months. [On Month VI day 15, 1 (of) the
wa] tch of the day returns to the night. […] 3 is the watch of the day, 3 is the watch of the
night. [Day and night] are equal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------J. Steele