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With 35 tablets and fragments, omens concerning lunar eclipses (CTH 532) constitute the single largest group of omen manuscripts from Ḫattuša, not counting liver models (14% of all omen lists, 11% of all omen texts including models). Laroche’s catalog and its online successor distinguish between lunar eclipse omens (CTH 532) and omens concerning other lunar phenomena (CTH 533). This distinction is mostly upheld by the texts, although some tablets contain eclipse omens as well as other observations such as lunar halos (e. g. in CTH 532.5). This distinction follows the later sorting of tablets in the first chapter of Enūma Anu Enlil: Tablets 1-14 of the chapter ‘Sîn’ deal with a variety of lunar phenomena while tablets 15-22 deal with lunar eclipses. With three Akkadian exceptions (CTH 532.6; 532.7; 532.12), the fragments are all Hittite.
The fragments make up a maximum of thirteen texts. It is possible that CTH 532.2 is another manuscript of CTH 532.3, CTH 532.4 is possibly another manuscript of CTH 532.5, CTH 532.7 could perhaps belong to CTH 532.12. The latter text also shows some affinities to portions of CTH 532.8. Seventeen manuscripts belong to CTH 532.3, one of which, Bo 6688, remains unpublished and is to be treated by N. Aslantürk.
The manuscripts that are preserved well enough show three types of lunar eclipse omens: The first deals with lunar eclipses during the different stages of the night (CTH 532.1; CTH 532.8C; CTH 532.12). The second type observes lunar eclipses during specific days of the month throughout the year (CTH 532.3; CTH 532.8), known from Old Babylonian texts from Mesopotamia and from later second-millennium tablets from Assyria, Elam, and Syria (e. g. CUSAS 18.13; f14, EMAR 6.652). These later become tablet 22 of the series Enūma Anu Enlil. The third type deals with eclipses in a certain month (CTH 532.4; CTH 532.5; CTH 532.6). This type is found already at Mari (ARM 26.248) and then in the later series iqqur īpuš.
Some lunar eclipse tablets also contain rituals: KBo 8.47; KUB 34.7, and KUB 57.73. They are unfortunately so fragmentary that their exact nature and relation to the omen passages cannot be determined.
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