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The two best-preserved paragraphs of this tablet with bird oracles refer to a woman named Šaušgatti. The oracles were performed for issues that concerned her and “her man”, and in one report the name of the augur is preserved, Piyammu. The content is too fragmentary to understand the topic of investigation. However, in the reverse, the presence of the sentence šeknuš pippūwar ... rev. 10´, probably belonging to the formulation TÚGšeknu=šan … šara pippa- ‘to turn up the šeknu- cloak’ (or similar) and possibly the term aša- ‘disgrace; shame’(?) suggest that the matter of the oracles were certain offences caused by or suffered by Šaušgatti. On the idiomatic expression ‘turn up the šeknu- cloak’, possibly meaning ‘to denude oneself’, and a cause of shame, see the study by Melchert H.C. 1983b. For an instance of use in ritual context, and additional literature, see my previous discussion in Trameri A. 2022a, 101.
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The tablet presents ample blank spaces in some of the paragraphs. These partially blank paragraphs are characterised by a conclusion of the text through the sign PAB (obv. 1´, 4´, rev. 12´). Although there are parallel oracle tablets with similar blank areas, this usage of PAB has no clear parallels, instead. In one case, the incomplete paragraph contains the oracular question, ending with the formulary phrase “let the birds confirm/exclude (it)” (rev. 12´). It appears that PAB here means that the oracular report is missing, either because it was not (or could not be) copied on the tablet or it had not been performed.
In the obverse (obv. 4´), the use of PAB might be similar, even though the short text in this paragraph includes descriptions of bird flights. For this reason, Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 464 understood the fragmentary sentence SI×S]Á-at as part of the augural response concluding the observation. On the other hand, this paragraph is peculiar, consisting of only one and a half lines of text within a blank paragraph, and being followed by a wavy and irregular, superficially impressed paragraph line. In my view, the text might be different from a full oracular report, given its brevity, as well as the concluding verbal form, which in the augural reports typically takes the direct quotation particle: UM-MA (augur’s name) SI×S]Á-at-wa (Thus (says) ...: “it was confirmed”). Although infrequent, there are exceptions to the standard formula (e.g. KUB 5.17+, II 19´), thus a decision is difficult.
Unfortunately, nothing can be said of the previous paragraph, also concluded by the PAB sign, likewise followed by several blank lines.
Generally speaking, the content of all these paragraphs contrasts with the rest of the text, with bird oracles complete in content with the full recording of the flight observation (obv. 6´-13´ and obv. 14´-19´). At least this major difference certainly has to do both with the use of PAB and the presence of the blank spacing.
For a somewhat different usage of PAB, see KUB 22.70 (CTH 566), briefly discussed in Waal W. 2015a, 82. In this case, PAB appears to be used instead to “indicate that the question is finished and/or a transition to a new question.”
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NS (jh.); diagnostic signs DA, E, ḪA (not LNS/IIIc), ḪAR, IK, IT, LI, TAR.
This tablet is written in particularly small script, with signs no larger than ca. 2 mm in height.
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For the sources referring to Šaušgatti, see the discussion by Hout Th.P.J. van den 1998c, 64-67. The name of Šaušgatti is found in a group of documents dating to the 13th century, all probably referring to the same person; van den Hout included this fragment in this group, although it was yet unpublished at the time. Note that an earlier namesake had also existed, to whom other earlier texts should be assigned. The two Šaušgatti mentioned in the group of texts CTH 585 (Vows of Puduḫeba) might also have to be distinguished (Hout Th.P.J. van den 1998c, 65).
For other texts in the oracle corpus concerning a Šaušgatti, see the editions of CTH 581.1 and CTH 581.3.
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