This fragment of a bird oracle report is notable for several non-standard formulations. Due to its poor state of preservation, it is difficult, however, to fully assess the differences from the typical formulary. Additionally, the first five lines of text and the reverse are unreadable because of the tablet’s surface condition, with only a few individual signs potentially visible. We have therefore refrained from providing a transliteration of these passages.

Among the noteworthy aspects of the text’s language and content, we can highlight:

– Some descriptions of bird movements deviate from the standard formulary, or have no parallels (see Linguistic Characteristics for details). The interpretation is further complicated by the omission of the verb of movement in some of the sentences (ue-/uwa-), and the unusual word order in some formulations.

– The reference to ‘the river’ in the flight reports, which is uncommon and appears with some frequency only in early bird oracles from the pre-Imperial period.

• J. Tischler, DBH 49, 2016: 159f.

Handcopy: A. Archi (KUB 57, Archi A. 1987b).

Edition: Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 605-606. Transliteration: Tischler J. 2016b, 159-160.

The condition of this fragment does not allow for a meaningful palaeographic analysis. In the readable portion of the text, no significant diagnostic signs (early or late) can be identified. Thus, the dating provided in the HPM Konkordanz (NS; nh.) should be regarded as highly tentative.

Among the several non-standard formulations in this fragment, note: the use of =pat in kolon 8; the sequence SIG₅ ÍD-anda […] in k. 9, where anda might function as a preverb (of [ue-/uwa-] or [pai-], or as a postposition to ‘the river’; the formula/movement nu (…) ÍD-az šara pait in k. 10; the unclear word order SIG₅ zi without a verb, in k. 11; the sequence [… ar]ḫa SIG₅ in k. 13. We can also note the use of SIG₅ instead of the more common SIG₅-az.

Regarding GÚ (k. 8), this is not necessarily a scribal error, but a plausible abbreviation of GUN; see in particular the edition of KUB 52.24 (CTH 573.86).