The context of the first oracle in this fragment is entirely lost, and the preserved text pertains to the description of bird flights. Its final line breaks off at the mention of the augur’s name. From what is legible, the second oracle addresses issues involving a ‘deity’ (DINGIR-LUM, kolon 20), who is possibly being asked whether any ‘evil’ has occurred. This deity is likely the same as the one referred to in the following line, which reads ‘[deit]y (of?) His Majesty’ (k. 21). However, due to the fragmentary nature of the text, this interpretation remains tentative, as discussed in the text edition (note n. 3); see also Historical Context.

• J. Tischler, DBH 52, 2019: 33f.
• Y. Sakuma, Diss., 2009: II 285-289

Handcopy: A. Archi (KUB 49, Archi A. 1979e).

Edition: Sakuma Y. 2009b, II 285-289.

Transliteration: Tischler J. 2019a, 33-34.

Two joining fragments preserve approximately fifteen lines of text, though the surface is damaged in several areas.

NS (jh.); diagnostic signs: ḪAR, TAR, IT shows two quite different forms, including the NS variant and another closer to earlier variants.

Concerning the possible interpretation of the sequence DINGIR-LUM DUTU-ŠI (kolon 21) as ‘the deity of His Majesty’, note that this definition is uncommon, and in oracle texts it appears only in KUB 5.6+ rev. III 26: nu ú-wa-an-zi DINGIR-LUM DUTU-ŠI-ia da-a-an EGIR-pa a-ni-ia-an-zi “(…) should they proceed to worship the deity of His Majesty a second time?” (text in Beckman G. – Bryce T. – Cline E. 2011a, 196-197). Given that the same sequence in other oracle texts is probably not a genitival compound (see note n. 3 to the text), this interpretation remains uncertain.

If this is indeed a reference to the ‘deity of His Majesty’, it is likely to be understood as the ruler’s ‘personal’ deity – a concept that became established in the Hittite tradition during the Late Empire period. During this time, kings expressed particular devotion to, and a personal relationship with, specific deities – namely Muwatalli II with the Storm God of Lightning, Hattusili III with Ištar/Šauška of Šamuḫa, and Tudḫaliya IV with Šarruma. Also noteworthy is the existence of ‘tutelary deities’ or ‘Stag gods of the king,’ such as the one mentioned in KUB 2.1 III 23 (a festival text with a long list of Stag gods) representing another category of deity with a special relationship to the individual. Among them appears 'the Stag god of His Majesty, Tudḫaliya' (DḪAL ŠA DUTU-ŠI mtu-ut-ḫa-li-ia; III 23), following a lengthy enumeration of ‘tutelary gods of the Labarna.’ On the Hitite tutelary and personal gods, see Archi A. 1975d.