Although catalogued under CTH 581, the epistolary nature of this text is quite uncertain. Hout Th.P.J. van den 1998c, 13, interpreted it as an oracle summary. Texts of this type can be understood as “excerpt(s) of comprehensive oracle recordings”, containing a summary of results for a set of oracle inquiries dedicated to a particular matter. From the fragment, we cannot derive which type of oracle inquiry was performed since only the outcome is recorded. The surviving text refers to the death of some individuals, apparently affiliated to or belonging to the ‘house of Arma-Tarḫunta’.

The content of the text, including the nearly complete passage in obv. 8´–15´, is difficult to interpret due to its particularly elliptical language and unclear syntax. The focus of the oracular inquiry appears to be the murder of a group of people (obv. 13´), but it is not entirely clear who the perpetrators and victims are. The victims are likely a group of 'free men' affiliated with the house of Arma-Tarḫunta and some relatives of a man named AMAR.MUŠEN-na (obv. 11´–15´), though the nature of the latter’s relationship with Arma-Tarḫunta is unclear. The subject of these actions remain unspecified, and several interpretative problems remain. For a discussion see notes 3–4 in the text edition.

Handcopy: H. Otten (KBo 41, Otten H. – Rüster C. 1999a).

One-columned tablet fragment with abraded surface. The reverse is blank.

NS (jh.); diagnostic signs: ḪA, IK.

The state of the fragment makes a paleographic analysis difficult, but the approximate date of the text can be established based on content.

On Arma-Tarḫunta, son of Zida (brother of Suppiluliuma I), and governor of the Upper Land during the reign of Muršili II – a position which was later assigned to Ḫattušili (III) by Muwatalli – see Ünal A. 1974a, Hout Th.P.J. van den 1998c, 60-64, Bryce T. 2005a, 247-252, Haas V. 2008a, 95-98.

When Ḫattusili was in Syria during the war against Egypt, Arma-Tarḫunta was accused of trying to take advantage of his absence. After the return of Ḫattušili, a trial was held against Arma-Tarhunta. Among the topics of mutual accusations and counter-accusations was the resort to sorcery, which is one of the main subjects of a dossier of oracle inquiries (see CTH 569). In his Autobiography or Apology (CTH 81), Ḫattušili reported that Arma-Tarḫunta, having lost the lawsuit before Muwatalli, was delivered to him for judgment. Ḫattušili showed mercy, granting him exile.

In the dossier of oracles of CTH 569, Arma-Tarhunta is closely associated with a woman Šaušgatti, mentioned in several documents (see e.g. introduction to CTH 581.1, KBo 18.145). Ünal A. 1974a, 105 suggested she might have been his wife (see also Hout Th.P.J. van den 1998c, 67).