4. Translation of Texts from ARM 26/1

Wolfgang Heimpel

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4. Translation of Texts from ARM 26/1

Wolfgang Heimpel
Wolfgang Heimpel

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This chapter is in the book Letters to the King of Mari

173Chapter 4Translation of Texts from ARM 26/1The common theme ofmany of letters 26 1–190 is extispicy—that is, divina-tion by means of inspecting the entrails of sacrificial animals. It was the most widelypracticed method of divination in ancient Mesopotamia. The Akkadian wordtranslated “extispicy” is tertum, which means more literally “directive.” It was be-lieved that the configuration of entrails contained divine “directives” about futureevents. A particular configuration corresponded to a particular event and, since thenumber of configurations is practically limitless, extispicy represented a wide fieldof knowledge and was practiced by professional diviners. The diviners were alwaysmale and learned the craft from their father (26 109). They also used texts thatlisted configurations and their meanings for the future (26 2 and 3). The diviners ofthe Mari texts were royal appointees. They served the king personally or werestationed in the provinces or accompanied troops on campaign, often working inteams of two. They inspected the entrails of male lambs and occasionally also adultrams (26 92), or, if sheep were not available, they used pigeons (26 145). Beforelooking at the entrails, the diviner asked the divinity about the safety of places orareas during a defined period of time, or he asked about the outcome of specificevents. Inspection of the entrails normally yielded a positive or negative answer tothe question, and specific aspects of the configuration of the entrails (such as markson the liver or unusual coloration of the stomach) revealed indications concerningaspects of the future that were not part of the question. An extispicy was usuallyverified by an additional extispicy. If a clear answer did not emerge, another roundof extispicies was made. In one case, the answer to one and the same question wassought in no less than five rounds (26 152). If a diviner wanted an oracle about anabsent person or another city, he needed a physical part, hair, and hem of the per-son (for example 26 182 and 198) or a clod of earth from the city (for example 26184) in order to identify the person or city for the divinity. Often entrails and theirdescription were sent by provincial diviners to the king so that he and his divinerscould check them (for example 26 109 and 123). They were always or occasionally“baked” for this purpose (see 26 98 and 169). Oppenheim thought that the divinersmodeled the entrails in clay, baked them, and sent them in this form (“The

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173Chapter 4Translation of Texts from ARM 26/1The common theme ofmany of letters 26 1–190 is extispicy—that is, divina-tion by means of inspecting the entrails of sacrificial animals. It was the most widelypracticed method of divination in ancient Mesopotamia. The Akkadian wordtranslated “extispicy” is tertum, which means more literally “directive.” It was be-lieved that the configuration of entrails contained divine “directives” about futureevents. A particular configuration corresponded to a particular event and, since thenumber of configurations is practically limitless, extispicy represented a wide fieldof knowledge and was practiced by professional diviners. The diviners were alwaysmale and learned the craft from their father (26 109). They also used texts thatlisted configurations and their meanings for the future (26 2 and 3). The diviners ofthe Mari texts were royal appointees. They served the king personally or werestationed in the provinces or accompanied troops on campaign, often working inteams of two. They inspected the entrails of male lambs and occasionally also adultrams (26 92), or, if sheep were not available, they used pigeons (26 145). Beforelooking at the entrails, the diviner asked the divinity about the safety of places orareas during a defined period of time, or he asked about the outcome of specificevents. Inspection of the entrails normally yielded a positive or negative answer tothe question, and specific aspects of the configuration of the entrails (such as markson the liver or unusual coloration of the stomach) revealed indications concerningaspects of the future that were not part of the question. An extispicy was usuallyverified by an additional extispicy. If a clear answer did not emerge, another roundof extispicies was made. In one case, the answer to one and the same question wassought in no less than five rounds (26 152). If a diviner wanted an oracle about anabsent person or another city, he needed a physical part, hair, and hem of the per-son (for example 26 182 and 198) or a clod of earth from the city (for example 26184) in order to identify the person or city for the divinity. Often entrails and theirdescription were sent by provincial diviners to the king so that he and his divinerscould check them (for example 26 109 and 123). They were always or occasionally“baked” for this purpose (see 26 98 and 169). Oppenheim thought that the divinersmodeled the entrails in clay, baked them, and sent them in this form (“The

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