The Closing Formulas

The repetition of the query is followed by two formulas (A and B) closing the query. The two formulas often occur as a pair (A+ B), but in queries containing omens they may be separated. A normally directly follows the repetition of the query, but may be separated from it by a string of omens, as in nos. 5 and 43. The standard wording of A is as follows:

ina libbi immeri annî izizzamma anna kīna uṣurāti šalmāti šērē tamīt damqāti šalmāti ša šalimtim ša pî ilūtika rabīti šuknamma lūmur

"Be present (lit. 'stand') in this ram, place in it an affirmative answer, favorable designs, favorable, propitious omens of the oracular query by the command of your great divinity so that I may see (them)."

A has an abbreviated variant (a) occurring in some texts, e.g. no. 9:

ina libbi immeri annî izizzamma anna šuknamma lūmur

"Be present in this ram, and place in it an affirmative answer, so that I may see (it)."

Formula B has the following wording:

eli ilūtika rabīti Šamaš bēlu rabû lillikma têrtu lītappal

"May (this) query go to your great divinity, O Šamaš, great lord, and may an oracle be given as an answer."

B is the closing formula par excellence and usually appears at the very end of the query tablet. It seems that both A and B were inscribed on the tablet before the actual extispicy took place, often with a blank space left between them for omens to be filled in during the extispicy. In some queries, this blank space still remains empty; in others, like no. 43, it apparently was not wide enough so that omens registered in the course of a check-up extispicy had to be entered after formula B.

Ivan Starr

Ivan Starr, 'The Closing Formulas', Queries to the Sungod: Divination and Politics in Sargonid Assyria, SAA 4. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 1990; online contents: SAAo/SAA04 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa04/formularyandterminology/closingformulas/]

 
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