Nabonidus Cylinder
(Nabon
Nr 18)
Identification of the Cylinder
a) By the catalogue of the British Museum, compiled by Albert T. Clay and published in 1921, this cylinder is the tablet 21, nr 10.8981. - Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets in the British Museum, Part XXXVI, London, 1921, pp. 76-80.
b) By the catalogue of Tadmor (1965), this cylinder is the Nabon. Nr 18. The criterion adopted by Tadmor was the order of publication of the texts, starting with fifteen texts published by Langdon in 1912. - Hayim Tadmor, “Nabonidus Inscriptions: Historical Arrangement”, in Studies in Honor of Benno Landsberger in his 75th anniversary [= Assyriological Studies nr 16], ed. H. Guterbock & T. Jacobsen, Chicago: Publishing of the University of Chicago, 1965, pages 351-363, in English.
c) By the catalogue of Beualier (1989), this cylinder is number 2. Beaulier adopted a chronological arrangement. The royal inscription nr 1 was made in the first year of Nabonidus, nr 2 in his second year, and nr 13 after year 13, perhaps in year 14 or 15. (Beaulieu, p. 42.)
d) By the catalogue of Berger (1973), this cylinder is the Nbd Zyl. II, 7. Besides this, there is still the catalogue of H. Lewy (1949), which adopts another nomenclature. - Archiv Orientalní, Vol. XVII, Prague, 1949, pages 34, 35, note 32.
Translation of the passage that mentions a heliacal eclipse
“On account of the wish for an entu priestess, in the month Ulûlu, the month (whose Sumerian name means) ‘work of the goddesses,’ on the thirteenth day the moon was eclipsed and set while eclipsed. Sîn requested an entu priestess. Thus (were) his sign and his decision.” - The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylonia 556 - 539 B.C., Paul-Alain Beaulieu (in English - New Haven and London: Publishing of the University of Yale, 1989, p. 127).
The above described event happened in September 26th, 554 BCE, in the second year of the reign of Nabonidus, as indicated by an astronomical analysis of this episode. Because of the collection of astrological omens called Enuma Anu Enlil, the Babylonians considered this eclipse a request of the god-moon Sin for an entu priestess, for this collection specifically said that such an eclipse would indicate that specific request from Sin, who was also known by the name Nana. - “The Babylonian Antecedent of the Legend of Kay Kaus”, H. Lewy, Archiv Orientalní, Vol. XVII (ed. by B. Hrozny, Prague, 1949), pages 50, 51.
Complete Transliteration of the cylinder text, with the passage on the eclipse in prominence
Source:
Yale Oriental Series, Babylonian
Texts, Volume 1
Miscellaneous Inscriptions by Albert T. Clay
London, 1915, Oxford University Press
pp. 69-71
Facsimile of the text engraved in the cylinder, with the passage on the eclipse in prominence
Source:
Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets
in the British Museum
Part XXXVI, London, 1921, pp. 76-80.
Plate 21, catalogue nr 10.8981
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