PHILOLOGICAL COMMENTARY

• This and the subsequent omen form a pair because, in their protases, a lizard falls onto a man’s right and left hand, respectively. The apodoses both also involve economic concerns. Together with 32.A.17, the three omens’ apodoses form a sort of mini narrative in which a man acquires profit, consumes it, then uses his daughters’ dowries to build a house, and finally receives his son’s profit and is successful. See also 32.S.12 and 32.S.13.
• The Akkadian does not clearly indicate the connection between the two apodoses. They may be interpreted as alternative apodoses or the conjunction ‘and’ may be implied. The latter is how the CAD A/1, 252 s.v. akālu 2b interprets the omen, “that man will have profit (and) enjoy his profit” as does If a City 2 (179, *32.76’).

We follow KAL 1 (16-17 Vs. 15) which leaves the connection between the two clauses open

[Wenn eine Eidechse] auf die rechte Hand eines Mannes fällt: Dieser Mann wird Gewinn erzielen, seinen Gewinn wird er genießen.

There is also the question as to how ‘consuming his profit’ is to be interpreted. If the consumption is seen as a positive as KAL 1’s “genießen” implies, the above omen is the antithesis to the subsequent 32.A.16 as the lizard falls onto the man’s opposite hands. On the other hand, if the man’s consumption of his profit leads to him being forced to use the money set aside for his daughters’ dowries to build a house, the above apodoses could be seen as negative and the relationship between 32.A.15 and 32.A.16 is more of a narrative.

• The above omen corresponds to 32.S.12. Similarly to 32.A.13 and 32.S.10, where the above omen uses Á.TUK ‘profit’, 32.S.12 writes NÍG.TUK ‘riches’. The omen 32.S.12 also does not have NA BI ‘that man’ in the apodosis. The omens are otherwise identical and both play on the multiple meanings of TUK.