PHILOLOGICAL COMMENTARY

• See also 32.S.40, which has been reconstructed using the above omen.
• The reading ṣītu, with the meaning ‘loss’, is one of the several attested for ZI.GA. See CAD Ṣ, 215 s.v. ṣītu. For attestations from omen texts, including the above omen and others with slaves, see CAD Ṣ, 220 s.v. ṣītu 4b.

Another attested reading for the signs is tību ‘(up)rising’ or ‘revolt’ (CAD T, 386 s.v. tību), which is how KAL 1 (16-17, 72 Vs. 38) translates the signs:

Wenn eine Eidechse in einen Ofen fällt, aber entkommt: Aufstand der Sklaven und Sklavinnen.

Most of the omen attestations for such a reading, however, relate to enemies attacking or rebellions against kings. The signs, though less commonly, can also be used for the verb tebû ‘to revolt’ (CAD T, 307 s.v. tebû). The contexts for omen attestations are similar to those under tību. See also the commentary at 32.N.49’ for the reading of ZI as tību. Further, the use of È ‘to escape’ in the above protasis connects not only semantically with the reading ṣītu, but also the sign È can alternatively be read as ṣītu itself—though often translated with one of the word’s other meanings (CAD Ṣ, 215 s.v. ṣītu). For these reasons we read the signs as above; though, we do not exclude the possibility of a revolt among the slaves.

• There may be a phonetic connection between the previous omen’s use of IZI.GAR in the protasis and the above omen’s use of ZI.GA in the apodosis.

• The above omen forms a thematic triad with the subsequent two omens. Whereas the lizard survives falling into the oven in 32.A.38 and 32.A.40, the animal burns up in 32.A.39. The triad’s last two omens are more closely related. See also the omens 32.S.40 through 32.S.42.