TE8.mušen

^mulA₂^mušen is a Babylonian term for the Eagle, referring to the constellation of Aquila, The Eagle.

Dictionary

Kurtik, Horowitz, Hoffmann, Kim

Var. readings:

• ^mulTE₈ / TI₈^mušen,
• ^multi₈^mušen; = erû, arû "Eagle".

[G. 2; Borger 1978 139, Nr. 334; Labat 137]; constellation within the modern Eagle (Aquila).

Sources	Identification
Lexical texts. (1) A monolingual Sumerian list: multe8mušen [Emar VI/4 154: 117].   (2) DC XXII series: multe8mušen = e-ru-u [Emar VI/4 151:173], [multe8mu]šen = a-ru-u [Cavigneaux 1979 133-4, 17:21]
Hittite prayer to the night gods. Amongst the astral gods: mulA2mušen [KUB IV, 47 r. 45; BPO 2, p. 2:12; Toorn 130: 45].
EAE. See. [ABCD 187-192 (§ III 8-9); BPO 2 III 28a, X 21, XI 7; BPO 3, K 3124: 9′, K2346: 46; Borger 1973, LB 1321 r. 9′, 12′; Largement 1957 246: 48a, 48b; SpTU I 84:10; 92:3-5; SpTU III, 101:21, 22].
"Astrolabes." Astrolabe P. Tebetu month, the stars of Enlil, 35 [Pinches 575]. Astrolabe B. (1) Menology: itiziz2 mulA2mušen dZa.b[a4.ba4]: itiziz2 mulA2[mušen] "Shabatu month, Eagle, Zababa" (A iii 25, 30); for a parallel see. [Çağirgan 407:58], see also [BPO 2 82; Emelyanov 1999 129]. (2) Lists (12´3): mul ša ina igi-it mul[uz3] / gub-PzuR mulA2m[ušen] "The constellations that is ahead of it (i.e., ahead of muluz3 "the Goat"), stands, the Eagle" (B iii 17-18). (3) The list (3´12): [itiab] ... mulA2mušen šu[-ut dEn-lil2] "The month of Tebetu: the Eagle (in the way of) [Enlil] (rises)" (C iii 10); parallel: ina itiab mulA2mušen e-ru-[u2] "In the month of Tebetu, the Eagle (rises)" [BPO 2, XI 7]. (4) List (sunrise-sunset=6m): sunrise is Tebetu, sunset is Duuzu [KAV 218, C 31, 20], see (g27) GU.LA. BM 82923. The month Tebetu, the stars of Enlil: mulA2mušen // 35 // UR.SAG dI2-gi3-gi3 "Eagle // 35 // Hero among the Igigs". [Walker-Hunger 30:30]. BM 34713. The month of Shabatu, the stars of Enlil [LBAT, 1499:11], see (n49) NU.MUŠ.DA. The stars of Ea, Anu and Enlil. (a) List of the 12 stars of Anu: (no. 12) multi8mušen [CT 33, 9 r. 13; MCG 176]. (b) List of 12 stars of Enlil: (no. 10) mulA2mušen [TCL 6, 13; Rochberg-Halton 1987b 212].
MUL.APIN. (1) The stars of Anu (no. 18): mulTI8mušen (I ii 12). (2) Dates of heliacal risings, see (u06) UD.KA.DU8.A. (3) Simultaneous daily risings and sunsets: a) mulKAK.SI.SA2 mul dMUŠ u mulUR.GU.LA KURme-nim-ma / mulGU.LA u mulTI8mušen ŠU2meš "Arrow, Snake and Lion rising, the Giant and Eagle setting" (I iii 17-18), b) mulUD. KA.DUD.A u mulTI8mušen KURmeš-ma / mulMAŠ.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL u mulMAŠ.TAB.BA.TUR.TUR ŠU2meš "The Demon with its mouth open and the Eagle rising, the Great Twins and Little Twins setting" (I iii 29-30) [MA 33, 44-45, 48, 51].
"The Great List of Stars. (1) List of names of Mars: multi8mušen = dmin(= ral-bat-a-nu); (2) 12 stars of Akkad: multi8mušen; (3) 7 lumāšu-stars: multi8mušen [Mesop.Astrol., App.B:97, 212, 228].
GU-text. (T) sa4 ša2 mulA2mušen "Star with the great brilliance of the Eagle (α Aql)" [Pingree-Walker, BM 78161:31], see u31UZ3.
Dalbanna-text. §r. mulA2mušen PmulsuCurR.maš2 u mulzi-qit mulpa.bil.sag 3 mul.meš... "Eagle (ε Aql), Goat-Fish (β Cap) and the sting of the Pabilsag (α CrA), 3 stars ..." §y. a) mulA2mušen Eagle (ε Aql), b) mulA2mušen maC-ru "Eagle–the first", see (u31) UZ3. §z. mulA2mušen (ε Aql), see (u19) UR.GI7 and (h03) dDaniš [Walker 1995 39; Koch 1995 50, 62; ASM 110]. Text Nv. 10. Scheme of intercalation: multi8mušen like the star of Anu – star AN.TA.GUB.BA in the month of Addaru, see (L04) Lammu. See also [SpTU I, 84:10; SpTU III, 102 r.4;].

II. Deity.

The names of constellations are never fixated with determinatives d. The divine status of ^mulA₂^mušen, however, is attested in BM 82923 (see above). The connection of ^mulA₂^mušen with ^dZa-ba₄-ba₄ follows the text Astrolabe B (Section A iii 25) as well as from the list of gods K.4339 rev. col. iv 10 where the identity is a given: ^mulA₂^mušen = ^dZa-ba₄-ba₄ = min(=^dNin-urta) [CT 25, 13]. Among the epithets of Zababa, however, the Eagle is not mentioned [Tallqvist 463]. In the lists "deity – bird", the Eagle is also not mentioned [Salonen 1973 294-295]. The connection of the Eagle constellation with Zababa is explained, apparently, by the symbol of Zababa – a rod with the head of an eagle, see (z01) ^dZA.BA₄.BA₄.

III. Symbol.

• The symbol of Zababa on the kudurru was a rod ending with the image of an eagle's head with a crest of feathers [Seidl 1968 163-164; Seidl 1969, § c)]. A bird similar to an eagle next to the anthropomorphic figure of Zababa was depicted on the seals of the Old Babylonian period [Braun-Holzinger 348, Nr. 1165]. Probably, this image served as a basis for the figure of the constellation Eagle.
• V. Parts of constellations and individual stars.
• SA₄ ša₂ ^mulA₂^mušen "Brilliant (star) in the constellation Eagle" (α Aql = Altair). cf. GU-text.

VI. Astrology.

Identifications:

• (1) = Saturn; see above section II.
• (2) = Mercury; see (n47) NU.KUŠ₂.U₃, II 1.
• (3) = Mars; see below (6)-(10), (14), The Great Star List, (a15) ACû, II 2, and also [Reynolds 1998 352].
• (4) = Jupiter, according to [Bezold 122, Nr. 178]; but there is no clear evidence.
• (5) = Pleiades; see below (13).

Predictions:

• (6) Planet and Eagle; DIŠ MUL.UDU.IDIM u ^mulA₂^mušen it-ten-tu-u₂ ... "If the planet and the Eagle cover each other...", DIŠ MUL.UDU.IDIM u ^mulA₂^mušen it-ten-mi-du ... "If the planet and the Eagle (for a long duration?) stand side by side...", DIŠ MUL.UDU.IDIM u ^mulA₂^mušen iv-Cu-u₂... "If the planet and the Eagle become close to each other..." [Largement 1957, 246: 47, 48a, 48b; SpTU I 92: 3-5]; here "Eagle" – being one of the planets; the apodosis refers to the yield of sesame (ŠE.GIŠ.I₃ = šamaššammu).
• (7) Eagle(=Mars?) planet; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen ana ^mulUDU.IDIM TE ŠE.GIŠ.I₃ ... "If the Eagle approaches closely to a planet: sesame ..." [ACh Ištar. 23:15].
• (8) The Eagle(=Mars?) and the Stars; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen ana MUL.MUL TE ^dIM RA-ir "If the Eagle approaches closely to the Stars: Adad will ruin" [ACh Ištar, 23:16], see also (a15) aCû, II 2.
• (9) Eagle(=Mars?) and Raven; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen ana ^mulUGA^mušen i-mid ŠE.GIŠ.I₃ ... "If the stops short in front of the Raven: sesame ..." [ACh Ištar, 23:17].
• (10) The Eagle(=Mars?) and the Moon; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen ina ŠA₃ 30 GUB-iz LUGAL ŠU₂ BA.UŠ₂ "If the Eagle stands in the middle of the Moon: the king of the universe will die" [ACh Ištar, 23: 18]; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen ina SI ZAG 30 GUB-iz KUR i-bar-ru "If the Eagle stands on the right horn of the Moon: there will be revolt in the country" [ibid., 23:19]; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen ina SI GUB₃ 30 GUB-iz KUR in-niš-[ša] "If the Eagle stands on the left horn of the Moon: there will be quakes in the country" [ibid., 23:20].
• (11) The Eagle and ^mišCu; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen meš-Cu im-šu-uC ^mulUDU.IDIM MAŠ₂.[ANŠE...] "If the Eagle emits mišCu: the planet(=Mars) will exterminate small cattle/livestock" [ACh Ištar, 23:22], and also [ACh Suppl. 2, 53 i 14].
• (12) The dark Eagle; DIŠ ^mulA₂^mušen a-dir MAŠ₂.ANŠE TUR.TUR UN.MEŠ ... "If the Eagle becomes dark: the cattle will become few, people [...]" [ACh Ištar, 23:21].
• (13) The Bow and the Eagle; DIŠ ^mulBAN ana ^mulA₂^mušen KUR-ud ŠE.GIŠ.I₃ Car-pu SIG₅-iq "If the Bow reaches the Eagle: early sesame will be good" [BPO 3 230, K. 3124: 9]; parallel: DIŠ ^mulpan ana ^mulA₂^mušen kur-ud še.giš.i₃ nim sig₅: ^mulial-bat-a-nu ^mulZa-ap-pu kur-ma "If the Bow reaches the Eagle: early sesame will be good; (this means that): Mars reaches Pleiades." [Borger 1973, 41:12′], here identities are assumed: the Bow = Mars, the Eagle = the Stars.
• (14) Arrow and Eagle; DIŠ ina ^itiŠU ^mulKAK.SI.SA₂ ^mulA₂^mušen KUR-ud ŠE.G[IŠ.I₃ S]I.SA₂ ^dGUD.UD ina ^itiŠU mulƒal-bat-a-nu KUR-ma "If in the month of duuzu Sirius reaches the Eagle: the flaxseed(? ) will be abundant; (this means:) Mercury in the month of duuzu reaches Mars" [BPO 3 246:46]; the prediction suggests the identity: ^mulA₂^mušen = mulƒal-bat-a-nu.
• (15) Eclipse of the Moon in the Eagle (Pleiades?); ina Nisanni UD.28.KAM rēš tāmartišu tammarma / ina erî(MUL.A₂.MUŠEN) [adirma ušappilma ippuC] "On the 28th day of Nisan, observe its last trace, and in the 'Eagle' he (= Sin) became dark and low and ascended" [ABCD 191-192, § III, Rec. B 8-9], and also [ibid. 189-190, III Rec. A: (8)].

• (16) The Heliacal rising of the Eagle in his own and not in his own time; ina ^itiAB PMUL.R PA₂^?R [MUŠEN...] BE-ma ina UD.DUG₄.GA-šu₂ KUR-[Ca] SAL.KUR₂ ina KUR ina-pu-[uš ... ] ina KUR GAR " In the month of Tebetu, the Eagle [...] if it ascends on its set date, there will be abundance in the country, [if he does not ascend on its properly set date]: [...] in the country there will be." [BPO 2, X 21]; see also [ibid., XI 7]

Historical Dictionaries

Kurtik (2022)	Gössmann (1950)