From the Ziqīqu Series
The Mesopotamians believed that dreams were messages from the gods — not random noise but a legible text, if you knew how to read it. The Ziqīqu ("dream-god") series was the canonical dream omen compendium of ancient Babylonia, organized into tablets covering what might be seen, heard, eaten, touched, or done in a dream. Each entry follows the form "If a man in his dream sees X: Y will happen."
This tablet, now in the British Museum (BM 46594), is a Late Babylonian copy — probably from Babylon itself, given the prominence of Esagil and Marduk. It covers celestial dreams (stars, Venus, Sirius, Mars), temple dreams (entering Esagil, the House of Marduk, the House of Ea, Ezida), oath dreams (swearing by Marduk, Belet-ili, Anu, Ninshubur), sexual dreams (approaching women, mothers, sisters, maidens, men, the dead, one's equal), and gift dreams. The star omen at the centre is a cascade of blessings — one of the longest single dream interpretations in the surviving corpus.
The text is damaged at top and bottom but the surviving thirty-eight lines preserve seven distinct omen sections, each separated by horizontal rulings on the original tablet. This is the first freely available English translation.
The Star in the House
[If he sees a star] in the house: he will acquire a share. He will eat an inheritance. He will prosper. His name will be good.
In the city where he dwells, his hands will achieve it. In his father's house, his foundations are firm. In the palace of the prince, his name is spoken for good.
In the field, his plow will not cease. He will be honoured above his brothers. That man walks in good fortune.
Like the gods, the desire of his heart he will achieve. Death will not know him. He will speak and be heard. Well-being for three years.
The Planets
If he sees Venus: his pasture will be broad. He will acquire a lot.
If he sees Sirius: he will be honoured above his brothers. His plow in the field will not cease. He will prevail over his adversary. He will acquire a lot. He will eat an inheritance. The messenger he dispatched — he will see him again.
If he sees Mars: he will be saved from murder.
The Temples
If he enters Esagil: he will be exalted.
If he enters the House of Marduk: in his house, his foundations will be firm.
If he enters the House of Ea: he will be honoured [...]
[If] he enters Ezida: [...]
The Oaths
If a god lifts him: [evil is released from him.]
If he swears by Marduk: [that man will prevail over his adversary.]
If he swears by Belet-ili: [he will have sons.]
If he swears by Anu: [whatever he says will be agreed to.]
If he swears by Ninshubur: [he will acquire a great name.]
The Bodies
If a man in his dream approaches a woman in the house of his god: [that man — his transgressions will be healed.]
If he approaches his mother: the gate he departed from — [safely he will ent]er.
If he approaches his sister: he will prosper and be honoured.
If he approaches a young woman: he will be at peace.
If he approaches a young maiden: he will acquire a name.
If he approaches a man: his difficulties will be resolved.
[If he app]roaches a prowler: his cattle-pen will be seized.
[If he approaches] a dead man: he will walk in good health.
[If he approaches] his [equa]l: in the assembly of his brothers and his kin, he will be honoured.
The Gifts
[If ... is giv]en to him: from his confinement he will go out.
[If ... is giv]en to him: he will see his distant goal.
[If ... is give]n to him: he will eat an inheritance.
[If ... is given to him:] he will acquire a name.
[If ... is given to him: as lo]ng as he lives, he will shine.
[If ... is given to him: whatever he des]ires, he will see.
Colophon
Translated from the Akkadian cuneiform transliteration of BM 46594. Neo-Babylonian period (c. 7th–5th century BCE). A dream omen tablet from the Ziqīqu tradition — the canonical Mesopotamian dream interpretation series.
The Mesopotamian dream omen tradition is among the oldest systematic attempts to interpret dreams in human history, predating Greek oneiromancy by centuries. This tablet preserves the structure of interpretive thought that would later influence the dream books of the Hellenistic world.
Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated from Akkadian by Kōken (荒見), Expeditionary Tulku Life 193. Source: Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) corpus, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (CC BY 4.0, Zenodo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10018951). No existing English translation was consulted — this translation is independently derived from the cuneiform transliteration. Damaged sections are indicated by square brackets; reconstructions follow standard Assyriological practice from the ATF notation.
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Source Text: Akkadian Transliteration (ATF)
Transliteration from BM 46594 as published in the Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL, LMU Munich). Neo-Babylonian script. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
@obverse
1'. [...] x tur
2'. [DIŠ ...] x x ra-a-mu
3'. [DIŠ ...] i-ha-ad-di
4'. [DIŠ DINGIR URU-šu₂ ...] x ina dan-na-tu₄ in-ne₂-eṭ-ṭer!
5'. [DIŠ MUL] ina bi-tu₂ IGI is-qu i-ra-aš₂-ši HA.LA GU₇ i-šar₂-ri MU-šu₂ SIG₅-iq
6'. URU aš₂-ba ŠU-MIN-su i-kaš-šad ina E₂ AD-šu₂ SUHUŠ-MEŠ-šu₂ GI.NA ina E₂.GAL ma-al-ku MU-šu₂ a-na SIG₅-ti₃ MU-ar₂
7'. ina EDIN {giš}APIN-šu₂ ul i-bat-ṭil e-li ŠEŠ-MEŠ-šu₂ i-kab-bit LU₂ BI ina a-mat SIG₅-ti₃ GIN.GIN-ak
8'. ki-ma DINGIR-MEŠ ni-is-sat lib₃-bi-šu₂ i-kaš-šad-ma UŠ₂ NU ZU-su i-qab-bi-ma iš-šem-mi šu-lum 3 MU-MEŠ
9'. DIŠ {d}dili-bat IGI su-pur-šu₂ DAGAL-iš {giš}ŠUB.BA TUKU-ši
10'. DIŠ {mul}GAG.SI.SA₂ IGI e-li ŠEŠ-MEŠ-šu₂ i-kab-bit {giš}APIN-šu₂ ina EDIN ul i-baṭ-ṭil
11'. UGU EN INIM-šu₂ GUB-az {giš}ŠUB.BA TUKU-ši HA.LA ik-kal {lu₂}KIN.GI₄.A ša₂ TAG₄-šu₂ IGI-mar
12'. DIŠ {d}ṣal-bat-a-nu IGI ina šag-ga-aš₂-tu₄ in-ne₂-eṭ-ṭer
13'. DIŠ a-na e₂-sag-il₂ KU₄-ub re-ša-a-šu₂ i-šaq-qa-a
14'. DIŠ a-na E₂ {d}AMAR.UTU KU₄-ub ina E₂-šu₂ SUHUŠ-MEŠ-šu₂ [GI.NA]
15'. DIŠ a-na E₂ {d}e₂-a KU₄-ub i-[kab-bit ...]
16'. [DIŠ] a-na e₂-zi-da K[U₄-u]b [i-...]
@reverse
1'. [x (x)] x [...]
2'. <DIŠ> DINGIR na-ši-iš [DU₈ HUL]
3'. <DIŠ> niš {d}AMAR.UTU i-ta-mi [LU₂ BI UGU EN INIM-šu₂ GUB-az]
4'. <DIŠ> niš {d}be-let-DINGIR-MEŠ i-ta-m[i DUMU-MEŠ TUKU-ši]
5'. <DIŠ> niš {d}a-nim i-ta-mi m[a-la i-qab-bi-u₂ ŠE.GA]
6'. <DIŠ> niš {d}NIN.ŠUBUR i-ta-mi šu-[um ra-ba-a TUKU-ši]
7'. DIŠ BE-ma LU₂ ina MAŠ₂.GE₆-šu₂ ina E₂ DINGIR-šu₂ ana MUNUS TE L[U₂ BI x-ta-tu-šu₂ i-bal-luṭ]
8'. DIŠ a-na AMA-šu₂ TE ABUL E₃-a [šal-miš₂ KU₄-u]b
9'. DIŠ a-na NIN-šu₂ TE i-šar₂-ra u₃ i-[kab-b]it
10'. DIŠ a-na KI.SIKIL TE i-šal-lim
11'. DIŠ a-na KI.SIKIL TUR TE šu-um i-r[a-aš₂]-ši
12'. [DI]Š a-na NITA TE dan-na-tu₄ paṭ-ra-at-su
13'. [DIŠ a-n]a {lu₂}GIR₃.SI₃.GA-u₂ TE a-bu-us-su DAB-bat
14'. [DIŠ a-na] {lu₂}UŠ₂ TE ina šal-ma-a-tu₄ GIN.GIN-ak
15'. [DIŠ a-na GU.DU me-eh]-ri-šu₂ [TE] ina UKKIN ŠEŠ-MEŠ-šu₂ u ki-na-at-tu-šu₂ i-kab-bit
16'. [... id-d]i-nu-uš ina ki-li-šu₂ E₃
17'. [... id-d]i-nu-uš ru-uq-ta-šu₂ IGI-mar
18'. [... id-di-nu]-uš HA.LA ik-kal
19'. [... id-di-nu-uš š]u-um i-ra-aš₂-ši
20'. [...-ar₂ id-di-nu-uš a-d]i bal-ṭu i-nam-mer
21'. [... id-di-nu-uš mim+ma ha-a]š₂-ha IGI-mar
22'. [...] x
Source Colophon
Transliteration from BM 46594 as published in the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) digital corpus, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. The fragment is held in the British Museum, London. Neo-Babylonian script, c. 7th–5th century BCE. Part of the Ziqīqu dream omen series. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Zenodo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10018951).
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