Sakikkû Tablet 7

This is Tablet 7 of the Sakikkû — "Symptoms" — the canonical Mesopotamian medical diagnostic series. Composed in the first millennium BCE and copied for the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (r. 668–631 BCE), the Sakikkû is a systematic compendium of approximately forty tablets, organized from head to toe, in which the physician reads the body of the sick as a diviner reads the sky: every colour, every tremor, every involuntary movement is a sign.

This tablet examines the eyes. Eighty-two diagnostic entries catalogue eye colour, temperature, dryness, swelling, movement, and accompanying symptoms — then deliver a prognosis: "he will recover" or "he will die." The diagnostic attributions ("Hand of Lamashtu," "Hand of a ghost," "Hand of Adad") identify the supernatural agent responsible and thus determine the ritual treatment. The clinical observations are remarkable: jaundice (yellow-green eyes with fatal prognosis), stroke (shrunken eyes with one-sided paralysis and foot-dragging), seizure disorders (revolving eyes with limb tremors, attributed to ghosts), and what appears to be cataracts (eyes like the membrane of a ram). The text is simultaneously a medical manual, a divination handbook, and a theological document — because in Mesopotamia, all three were the same discipline.

Translated from the Akkadian cuneiform transliteration of K.261 (British Museum), a Neo-Assyrian copy from the Library of Ashurbanipal. The transliteration is drawn from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) corpus, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (CC BY 4.0).

Obverse

If the sick man — his eyes hold tears and a film — Hand of the Twins.
The exorcist performs his ritual and makes restitution for him, and he will recover.

If his eyes are red — he will die.

If his eyes are red and he whistles — he will die.

If his eyes are red and yellow-green — he will rise, but will be sick again.

If his eyes are red and dark — it is chronic; afterwards he will be sick again and he will die.

If his eyes are white — he will recover.

If his eyes are white and yellow-green, constantly flickering, his mouth whistles, his left eye squints — he will die.

If his eyes are white, dark, red, and yellow-green, flickering and holding — his illness is prolonged, but he will recover.

If his eyes are yellow-green — Lamashtu has seized him.

If his eyes are yellow-green and his face is sunken — he will die.

If his eyes are yellow-green, within his eyes are yellow-green, the base of his tongue is dark — the Seizer-demon.

If his eyes are yellow-green and dark — he will die.

If his eyes are dark — his illness is prolonged and he will die.

If his eyes are dark, his tongue is red — his illness is prolonged and he will die.

If his eyes are dark and white — he will die.

If his eyes are dark, his insides are swollen — he will die.

If his eyes are dark, he crumbles bread and eats — he will die.

If his eyes are dark and blood seeps — the counterpart is damaged — he will die.

If his eyes are dark and have become like a corpse's — his eyes have wasted, his lips are very heavy, his eyes have changed — his knowledge does not fail, yet he speaks: death of fury. He will die. After him, his house will be scattered.

If his eyes are mottled — he will die bitterly.

If his eyes are mottled, he crumbles dates and eats — he will die.

If his eyes are protruding — he will recover.

If his eyes are burning and he whistles — Hand of Adad. He will die.

If upon his eyes a dimness falls, his lips whistle excessively, his eyes flicker yellow-green, and his right eye squints �� he will die.

If his eyes keep changing — he will die.

If his eyes keep changing, his tongue is yellow-green, his flesh is yellow-green — chronic illness. On the third day he will die.

If his eyes are sharp — he will recover.

If his eyes hold tears — he will recover.

If his eyes hold heat — he will recover.

If his eyes are hot, his face is dim; in the grip of fever, in silence he is struck — he will die.

If his eyes are cold — he will die.

If his eyes are fallen — he will die.

If his eyes are fallen, his lip is seized, but his urine is not seized — he will die.

If his eyes are healthy — he will recover.

If his eyes are healthy, his tongue is red — his illness is prolonged, but he will recover.

If his eyes are frightened — he will recover.

If his eyes — like oil, tears come out — he will recover.

If his eyes are dry, red markings are excessive — his illness is prolonged, but he will recover.

If his eyes are dry, white markings are excessive — he will recover.

If his eyes are dry, yellow-green markings are excessive — Hand of the Lord of the Dead. He will recover.

If his eyes are dry, dark markings are excessive — he will die.

If his eyes — blisters, red, are excessive — Hand of Sîn. He will recover.

If his eyes — blisters, white, are excessive — Hand of Šamaš. He will recover.

If his eyes — blisters, dark, are excessive — Hand of Ištar. He will die.

If his eyes — small spots are excessive — Hand of his god. He will recover. Likewise, if fever — Hand of his father's god.

If his eyes — pricklings are excessive — Hand of Marduk. He will recover. Likewise, Hand of Adad.

If his eyes — white patches are excessive — he will recover.

If his eyes — inflammations are excessive — he will recover.

If his eyes keep revolving — at the beginning of the night he was touched.

If his eyes keep revolving and he is confused — Hand of the god of his city. He is set for death.

If his eyes keep revolving and his face is darkened — Hand of his father's god.

If his eyes revolve and his lip is released — in his illness he will die.

Reverse

If his eyes revolve — his head, his hands, and his feet tremble — Hand of Lugalgirra and Meslamtaea.

If his eyes revolve, his hands and his feet shake — fifty-nine days — Hand of Jupiter.

If his eyes revolve, his ears roar, his whole body shakes — Hand of a ghost.

If his eyes revolve, his ears roar, his temples pound, and he trembles — Hand of a ghost.

If his eyes revolve, his breath is short — his breath enters and re-enters like dripping water — Hand of a roaming ghost who seized him in the open steppe.

If his eyes revolve, from his bed he rises and falls — Hand of a ghost.

If his eyes revolve, his whole body trembles, and he speaks — Hand of Lugalgirra and Meslamtaea, that is, Lugalbanda.

If his eyes are swollen and his face swells — he will die.

If his eyes are swollen and his insides swell — he will die.

If his eyes and his insides swell — chronic illness. On the third day he will die.

If his eyes, his insides, his hands, and his feet swell — a flaring illness. Hand of recurrence.

If his eyes and his face swell, below his eyes are red, the breath of his nose is hot, his tendons are seized, his urine pours and he does not know — the counterpart is damaged — Hand of the Exorcist.

If his eyes are shrunken, his frame is wasted, his left hand he carries and does not know — his feet he drags. He will die.

If his eyes are shrunken, his frame is wasted, his hand — his abomination — falls and he cannot lift it — his foot he drags. Hand of a stroke. His days are long, but he will not recover.

If his eyes are like the membrane of a ram — he is confused and blood flows. He will die.

If his eyes are stretched open — a ghost of one who died in water has seized him.

If his eyes pound and keep roaring — a ghost of the burned one has seized him.

If at the top of his eyes, dry red matter comes out — he will recover.

If at the top of his eyes, dry dark matter comes out — he will die.

If his body is covered — in the steppe he was touched. He will die.

Catchline

If the sick man — his neck turns to the right, his hands and his feet are confused, his eyes are covered and roll...

Colophon of Ashurbanipal

Tablet 7 of "If the Sick Man, Upon Your Approach." Tablet 9 of "When to the House of the Sick Man the Exorcist Goes."

Palace of Ashurbanipal, king of the world, king of Assyria, to whom Nabû and Tašmētu gave broad understanding, who acquired bright eyes — the finest of scribal art — which among the kings who went before me, none had acquired that craft.

The wisdom of Nabû, marks of the stylus, as much as exists — I wrote upon tablets, I checked, I collated, and for inspection and my reading, within my palace I deposited.

Colophon

Good Works Translation from Akkadian cuneiform. Translated by Tanken (探検) for the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source: K.261 (British Museum), a Neo-Assyrian copy from the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (seventh century BCE), part of the Sakikkû ("Symptoms") diagnostic series. The transliteration was obtained from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) corpus, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

This is Tablet 7 of the Sakikkû — the great Mesopotamian medical compendium, composed of approximately forty tablets covering diagnostic signs from head to toe. The series opens with the omens observed on the way to the sick man's house (tablets 1–2), then examines the skull, face, and eyes (tablets 3–7), the neck and trunk (tablets 8–15), the limbs (tablets 16–25), and general conditions (tablets 26–40). Tablet 7 presents the complete ophthalmic examination: eighty-two diagnostic entries classifying eye conditions by colour, temperature, moisture, swelling, movement, and accompanying symptoms, each assigned a prognosis and — where the cause is supernatural — a divine attribution identifying the responsible agent. The clinical observations are precise enough to suggest empirical medical experience underlying the theological framework.

First freely available English translation. Translated from the Akkadian transliteration. No embedded English translations existed in the eBL ATF for this tablet. N. P. Heeßel's edition of the Sakikkû (AOAT 43, 2000) was not consulted; the translation is independently derived from reading the cuneiform signs in the ATF transliteration.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: K.261 — Sakikkû Tablet 7

Akkadian cuneiform transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) corpus, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. K.261, British Museum. Neo-Assyrian copy from the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Obverse

1′. [DIŠ GIG IGI.MEŠ-šu₂ IR u₂-kal u] DUL.DUL-tam ŠU {d}MAŠ.TAB.BA
2′. [MAŠ.MAŠ-su DU₃-uš] u ŠU.GUR.GUR-šu-ma DIN
3′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-š]u₂ SA₅ GAM
4′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SA₅-MEŠ u] i-šap-pu-u₂ GAM
5′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SA₅-MEŠ u SI]G₇-MEŠ ZI-ma MAN-ma GIG
6′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SA₅-MEŠ u] GI₆-MEŠ SUMUN-ma EGIR-šu₂ MAN-ma GAM
7′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ BABBAR-ME]Š DIN
8′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ BAB]BAR u SIG₇ ŠUB.ŠUB-u₂ KA-šu₂ ši-ši-tu IGI-šu₂ ša₂ 150 i-ṣap-par GAM
9′. [DIŠ I]GI-MEŠ-šu₂ BABBAR GI₆ SA₅ u SIG₇ ŠUB u₂-kal-lu GIG-su GID₂-ma DIN
10′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SIG₇-MEŠ {d}DIM₁₁.ME DAB-su
11′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SIG₇-MEŠ u IGI-MIN-šu₂ šap-la GAM
12′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SIG₇-MEŠ ŠA₃ IGI-MIN-šu₂ SIG₇-ME SUHUŠ EME-šu₂ GI₆ ah-ha-zu
13′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SIG₇-MEŠ u GI₆-MEŠ GAM
14′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ GIG-BI GID₂-ma GAM
15′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ EME-šu₂ SA₅ GIG-su GID₂-ma GAM
16′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ u BABBAR-MEŠ GAM
17′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ ŠA₃-MEŠ-šu₂ nap-hu GAM
18′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ NINDA URU₄-ma GU₇ GAM
19′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ-ma MUD₂ i-par-ri GABA.RI SIG₃-iṣ GAM
20′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GI₆-MEŠ-ma GIN₇ ša₂-lam-ti ib-šu-u₂ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ i-te-eb-ṭu₂
21′. NUNDUN-MEŠ-šu₂ ma-diš ik-tab-ra IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ iš-ta-an-nu-u₂ mu-du-šu₂ ul GIG-ma
22′. i-qab-bi UŠ₂ ug-ga-ti GAM EGIR-su na-da-at E₂-su BIR-ah
23′. [DIŠ] IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ DAR₄ GIR₂-iš GAM
24′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ DAR₄ ZU₂.LUM.MA URU₄-ma GU₇ GAM
25′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ še-pu-u₂ : te-bu-u₂ DIN
26′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ṣar-pu u i-ša-ap-pu-u₂ ŠU {d}IŠKUR GAM
27′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ IM.GA₂.LI ŠUB-u₂ NUNDUN-MEŠ-šu₂ ši-ši-tu₂ DIRI-MEŠ IGI-MIN-šu₂ SIG₇ ŠUB.ŠUB-a
28′. u IGI-šu₂ ša₂ 15 i-ṣa-par GAM
29′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ KUR₂.KUR₂-ru GAM
30′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ KUR₂.KUR₂-ru EME-šu₂ SIG₇ : SU-šu₂ SIG₇ TUN₃ GIG ana U₄.3.KAM₂ GAM
31′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ṣe-em-ru DIN
32′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ IR u₂-kal-lu DIN
33′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ KUM₂ u₂-kal-lu DIN
34′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ KUM₂-MEŠ IGI-MIN-šu₂ um-mu-ra ina u₂-kul-ti : ina qu₂-ul-ti SIG₃-iṣ GAM
35′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ŠED₇-MEŠ GAM
36′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ma-aq-tu GAM
37′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ma-aq-tu-ma su-qat-su ṣab-ta-at u UŠ₄-šu₂ NU DAB GAM
38′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ šal-mu DIN
39′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ šal-mu EME-šu₂ SA₅ GIG-su GID₂-ma DIN
40′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ad-ru [DIN]
41′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GIN₇ I₃.GIŠ E₃-u₂ [DIN]
42′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ HAD₂.A SA₅-M]EŠ DIRI-MEŠ GIG-su GID₂-ma [DIN]
43′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ HAD₂.A BABBAR-MEŠ DI]RI-MEŠ DIN
44′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ HAD₂.A SIG₇-MEŠ DIRI-MEŠ ŠU {d}BAD DIN
45′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ HAD₂.A GI₆-MEŠ DIRI-MEŠ GAM
46′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ [U₄.BU.BU.UL SA₅ DIRI-MEŠ ŠU {d}30 DIN]
47′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ BU.BU.UL B[ABBAR DIRI-MEŠ ŠU {d}UTU DI]N
48′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ BU.BU.UL GI₆ [DIRI-MEŠ Š]U {d}15 GAM
49′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ bir-di DIRI-ME[Š ŠU DINGIR-šu₂ DIN KI.MIN UD.DA T]AB.BA ŠU DINGIR AD-šu₂
50′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ziq-ti DIRI-MEŠ ŠU {d}AMAR.UTU DIN KI.MIN ŠU {d}IŠKUR
51′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ri-šu-tu₂ DIRI-MEŠ DIN
52′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ i-ši-tu₂ DIRI-MEŠ DIN
53′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ-du ina SAG GI₆ TAG-it
54′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ-du u u₂-šam-ša₂ ŠU DINGIR URU-šu₂ ana UŠ₂ GAR-šu₂
55′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN-MEŠ-du u IGI-MIN-šu₂ ur-ru-pa ŠU DINGIR AD-šu₂
56′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ u su-qat-su DU₈-at₂ ina GIG-šu UŠ₂

Reverse

1′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ SAG.DU-su ŠU-MIN-šu₂ u GIR₃-MIN-šu₂ i-tar-ru-ra
2′. ŠU {d}LUGAL.GIR₃.RA u {d}MES.LAM.TA.E₃.A
3′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ ŠU-MIN-šu₂ u GIR₃-MIN-šu₂ i-ra-ʾ-u₂-ba U₄.59.KAM₂ ŠU {d}UD.AL.TAR
4′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ GEŠTU-MIN-šu₂ GU₃.DE₂-MEŠ UB.NIGIN₂.NA-šu₂ DUB.DUB-ka ŠU GIDIM₇
5′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ GEŠTU-MIN-šu₂ i-šag-gu-ma SAG.KI-MIN-šu₂ u₂-mah-ha-ṣa-šu₂ u i-rad-da-šu₂ ŠU GIDIM₇
6′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ ZI-šu₂ LUGUD₂-MEŠ ZI-šu₂ GIN₇ ša₂ A ṣa-mu-u₂ i-te-ner-ru-ub
7′. ŠU GIDIM₇ mur-tap-pi-di ina EDIN DAB-su
8′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ ina KI.NA₂-šu₂ ZI-ma ŠUB-ut ŠU GIDIM₇
9′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ NIGIN.MEŠ [UB.NIGIN₂.NA-šu₂] i-tar-ru-ra u i-ṭa-ma-a
10′. [ŠU {d}LUGAL.GIR₃.RA u {d}]MEŠ.LAM.TA.E₃.A : {d}LUGAL.BAN₃.DA
11′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ nap-hu u] IGI-MIN-šu₂ MU₂.MEŠ GAM
12′. [DIŠ IGI-ME-šu₂ nap-hu u ŠA₃]-MEŠ-šu₂ MU₂.MEŠ GAM
13′. [DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ u ŠA₃-MEŠ-šu₂ MU₂.MEŠ-hu TUN₃ G]IG ana U₄.3.KAM₂ GAM
14′. [DIŠ I]GI-MEŠ-šu₂ ŠA₃-MEŠ-šu₂ ŠU-MIN-[šu₂ u GIR₃-MIN-šu₂ MU₂.ME na]p-pah-tu₂ GIG ŠU MAN
15′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ u IGI-MIN-šu₂ MU₂.MEŠ KI.A IGI-MIN-šu₂ SA₅ IM K[IR₄-šu₂ KUM₂.M]E : ṣa-bit KAŠ₃-MEŠ-šu₂
16′. ta-ba-ka NU ZU-e GABA.RI SIG₃-i[ṣ ŠU {d}MAŠ]
17′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ṣep-ru ta-lam-ma-šu₂ pur-ru-ur ŠU-su ša₂ [150 na-ša-a NU ZU-e]
18′. GIR₃-MIN-šu₂ i-maš-šar [GAM]
19′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ ṣap-ru ta-lam-ma-šu₂ pur-ru-ur ŠU-su ša₂ NIG₂.GIG-ti-šu₂ [ŠUB-ma NU IL₂-ši]
20′. GIR₃-šu₂ i-maš-šar ŠU mi-šit-ti U₄-ME-šu₂ GID₂-ME [NU SI.SA₂]
21′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ GIN₇ hi-in-qi₂ UDU.NITA₂ GAL₂-u₂ u₂-šam-ša₂ u MUD₂ i-ha-[hu GAM]
22′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ u₂-maš-šad GIDIM ša₂ ina A-MEŠ UŠ₂ DA[B-su]
23′. DIŠ IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ SIG₃.SIG₃-aṣ u GU₃.DE₂.DE₂-MEŠ-si GIDIM qa₂-li-i DAB-su
24′. DIŠ ina SAG IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ HAD₂.A SA₅-MEŠ E₃-MEŠ DIN
25′. DIŠ ina SAG IGI-MEŠ-šu₂ HAD₂.A-MEŠ GI₆-MEŠ E₃-ME GAM
26′. DIŠ A.SAG-šu₂ ŠU₂-ip ina EDIN TAG-it GAM

Catchline

27′. DIŠ GIG GU₂-su ana 15 NIGIN.MEŠ ŠU-MIN-šu₂ u GIR₃-MIN-šu₂ am-ša₂ IGI-MIN-šu₂ DUL-ma BAL-MEŠ

Colophon

28′. DUB.7.KAM₂ DIŠ LU₂.GIG ina TE-ka DUB.9.KAM₂ e-nu-ma ana E₂ E₂ {lu₂}GIG KA.PIRIG! DU-ku
29′. E₂.GAL {m}AN.ŠAR₂-DU₃-IBILA LUGAL ŠU₂ LUGAL {kur}aš+šur{ki}
30′. ša {d}AG {d}taš-me-tu₄ uz-nu ra-pa-aš₂-tu iš-ru-ku-šu₂
31′. i-hu-uz-zu IGI-MIN na-mir-tu₄ ni-siq ṭup-šar-ru-ti
32′. [ša ina LUGAL-M]EŠ-ni a-lik mah-ri-ia mam₂-ma šip-ru šu-a-tu la i-hu-uz-zu
33′. [ne₂-me-eq {d}A]G ti-kip sa-at-tak-ki ma-la ba-aš₂-mu
34′. [ina DUB-MEŠ-ni aš₂-ṭ]ur as-niq ab-re-e-ma
35′. [a-na ta-mar-ti ši-ta-as-si-i]a qe₂-reb E₂.GAL-ia u₂-kin

Source Colophon

K.261. British Museum, London. Neo-Assyrian period, seventh century BCE. Excavated from the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. Transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) corpus, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10018951. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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