The text with the incipitprotasisŠumma sinništu qaqqada rabât, inscribed in cuneiform: DIŠ MUNUS SAG.DU GAL-at,[1] “If a Woman is Large of Head” (apodosis: išarru, “she will prosper’), is an ancient Mesopotamian collection of physiognomic omens, or oracles based on a woman's anatomical features, where the apodosis either predicts the fortune of the individual or makes snap judgements about them based on their physical appearance. It is an Akkadian two-tablet[2]: 73 composition dedicated to a woman's prognostication and is often considered a subsection or extension of the greater twenty-seven tablet work, Alamdimmû, concerning physiognomic omens in general.
Synopsisedit
The text as we now have it extends to around 265 lines based on the collation of four extant fragmentary exemplars. It seems to have been intended to draw a comparison between a woman's physical traits and her later, post-marital, personality, thus enabling a suitor to predict her suitability for betrothal. The ideal characteristics do not necessarily represent beauty, as “a propitious woman can be quite homely or downright ugly.”[3] The features of the body are arranged, ištu muḫḫi adi šēpē, from head to foot, a characteristic of other works edited by the 11th Century BC ummânū, or chief scholar, Esagil-kin-apli, in whose late Babyloniancatalogue it appears listed with three catch-lines, where features on the left are generally auspicious and those on the right are not from the point of view of the observer.[4]: 398
The text is divided by horizontal lines into subsections, each with the theme of a body-part, including hands, fingers, chest, breasts, nipples, belly, navel, vaginal labia and toes. A typical sample of the text's contents is given by this series of omens based on the first of these:
If a woman's hands are abnormally large, she will build a house of labor/misery If they are small, she is a hypochondriac If they are long, she will be rich, she is divine If they are short, she will be poor
Towards the end of the work it moves to describe portents concerning the appearance of the whole body:
If the forehead glows, a tooth protrudes, the nose is straight, the lips are thin, the chin is flat, hands and feet are pointed, (and) she is covered with ḫalû and umṣatu-marks, ... this woman ..., she is near to the god, she is cheerful, barley and silver are set in place for her, she will acquire barley and silver, her days are long, (and) a basket she will not carry before her.
Barbara Böck (2000). Die babylonisch-Assyrische Morphoskopie (AfOB 27). Institut für Orientalistik der Universität Wien. pp. 148–173.
Referencesedit
^Irving L. Finkel (1988). "Adad-apla-iddina, Esagil-kin-apli, and the series SA.GIG". In Erle Leichty; Maria Dej Ellis (eds.). A Scientific Humanist: Studies in Memory of Abraham Sachs. Philadelphia: University Museum. p. 152.
^ abMladen Popovic (2007). Reading the Human Body: Physiognomics and Astrology in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenistic-Early Roman Period Judaism. Brill. pp. 73, 109.
^Geoffrey David Miller (2011). Marriage in the Book of Tobit. De Gruyter. p. 55. note 140.
^Jo Ann Scurlock (2003). "Reviewed Work: Die Babylonisch-Assyrische Morphoskopie by Barbara Böck". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 123 (2): 395–399. doi:10.2307/3217697. JSTOR 3217697.
^Victor Avigdor Hurowitz (2005). "The Woman of Valor and A Woman Large of Head: Matchmaking in the Ancient Near East". In Ronald L. Troxel; Kelvin G. Friebel; Dennis Robert Magary (eds.). Seeking Out the Wisdom of the Ancients: Essays Offered to Honor Michael V. Fox on the Occasion of His Sixty-Fifth Birthday. Eisenbrauns. pp. 222–228.
January 01, 1970
Šumma, sinništu, qaqqada, rabât, text, with, incipit, protasis, inscribed, cuneiform, diŠ, munus, woman, large, head, apodosis, išarru, will, prosper, ancient, mesopotamian, collection, physiognomic, omens, oracles, based, woman, anatomical, features, where, a. The text with the incipit protasis Summa sinnistu qaqqada rabat inscribed in cuneiform DIS MUNUS SAG DU GAL at 1 If a Woman is Large of Head apodosis isarru she will prosper is an ancient Mesopotamian collection of physiognomic omens or oracles based on a woman s anatomical features where the apodosis either predicts the fortune of the individual or makes snap judgements about them based on their physical appearance It is an Akkadian two tablet 2 73 composition dedicated to a woman s prognostication and is often considered a subsection or extension of the greater twenty seven tablet work Alamdimmu concerning physiognomic omens in general Synopsis editThe text as we now have it extends to around 265 lines based on the collation of four extant fragmentary exemplars It seems to have been intended to draw a comparison between a woman s physical traits and her later post marital personality thus enabling a suitor to predict her suitability for betrothal The ideal characteristics do not necessarily represent beauty as a propitious woman can be quite homely or downright ugly 3 The features of the body are arranged istu muḫḫi adi sepe from head to foot a characteristic of other works edited by the 11th Century BC ummanu or chief scholar Esagil kin apli in whose late Babylonian catalogue it appears listed with three catch lines where features on the left are generally auspicious and those on the right are not from the point of view of the observer 4 398 The text is divided by horizontal lines into subsections each with the theme of a body part including hands fingers chest breasts nipples belly navel vaginal labia and toes A typical sample of the text s contents is given by this series of omens based on the first of these summa sinnistum qatasa ba la bit dulli ippussumma qattana mustamriṣatsumma arka isarru ilanatsumma kara ulappanIf a woman s hands are abnormally large she will build a house of labor miseryIf they are small she is a hypochondriacIf they are long she will be rich she is divineIf they are short she will be poor Lines 100 103 5 223 Towards the end of the work it moves to describe portents concerning the appearance of the whole body If the forehead glows a tooth protrudes the nose is straight the lips are thin the chin is flat hands and feet are pointed and she is covered with ḫalu and umṣatu marks this woman she is near to the god she is cheerful barley and silver are set in place for her she will acquire barley and silver her days are long and a basket she will not carry before her Lines 250 255 2 109 Primary publication edit Barbara Bock 2000 Die babylonisch Assyrische Morphoskopie AfOB 27 Institut fur Orientalistik der Universitat Wien pp 148 173 References edit Irving L Finkel 1988 Adad apla iddina Esagil kin apli and the series SA GIG In Erle Leichty Maria Dej Ellis eds A Scientific Humanist Studies in Memory of Abraham Sachs Philadelphia University Museum p 152 a b Mladen Popovic 2007 Reading the Human Body Physiognomics and Astrology in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenistic Early Roman Period Judaism Brill pp 73 109 Geoffrey David Miller 2011 Marriage in the Book of Tobit De Gruyter p 55 note 140 Jo Ann Scurlock 2003 Reviewed Work Die Babylonisch Assyrische Morphoskopie by Barbara Bock Journal of the American Oriental Society 123 2 395 399 doi 10 2307 3217697 JSTOR 3217697 Victor Avigdor Hurowitz 2005 The Woman of Valor and A Woman Large of Head Matchmaking in the Ancient Near East In Ronald L Troxel Kelvin G Friebel Dennis Robert Magary eds Seeking Out the Wisdom of the Ancients Essays Offered to Honor Michael V Fox on the Occasion of His Sixty Fifth Birthday Eisenbrauns pp 222 228 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Summa sinnistu qaqqada rabat amp oldid 1125837930, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
