The egg of the feet? Using the Sumerogram NUNUZ in the Amarna Correspondence
Abstract
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Full text
The egg o he ee ?
Using he Sume og am NUNUZ
in he Ama na Co espondence
Jan Ta e nie
Uni e si é ca holique de Lou ain
ABSTRACT:
This s udy ocuses on one passage in EA 162, an Ama na le e w i en by he Egyp ian king Amen-
ho ep IV (1352–1336 BCE) o Azi u, he king o Amu u and one o his Sy ian assals. The ex ag-
men con ains he only a es a ion o he sign NUNUZ in he Ama na Co espondence and is s ill no
en i ely clea o mode n schola ship. This a icle will a emp o cla i y he issue and help o ully
unde s and his diploma ic le e . Addi ionally, some hough s on he e minology o oo pa s in
Sume ian and Akkadian will be p esen ed.
KEYWORDS:
Ama na Le e s; NUNUZ; Mesopo amian oo e minology
1. INTRODUCTION1
The Ama na Co espondence is he majo his o ical sou ce on he poli ical his o y o
he La e B onze Age in he Le an . I consis s o 349 le e s (Rainey 2015: 1), amino i y
o which ela es o business be ween equally anked mona chs (o A zawa, Assy ia,
Cyp us, Egyp , Babylonia, Ha i and Mi ani) and he majo i y o which ells us mo e
abou he ela ions be ween he Egyp ian pha aoh on he one hand and his Le an ine
assals on he o he hand. The second ca ego y is qui e in o ma i e on how he Hi -
i es g adually ex ended hei in luence o e p esen -day Sy ia and Lebanon du ing
he eign o he Hi i e king Suppiluliuma I(c.1353–1322 BCE).
This sho pape ocuses on one passage in aspeci ic Ama na le e . Mo e p e-
cisely, i will ake aclose look a he unique a es a ion o he Sume og am NUNUZ
in he Ama na Co espondence. In ac , his sign appea s in a a he puzzling exp es-
sion, despi e he ac ha he con ex i sel is e y clea .
The sign NUNUZ is awell-known g apheme in he his o y o he Mesopo amian
cunei o m w i ing sys em. I al eady appea s a he e y beginning o w i ing, i.e. in
he a chaic adminis a i e and lexical ex s om U uk (Deimel 1922: 39 no.364, 69
no.798, & 70 no.813; G een— Nissen 1987: 261 no.423). F om his pe iod onwa ds,
i was con inually in use un il he la es phase o cunei o m w i ing (Deimel 1932:
1 Abb e ia ions a e ci ed om he lis in he Cunei o m Digi al Lib a y Ini ia i e (CDLI;
h ps://cdli.ox.ac.uk/wiki/abb e ia ions_ o _assy iology).
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JAN TA ERNIER 41
761–763 no.394; Deimel— Gössmann 1947: 695 no.701; Salonen 1973: 334; Laba —
Malb an-Laba 1994: 180–181 no.394; Bo ge 2004: 167 no.614).
As he Mesopo amian lexical ex s p o e, he Sume ian lexeme nunuz has a i-
ous meanings and, logically, a ious Akkadian equi alen s. The mos equen ly a -
es ed meaning is ‘egg’ (Akkadian pelû, a ely palû),2 bu o he meanings a e ‘woman’
(Emesal equi alen o Sum. MUNUS,3 Akk. sinniš u; Sch e e 1990: 246–247; Ca i-
gneaux— K ebe nik 1998–2001a), ‘o shoo ; o sp ing’ (Akk. līpu4 and pi ʾu/pa ʾu/
pi ḫu)5 and ‘(egg-shaped) bead’ (Akk. e imma u).6 The sign also appea s in some plan
names (e.g. gulūbu u)7 as well as in some names o ecipien s/bee a s (e.g. laḫ anu).8
I is one o hese meanings which mus be compa ible wi h he occu ence o NUNUZ
in he Ama na Co espondence.
2. NUNUZ IN THE AMARNA CORRESPONDENCE
As al eady indica ed, NUNUZ occu s only once in he Ama na Co espondence.
The documen whe e i appea s is EA 162 (VAT 347),9 ale e w i en by he Egyp-
ian king Amenho ep IV (1352–1336 BCE) o Azi u, he king o Amu u10 and one o
his Sy ian assals. By he ime his le e was w i en, he Egyp ian king was p o-
oundly mis us ul o Azi u, suspec ing him o o ganising ade ec ion o Suppi-
luliuma, he Hi i e king. As would la e become appa en , his mis us was mo e
han jus i ied (c .Rainey 2015: 20). In EA 162, he pha aoh i s ep imands Azi u
o his ac ions agains Rib-Addi, he ule o Byblos and aloyal assal o he pha-
aoh (1–21). Nex , he exp esses his i i a ion a he appa en alliance be ween Azi u
and he ule o Qadesh, an ally o he Hi i es (22–32). The le e con inues wi h
aplea o se e Egyp (33–41) and a eques o Azi u o come pe sonally o Egyp o
o send his son (42–54).
The ollowing sec ion (54–77) alks abou Azi u’s p omise o deli e a ious en-
emies o he king o Hanni, an Egyp ian ambassado . Amenho ep says ha he has
2 E.g. NUNUZ MUŠEN = pa-lu-ú (MSL 8/2, 155, 380).
3 E.g.
d nuNUNUZ-GÙN-A= dMUNUS-GÙN-A= dNIN-SIG7 (MSL 4, 5, 26). The di ini y con-
ce ned is Nin-imma (Ca igneaux & K ebe nik 1998–2001b; Focke 1998–2001: 384).
4 E.g. NUNUZ = li-i-pu (MSL 17, 197, 67).
5 E.g.
nu-nu-uzNUNUZ = pi-i -ʾu (Idu Ii B 5; MSL 3, 147, 296).
6 E.g.
nu-nu-uzNUNUZ = e- im-ma-a- ú (CT 11, 33 K.2772, 7).
7 E.g. ŠĒ-GÚ-NUNUZ = gu-lu-bu- i (A O 18, 328, 27).
8 E.g.
dugNUNUZ-KISIM5xLA = laḫ- a-nu (MSL 7, 75, 6).
9 C . Rainey (2015: 802–807 & 1511–1512) o he mos ecen edi ion o his ex .
10 Amu u is a egion si ua ed in wha is now no hwes Sy ia, o he sou h o Uga i . I s La e
B onze Age his o y is qui e ascina ing. O iginally an ally o Egyp , i s king Azi u de ec ed
o he Hi i e camp du ing he eign o he Hi i e king Suppiluliuma I.Ala e king, Ben-
eshina, ied o ake ad an age o Egyp ’s mili a y successes unde Ramses II and u ned
away om Hi i e suze ain y, bu a e he ba le o Qadesh he was cap u ed by he Hi -
i es and depo ed o Ha usa. La e he was eins alled as king o Amu u and a e wa ds
emained aloyal Hi i e ally (Van De Mie oop 2016: 176).
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42 CHATREŠŠAR 1/2021
sen he names o hese enemies o Azi u h ough Hanni and ha Azi u should ake
immedia e ac ion. Lines 64–66 o his le e go as ollows:
(64) ù šú-bi-la-áš-˹šú-nu˺-[ i] a-na LUGAL EN-ka
(65) ù 1-en la-a e-ez-zi-ib i-na ˹lìb˺-bi-šu-nu
(66) ù ŠÈR- ŠÈR URUDU lu-ú ša-ak-nu i-na NUNUZ GÌRmeš-šu-nu
Wha ollows a e he names o some indi iduals who should be sen o he king, o-
ge he wi h hei sons and/o wi es (67–77).11 The inal pa ag aph o he le e (78–81)
is asimple s a emen om he pha aoh ha all is well wi h him.
As is clea by now, NUNUZ occu s in line 66 o he ex . Va ious au ho s ha e al-
eady ansla ed he ele an lines, bu do no always seem o be con inced o hei
ansla ions. Winckle (1896: 118–119) eads UZU ‘ lesh’, bu emains doub ul as he
men ions an al e na i e possibili y elsewhe e (1896: 118 n.1). This possibili y is a ead-
ing TIK, which could s and o kišadu ‘neck’, esul ing in ‘ he neck o he ee ’, pe haps
aplace abo e he ankles, a leas acco ding o Winckle . Al e na i ely, i could s and
o idu, leading o a ansla ion ‘an Händen und Füssen’. Winckle ’s inal ansla ion
is “Schicke sie da um dem König, deinem He n. Und laß nich einen weg on ihnen.
Und Ke en aus E z sollen sein an ih en Füssen.” Knud zon (1915: 658–659)12 p oposes
a eading NUNUZ, which he in e p e s as a ende ing o Akkadian e imma , leading
o his ansla ion “So übe sende sie dem König, deinem He n, und laß keinen un e
ihnen üb ig bleiben! Und Bande aus Kup e mögen angeleg we den als Ke e(n) ü
ih e Füße.” Me ce (1939: 524–525) accep s he eading NUNUZ and i s equi alence o
e imma . He ansla es “The e o e send hem o he king, hy Lo d, and le none ou
o hei numbe emain o e . And le bands o coppe be placed as e e (s) on hei
ee .” Mo an (1987: 401) has “Fais-les eme e au oi, on seigneu , sans ome e pe -
sonne. On doi me e des en a es de cui e àleu s che illes.” His English ansla ion
is “Ha e hem deli e ed o he king, you lo d, omi ing no one. Coppe e e s a e
o be pu on hei ankles” (Mo an 1992: 249). Giles (1997: 416) ansla es he lines as
ollows: “So send hem o he king, you lo d, and do no e en lea e ou one o hem.
And le coppe bands be placed on [?] hei ee .” The I alian ansla ion by Li e ani
is simila : “Consegnali al e uo signo e. Non ne ome e e nessuno. Ceppi di b onzo
siano messi alo o piedi” (Li e ani 1998: 279–281).
The mos ecen edi ion o he Ama na Le e s, by Anson Rainey, p esen s i s
eade wi h he ollowing ansla ion: “So send hem o he king, you lo d. And don’
lea e ou e en one om among hem. May b onze e e s be pu on he ankles(?) o
hei ee ” (Rainey 2015: 807). In his commen a y on his ex , he con i ms ha nunuz
gì meš migh mean ‘ankles’ (Rainey 2015: 1512).
11 These a e “Sha u wi h all his sons, Tûya, Lêya wi h all his sons, Pishia i wi h all his sons,
he son in law o Manya wi h his sons, (and) wi h his wi es, he wa io who knows sac-
ilege, him who always insul s he o eigne , Dāsha î, Baʿluma, Nimmaḫê, he obbe in
he land o Amu u.”
12 As possible al e na i e, Knud zon (1915: 658 n. c.) gi es ZAB+ḪI, he esul o spli ing up
he sign NUNUZ. This is, howe e , ameaningless eading.
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Clea ly, he exp ession NUNUZ GÌRmeš-šu-nu mus be unde s ood as ‘ hei nunuz-
o - he- ee ’. In all p obabili y, he mos likely meaning o NUNUZ in his con ex is
‘egg’, so a inal ansla ion ‘ hei egg-o - he- ee ’ o ‘ hei egg-shaped bead’ becomes
likely. The o he meanings o nunuz, i.c. ‘scion’ o ‘woman’, a e less p obable. Al-
hough he con ex does no change much i one uses ‘egg’ o ‘bead’, i would be he
only a es a ion o an ‘egg-shaped’ bead in he Ama na Co espondence, whe e beads
appea equen ly in he lis s o gi s (e.g. zi-mìn-zu u meš na4 ZA.GÌN ‘small ziminzu-
beads o lapis lazuli’ in EA 13, ob . 7; na4ZA.GÌN ‘beads o lapis lazuli’ in EA 22, i35
& 37, ii 20 & 25; na4ḫi-li-bá ‘beads o ḫiliba-s one’ in EA 25, i33 & 35; [ma-ni-i]n-nu ša
na4KIŠIB na4 ZA.GÌN KUR ‘[1 mani]nnu-necklace, o seal-shaped beads o lapis lazuli’ in
EA 25, i38). The e o e, in he end, a ansla ion ‘ hei egg-o - he- ee ’ seems he mos
plausible one.
Fou schola s, Knud zon, Me ce , Mo an and Rainey, ha e en u ed a ansla ion
o his exp ession, albei hesi a ingly. The o he schola s (Giles and Li e ani) sub ly
a oid he p oblem by no ansla ing NUNUZ speci ically. Knud zon and Me ce men-
ion a ansla ions “ e e s,” whe eas he ansla ion p oposed by Mo an and Rainey
is ‘ankle’. In all p obabili y, aconnec ion be ween NUNUZ GÌR and he ankle is ac u-
ally qui e plausible; in ac , he ankle has wo egg-shaped p o usions, each a one
side o he oo ( he medial and he la e al malleolus). In his sense, NUNUZ GÌRmeš
‘egg-o - he- ee ’ would be apa s p o o o o he ankle, o he sc ibe did ce ainly no
in end o e e o he malleolus i sel ,13 bu o he en i e ankle.
3. LEXEMES FOR ‘ANKLE’ IN SUMERIAN AND AKKADIAN
Ap oblem wi h his in e p e a ion is ha Sume ian as well as Akkadian al eady pos-
sess some lexemes commonly ansla ed as ‘ankle, ankle bone’. The i s one is Akka-
dian kiṣallu (Holma 1911: 155; CAD K: 434–435; wi h a ian s kisallu, kisillu and kiṣillu),
whose Sume ian equi alen is s/š/zingi.14 Thei equi alence is well es ablished, as he
ollowing example demons a es: zi-in-gi-mu gig-ga-àm : ki-ṣal-la-a-ama -ṣa “My
ankles a e so e” (SBH, 43, 10’, 11’, 12’, 77, 6’–8’; c . Cohen 1988: 189 line 41; all a es a-
ions a e Hellenis ic). Anice equa ion o bo h e ms is also ound in The Ele a ion
o Ish a , abilingual li e a y composi ion whose copies da e om he Neo-Babylo-
nian and Hellenis ic pe iods. The ex has: din-nin ki giš ukul sàg-ga zi-in-gi a- a-da-
gin7 igi sùḫ a- a-ab / dMIN a-ša am-ḫu-uṣ kak-ku udab-de-eki-ma ki-ṣal-la mé-li-li
saḫ-maš- ú “Lady, whe e weapons clash, play wi h he chaos like ankles” (Table IVB,
9–10; H uška 1969: 488 & 521, who, howe e , uses a ansla ion ‘as agal’).
As alogog am, zingi is a es ed in ou o hog aphies: SÌ-IN-GI4, ŠI-IN-GI, ZI-IN-GI
and ZI-IN-GI4. The oldes wo spellings appea in he Old Babylonian pe iod. The i s
13 In ac , i would be e y di icul o pu e e s on amalleolus.
14 See Jage sma (2010: 41–43 & 46–47) on he exac p onuncia ion o he Sume ian pho-
nemes w i en S, Š and Z.The examples and abb e ia ions ci ed he e a e d awn om
he Elec onic Pennsyl ania Sume ian Dic iona y, second edi ion (h p://o acc.museum.
upenn.edu/epsd2/sux).
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is SÌ-IN-GI4, which occu s once in asco pion incan a ion (VS 17, 10, 36); he second is
ZI-IN-GI4, which is mo e equen ly a es ed. I appea s in he same sco pion incan a-
ion (VS 17, 10, 36), as well as i e imes in lexical ex s (HAG 05,15 e . iii 10’; Isin III, T .
41, e . i 3 [CDLI no.: P349902; OB Nippu Izi: Tab. II 434, 435 = MSL 13, 53, 466, 467;
OB Nippu U a 3, 496). The hi d spelling ŠI-IN-GI is no hing mo e han he Emesal
equi alen o ZI-IN-GI. I is a es ed once in aNeo-Assy ian copy o Ddi: ŠI-IN-G[I] =
[ZI-I]N-GI = [ki-ṣal-lu] (Ddi II 196 = MSL 4, 25, 196; Sch e e 1990: 258).
Finally, he las and mos equen ly a es ed spelling, ZI-IN-GI, only occu s in
pos -Old Babylonian ex s. Middle Babylonian lexical ex s, one o which was ound
in Uga i and ano he in Ema , ha e i h ee imes (Ema 6/1, 166, Msk 731086, e .
iii 32; MB Izi = MSL 13, 131, 279 [ om Uga i ]; SLT, 45, e . i1’ [ om Nippu ]). Neo-
Assy ian lexical documen s also ha e i h ee imes (CT 19, Pl. 30–32, K.00005, e .
ii’ 5’; CT 19, Pl. 30–32, K. 04352+, e . ii 21; U a 13, Seg. 1, 271). Twice i appea s in Neo-
Babylonian lexical ex s (CTMMA 2, 55, e . ii 45b; VS 24, 4, e . ii 21b’) and six imes
in Hellenis ic ex s (one li e a y ex [RA 12 73–84, ob . 5] and i e imes in hymns/
lamen a ions [SBH, 43, ob . 10, 11, 12 and SBH, 77, 6’, 8’]).16 The da e o he las a es a-
ion (I aq 6 175–176, no.76, e . ii 30’, alexical ex ) is no ce ain. Fu he mo e, zingi
appea s in one Neo-Assy ian omen ex : DIŠ ZI-IN-GI 15-šú i-ib sa-ḫal UZU IGI DIŠ
ZI-IN-GI 150-šú i-ib ki-ṣi ŠÀ DINGIR DU8-šu “I his igh ankle pulsa es, he will expe-
ience ange .17 I his le ankle pulsa es, he ange o he god will a on him” (K aus
1939 no.22, ii 16’–17’; Böck 2000: 270–271, lines 71–72).
No su p isingly, medical ex s oo con ain zingi:
1) DIŠ a-bi SA ZI-IN-GI-šú KÚM NU TUK[UTIN] DIŠ a-bi SA ZI-IN-GI-šú
KÚM TUKU ˹ḪAR˺meš-š[ú GIG]meš uUGU18-šú i-šag-gúm TI-uṭ šum4-ma GIG-su
˹GÍD˺-ma GAM “I i ( ha is) ablood essel (in his ee ) is pulsa ing, his ankles
a [e] no e e ish, [he will eco e ]. I i ( ha is) ablood essel (in his ee ) is
pulsa ing, his ankles a e e e ish, ˹his˺ lungs a e con inually [sick], and his
head oa s, he will ge well. I his illness is p olonged, he will die” (TDP 146,
63’–65’ = DPS 14, 264’–266’; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 181 no.8.83; Scu lock
2014: 127 & 136);19
15 C . h p://o acc.museum.upenn.edu/dccl /page . The CDLI numbe o his ex is P382666.
16 SBH, 43 & 77 a e Hellenis ic copies o he lamen a ion Enemani ilu “His Wo d is aWail,
aWail!” (Cohen 1988: 186).
17 Li e ally “ he p icking o he lesh”; no adisease, as Oppenheim (1956: 270 n.42) belie es,
bu an exp ession o ‘ange ’ (Bo ge 1957–58: 417a; Böck 2000: 271 n.820).
18 Reading UGU-šú by Gelle (2005: 256; also CAD Š/1: 65, Scu lock 2014: 127). O he au ho s
(Laba 1951: 146; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 181) ha e uKA-šú “and his mou h.”
19 He e his s udy ollows he eadings by Laba (1951: 146), Scu lock— Ande sen (2005:
181), and Scu lock (2014: 127). Based on he able VAT 303+, Gelle (2005: 256) eads [DIŠ
a-kap IR ZI-IN-GI-šu KÚM] TUKU ki-iṣ-[ṣa]- a DIRI UG[U-šú i-ša]g-g[ú-um TI-uṭ šum4-ma
GIG-su] ˹TAG4˺-šum-ma TIN “I he e is ap ickling om swea , his ankles a [e] no ho ,
he will eco e . I he e is ap ickling om swea , his ankles a e ho , i is ull o kiṣṣa a-
disease, and his head buzzes, he will ge well. I his illness lea es him, he will eco e .”
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2) DIŠ ina SAG GIG-šú IR bu-úḫ-bu-úḫ- a TUKU-ma IR ši-iTA kìn-ṣi-šú EN ZI-IN-GI
uKI-TA GÌRii-šú NU KUR-ád GIG-BI LÍL- i U4 2.KAM U4 3.KÁM LÍL-ma DIN “I a
he beginning o his illness, he has swea and bubuʾ u-blis e s and his swea
does no each om his lowe legs o he ankles and he soles o his ee , ha
sickness is an illness o wo days. (I ) he is ill o h ee days, he will ge well”
(TDP 156, 1–2 = DPS 17, 1–2; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 222 no.10.79; Scu lock
2014: 163 & 166);
3) DIŠ GIG-su KU4 ù É KIMIN ÍL IGIii-šú DUGUD ŠÀmeš-šú MÚ-ME-ḫu SAmeš-šú kìn-
ṣa-a-šú ZI-IN-GImeš-šú MURUB4meš-šú 1-niš GU7meš-šú gišGIDRI ŠU dUTU GAR-su
“I his illness en e s and lea es, di o (and when his con usional s a e comes
o e him), li ing his eyes is di icul , his insides a e con inually bloa ed and his
muscles, his lowe legs, his ankles and his hips all hu him a once, he scep-
e, ‘hand o Šamaš’, has been laid upon him” (TDP 160, 38–39 = DPS 17, 38–39;
Scu lock 2014: 164 & 168);20
4) DIŠ ma-ʾ-du GÌRdidli-ša uZI-IN-GIdidli-šá nu-up-pu-ḫa ZAG uGÙB ZUKUM-as
MAŠ-TAB-BA PEŠ-a “I hey ( he insides o awoman o childbea ing age) a e
la ge, bo h he ee and bo h he ankles a e swollen, (and) she s eps o ‘ igh ’
and ‘le ’, she is p egnan wi h wins” (TDP 206, 71 = DPS 36, 71; Scu lock— An-
de sen 2005: 279 no.12.110; Scu lock 2014: 247 & 251).
In i s syllabog aphic o m, Akkadian kiṣallu mos ly appea s in lexical and medical
ex s. Examples om medical ex s a e:
1) [TA] MURUB4ii-šú giš-ši-šú EN ki-ṣal-li-šú “F om his wais , his hip down o his
ankle” (AMT 52, 8, 6);
2) DIŠ NA a-ḫa-šú kìn-ṣa-šú ki-ṣal-la-šú [GU7meš-šú] NA BI qé- eb DÚR-GIG “I
ape son, his a ms, his lowe legs, (and) his ankles [hu him], ha pe son
is in he mids o DÚR-GIG” (BAM 89, 8–9; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 253
no.11.34);
3) Iṣ-ba giš-šá kìn-ṣa ki-ṣil-la qab-la a-pa-áš- u ušá-šal-li gu-ub-gu-ba pu-ḫu SAmeš
“(The disease maškādu) g ips he hip socke , lowe leg, ankle, hip, coccyx and
lowe back, he cal , all o he muscles” (BAM 124, i 18–19;21 Scu lock 2014: 457
& 460);
4) DIŠ NA ki-ṣil-la-šú G[U7meš] “I ape son, his ankles a e co[ns an ly hu ing]”
(BAM 7, 24, e . iii 4’; Gelle 2005: 152–153);
5) DIŠ NA ki-ṣil-la-šú GU7-ME […] DÚR-GIG GIG “I ape son, his ankles hu […]
he is sick wi h DÚR-GIG” (BAM 7, 24, e . iii 6’–7’; Gelle 2005: 152–153; Scu -
lock— Ande sen 2005: 153 no.6.185);
6) Ki-ṣal-lu GAL-ma SA ina UGU ZUKUM “The ankle is la ge, he ein on he on
is c ushed” (Böck 2000, 267, line 35);
20 No e he usage o he syllabog aphic o hog aphy in apa allel ph ase: DIŠ … kìn-ṣa-a-šú ki-
ṣal-la-šú 1-niš GU7-me-šú “I … his lowe legs and ankles hu him a he same ime” (TDP
20, 13–14).
21 CT 23, 11, 38, a a ian ex , has ki-ṣal-la.
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7) Ina giš-ši-šú GÌR-šú uki-ṣal-li-šú KÉŠ-ma ina-eš “You ie ( he kno s) on his hip,
his oo and his ankle and he will ge well” (CT 23, 9, 12);22
8) Ki-ṣal-la-šú up- a-na-ṭa-[ a] “His ee a e con inually spli ” (KAR 80, 5);
9) DIŠ ina ki-ṣil-li-šú ZAG GAR x[…] DIŠ ina ki-ṣil-li-šú GÙB GAR NAM x […] “I i
is placed on he igh ankle […]. I i is placed on he le ankle […] (K aus 1939
no.38a, e . 7’–8’; Böck 2000: 200–201, lines 114–115);
10) [DIŠ TA giš]-ši-šu EN pi-ṭi ki-ṣil-li-šú GU7meš-šú ḫi-ṭám NU TUKU ki-iṣ-ṣa- [um
MU-NI] “[I om] his ˹hip socke s˺ o he opening o his ankles i con inually
hu s him, i is o no consequence; [i is called] ˹gnawing˺” (SpTU 4, 152, 101 =
DPS 33, 101; Heeßel 2000: 357; Scu lock 2014: 234 & 240);
11) [DIŠ uzu]ÚR-šú TA giš-ši-šu EN ki-ṣal-li-šú GU7-šú ZI-bi uDU-[a]kmaš-ka-d[ù
MU-NI] “[I ] his high hu s him om his hip socke s o his ankles (bu ) he
can s and and walk, [i is called] maškādu” (TDP 140, iii 37’–38’ = DPS 33, 99; c .
also DPS 14, 170’–171’; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 257 no.11.59; Scu lock 2014:
234 & 240);
12) DIŠ TU SA ki-[ṣil-li]-šá ZAG uGÙB ZI-[bi M]AŠ-TAB-BA NU SI-SÁ PEŠ4-a DIŠ
TU SA ki-ṣil-li-šá MÚD DIRImeš NITA PEŠ4-a “I he blood essel o awoman o
childbea ing age ‘ igh ’ and ‘le ’ ˹ankles˺ pulsa es, she is p egnan wi h wins
who will no do well. I he blood essel o woman o childbea ing age’s ankle
is con inually ull o blood, she is p egnan wi h amale” (TDP 208, 92–93 = DPS
36, 92–93; Scu lock 2014: 247 & 252).
Only a ew imes does kiṣallu appea in ex s ha a e no s ic ly medical. Fi s ly, i
appea s in some omen and physiognomic ex s. No e ha i is in hese ex s ha he
only ins ances o kiṣallu deno ing abody pa o an animal (i.e. asheep; no. 3) occu :
1) DIŠ LÚ ki-ṣa-il-la-šú a-ab-bi-ia na-zi-iq DIŠ LÚ ki-ṣa-al-li-in la i-šu ni-zi-iq- um
ú-ul i-ṭe-eḫ-ḫi-šum “I aman’s ankles a e la ge: he is awo ie . I aman lacks
bo h ankles: wo ies will no a ec him” (A O 18, 64, i26–27);
2) DIŠ ki-ṣa-lum ša ˹i˺-[m]i- im pa-al-ša-a aš-ša-a LÚ-lim a-na ḫa-a -mu- im uṣ-ṣi
DIŠ ki-ṣa-lum ša š[u-me]-lim pa-al-ša-a na-ṣi-i - i lúKÚR-ka e-le-qé-e“I he
igh ankle is pe o a ed, he wi e o aman will lea e o become ap os i u e.
22 Va ious medical ex s ha e a ian s o his ph ase:
1) AMT 19, 8, 1: [… u] ki-ṣil-li-šú [KÉŠ-ma/su ina-eš] “[You ie o … and] his ankle [and he
will ge be e ]”;
2) BAM 129, i19: ina mu ub4’ ú u˹ki-ṣal˺-li-šú KÉŠ-su “You ie o he high and ankle”;
3) BAM 194, ii 4: ina ki-ṣal-li-šú KÉŠ-su “You ie o his ankle”;
4) BAM 415, 7’: (ina) … uki-ṣil-li-šú KÉŠ “You ie (i ) o his ankle”;
5) CT 23, 7, 34–35: ina uzuú -šú kìn-ṣi-šú uki-ṣal-li-[šú] KÉŠ “You ie (as ing o ed and
whi e wool) a ound his high, his lowe leg and his ankle”;
6) CT 23, 8, 42: ina mu ub4’ ú uki-ṣal-li KÉŠ “You ie o he wais , high and ankle”;
7) CT 23, 12, 49: […] kìn-ṣi-šú uki-ṣal-li-šú KÉŠ-su “You ie o his [ ], his lowe leg and his
ankle”;
8) STT 273, i18: [ina x-x-šú] uki-ṣal-li-šú KÉŠ-su “You ie o his [x] and his ankle.”
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JAN TA ERNIER 47
I he le ankle is pe o a ed, you will ake you enemy’s easu e” (YOS 10, 47,
65–66);
3) DIŠ i-na ki-ṣa-lim ša [i]-mi- im e-ṣe-em- u wa- a-a - um i- a-ab-ši a-pil LUGAL
gišGU-ZA i-ṣa-ba-a DIŠ i-na ki-ṣa-lim š[aš]u-me-lim e-ṣe-em- u wa- a-a - um
i- a-ab-ši la be-el! gišGU-ZA i-ṣa-ba-a “I asupe luous bone has g own on he
igh ankle, he hei o he king will seize he h one. I asupe luous bone has
g own on he le ankle, someone wi h no claim will seize he h one” (YOS 10,
47, 67–68 = YOS 10, 48, 4–5);23
4) DIŠ SA ki-ṣil 15-šú ZI-ZI-šú DINGIR NU TU[KU-ši] DIŠ SA ki-ṣil GÙB-šú ZI-ZI-šú
ap-lum ki-nu TUKU-š[i] “I he ein o his igh ankle pulsa es, [he will ha]
e no god. I he ein o his le ankle pulsa es, he will ha e alegi ima e son”
(K aus 1939 no.22, ii 12’–13’; Böck 2000: 270–271, lines 67–68);24
5) DIŠ ina ki-ṣa-a[l 15-šú …] DIŠ ina ki-ṣa-al 15[0-šú …] DINGIR-šú a-[…] DIŠ ina ki-
ṣa-al 15 u150 GAR x […] NU ŠE-GA […] DIŠ ki-ṣa-al-la-šu DIRImeš me-si-i N[Á
DIB-su] “I i is on he [ igh ] ankle […]. I i is on he le[ ] ankle […], his god
[…]. I i is on he igh and le ankle […], no being hea d […]. I his ankles
pulsa e, he [will ha e o s ay in b]ed” (K aus 1939 no.36, e . 4’–9’; Böck 2000,
192–193, lines 143–146);
6) DIŠ i-na ki-ṣal-lu ZAG GAR ina ŠÀ ḪÚL GENmeš DIŠ i-na GÙB GAR ina ŠÀ ḪÚL-LA
GENmeš “I i is placed on he igh ankle, he will li e in sadness. I i is placed on
he le ankle, he will li e in happiness” (CT 28 27 e . 28–29 = K aus 1939 no.70;
Denne eld 1914: 211; Böck 2000: 210–211, lines 97–98);
7) DIŠ ŠE ina ki-ṣal-li-šú lu šá 15 lu šá 150 ki-da-nu GAR AMAŠ DAGAL-iš DIŠ ŠE ina
KIMIN qe -bi-nu GAR míKALA-GA DIB-su DIŠ ŠE ina AN-TA-nu ki-ṣal-li-šú lu šá
15 lu šá 150 15 u150 lu IGI lu (ana) EGIR lu 2 lu 3 lu 4 GAR-nu KIMIN “I aki ab u-
mole is placed on his ankle, be i on he ou e igh side, be i on he ou e le
side, his li es ock will inc ease. I aki ab u-mole is placed on he same, on he
inne side, dis ess will seize him. I ki ab u-moles a e placed o he igh and
he le abo e he ankle, be i he igh one, be i he le one, be i o he on ,
be i o he back, be i wo, h ee o ou , he same” (Šumma ki ab u 117–119;
Böck 2000: 226–227).
Fu he mo e, kiṣallu also appea s in h ee li e a y ex s. In LKA 72, acul ic commen-
a y on eligious es i als wi hin he cul o Ish a -Tammuz (Ebeling 1931: 44), line
e . 12 has [e- ]e-nu bi -ka-šu gišŠENNUR ki-ṣil-la-[šu] “His knees a e ceda , his ankles
aplum- ee.”25 The ex is alking abou Tammuz (Ebeling 1931: 44–47). In KAR 307,
23 This pa icula ex has: DIŠ i-na ki-ṣa-lum ša šu-me-lim e-ṣe-em- u wa- a-a - um i - a-ab-ši
la NUMUN- u gišGU-ZA i-ṣa-ba-a .
24 This ex agmen p esen s anice sequence o pa s o he oo . Lines 10–11’ deal wi h he
kabba u, lines 12–13’ wi h he ankle (kiṣillu) and lines 14’–15’ wi h he SIG4 GÌR (libna šēpi)
‘sole o he oo ’ (Laba — Malb an-Laba 1994: 326). In all hese si ua ions, he ein o he
conce ned body pa is pulsa ing. These omens a e ollowed by wo o he s ela ed o he
ankle (kiṣillu, bu now logog aphically w i en).
25 Ma sushima (1987: 170) ansla es ‘apple ee’, whe eas AHw 1149 has ‘common medla ’.
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48 CHATREŠŠAR 1/2021
ano he cul ic commen a y (F yme -Kensky 1983: 131 & 139), one can ead gišḪAŠḪUR
ki-ṣal-la-šú “His ankle is an apple” (KAR 307, 3; c . Ebeling 1931: 31), wi h Bel being
he god e e ed o. The las li e a y ex , abalbale song, has [ki]-ṣal-la-ki gišḪAŠḪUR
“You ankles a e an apple” (Sume 13 119, e . 6; an Dijk 1957: 67). He e he ex is
alking abou he ankles o Tašme u. In e es ingly, he compa ison o an ankle wi h
plums and apples speci ically e e o he malleoli o he ankles (due o hei shape),
sugges ing ha nicely o med malleoli we e abeau y s anda d in Mesopo amian eyes.
All his also sugges s ha in hese ex s kiṣallu e e s o he malleoli.
The e ymology o kiṣallu is no known, hough Pa dee (1986: 132 n.101) men ions
apossible connec ion wi h Uga i ic qṣ ‘anklebone’26 and Punic qṣ , he meaning o
which is, howe e , s ill subjec o deba e (c . Ho ijze — Jongeling 1995: 1023). E en-
ually, howe e , Pa dee p e e s alink be ween he Uga i ic and Punic lexemes on he
one hand and Akkadian ku sinnu on he o he hand, because he Uga i ic omen ex
ha ing his wo d e e s o abody pa o an animal and because lines 1–27’ o he 16 h
able o he Šumma izbu se ies also conce n he ku sinnu (Pa dee 1986: 132). O he
au ho s make he compa ison be ween qṣ and Akk. kiṣ u ‘join ’ (Capomacchia 1979:
53; Xella 1981: 203; Die ich— Lo e z 1990: 113; del Olmo Le e— Sanma ín 2003: 717;
Id. 2015: 706). In any case, he ad an age o aconnec ion be ween Ug. qṣ and Akk.
kiṣallu o kiṣ u is ha bo h wo ds ha e he same consonan al s uc u e, wi h ṣ (Pa dee
1986: 132 n.101), con a y o ku sinnu.
Kiṣallu is no he only Akkadian lexeme ha migh mean ‘ankle’. Ano he one is
kabba u, which he CAD desc ibes as ‘apa o he oo ’ (CAD K: 18–19; c . Holma 1911:
154). Ne e heless, he same dic iona y uses a ansla ion ‘ankle(?)’ in he examples
i ci es. Von Soden (AHw 415; also Böck 2000: 211) hinks o abunion (Hallux algus),
aball-shaped p o usion on he big oe, he inspi a ion o which p obably came om
he exp ession mu uṣ kabba i ‘disease o he kabba u’. Howe e , he la e exp es-
sion implies ha kabba u is no he a lic ion i sel , bu abody pa . Acco dingly, o
assume ha kabba u is apa o he oo , jus like kiṣallu, is mo e plausible.
The lexeme kabba u is no ha widesp ead in he Akkadian ex ual ma e ial. I
appea s mos ly in he exp ession mu uṣ kabba i ‘illness o he kabba u’, possibly
iden i iable wi h myce oma (Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 78). The en i e i s column
and almos he en i e second column (lines 1–50) o BAM 124 ocus on his disease:
DIŠ NA GIG ka-ba - im GIG “I ape son is sick om mu uṣ kabba i” (BAM 124 i; Gol z
1974: 15; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 79–80 nos. 3.241–253; Scu lock 2014: 443–452).
Ano he example o his lexeme in amedical ex is DIŠ NA kab-bal- a-šu GIG SAG-
DU EME-DIR u -á SÚD ana IGI <(GIG)> MARmeš “I ape son, his kabba u is ‘sick’
(so e), you cha and g ind he head o aliza d. You daub i on he <so e>” (AMT 74,
1, ii 20; BAM 124, ii 47; Scu lock— Ande sen 2005: 285 no.13.9; Scu lock 2014: 448 &
452). Ye con a y o kiṣallu, kabba u is no equen ly a es ed in medical ex s, bu
a he appea s in omen ex s. Examples a e
1) DIŠ ina ka-ba - i ZAG GAR mim-mu-šu […] DIŠ ina GÙB GAR KIMIN ana IGI-šu
[GEN-ak] “I he e is (amole) on he igh kabba u, his possessions […]. I
26 Xella (1981: 203) ansla es ‘malleoli’.
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