The oracles contained in this text concern a potential campaign against the land of Azzi. After it is determined that the campaign should take place, the next few oracles concern who is to lead the campaign, with Šauškaruntiya and the king of Tumanna being considered as possible candidates. It is not clear whether or not they are confirmed to be the leaders of the campaign. Further inquiries seek to determine when the campaign will happen, and whether the kings of Išuwa and Carchemiš should be summoned to take part in the campaign.

• L. Warbinek, KIN, 2020: 353353-357
• M. Cammarosano - M. Marizza, WO 45, 2015: 183-188
• Y. Sakuma, Diss., 2009: II 516-522

Handcopy: Bozkurt H. et al. 1944a.

Partial editions: Sakuma Y. 2009b, II 516-522; Warbinek L. 2020a, 353-357.

Full edition: Cammarosano M. – Marizza M. 2015a, 183-188.

The tablet represents the top half of a single-column tablet, with one central fragment missing. So far as the text is preserved, only the obverse in inscribed, save for one line of the obverse which continues over onto the reverse. Each oracular inquiry is separated by a ruling, and each different topic of inquiry by a blank paragraph. The spacious layout of the tablet and other features of palaeography, ducuts, and language (see below) give the impression of a draft text.

The script is late New Hittite (diagnostic forms: ID, DA, E, LI, with IIIc forms of ḪA). The handwriting is somewhat slanted and very spacious, with some signs not fully formed. Signs ending with a Winkelhaken (e.g. ZAG, ḪA) usually have this separated from the rest of the sign by a considerable amount of space. Some signs such as DA often have their horizontals falling short of the following wedges. Taken together, these features suggest this is a somewhat hastily written draft text.

The language of this text is often highly abbreviated. The scribe had something of a preference for Sumergraphic over phonetic spellings, and grammatical markers such as Akkadographic prepositions are often omitted. Thus the grammatical structure of the record of the observation of KIN oracles is often obscure, and the observations of the liver oracles and one bird oracle are not recorded at all. The text displays a number of errors and grammatical incongruities, in particular a number of singular verbs with plural nouns as their subject.

The oracles in this text relate to a future campaign against the land of Azzi in the Armenian highlands, which was a regular rival in to the Hittites in the empire period. It is possible that this campaign reflects the Hittites’ loss of control over the region, which Cammarosano M. – Marizza M. 2015a, 163, 172 suggest was placed under the control of an ally of either Ḫattušili III or Muršili III during their struggle for power. Archi A. – Klengel H. 1980a, 154 suggest it only came under Hittite control late in the reign of Ḫattušili III.

It is likely the text dates to the reign of Tudḫaliya IV, whose concern with securing Azzi is seen in other texts such as KUB 26.12+. Haas V. 2008a, 117 connects this with hostilities between the Hittites and Assyria under Shalmaneser I and Tukulti-Ninurta I, in which Azzi seems to have been involved (Cammarosano M. – Marizza M. 2015a, 165).

This text also offers an insight into how the Hittites managed and attempted to control their more remote vassel kingdoms. The inquiries relate also to various individuals who may be chosen to lead the campaign or summoned to help with it. The former are the king of Tumanna and Šauškaruntiya who was a prince of Tarḫuntašša (see Marizza M. 2006a, 166; Cammarosano M. – Marizza M. 2015a, 165-166). The kings of Carchemish and Išuwa are also possibly to be summoned to help with the campaign, suggesting the key role in the militaries of these four cities in securing the borders of the Hittite empire (Klengel H. 1975b, 63; Haas V. 2008a, 117; Cammarosano M. – Marizza M. 2015a, 175).