Geographical places and Wind-directions connected in the extra-biblical prophecy genre
by koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD) Visiting Professor, Kyungpook National University, Sangju Campus, South Korea; Conjoint lecturer Avondale College, Australia; 27 April 2009
In the book of Daniel chapter 11 one runs into expressions by Daniel of wind-directions like north, south, west, east and these are sometimes more specific to be connected to the "king of the north" or "king of the south" which means, north is supposed to be connected to a country where the king is reigning and secondly, the country is north of the point where the author, Daniel finds himself at that particular time.
Realistic vantage point of description
When we read in Daniel that he uses the expression, "king of the north" one has to ask yourself: where is Daniel at that point and anything north of him will be the "king of the north" and anything south of that point where Daniel is will be "king of the south". This is a simple principle of interpretation.
Virtual vantage point of description
Another point that is related to the one above, is the case of a virtual position. The one above is the realistic position. A virtual position in contradistinction to the above, is the one where the prophet is actually in Shushan in
Mobile vantage point versus stationary vantage point
One of the greatest issues in interpreting Daniel 11 is whether we are dealing with a mobile vantage point, namely, that Daniel was in Shushan describing there but take in vision to Jerusalem and then describing from there and then taken back to Shushan where he was in body actually and thus describing again from that vantage point., From a realistic position he shifted to a virtual position in Jerusalem and then back to a realistic position in Shushan. The stationary theory of his vantage point will claim that it was all done from
Extra-biblical omen prophecies about wind-directions and countries connected to them
Some extra-biblical texts from Assyria and
Formula of the extra-biblical prophecy
Conventionally the formula read something like:
"If an eclipse occurs in the evening watch and it finishes the watch and the south wind blows; downfall of the king of
Analysis
Protasis
"If an eclipse occurs in the evening watch and it finishes the watch and the south wind blows"
Apodosis
[THEN THERE WILL BE A] downfall of the king of
Enūma Anu Enlil (eighth century BCE)
The EAE series date to the time of the Sargonid kings and a number of scholars are listed by Rochberg-Halton 1984: 116 footnote 6 dealing with this text: C. Virolleaud 1908-1912; E. Weidner 1942; E. Reiner and D. Pingree 1975 and 1981; R. Campbell Thompson 1900; S. Parpola 1970. EAE 19, sec. 2 reads:
line 9 ]DIŠ AN.MI EN.NUN AN.USAN2 GAR-ma EN.NUN ig-mur u IM.I DU ŠUB-ti MAN NIM.MA.K[I] u Gu-ti.KI u KUR-šu-n[u...]
If an eclipse occurs in the evening watch and it finishes the watch and the south wind blows: downfall of the king of
line 10 DIŠ AN.MI KI.MIN.ma EN.NUN ig-mur u IM.I DU ŠUB MAN URI.KI u KUR-šú
If an eclipse ditto, and it finishes the watch and the north wind blows: downfall of the king of
BM 36746
This text was presented by Rochberg Halton and a summary of the content can be seen in Rochberg Halton (1984): 121. It consists of a collection of twelve lunar eclipse omens [extra-biblical prophecies]. Only seven are well preserved and the text read as follows:
p r o t a s i s "If . . . " apodosis
Wind |
Good planet |
Bad planets |
Country | |
[Aries] |
[north] |
[...] |
[Saturn:Leo/Mars:Sagittarius] |
[ |
[Taurus] |
[south] |
[...] |
[Saturn:Virgo/Mars:Capricorn] |
[ |
[Gemini] |
[west] |
[...] |
[Saturn:Libra/Mars:Aquarius] |
[Amurru] |
[Cancer] |
[east] |
[...] |
[Saturn:Scorpius/Mars:Pisces] |
Subartu |
Leo |
north |
Jupiter not present |
Saturn:Aries/Mars:Sagittarius |
|
Virgo |
south+east |
Venus not present |
[Saturn]:Taurus/[Mars]:Capricorn |
|
Libra |
south+west |
Jupiter not present |
Saturn:Aquarius/Mars:Gemini |
Amurru |
Scorpius |
east |
Jupiter[...] |
Saturn:[Pisces]/Mars:Cancer |
Subartu |
Sagitarius |
[north] |
Jupiter[...] |
Jupiter [sic]:Leo; "The Field"; Aries |
|
Capricorn |
south |
Venus not present |
[Saturn:Taurus]/[Mars]:Virgo |
|
[Aquarius] |
[west] |
[...] |
[Saturn:Gemini/Mars:Libra] |
[Amurru] |
[Pisces] |
[east] |
[...] |
[Saturn:Cancer/Mars:Scorpius] |
[Subartu] |
BM 121034 (Middle Assyrian text)
Parallels: EAE 15 (Bab. 3 280 + K. 3770; VAT 9803 (Weidner AfO 17(1954): 71 iii 18'; BM 32513 rev. 6-9.
The text is mentioned by Rochberg Halton (1984): 127 at footnote 43 and read as follows:
line 10 [DIŠ AN.MI ina IM.I SAR-ma IM.U18].LU DU šal-pu-ut-ti Šu-bar -ri-i[. . . ]
[If an eclipse begins in the north and the so]uth wind blows destruction to Šubarû [. . . ]
line 11 [DIŠ AN.MI ina IM.I SAR-ma IM.SI].SÁ DU LUGAL Ak-ka-di-i BA.BE
[If an eclipse begins in the north and the no]rth wind blows: the king of
line 12 [DIŠ AN.MI ina IM.I SAR-ma IM.KUR.R]A DU dIM GÌR.BAL BE.MEŠ GÁL.MEŠ X [. . .]
[If an eclipse begins in the north and the ea]st wind blows: Adad will inundate; there will be plague [...]
line 13 [DIŠ AN.MI ina IM.I SAR-ma IM.MAR.TU DU ZI(?)]-[ut] Gu-ti-um LUGAL Ak-ka-di-[i x]
[If an eclipse begins in the north and the west wind blows: at]tack(?) of the Guti; the king of
ACh Supp. 2 118 r. 2-3; 6-7
This is an excerpt tablet from EAE which not only provide the winds and directions but also the months which are assigned to each country listed.
line 6 IM.U18.LU KUR.NIM.MA.KI
IM. U18.LU KUR. NIM.MA.KI
wind South country
IM.SI.SÁ KUR.URI.KI
IM. SI.SÁ KUR. URI.KI
wind North country
IM.KUR.RA KUR.SU.BIR4 u Gu-ti-i
IM. KUR.RA KUR. SU.BIR4 u Gu-ti-i
wind East country Subartu and Gutium
line 7 IM.MAR.TU KUR.MAR.TU
IM. MAR.TU KUR. MAR.TU
wind West country Amurru
Multiple applications of wind-directions
If one only look at Ach Supp. 2 118 r. 6-7 then one may think that the "east" is only in the country of Subartu and Gutium. Not so. The text of EAE 19, sec. 2 reads the south wind [normally allocated to
Diagram illustrating the wind-directions and countries
involved
NORTH (SI.SÁ)
WIND (IM)
WEST (MARTU) EAST (KUR.RA)
WIND (IM) WIND (IM)
AMURRU (KUR.MAR.TU) SUBARTU (KUR. SU.BIR4)
u Gu-ti-i (GUTIUM)
SOUTH (SU18.LU)
WIND (IM)