west--the side of obscuration--furnishes an omen for the
king of Guti. Overthrow of Guti by force, followed by complete
submission.

An eclipse happening on the 15th day[583], rains descend from
heaven, floods come upon the land, famine in the land.

An eclipse happening on the 16th day, women have miscarriages.

An eclipse happening on the 20th day, storms set in and famine;
afterwards for a year storms destroy property[584].

An eclipse happening on the 21st day, the armies of the king
revolt and deliver him into the hands of enemies.

The eclipses of the following month deal with several countries.

An eclipse in the month of Ab[585] on the 14th day, proceeding
from the south to the east, beginning with the first watch, or
with the morning watch, and ending at sunrise, the shadow being
seen in the south--the side of obscuration--furnishes an omen
for the king of Umliash. The soldiery are engaged in severe
conflicts for a year, and are slain by force of arms.

An eclipse happening on the 15th day[586], the king dies, and
rains descend from heaven, and floods fill the canals.

An eclipse happening on the 16th day, the king of Babylonia
dies. Pestilence[587] feeds upon the country.

An eclipse happening on the 20th day, the king of the
Hittites[588] in person (?) seizes the throne.

An eclipse happening on the 21st day, a deity strikes (?) the
king, and fire consumes king and land.

From these specimens, the general principle of the section is apparent.
Since eclipses portend public and political disasters of some kind, the
compiler has carefully gathered oracles given on previous occasions to
some ruler, or observations of the events that occurred at the time of
the recorded eclipses. The apparently restricted application of the
omens was no hindrance to their practical use. In the event of an
astrologer being consulted with regard to the significance of an eclipse
on a certain day, his list would furnish a safe basis for further
prognostications, suitable to the political conditions that prevailed.
But in order to meet all contingencies, other lists furnishing further
omens for eclipses were added. The 22d tablet of the 'Illumination of
Bel' series is followed by one[589] which, while dealing with the same
subject, approaches it somewhat differently, and is based on a different
principle. It begins again with the fi