Lemaire’s Restoration of Combination I
In Lemaire’s restoration of Combination I, individual fragments are tinted beige. Comparison demonstrates that Lemaire has added some fragments to his reconstruction. Restored letters are drawn with dotted lines.
Lemaire says that, even though there are still a few gaps, the first nine lines of Combination I can now be read with considerable certainty:a
1. Inscription of [Ba]laam [son of Beo]r, the man who was a seer of the gods. Lo, the gods came to him at night and [spoke to] him
2. According to these wor[ds], and they said to [Balaa]m, son of Beor thus: “There has appeared the last flame, a fire of chastisement has appeared!”
3. And Balaam arose the next day [ … several?] days [ … ] and he cou[ld not eat] and he wept
4. Intensely and his people came to him and s[aid] to Balaam, son of Beor: “Why do you fast and why do you weep?” and he
5. Said to them: “Sit down! I shall show you how gre[at is the calamity!] and come, see the deeds of the gods! The gods have gathered
6. And the Mighties [Shaddayinb] have fixed a date, and they said to Sha[ma]sh [/the sun]: ‘Sew, shut the skies with your cloud! there, let there be darkness and no shi-
7. ning … ? … , for you will provoke terror [by a clo]ud of darkness, and do not make noise forever but [in its place?] the swift,
8. The bat, the eagle and the peli[can,] the vultures, the ostrich and the s[tork and] the young falcons, and the owl, the chicks of the heron, the dove, the bird of prey,
9. The pigeon and the sparrow, [every bird of the s]kies, and [on the earth] down, in the place where the [shepherd’s] crook was leading the ewes, hares eat
10. [Alto]gether free[ly … ]