If a woman gives birth to three well developed girls, the land of the ruler will be enlarged.
If a woman gives birth to two girls with one body, [no union] between man [and wife, the land will be diminished][100].
If a woman gives birth to two girls of normal appearance ...[101].
If a woman gives birth to three boys, distress will seize the land ...
If a woman gives birth to [four (?)] boys, [destruction in the land][102].
Through another fragment[103], the list of multiple births is carried up to eight—a perfectly safe procedure on the part of the bârû-priests, since it is unlikely that the case of more than four births at one time ever occurred in the whole scope of Babylonian-Assyrian history. The interpretations in the case of more than triplets appear to have been consistently unfavorable. Even twins, as is apparent from the above entries, were generally regarded as unfavorable, because of the deviation from the normal involved; and this was certainly the case when monstrous factors were connected with the double birth—the two united at the backs or at the sides—or when the twins lacked a part of the body such as noses, hands or feet. The fundamental distinction between the right side as representing your side and the left as the enemy’s side intervenes to differentiate between the application of the omen to the king or to the country on the one hand, and to the enemy or his country on the other.
Corresponding to the text above discussed[104], in which interpretations are offered for all kinds of malformations or peculiarities, in connection with the ears of newly-born animals, we have a text[105] furnishing omens in the same way in the case of human births.
If a woman gives birth, (and the child has) a lion’s ear, a powerful king will rule in the land.
If a woman gives birth, and the right ear[106] is missing, the life of the ruler will come to an end.
If a woman gives birth, and the left ear is missing, the life of the king will be long.