baštu
4Attestations
OBOB: Old Babylonian (ca. 2000–1600 BCE) 1 majjālu ba-áš-tum ! ARM 22, 322: 46 “1 bed of b. wood”. Whereas Kupper, ib. p. 499 translates “lit d’apparat”, Kupper 1992, 164, correctly recognizes the tree baltu here; for further ref. from Mari texts see ib.
OB-LitOB-Lit: Old Babylonian literary texts — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) assuḫ ba-aš-ta-am azarrû karānam ALL, 23: 8 SEAL “I have torn out the thorn bush, I will be sowing a vine!” wordplay on bāštu? new
OB-LitOB-Lit: Old Babylonian literary texts — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) aruḫ ša ba-aš-tim CUSAS 32, 49: 4 “it is hurrying among the thornbush”. see George ib. p. 113f. for other instances of OB baštu. new
OB-LitOB-Lit: Old Babylonian literary texts — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) waruq ina ba-aš-tim AML, 96: 1 SEAL “(the scorpion) is yellow in the thornbush”. new
Discussion
For the very likely identification with camelthorn (Alhagi graecorum or A. maurorum), already assumed in CAD B 66 baltu and AHw 100 baltu, see Böck et al. 2023, 71–74.
The oldest syll. attestation (OB and OB lit.; s.a.) suggest that the original spelling of 1st and late 2nd mill. baltu was baštu.