Astral Sciences in MesopotamiaHermann Hunger, David Edwin Pingree Astronomy and astrology, or the astral sciences, played an enormous, if not a key role in the political and religious life of the Ancient Near East, and, later, of the Greek and Roman world. This is the first comprehensive and up-to-date account of the origins of the astral sciences in the Ancient Near East. Every type of Sumerian or Akkadian text dealing with descriptive or mathematical astronomy, including many individual tablets are thoroughly dealt with. All aspects, such as the history of discovery, reconstruction, and interpretation come to the fore, accompanied by a full bibliography. At that the reader will find descriptions of astronomical contents, an explanation of their scientific meaning and the place a given genre or tablet has in the development of astronomy both within the Mesopotamian culture and outside of it. Because celestial omens are intimately related to astronomy in Mesopotamian science, these are also discussed extensively. The material is arranged both chronologically and thematically, so as to help make "Astral Sciences in Mesopotamia" a reference work on the subject in its truest sense. |
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Common terms and phrases
Aaboe Astrolabe astronomical Babylon Babylonian bēru Bright star century B.C. column computed constellations contains copied Crab cubits cycle dates Diary eclipse possibilities entries Enūma Enuma Anu Enlil Ephemerides equinox Geminorum Greek-letter Greek-letter phenomena halo heliacal risings Herculis Hipparchus Hunger I-VI intervals ISBN 90 Jupiter king Kugler latitude LBAT Leonis Librae linear zigzag function longitudes lunar eclipse Mars Mercury Mesopotamian minas Moon is surrounded moonrise moonset MUL.APIN Neugebauer 1955 night Nisannu Normal Star Almanacs observed occurred omens Ophiuchi Pabilsag Panther parameters Parpola Pisces planetary planets predictions Procedure Texts published Report rising Rochberg-Halton Sachs Sagittarii Saros Saturn Schaumberger scheme Scorpii Scorpion Shepherd of Anu Simānu Sirius solar eclipse solstice ŠU.PA sunrise sunset synodic months synodic periods System tablet tithis True Shepherd Twins Uruk velocity Venus vernal equinox VIII W₁ Waerden Weidner Zababa ziqpu stars zodiacal signs