The Babylonian list with 23 stars on the
Central path of Anu did not include Eridu:
|
23 stars on the Central Path of Anu |
|
The Field |
The seat of
Ea,
which leads the stars of
Anu
(4 stars of the Square of Pegasus) |
4 |
|
The star at the Field
(head and neck of Pegasus, and western fish in Pisces) |
Swallow |
5 |
|
The star behind the Field
(northern fish in Pisces) |
Anunitum |
6 |
|
The star behind
it (Dumuzi or Aries) |
Hired Man |
7 |
|
Star Cluster |
The Seven Gods, the great gods (Pleiades) |
8 |
|
Bull of Heaven |
The Bull's Jaw, the Crown of Anu
(Taurus, or at least its head) |
9 |
|
True Shepherd of Anu |
Papsukal,
the messenger of Anu and Ishtar (Orion) |
10 |
|
The Twins opposite the True Shepherd of
Anu
(Cetus and a part of Eridanus) |
Lulal
& Latarak |
11,
12 |
|
The star behind him
(Lepus) |
Rooster |
13 |
|
Arrow |
Arrow of the great god Ninurta
(Sirius and probably other stars in Canis
Major) |
14 |
|
Bow |
Elamite Ishtar, the daughter of Anu
(Puppis) |
15 |
|
Serpent |
Ningishzida,
lord of the Underworld
(Hydra) |
16 |
Probably there were 3 paths in order to cover more of the
sky:
...
Chatley and others have
believed that for the Kai Thien cosmologists the sun itself moved
in right ascension and declination, making sudden jumps from time to
time; the existence of the ecliptic being ignored or denied. Whether
this was really their view seems rather difficult to substantiate, but
the ideas of some of the Old Babylonian astronomers before about -500
may have been quite similar. 7 (dark) lines for the sun to jump over
(just as at noon) and 6 paths to advance along. But originally there
perhaps were only 4 lines and 3 paths:
.. Assyriologists have long
been familiar with a number of cuneiform tablets which were preserved in
the library of King Assurbanipal (Ashur-bāni-apli, -668 to -626)
at Nineveh, but which date as to contents from the late -2nd millenium.
These show diagrams of three concentric circles, divided into twelve
sections by twelve radii.
In each of
the thirty-six fields thus obtained there are constellation-names and
certain numbers, the significance of which has not yet been explained
...
Much light has been thrown
upon the diagrams by modern attempts at reconstruction and
interpretation. Could they not be regarded as primitive planispheres,
showing both the circumpolar stars and the equatorial 'moon-stations'
corresponding to them?
Such a view seems to
be supported by the most recent researches. The tablets with
'planispheres' belong to the class now known as that to the 'Enuma
(or Ea) Anu Enlil' series. The corpus contains some
7000 astrological omens, and the time of its formation was contemporary
with the Shang period, i.e. from about -1400 to -1000.
The
planispheres consist of 'three roads', each marked with twelve stars,
one for each of the months according to the time of their heliacal
risings.
... Those of the central
road, the equatorial belt, were known as the Stars of Anu; those
of the outer road were asterisms south of the equator (Stars of Ea),
while the inner road was travelled by the northern and circumpolar
asterisms (Stars of Enlil).
After this time the
planispheres are no more seen, but their place is taken by lists of
stars, modified and much improved, on the tablets of the 'Mul-Apin'
series (c. -700) - so called because one of the three lists begins with
the 'star' (mul) Apin, i.e. a constellation composed of
γ
Andromedae and stars in Triangulum. The Chinese also recognised this
group, as the 'Great general of the heavens' (Thien ta chaing-chün)
... he set heliacally in autumn, the season for punishments ...
Thus we ought to look for Eridu (Canopus, Agastya) in the
star list of Ea:
|
15 stars on the
Path of Ea |
|
Fish |
The lead star of the stars of
Ea (Fomalhaut) |
1 |
|
Great One |
Ea
(Aquarius) |
2 |
|
Eridu |
Ea (Vela) |
3 |
|
Ninmah |
The star to his right (Vela) |
4 |
Fomalhaut (the Mouth of the Fish) defined the beginning
of the Path of Ea:
... The Mouth of the Fish (Fomalhaut,
α Piscis Austrini - or Piscis Notius) rose
with the Sun 103 - 62 = 41 days earlier than Achernar, and 41 was the
essential number connected with the place for birth (Bharani at *41)
...
|
MOUTH OF THE FISH
(FOMALHAUT) |
|
Heliacal rising |
234 |
Midnight culmination |
|
March 3
(*347, 428 = 62 + 366) |
October 25
(298) |
|
236 = 8 *
29½ (= 366 - 5 * 26) |
|
ACHERNAR (END OF THE
RIVER) |
|
Heliacal rising |
233 |
Midnight culmination |
|
April 13 (*23, 469 =
103 + 366) |
December 3 (*257) |
|
234 = 9 * 26 |
The location of the Mouth of the Fish was immediately before the Square
of Pegasus:
|
CLOSE TO THE
SUN: |
|
22 DECEMBER
|
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 (360) |
|
*DECEMBER 24 |
25 |
26 (360) |
27 |
28 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Gb2-27 (π) |
Gb2-28 (54) |
Gb2-29 (284) |
Gb2-30 |
Gb2-31 |
|
ι Cephei
(346.0), λ
Aquarii, γ
Piscis Austrini,
σ Pegasi (346.5) |
SCHEAT AQUARII =
δ Aquarii
(347.0), ρ
Pegasi (347.2),
δ Piscis
Austrini
(347.4),
FOMALHAUT (Mouth
of the Fish) = α
Piscis
Austrini,
τ Gruis (347.8) |
FUM AL SAMAKAH
(Mouth of the
Fish)
= β Piscium
(348.3), ζ Gruis
(348.5),
ο
Andromedae
(348.9) |
Al Fargh al
Mukdim-24 /
Purva
Bhādrapadā-26 /
House-13
(Pig)
SCHEAT PEGASI =
β Pegasi, π
Piscis Austrini
(349.3), κ Gruis
(349.4),
MARKAB PEGASI =
α Pegasi
(349.5) |
23h (350.0)
υ, θ Gruis
(350.0), π
Cephei (350.6),
ι Gruis (350.9) |
|
March 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 (64) |
6 (*350) |
|
°February 26 |
27 |
28 |
°March 1 (60) |
2 (*346) |
|
'February 3 |
4 (35) |
5 (*321) |
6 |
7 |
|
"January 20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 (*309) |
|
CLOSE TO THE
FULL MOON: |
|
22 JUNE |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 (177) |
|
*JUNE 24 |
25 |
26 (177 = 6 *
29½) |
27 |
28 |
|
ν Hydrae (163.1) |
no star listed
(164)
ALTAIR (α
Aquilae)
|
Wings-27
(Snake)
η Oct. (165.4),
ALKES
= α Crateris
(165.6) |
ANA-TIPU-4
(Upper-side-pillar
- where the
guards stood)
MERAK = β Ursae
Majoris
(166.2),
DUBHE = α Ursae
Majoris (166.7) |
11h (167.4)
χ Leonis, χ¹
Hydrae (167.1),
χ² Hydrae
(167.3) |
|
August 31 |
September 1
(*164) |
2 (245) |
3 (182 + 64) |
4 (*350 + 183 -
366) |
|
°August 27 |
28 |
29 (*161) |
30 (242) |
31 |
|
'August 4 (216) |
'August 5 |
6 |
7 |
8 (*140) |
|
"July 21 |
22 / 7 (π) |
23 (204) |
24 (*125) |
25 |
From hipu
at left in the
π glyph Gb2-27 (as in 22 /
7) to hipu
in Gb4-17 there were 108 -
53 = 55 days - equal to the
number of feathers in
Gb6-21--24:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
69 |
|
Gb6-19 |
(285 + 117) |
Gb6-21 |
Gb6-22 |
Gb6-23 |
(229 + 177) |
|
June 29 (180) |
25 APRIL (115) |
12 + 13 + 15 + 15 =
55 |
|
ω Aquarii (359.2),
78 Pegasi
(359.5) |
ψ Andromedae
(360.1), σ Phoenicis
(360.4) |
γ¹ Oct. (361.4), φ
Pegasi (361.7) |
DZANEB (Tail) = ω
Piscium
(362.4), γ² Oct.
(362.8) |
η Tucanae (363.0),
ψ Pegasi
(363.1),
32 Piscium
(363.2), π Phoenicis
(363.4), ε Tucanae
(363.6), τ Phoenicis
(363.9) |
θ Oct. (364.4) |
|
π (73) |
March 15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 (78) |
|
ζ Pavonis (283.4), λ
Cor. Austr. (283.6),
DOUBLE DOUBLE
= ε Lyrae (283.7), ζ
Lyrae (283.8) |
*JANUARY 6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
4 JANUARY |
(187 + 183 = 370) |
6 (115 + 73 + 183) |
7 |
8 |
|
Te Pou |
73 (= 365 / 5) |
 |
 |
 |
13 |
 |
5 |
 |
|
Ga1-4 |
Ga1-5 |
Ga1-6 |
Ga1-20 |
Ga1-26 |
|
Ana-muri
(Aldebaran) |
ζ Herculis, η
Tr. Austr.
(252.1), η
Herculis, β
Apodis (252.5) |
ATRIA = α Tr.
Austr. |
Al Nitak (The
Girdle) |
Winnowing Basket
(Nash) |
|
*68 |
*69 |
*253 |
*84 |
*273 (18h) |
|
May 28 (148) |
29 |
30 (*70) |
June 13 (164) |
19 (*273 - 183) |
|
*MARCH 21 (80) |
22 |
23 |
*APRIL 8 (*18) |
*APRIL 14 (4-14) |
|
19 MARCH (78) |
20 |
21 (0h) |
6 APRIL (*16) |
12 APRIL (*21) |
|
23 |
|
CLOSE TO THE
SUN: |
|
FEBR 17 (413) |
18 |
19 (50) |
20 (*336) |
21 (417) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Gb4-13 |
Gb4-14 |
Gb4-15 |
Gb4-16 (336) |
Gb4-17 (108) |
|
ξ¹ Ceti
(32.1) |
χ Persei (33.2),
θ Arietis
(33.3),
MIRA
= ο Ceti
(33.7) |
no star listed
(34) |
ξ Arietis
(35.0), ρ Ceti
(35.4),
ξ² Ceti
(35.9) |
σ Ceti (36.9) |
|
April 22 |
23 (*399 = *33 +
366) |
24 (480 = 114 +
366) |
25 (115) |
26 (*36) |
|
°April 18 |
19 |
20 (*396) |
21 (111) |
22 (*32) |
|
'March 26 (85) |
27 |
28 (*373) |
29 (*8) |
30 (455) |
|
"March 12 |
13 |
3-14 (73) |
15 |
16 (*360) |
|
CLOSE TO THE
FULL MOON: |
|
AUGUST 19 (*151) |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 (235) |
|
Al
Ghafr-13 /
Svāti-15 /
TAHUA-TAATA-METUA-TE-TUPU-MAVAE-6
(a pillar to
stand by)
15 Bootis
(215.2),
ARCTURUS
= α Bootis
(215.4),
ASELLUS SECUNDUS
= ι Bootis
(215.5),
SYRMA = ι
Virginis,
λ Bootis
(215.6), η
Apodis (215.8) |
ι Lupi, 18
Bootis
(216.3),
KHAMBALIA = λ
Virginis
(216.4), υ
Virginis
(216.5), ψ
Centauri
(216.6), ε
Apodis (216.8) |
ASELLUS PRIMUS
=
θ Bootis
(217.8) |
τ Lupi, δ Oct.
(218.1), φ
Virginis (218.7)
FOMALHAUT (α
Piscis Austrini)
|
σ Lupi (219.1),
ρ Bootis
(219.5),
HARIS = γ Bootis
(219.7) |
|
October 22 (295) |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
|
°October 18
(291) |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
|
'September 25
(268) |
26 |
27 (*190) |
28 |
29 |
|
"September 11
(254) |
12 |
13 |
14 (*177) |
15 |
I have here
chosen to illuminate
such heliacal dates which
appear to be in harmony with
the glyphs, for
instance FEBRUARY 24 (417 =
52 + 365) at Gb4-17. These dates were
64 right asension days
earlier than the dates at
the time of rongorongo, for
instance was April 26 (116) = 52
+ 64. At the time of Gregory
XIII the precessional depth
down to the time when
Aldebaran rose with the Sun
at 0h had been 68 - 4 = 64 days.
In the
Gregorian calendar October
22 was day 295 (= 10 * 29½)
counted from January 1 and 64
precessional days earlier
the date would have been
AUGUST 19 (day 151 counted
from 0h). *215 - *151 = *64.
Probably
October 22 also motivated
the exceptional beginning of
the text on side b of the C tablet:
 |
 |
 |
|
Cb1-1 (393) |
Cb1-2 |
Cb1-3 |
|
E
tupu - ki roto |
o
te hau tea |
|
April 17 (107) |
18 |
19 |
|
'March 21 (80) |
22 |
23 |
|
Al Sharatain-1 /
Ashvini-1 /
Bond-16
Segin, Mesarthim, ψ
Phoenicis (27.2),
SHERATAN,
φ Phoenicis (27.4) |
ι Arietis (28.0), λ
Arietis (28.2) |
ALRISHA,
χ Phoenicis (29.2),
Alamak (29.7) |
|
Muphrid (210.1), ζ
Centauri (210.3) |
φ Centauri (211.0),
υ¹ Centauri (211.1),
υ² Centauri (211.8),
τ Virginis (211.9) |
Agena (212.1), θ
Apodis (212.5),
THUBAN
(212.8) |
|
October 17 (290) |
18 |
19 |
|
'September 20 |
21 |
22 (265) |
 |
|
Cb1-4 (396) |
|
ki
te henua - te maro |
|
April 20 (*30) |
|
'March 24 (*3) |
|
2h (30.4)
κ Arietis (30.3),
HAMAL
(30.5)
Alkes
|
|
14h (213.1)
χ Centauri (213.0),
Menkent (213.1) |
|
October 20 (293) |
|
'September 23 (266) |
 |
 |
 |
rutua - te
pahu - rutua te
maeva - atua
rerorero - atua
hiko ura - hiko
o tea - ka higa
te ao ko te
henua ra ma te
hoi atua |
|
Cb1-5 |
Cb1-6 (398) |
Cb1-7 |
|
April 21 (111)
|
22 (*32 = *398 -
366) |
23 (*399 = *33 +
366) |
|
'March 25 (84) |
26 |
27 (*372 = *6 +
366) |
|
η Arietis (31.9) |
no star listed
(32) |
θ Arietis
(33.3),
MIRA
(33.7) |
|
Neck-2
Asellus Tertius,
κ VIRGINIS,
14 Bootis
(214.8) |
Al
Ghafr-13 /
Svāti-15
TAHUA-TAATA-METUA-TE-TUPU-MAVAE
15 Bootis
(215.2),
ARCTURUS
(215.4), Asellus
Secundus
(215.5), Syrma,
λ Bootis
(215.6), η
Apodis (215.8) |
ι Lupi, 18
Bootis (216.3),
Khambalia
(216.4), υ
Virginis
(216.5), ψ
Centauri
(216.6), ε
Apodis (216.8) |
|
October 21
(*214) |
22 (295) |
23 |
|
'September 24
(*187) |
25 (268) |
26 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Cb1-8 (400) |
Cb1-9 |
Cb1-10 |
Cb1-11 (403) |
|
April 24 (*400) |
25 |
26 (116) |
27 |
|
'March 28 |
29 |
30 |
31 (90) |
|
no star listed
(34) |
ξ Arietis (35.0) |
no star listed
(36) |
no star listed
(37) |
|
Asellus Primus
(217.8) |
τ Lupi (218.1),
φ Virginis
(218.7)
Fomalhaut
|
σ Lupi (219.1),
ρ Bootis
(219.5), Haris
(219.7) |
σ Bootis
(220.2), η
Centauri (220.4) |
|
October 24 |
25 |
26 |
27 (300) |
|
'September 27 |
28 |
29 |
30 (273) |
... The
leap day was introduced
as part of the Julian
reform. The day
following the
Terminalia (February
23) was doubled, forming
the 'bis sextum -
literally 'double
sixth', since February
24 was 'the sixth day
before the Kalends of
March' using Roman
inclusive counting
(March 1 was the 'first
day'). Although
exceptions exist, the
first day of the bis
sextum (February 24)
was usually regarded as
the intercalated or
'bissextile' day since
the third century.
February 29 came to be
regarded as the leap day
when the Roman system of
numbering days was
replaced by sequential
numbering in the late
Middle Ages ...
The
silent bird (Cb1-11) at
heliacal October 27
(300) would in Roman
times have been in
'September 30 (273 = 3 *
91). Terminalia
was in 'February 23 (31
+ 23 = 54), which when
counting from 'January 1
in the previous year
would be one more than
day 365 + 53 = 418 = 300
+ 4 * 29½ = 3 * 91 + 290
/ 2, i.e. corresponding
to the place where
someone was running away
in Gb4-18:
|
CLOSE TO THE
SUN: |
|
FEBR 22 (418) |
TERMINALIA |
24 (*340) |
25 (56) |
26 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Gb4-18 |
Gb4-19 |
Gb4-20 (111) |
Gb4-21 |
Gb4-22 (342) |
|
ν Ceti (37.9) |
ν Arietis
(38.5), δ, ε
Ceti (38.8) |
μ Arietis
(39.4),
HEAD OF THE FLY
= 35 Arietis
(39.6),
KAFFALJIDHMA
= γ Ceti, θ
Persei (39.8) |
π Ceti, ο
Arietis (40.0),
ANGETENAR
= τ¹ Eridani, μ
Ceti (40.2),
RIGHT WING = 39
Arietis
(40.9) |
Bharani-2 /
Stomach-17
(Pheasant)
π Arietis
(41.2),
MIRAM
= η Persei
(41.3),
BHARANI = 41
Arietis (41.4),
τ² Eridani, σ
Arietis (41.7) |
|
April 27 |
28 (118) |
29 (484) |
30 |
May 1 (*41) |
|
°April 23 |
24 |
25 (115) |
26 (*36) |
27 |
|
'March 31 (455) |
'April 1 (91) |
2 |
3 (*13) |
4 |
|
"March 17 |
18 |
19 (78) |
20 (444) |
0h (*365) |
|
CLOSE TO THE
FULL MOON: |
|
AUG 24 (236) |
25 (*157) |
26 |
27 |
28 |
|
σ Bootis
(220.2), η
Centauri (220.4) |
ρ Lupi (221.0),
TOLIMAN = α
Centauri
(221.2), π
Bootis (221.8),
ζ Bootis (221.9) |
31 Bootis
(222.0),
YANG MUN = α
Lupi
(222.1),
RIJL AL AWWA
= μ Virginis
(222.5), ο
Bootis (222.9) |
IZAR = ε
Bootis (223.0),
109 Virginis,
α Apodis
(223.3), μ
Librae (223.8) |
Al
Zubānā-14a /
Visakha-16 /
Root-3 (Badger)
ZUBEN ELGENUBI =
α Librae
(224.2), ξ
Bootis, ο Lupi
(224.5) |
|
October 27 (300) |
28 |
29 (*222) |
30 |
31 |
|
°Octoberl 23 |
24 |
25 (*218) |
26 |
27 (300) |
|
'September 30
(273) |
'October 1 |
2 (*195) |
3 |
4 |
|
"September 16 |
17 (260) |
18 (*181) |
19 |
20 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ga6-16 |
Ga6-17 (157) |
Ga6-18 |
Ga6-19 |
Ga6-20 |
|