Heavenly Writing: Divination and Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture (2004)(en)(330s)

HALF-TITLE......Page 3
TITLE......Page 5
COPYRIGHT......Page 6
DEDICATION......Page 7
CONTENTS......Page 9
PREFACE......Page 11
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 19
ABBREVIATIONS......Page 21
CHRONOLOGY OF MESOPOTAMIAN HISTORY AND THE PERIODIZATION OF CUNEIFORM TABLETS......Page 25
AKKADIAN MONTHS (STANDARD BABYLONIAN/LATE BABYLONIAN LOGOGRAPHIC SPELLINGS)......Page 26
Outer Planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars)......Page 27
Inner Planets (Venus, Mercury)......Page 28
THE HEAVENLY WRITING......Page 29
PROLOGUE......Page 31
1 THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF MESOPOTAMIAN SCIENCE......Page 44
1.1 THE RECEPTION OF BABYLONIAN ASTRONOMY INTO THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE......Page 45
1.2 PHILOSOPHICAL INFLUENCES......Page 59
1.2.1 Practical Knowledge: The Epistemological Problem......Page 60
1.2.2 Religious Aims: The Pragmatic Problem......Page 65
2.1 AN INTRODUCTION TO MESOPOTAMIAN SCHOLARLY DIVINATION......Page 74
2.2.1 Celestial Omens (Enmacronma Anu Enlil)......Page 96
2.2.2 Terrestrial Omens (Summa Alu)......Page 108
2.2.3 Dream Omens (Ziqiqu)......Page 111
2.2.4 Physiognomic Omens (Alamdimmu)......Page 117
2.2.5 Malformed Birth Omens (Summa Izbu)......Page 118
2.2.6 Medical Diagnostic Omens (SA.GIG/Sakikku)......Page 122
3 PERSONAL CELESTIAL DIVINATION: THE BABYLONIAN HOROSCOPES......Page 128
4 SOURCES FOR HOROSCOPES IN ASTRONOMICAL TEXTS......Page 151
4.1.1 The Ecliptic......Page 153
4.1.1.1 The Zodiac......Page 156
4.1.1.2 Norming of the Zodiac......Page 161
4.1.2 The Sun......Page 163
4.1.3.1 Daily Motion......Page 164
4.1.3.2 Synodic Motion......Page 165
4.1.3.3 Eclipses......Page 168
4.1.3.4 Latitude......Page 170
4.1.4 The Planets......Page 172
4.1.4.1 Synodic Phenomena......Page 173
4.1.4.2 Daily Motion......Page 174
4.2 ASTRONOMICAL SOURCES FOR HOROSCOPES......Page 175
4.2.1 Astronomical Diaries......Page 177
4.2.2 Goal-Year Texts......Page 181
4.2.3 Almanacs and Normal Star Almanacs......Page 183
4.2.4 Ephemerides......Page 187
5.1 THE IDEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND......Page 194
5.2 CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE PHENOMENA AS SIGNS......Page 195
5.3 THE AUTHORITATIVE CHARACTER OF THE CELESTIAL SIGNS......Page 211
5.4 DIVINE–HUMAN RELATIONS......Page 215
5.5 PERSONAL CELESTIAL DIVINATION......Page 232
6 THE SCRIBES AND SCHOLARS OF MESOPOTAMIAN CELESTIAL SCIENCE......Page 239
6.1 THE SCRIBES, SCHOLARSHIP, AND KNOWLEDGE......Page 240
6.2 THE SCRIBES OF ENUMA ANU ENLIL......Page 249
7.1 THE EVIDENCE OF TRANSMISSION......Page 267
7.2 A CONSIDERATION OF CRITERIA......Page 274
7.3 THE FOUNDATIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAN SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE: THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL CRITERION......Page 276
7.3.1 The Empirical Character of Objects of Mesopotamian Scientific Knowledge......Page 277
7.3.2 Omens are Not “Observation Statements”......Page 286
7.3.3 Observables in Mesopotamian Divination......Page 289
7.3.4 A Brief Look at Babylonian Astronomical Observations......Page 291
7.4.1 The Case of Celestial Divination......Page 295
7.4.2 The Case of Astronomy......Page 303
7.4.3 Questions About Theory......Page 306
EPILOGUE......Page 317
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 331
NAME INDEX......Page 353
Akkadian Personal Names......Page 354
Geographical Names......Page 355
SUBJECT INDEX......Page 356