The Babylonians and Ecliptic Measurement

[Guest guest]

From page 149 of Hunger and Pingree's ASTRAL SCIENCES OF MESOPOTAMIA (1999):

 

" The statements concerning the cubits between the planets and the Moon and

the " Normal Stars " they [Roughton-Canzoneri (1992)] show to be longitudinal

differences, measured on the ecliptic without regard to latitudes of either

the planets or the Moon or the " Normal Stars, " and they suggest that in

most cases the planetary longitude was computed (planetary latitudes were

not computed) and not observed. This result means that the Babylonians

possessed catalogues of Normal Stars giving their longitudes. We have a

fragment of such a catalogue... "

 

The fragment, BM 46083, originally published by Sachs in 1952, is then

reproduced in the text and includes:

 

Root of Barley Stalk(?) gamma Vir-Porrima 16 Virgo

Today's positions: Krishnamuti= 16Vi23 Fagan-Bradley= 15Vi24

 

Bright (star) of Barley Stalk(?) 28(?) alpha Virgo-Spica

Today's positions: K=0Li05 F-B= 29Vi

 

Southern Balance-Pan alpha Libra-Zeuben Elgenubi 20 Libra

Today's positions: K= 21Li19 F-B= 20Li20

 

Northern Balance-Pan Beta Libra-Zeubenelshemali 25 Libra

Today's positions: K= 25Li37 F-B= 24Li38

 

So if anyone is trying to prove an ancient zodiac, it's a toss-up between

the Fagan-Bradley ayanamsa and the Lahiri-Krishnamurti zodiacs of India.

These zodiacs are less than a degree apart. It seems that Robert Hand is

right in saying that an appeal to history won't work. We have to figure

this out for ourselves with the tools we have at our disposal today.

 

Therese

[Guest guest]

At 04:24 AM 6/26/03 -0000, Bob wrote:

>Therese,

>

>I have been trying the Lahiri-Krishnamurti in progressed lunar work

>lately and it does seem to yield smaller differences between angles

>and points and mid-points than the Fagan-Bradley.

>

>Bob

 

Very interesting, Bob! Please keep us posted, as I haven't had time for the

concentration I need to study and begin to work with progressed lunars.

Perhaps you could give us a few examples?

 

I worked for some years with the Fagan-Bradley value, then moved to Lahiri

and finally to Krishnamurti for finely tuned timing. But this is in the

Indian Dasa system which is very different from progressed lunars.

 

Sincerely,

Therese