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Definition:
[Mul.Apin Tablets] The Mul.Apin [i.e.
Mul and Apin] tablets contain the most comprehensive surviving Babylonian star
and constellation catalogue from before 600 BC.
In the Babylonian pantheon
Anu, was the God of the Sky, and father to the Gods, including notably
Ishtar. With Enlil divine ruler of the Earth and its human inhabitants,
Ea, God of the freshwater ocean below and the Mother Goddess, he
governed the universe.
The 23 Stars on the Path of
Anu from the text from Mul.Apin: Column I, Lines 40
- 44; Column 2, Lines 1 - 18.
|
C I |
Textual line |
Interpretation |
|
40 |
The Great Square (ASH).IKU. Domicile of d.Ea,
which leads the stars of d.Anu. |
[Pegasus] |
|
41 |
The star at the Great Square: The Swan
(shi-nu-nu-tum). |
{Scheat, in Pegasus} |
|
42 |
The star behind the Great Square:
Anunitum |
{Andromeda} |
|
43 |
The star behind it: the agrarian worker
(LU).CHUN.GA), d.Dumuzi |
[Sumerian Dumuzi (Tammuz), Akkadian
Enkidu, in the most ancient scripts was the lover and husband of Inana "queen
of heaven", Sumerian E.AN.NA, and here he is found together with her in the
heavens in the path of Anu] {Perseus} |
|
44 |
The star cluster (MUL.MUL), the seven-fold
deity, the great gods |
[the Pleiades, in Taurus] |
|
C II |
|
|
|
1 |
The heavenly steer (GU4.AN.NA), the god of
the (wooden)-tablet (GISH)Le, the Crown of Anu. |
[Taurus, the steer] |
|
2 |
The Loyal Shepherd of Heaven (SIPA.ZI.AN.NA),
d.Papsukkal, the messenger of d.Anu and d.Ishtar |
[ the constellation Orion.
SIPA.ZI.AN.NA = GilgaMESH, where d.MASH is a name of
Gilgamesh-Mercury] |
|
3 |
The Twins (MASH.TAB.BA) who are near the
loyal shepherd of heaven: d.LU.LAL and d.LaTARAK |
[Pollux, in Gemini and Al Dhira'an, in
?] |
|
4 |
- reads together with line 3 - |
[Coma Berenices] {Denebola, in Leo}
|
|
5 |
The star behind him: the rooster (DAR.LUGAL)
|
{Procyon, in Canis Minor} |
|
6 |
The Lance (KAK.SI.SA), the spear of the great
hero Ninurta |
[Procyon - or Sirius] {Alphard in Hydra
with Monoceros as the lance} |
|
7 |
The Bow (BAN), the elamite d.Ishtar, the
daughter of d.Enlil |
{part of Hydra} |
|
8 |
The Snake (MUSH), d.NIN.GISH.ZI.DA, lord of
the underworld |
[Hydra] |
|
9 |
The Raven UGA.(MUSHEN), the star of d.Adad
|
[Corus] |
|
10 |
The Seed-Furrow (AB.SIN), d.Shala (with the)
sheaf of grain |
{Spica} |
|
11 |
The Scales (ZI.BA.AN.NA), the "horn" of the
scorpion |
{Libra. The Akkadian term is zibanitum,
described as MUL d.Shamash d.UD "constellation of the sun" and applied to the
star alpha-Librae in Libra, Arabic - Uz Zubana viz. Zubenelgenubi.} |
|
12 |
d.ZA.BA4.BA4, the Eagle TI8.(MUSHEN) and the
Corpse (LU).USH |
{Aquila and Ophiuchus} |
|
13 |
DIL.BAD, changes its location continuously
and crosses the heaven |
[Venus] {Akkadian: quick, fast moving}
|
|
14 |
salbatanu, changes its location continuously
and crosses the heaven |
[Mars] {Akkadian: fiery one} |
|
15 |
LU.BAD. SAG.USH, changes location
continuously and crosses heaven |
[Saturn] |
|
16 |
LU.BAD. GU4.UD, called d.MASH is visible
before or after sunrise within any month and disappears within any
month |
[Mercury] {moving star; Summerian:
steer of the Sun} |
|
17 |
- reads together with line 16 - |
|
|
18 |
(Those are) the 23 Stars of d. Anu. |
|
where d. is used as the abbreviation for the Sumerian
determinative DINGIR "god".
Comments in parenthesis by [ ] Werner Papke, and { }
Andis Kaulins;
() indicates the cuneiform syllables.
©
Further Information:
Translations of the
Cuneiform Inscription: The translations linked below
are separated out into the subject areas of the tablets.
| One: |
The 33
Stars on the Path of Enlil |
[Mul.Apin: Column I, Lines 1 -
39] |
| Two: |
The 23 Stars
on the Path of Anu |
[Mul.Apin: Column I, Lines 39 - 44; Column
II, Lines 1 - 18] |
| Three: |
The 15 Stars
on the Path of Ea |
[Mul.Apin: Column II Lines 19 - 35
] |
| Four: |
The
Heliacal Risings of 34 Stars by Month |
[Mul.Apin: Column II, Lines 36 - 47,
Column III, Lines 1 - 12] |
| Five: |
Heliacal Node Stars Rising and
Setting |
[Mul.Apin: Column III, Lines 13 -
33] |
| Six: |
Day Differences in the Rising of 15
Stars |
[Mul.Apin: Column III, Lines 34 -
50] |
| Seven: |
The Ziqpu
Stars |
[Mul.Apin: Column IV, Lines 1 -
30] |
| Eight: |
Stars on
the Path of the Moon |
[Mul.Apin: Column IV, Lines 31 -
39] |
© Dr Shepherd Simpson, Galactic Astrologer
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