MUL.APIN

B astrolabe, astrolabe -B ( also the Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian - calendar) is the scientific name of a Mesopotamian compilation that lists on cuneiform tablets astronomical positions of planets, stars and constellations in an annual calendar.

• 2.1 The astrolabe -B divisions 2.1.1 The astrolabe -B visibilities ( morning sunrises )

• 3.1 fall 3.1.1 wine and fig reading
• 3.1.2 wheat seeds
• 3.1.3 migratory birds

Origin

Even in Sumerian inscriptions are identified in the 3rd millennium BC, stars and constellations with the main deities and equated. In the following epochs their visibilities given in the night sky, the religious cults and processions. The Sumerian name MUL was used for today's terms planet / star / constellation as a unit term, as the twinkling planets were regarded as star and the constellations of the individual stars are made.

MUL precedes the object referred to as determinative, for example MULBAN (arc) for the constellation Canis Major. The Sumerian name labels were incorporated virtually unchanged from the later dynasties and neighboring countries, and only adapted to the respective temporal visibility conditions in the calendar.

MUL.APIN boards

The Assyrian MUL.APIN - rich clay tablets in a period of 2300 BC back to 687 BC and contain lists of the heliacal sunrises in the constellations in the sky. They were always created in three sets and duplicated until about 300 BC, according to need. The astrophysicist Bradley Schaefer assumes that many of the constellations this MUL.APIN by the Greek astronomer, mathematician and physicist Eudoxus of Cnidus have been used to his cataloging work.

Bradley Schaefer examined by statistical analysis of 190 observations the period 1460 BC to 1290 BC and chose the city of Assur that of the observer, since the historical record in his view, to 36.3 ° to 33.9 ° north latitude took place. Previously, Schaefer had examined the data of Eudoxus in the same manner, he found the same results within the statistical uncertainty.

The MUL.APIN the panels associated stars are sporadically not to be regarded as certain. In addition, it should be noted that in some cases heliacal evening sunrises were noted. In addition, due to the rising times shifts in the months since the celestial objects have constant time independent of a calendar within a period of 100 years.

In the example, 1365 BC, the first Nisanu fell on April 1, down about a week before the latest possible start of the month. 1364 BC to move the observations partially in the next month according to the Assyrian calendar schedule. In order to make reliable predictions, so the heliacal sunrises from different periods are examined.

MUL.APIN way of the moon

The path of the moon is in the MUL.APIN Series 1, Section 8, the annual lunar orbit, which fall hosted at the Babylonian lunar calendar.

MUL.APIN visibilities ( morning sunrises )

The heliacal rising and setting transitions, it is important to note that the twilight times are much shorter compared to those to be recognized in Central Europe. On average, the time between sunset and darkness sets in winter and in summer about thirty to fifty minutes. This gives a means of forty minutes and means that one hour before sunrise or one hour after sunset most of the stars are visible. For very faint objects partially another thirty minutes ( summer) must be added.

Organizing principle of the astrolabe -B Compilation

The night sky was divided into three sections, which were the chief Sumerian gods Anu, Enlil and Enki assumed. Each deity got twelve months name for their area of ​​supervision. Each month consisted of three alternating weeks gods, which lasted for ten days. One week a celestial object of the associated deity was assigned. Thus, 36 MUL objects were.

Special scientific attention has been given to the fact that the current twelve -month astronomical zodiac constellations nine out of twelve months with their Sumerian names and classifications correspond unchanged.

The astrolabe -B divisions

The following organizations and visibilities were created around 1100 BC by Tukulti - apil - Ešarra I.. The author of the cuneiform tablets specifically points to the fact that it is the times of heliacal Aufgangs of celestial objects. This is either the common rise with the sun at dawn or the rising meant by simultaneously setting sun at dusk.

It is given to the fact should be noted that the new day in the Mesopotamian cultures began with the setting of the sun at dusk and about Mark morning sunrises, depending on the season, the middle of the day. In contrast, for example, began in ancient Egypt the day with the dawn. The assignments in the astrolabe B are therefore to be considered in terms of the altered days counts.

The astrolabe -B visibilities ( morning sunrises )

Depending on the brightness of the object and the year the sighting of the common Aufgangs can take place only when faint stars or constellations appear at least an hour before the actual sunrise on the horizon. The actual sunrises show the calendar much earlier origin in Sumerian times, as the constellation data no longer match. At the time of Hesiod the early heliacal setting of the Pleiades was used on November 3 in the latitudes of Greece in a similar manner for calendrical divisions.

The seasons in conjunction with the astrolabe B

Autumn

Wine and fig reading

The autumn was the time of sowing. The grapes and fig harvest was mostly completed in the months of August to October. The ancient oriental proverb When August comes, the clusters of documents the main activities in August. During this time require the grapes and figs from the constant observation since the incoming migratory birds have (see also bee-eaters ) otherwise endanger the harvest. Therefore, the residents built small reed cottage in forest areas also called tabernacles, and inhabited this through to the end of the wine and fig harvest.

In the Old Testament that time is also referred to as living under vine and fig tree. The stay in the cottages was completed in Mesopotamian regions with the Grape Festival: pass the grapes and figs in October. In the Gezer calendar, the months of September and October also Einheimsungsmonate be called. In Greece, this time corresponds to the October and November as a celebration of Pyanepsie ( all salvage harvest).

Wheat seeds

In Aramaic plant competition of wheat with the gold that is of Mesopotamian origin, is reported: Wheat says that he wants to be now sown in the fall and fall and thinks through the double naming autumn and autumn the two-month sowing in October and November.

Migratory birds

For sowing appeared in large flocks of the Star and fed on the corn seeds. Since they were valued at more numerous occurrence as a good omen for the harvest, there was a quantitatively higher sowing, resulting in the omen fulfilled itself. The stork, also called April flyer, acted as Schlangenvertilger. The passage of the crane usually signaled in October, the time of the impending rain.

The same was true for the emergence of the swallows and the turtledoves, with the stork began the joint return later. The quail also appeared in mass swarms and fed on the waiting to harvest olives. Its main period began in late August and lasted until the beginning of October, before they moved on to the Egyptian coast. As a culinary specialty of the quails were caught in high- networks.