TY - JOUR
T1 - The Moon and the Scorpion
T2 - An Overlooked Astral Configuration in Old Babylonian Incantations and Its Astronomical Significance
AU - Hoffmann, Susanne M.
AU - Wasserman, Nathan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, The Author(s). Published by Brepols Publishers.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - This paper discusses a hitherto unnoticed asterism embedded as a historiola in a group of Old Babylonian incantations against scorpions (dated ca. 1900–1500 BCE). This group of Akkadian magical texts contains references to a unique astral configuration, that of the crescent Moon in the tail of Scorpius in the autumn sky. Our discussion suggests that this rare asterism was used to determine the autumn equinox, and as such was crucial to the ancient Mesopotamian calendar and intercalation system.
AB - This paper discusses a hitherto unnoticed asterism embedded as a historiola in a group of Old Babylonian incantations against scorpions (dated ca. 1900–1500 BCE). This group of Akkadian magical texts contains references to a unique astral configuration, that of the crescent Moon in the tail of Scorpius in the autumn sky. Our discussion suggests that this rare asterism was used to determine the autumn equinox, and as such was crucial to the ancient Mesopotamian calendar and intercalation system.
KW - Akkadian Incantations
KW - Intercalation
KW - Mesopotamian Astronomy
KW - Moon
KW - Scorpius
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105004752911&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1484/j.cnt.5.137415
DO - 10.1484/j.cnt.5.137415
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AN - SCOPUS:105004752911
SN - 0008-8994
VL - 66
SP - 19
EP - 38
JO - Centaurus
JF - Centaurus
IS - 1-2
ER -