44
indicate that a star or constellations is in a fixed position relative to the other stars.
The word must have another meaning here, however. It seems most likely that it
refers to the rising point of the sun appearing to stand still for several days at its
most northerly or southerly point at the solstice. Thus, this terminology for the solstice seems to give priority to the rising point of the sun rather than to the extremes
in the length of day and night. This conclusion is somewhat supported by the
absence of a reference to the length of day or night in this record, in contrast to the
case of the equinoxes recorded in contemporary texts where the lengths of day and
night were stated explicitly.
6 Observational Texts from the Late Babylonian Period
The Astronomical Diaries and related observational texts dating from the sixth to
the first century BC regularly record the dates of the solstices and equinoxes using
similar terminology to that found in the Neo-Assyrian texts just discussed (Sachs &
Hunger, 1988: 26). Equinoxes are again denoted by the term šitqultu “balanced”
(this is usually written logographically LÁL-tim, rather than syllabically as was the
case in the Neo-Assyrian texts), but without the accompanying statement that day
and night are both 6 bēru in length. Solstices are again denoted by šamaš GUB “the
sun stood (still)”.
The majority of reports of solstices and equinoxes in the Astronomical Diaries
are followed by the phrase NU PAP “not watched for”. Sometimes this phrase is
accompanied by a reference to bad weather which prevented the sun from being
seen. In these cases the date given for the phenomenon must therefore have been
calculated or estimated in some way. Various schemes are attested in cuneiform
texts of this period for calculating the dates of the solstices and equinoxes in the
civil calendar. One scheme ties the dates of these phenomena to the 19-year intercalation cycle (Neugebauer, 1948, Slotsky, 1993, Hunger & Pingree, 1999: 151–152).
According to this scheme the date of the summer solstice increases by 11 days every
year except for the 19th year of the cycle where it increases by 12 days. The dates
of the autumnal equinox, summer solstice, and spring equinox are calculated from
the summer solstice by adding 3 months and 3 days, 6 months and 6 days, and
9 months and 9 days respectively onto the date of the summer solstice. Thus, the
solstice and equinoxes are spaced evenly through the calendar year. All reports of
solstices and equinoxes in the Diaries dating from the beginning of the fourth century BC onwards agree with this scheme. Almost all of these reports are denoted as
“not watched for”, but the dates of those without this remark are also in agreement
with this scheme suggesting that during this period at least the solstices and equinoxes were always calculated rather than observed. An extension of this scheme
provided calculated dates for the first appearance, acronychal rising, and the last
appearance of Sirius and selected other stars (Hunger, 2014; Sachs, 1952).
J. Steele
indicate that a star or constellations is in a fixed position relative to the other stars.
The word must have another meaning here, however. It seems most likely that it
refers to the rising point of the sun appearing to stand still for several days at its
most northerly or southerly point at the solstice. Thus, this terminology for the solstice seems to give priority to the rising point of the sun rather than to the extremes
in the length of day and night. This conclusion is somewhat supported by the
absence of a reference to the length of day or night in this record, in contrast to the
case of the equinoxes recorded in contemporary texts where the lengths of day and
night were stated explicitly.
6 Observational Texts from the Late Babylonian Period
The Astronomical Diaries and related observational texts dating from the sixth to
the first century BC regularly record the dates of the solstices and equinoxes using
similar terminology to that found in the Neo-Assyrian texts just discussed (Sachs &
Hunger, 1988: 26). Equinoxes are again denoted by the term šitqultu “balanced”
(this is usually written logographically LÁL-tim, rather than syllabically as was the
case in the Neo-Assyrian texts), but without the accompanying statement that day
and night are both 6 bēru in length. Solstices are again denoted by šamaš GUB “the
sun stood (still)”.
The majority of reports of solstices and equinoxes in the Astronomical Diaries
are followed by the phrase NU PAP “not watched for”. Sometimes this phrase is
accompanied by a reference to bad weather which prevented the sun from being
seen. In these cases the date given for the phenomenon must therefore have been
calculated or estimated in some way. Various schemes are attested in cuneiform
texts of this period for calculating the dates of the solstices and equinoxes in the
civil calendar. One scheme ties the dates of these phenomena to the 19-year intercalation cycle (Neugebauer, 1948, Slotsky, 1993, Hunger & Pingree, 1999: 151–152).
According to this scheme the date of the summer solstice increases by 11 days every
year except for the 19th year of the cycle where it increases by 12 days. The dates
of the autumnal equinox, summer solstice, and spring equinox are calculated from
the summer solstice by adding 3 months and 3 days, 6 months and 6 days, and
9 months and 9 days respectively onto the date of the summer solstice. Thus, the
solstice and equinoxes are spaced evenly through the calendar year. All reports of
solstices and equinoxes in the Diaries dating from the beginning of the fourth century BC onwards agree with this scheme. Almost all of these reports are denoted as
“not watched for”, but the dates of those without this remark are also in agreement
with this scheme suggesting that during this period at least the solstices and equinoxes were always calculated rather than observed. An extension of this scheme
provided calculated dates for the first appearance, acronychal rising, and the last
appearance of Sirius and selected other stars (Hunger, 2014; Sachs, 1952).
J. Steele