Front - Line 14

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Hand drawing below by Ernst F. Weidner (1952)


DIŠU2GI65SAGGI6U.U.UDIŠU2AB2LAGABŠA2BADGÌR3URADIŠNIMDIBGI66SAG


Transliteration:

1 KUŠ3 GI6 5 SAG GI6 sin 1 KUŠ3 <e/šap> MULx KUR4 ša2 TIL GIR3 UR.A ana NIM DIB GI6 6 SAG GI6 [...]

Translation - by P.V. Neugebauer and E. F. Weidner (1915) edited by Hermann Hunger (1988)

1 cubit. Night of the 5th, beginning of the night, the moon passed towards the east 1 cubit the bright star of the end of the Lion's foot. Night of the 6th, beginning of the night, [...]

Note A

Moon position 5

the moon passed towards the east 1 cubit the bright star of the end of the Lion's foot.

The rear foot of the Lion usually refers to β Virginis.

1 cubit east of [β Virginis] Moon β Virginis 2.2°
BC588-07-04 19:30 1506841.18750 +02°26'18" 2.438 +00°38'05" 0.635 1.804 east
BC568-06-24 19:40 1514136.19444 156°27'08" 156.452 140°56'47" 140.946 15.506 east

This is the third occasion when the year 568 BC is a day out from what the tablet describes

See Front Line 18 Note A

Position 4 | Position 5 | Position 6

588 BC #5 | 568 BC #5

Note B

SymbolSyllablesMeanings
DIŠ Constantly, always, one, sixty,
if
U2
kuš3
 load, horn
unit
GI6
ĝi6
ku10
mi
 mūšu: night
ṣalāmu: cause to become dark, darkened, obscured
5 5
SAG Front, head
pūtu: forehead ; front side
GI6
ĝi6
ku10
mi
 mūšu: night
ṣalāmu: cause to become dark, darkened, obscured
ušu3
ba3
es2
sin		 šalāšā: thirty, 30
half

the moon
DIŠ Constantly, always, one, sixty,
if
U2
kuš3
 load, horn
unit
AB2 arḫu: cow
cattle
kakkabu: a star
LAGAB
RI3
GUR4
niĝin2
ellag
KUR4
 block; excess

thick
encircle, total
bibbu: Mercury
KUR4 = ba'lu which means either ba'ālu: to be abnormally large, to become bright or shine brightly;
or ba'ūlu: great, important; - The Assyrian Dictionary, Volume 2, B (1965) pg 1, 184
ĝar
niĝ2
ša2
 Place
Thing
of
BAD
TIL		 TIL = qītu: end, termination, putting an end to; - The Assyrian Dictionary, Volume 13, Q (1982) pg 283 It's meaning usually has to do with the termination of contracts or reigns of kings, or other time periods rather than the physical tip of something.
The word qītu compares with qātu: hand, paw; - The Assyrian Dictionary, Volume 13, Q (1982) pg 183
GIR3 šēpu: foot
UR.A UR.A = nēšu: Lion
DIŠ Constantly, always, one, sixty,
if
NIM šaqû: to become high, elevated, to rise repeatedly
DIB
UDU
LU
TIP
 etāqu: to go past , to pass by , to go through , to cross over ; to proceed along , to advance , to go ahead , to move on / onward , to continue , to proceed further ;
etēqu: to pass, go along, go past ; to go through, cross over
immeru: sheep;
GI6
ĝi6
ku10
mi
 mūšu: night
ṣalāmu: cause to become dark, darkened, obscured
6 6
SAG Front, head
pūtu: forehead ; front side

Note C

A. The moon observations.

6. At the beginning of the night of the 5th (Sivan), the moon I cubit overtook the north star from the foot of Leo to the east (vs. 14). June 24, 8h evening:

  • Moon λ = 157°.1 ß = +5°.0
  • γ Virginis λ = 154°.8 ß = +3°.0

The equation kakkabSI ša ḳît šêpi UR-A = γ Virginis is astronomically in no way objectionable. Now let's take a look at the star chart, ß Virginis is considered "the foot of the lion" by the Babylonians, so how can γ Virginis, a star nearly 15° from ß, be at the end of the foot? The foot would then be of enormous size and the shape of the lion would look downright grotesque. It can therefore be assumed that the Babylonian made a mistake here in naming the star. γ Virginis which otherwise bears the name šur-ši eššeni "root of the ear" (see Epping, Astronomisches aus Babylon, p. 128).

TRANSLATION FROM: Paul V. Neugebaner und Ernst F. Weidner (1915) Ein astronomischer Beobachtungstext aus dem 37. Jahre Nebukadnezars II (- 567/66).

Modern Results

SkyCharts

  • BC568-06-24 20h00m00s ( +03 )
  • Moon: L: +156°35'20" B:+04°27'50"
  • γ Virginis: L: +154°53'28" B:+02°58'37"
  • ΔT 18205.53s (05h03m25.53s)

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