Rear - Line 15

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Hand drawing below by Ernst F. Weidner (1952)


NUNLAGARNAGARURALAGABDIŠULU3TARAŠŠA3NUNLAGARDIŠU2U.U.UAŠIGIHIBIDUDIŠU2U.U.UNIMGI6U??


Transliteration:

TUR3 ALLA UR.A NIGIN2 ana ULU3 TAR ina ŠA3 TUR3 1 KUŠ3 sin ina IGI ḫe-pi2 GUB 1 KUŠ3 sin NIM GI6 U U[SAN ...]

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

the halo surrounded Cancer and Leo, it was split towards the south. Inside the halo, the Moon stood 1 cubit in front of < α Leonis >, the Moon being 1 cubit high. Night of the 10th, first [part of the night ...]

Note

the Moon stood 1 cubit in front of < α Leonis >

This is evidence VAT 4946 is a copy of an older version, possibly the original. Where the translation reads "< α Leonis >" it is in the place the scribe indicates the tablet being copied is damaged.

ḫe-pi2ḫapiu: fragmentary, fragmented, incomplete, broken;

This could refer to any day between the 8th and the 10th day. The translators have chosen α Leonis to be the missing symbol. For both years the Moon passes this star during this time.

Note A

SymbolSyllablesMeanings
NUN.LAGAR
TUR3		 animal stall
NAGAR alluttu: a crab, constellation of Cancer.
UR.A UR.A = nēšu: Lion
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
DIŠ Constantly, always, one, sixty,
if
ULU3
ĝišgal		 wind
station
TAR
KUD
 cut
nakāsu: to cut; parāsu: to cut off, to keep away; parsu: secret, confidential
AŠ.ŠA3 ina libbi: inside, among, in, for
NUN.LAGAR
TUR3		 animal stall
DIŠ Constantly, always, one, sixty,
if
U2
kuš3
 load, horn
unit
ušu3
ba3
es2
sin		 šalāšā: thirty, 30
half

the moon
ina IGI naṭālu: (to be able) to see , to look at, to gaze ; to observe (the sky); to be visible;
ina maḫar: before (someone), in the presence, in front of - The Assyrian Dictionary, Volume 10, M, Part I, (1977) pg 106
HI.BI ḫapiu: fragmentary, fragmented, incomplete, broken;
Broken - probably referring to the original tablet being broken
DU
DE6
GUB
TUM6
 go
bring
stand, sheep
DIŠ Constantly, always, one, sixty,
if
U2
kuš3
 load, horn
unit
ušu3
ba3
es2
sin		 šalāšā: thirty, 30
half

the moon
NIM šaqû: to become high, elevated, to rise repeatedly
GI6
ĝi6
ku10
mi
 mūšu: night
ṣalāmu: cause to become dark, darkened, obscured
U
bur3
šu4
ge14
 Earth, finger, ten, totality
Unit
Cover
Blow
and
?? ??

Note B

A. The moon observations.

16. On the night of the x. (Adar) the moon was surrounded by a halo. The halo surrounded Cancer and Leo and was open to the south. In the halo the moon stood 1 cubit in front of the broken off 1 cubit the moon to the east (Rs. 14f.). 8. Adar = March 21, 10h at night:

  • Moon λ= 111°.3 ß = +3°.3
  • Regulus λ = 114°.3 ß = +0°.5
The star whose name is cut off is surely Regulus. The date is undoubted, since only with this position of the moon can Cancer and Leo be within the moon halo (radius 22°). The statement of the 7th Adar is also correct: "The moon was surrounded by a halo, the crab and Regulus stood in it" (Rs. 14). 7th Adar = March 20. At 10h at night the moon was in c. 97 ° Longitude Regulus is then close to the edge of the halo, while the eastern part of Leo lies outside.

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

Modern Results

SkyCharts
  • BC567-03-21 22h00m00s ( +03 )
  • Moon: L: +110°47'54" (+111.79°) B:+03°02'34" (+03.04°)
  • Regulus: L: +114°21'09" (+114.35°) B:+00°20'51" (+0.34°)
  • ΔT 18194.21s ( 05h03m14.21s )

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