Hermann Hunger

MUL. APIN, written sometime before the 8th century BC, was the most widely copied astronomical text in ancient Mesopotamia: a compendium including information such as star lists, descriptions of planetary phases, mathematical schemes for the length of day and night, a discussion of the luni-solar calendar and rules for intercalation, and a short collection of celestial omens. This book contains an introductory essay, followed by a new edition of the text and a facing-page transliteration and English translation. Finally, the book contains a new and detailed commentary on the text. This is a fascinating study, and an important resource for anyone interested in the history of astronomy.

MUL. APIN, written sometime before the 8th century BC, was the most widely copied astronomical text in ancient Mesopotamia: a compendium including information such as star lists, descriptions of planetary phases, mathematical schemes for the length of day and night, a discussion of the luni-solar calendar and rules for intercalation, and a short collection of celestial omens. This book contains an introductory essay, followed by a new edition of the text and a facing-page transliteration and English translation. Finally, the book contains a new and detailed commentary on the text. This is a fascinating study, and an important resource for anyone interested in the history of astronomy.

This volume contains an edition of clay tablets written during the time from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD. They list astronomical phenomena for a given year in chronological sequence, like a calendar. All data are calculated in advance. They are: first and last appearances of the moon and planets, with day number and zodiacal sign; solstices and equinoxes and phenomena of Sirius. For the outer planets, stations and acronychal risings are given. Furthermore the entrances of planets into zodiacal signs are listed. In some of the tablets, the conjunctions of planets with fixed stars are predicted. The predictions were most likely done with the help of Goal-Year Texts, which were edited in volume VI.