Babylonian Science of the Heavens

Babylonian Science of the Heavens

Roland Matthews (2002)

The debate of whether or not Babylonian astrology was scientific or divinatory is important to tracing the origins of the practice of astrology.  The purpose of knowing the origin of any field is to establish its antiquity and therefore its validity and credibility among those who are involved with it, and also used as a defense against its opponents.

The reason the debate exists is because if it was divinatory only, then it had little to do with Greek astrology and therefore it was not the source of what we use today. On the other hand, if it was scientific, then it could be the source of many things in our culture besides astrology. It could be the origin of science itself.

            Most historians assume that the Babylonian practice of astrology was primarily divinatory because of the Enuma Anu Enlil, an ancient text listing thousands of omens that were used by Mesopotamian priests to communicate the warnings of the gods to their king. What is being overlooked or even avoided is the fact that untold years of scientific research had to be done in order to create such an extensive list of omens. The definition of the scientific method is: “The empirical process of discovery and demonstration considered characteristic of or necessary for scientific investigation, generally involving the observation of phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis concerning the phenomena, experimentation to demonstrate the truth or falseness of the hypothesis, and a conclusion that validates or modifies the hypothesis”.1 By this definition alone one can see that what they were doing was scientifically cataloguing and studying everything in their environment so they would be able to recognize when something was abnormal. The definition of divination is: “The art or act of foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or an alleged supernatural agency.”2 When something was unusual, it was called an omen and used for divination. Science to date has not proven or disproved the existence of any supernatural agencies. If the Babylonians had a hypothesis or belief of such an agency, then science was created and used to interpret omens, and divination itself was a scientific method.

            Some of these omens were probably quite frightening to the general populace of Babylon. Even the nights becoming longer and longer in winter due to the city-state being in the Northern hemisphere could be seen as “a pattern that threatened disaster, unless the Sun could be persuaded to turn back.”3 Yet, if they studied it enough to realize it was a pattern, then those who knew, most likely also knew that the Sun didn’t need to be persuaded. It was the people that needed to be persuaded. It is possible that a priestly caste withheld this knowledge from the profane in order to have power over them. Hoskin says: “astrology is to be understood in the Greek sense, as the study of direct and unavoidable consequences…”4 Perhaps it was the Greeks that were more philosophical, while the Babylonians contributed to science and mathematics. “The Babylonians were on the alert for unusual occurrences in every aspect of nature.”5 “When they found something unusual, they interpreted this as an omen; not as the cause of a disaster that might yet be avoided…”6 This is much like our modern day economic or meteorological forecasters, who do exactly the same and are considered scientific.

            There is much evidence that reveals the level of science acquired by the Babylonians. Even so, many authors ignore this and contradict themselves while focusing on the divinations mentioned in the Enuma Anu Enlil. “The Babylonian astronomers realized that 19 solar years are very close to 235 lunar months.”7 The calculation of the Metonic cycle is an impressive use of astronomy. Hoskin says of the Babylonians on p.19-20: their contribution “was more important to math than astronomy”8, then on p.21 contradicts himself stating: “impact on astronomy was incalculable.”9 And then he mentions how efficient they were: “using their sophisticated numerical system to take full advantage of the cycles revealed by their observational records.”10 Even in his contradiction he is discussing their scientific prowess and enforcing it.

            Patterson mentions the: “Success of Mesopotamian city-states in building canals and irrigation systems.”11 “The Code of Hammurabi”12 “Writing was invented as early as 9000 BCE”13 “The Assyrians applied sexagesimal system to geometry”14 “Observations (astronomy) were accurate and systematically tabulated (calendars, time, and zodiac)”15 “Babylonian architects pioneered the use of the arch and column.”16

            Ness says of the Enuma Anu Enlil: “the final version consisted of ca. [circa / around] seventy tablets and perhaps seven thousand omens…on anything that happened in the sky, weather, optical illusions, as well as astronomical events, and earthquakes.”17 He also says: “It is important to note that scientific astronomy did not conflict with astral omens or horoscopy. We have seen that the same people kept works on all three disciplines.”18 “They knew how to calculate where the planets were at any time.”19 “They used mathematics to analyze the planets’ movements and thus to better communicate with their gods.”20

            Whitfield says: “The task of these experts, these scholar-scientists, was to scan the face of nature in order first to find significant patterns there, and then significant departures from those patterns.”21 He goes on to say: “The Mul.Apin texts also show an awareness of the general nature of the Sun’s path, that it moved each year between two points of high and low altitude, with two median points, and that these four points therefore divide the astronomical year into four…”22 and “Mul.Apin is virtually a complete compendium of the astronomy of its time.”23 It is also important to recall the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Tower of Babel, both of which have come down to us as incredible feats of ingenuity.

            In conclusion, the origin of astrology as we know it today should obviously be accredited to the Mesopotamians. Some authors do not even mention these incredible people in their historical research of this subject because of their adoration of the Greeks or their blind views of Western Civilization. Not only does the evidence point towards the Babylonians as the creators of this field, but it also shows the extent to which they troubled themselves to scientifically research and empirically understand the phenomena that happened around them on a daily basis. They invented writing and were wise enough to use a medium that would survive thousands of years in order to convey their hard work and knowledge to those who would come after them. To them, divination was not just a way of communicating to their deities. It was the culmination and modification of the ultimate hypothesis of the ultimate science: the quest for understanding existence, knowledge of, and proof of supernatural entities. Therefore, astrology has its origin in antiquity, its foundation is not only in science, but it is the progenitor of it, and thereby deserves the utmost respect of all its peers.

Endnotes

1.      American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, fourth edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, p.1560

2.      ibid. p.528

3.      Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy, by Michael Hoskin, p.2

4.      ibid. p.20

5.      ibid.

6.      ibid.

7.      ibid. p.21

8.      ibid. p.19-20

9.      ibid. p.21

10.   ibid.

11.   Ancient History: 4500 BC – 500 AD, by Gordon M. Patterson, p.13

12.   ibid. p.16

13.   ibid. p. 18

14.   ibid. p. 19

15.   ibid. p. 20

16.   ibid. p. 21

17.   Written in the Stars: Ancient Zodiac Mosaics, by Lester Ness, p. 49

18.   ibid. p. 59

19.   ibid. p. 60

20.   ibid. p. 67

21.   Astrology: a History, by Peter Whitfield, p. 10

22.   ibid. p. 21

23.   ibid. p. 19