Babylonian Astronomy – The Indo-Assyrian Roots
Indian themes in Assyrian history
Some 175-146 years after Hammurabi, the Assyrian throne passed onto his grandson, who ascended the throne of Babylon – and took a very Buddhist name. This is apparently a 1000 years before Gautama Buddha – as per Western dating fix! Known in history as Ammisaduqua /Ammisaduqa (1646-1626) – अमिष, amish in Sanskrit means truth and honesty + duqa = suffering, pain. Was Ammisaduqua one of the earliest Bodhisattvas, or one of the earliest followers of Buddha.
Western dating gone completely awry?
In the heavens …
Apart from commissioning an authoritative study on planet Venus (‘probably the earliest example’ of astronomy), Ammisaduqua /Ammisaduqa /Ammizaduga is known for cancelling debts. Was he named Ammisaduqua /Ammisaduqa because he understood the ‘true suffering’ of the people.
The discovery of clay tablets at the Kuyunjik mound in mid 19th century, at Sippar, in modern Iraq, (ancient Niniveh), in the palace of Ashurbanipal (668-635 BC), in the 19th century, was the most complete set of tablets recovered, of the study first commissioned by Ammisaduqua. The name of the scribe of these tablets has been variously deciphered as Ku-Aya, Nur-Aya, Ipiq-Aya – and most interestingly, ‘in all probablity, the scribe was called’ Kasap-Aya, the same as the famous Indian rishi Kashyapa, ऋषि कश्यप.
Enuma Anu Enlil
Enuma Anu Enlil, the 70 clay tablet series, by astronomer-astrologers in Mesopotamia, recovered from the ruins of Ashurbanipal’s Library, at Niniveh, contains ‘careful records of celestial events for centuries’ – with an inventory of 7000 omens.
Enuma-Anu, could also be spelt as Anumaanu. And अनुमान anumana, which in Sanskrit is, estimate, infer, deduce, close (not exact) calculation. Enlil is the Assyrian God of Winds and Skies. Anil अनिल is also the modern Sanskrit word for air, wind.
What Enuma Anu Enlil, then means is Calculation of the Winds and Skies - which is what it is. It has been noticed that there is “evidence that the earliest layers of this vast collection go back to lunar eclipse omens from the Dynasty of Akkad and Ur III late in the third millennium.”
Cuneiform tablet with the Atrahasis Epic - The British Museum
To the seas …
The earliest extant account we get of the Flood, (pralaya प्रलय in Indian texts) Atra-hasis is also ascribed to the Ammisaduqua reign – which can be gauged by the scribal colophon marks. The Atra-hasis is the world’s first account of the Flood (as per Western history) – which is recounted also in the Bible. This account of the Flood, the Atra-hasis, written by Atra, possibly by a scribe named after Rishi Atri, ऋषि अत्रि, one of the writers of the Rig Veda. The scribe writes, “at-ra-am-ha-si”, which in Sanskrit will read as अत्री अम्हसी “Atri am I”.
Since (deciphered) Akkadian language, in which these tablets were composed, works on presumptive vowels, (deciphered) vowels are a matter of guesswork, opinion and such. To give the benefit of doubt, most Assyriologists have little or poor knowledge of Indian texts and Sanskrit, which comes in the way of making some of these connections.
Eye in the sky …
But wonder turns to puzzlement, when one comes to a Babylonian king called Kandalanu (647-627 BC) – or alternatively, Kundalin(i). Kundali कुण्डली in Sanskrit means circle – of seasons, life, fortune, etc – and janam kundali is made. The measurements of Saturn during Kandalanu’s reign of 20-odd years are important to understanding Mesopotamian astronomy. Saturn in Indian astronomy is Shani शनि. In Indian astrology, Shani casts a dark and baleful shadow on which ever zodiac sign it moves into.
Ashurbanipal
It is speculated that the Kandalanu was the throne name for Ashur-bani-pal – at whose library the above clay tablets were found. Historians have have mixed opinions about Kandalanu and Ashurbanipal being the same person.
Its gotta be the Greeks …
Oh no! Not again!!
Babylonian astronomy (encompassing Assyrian, Mesopotamian, Sumerian, Akkadian) is closely allied with Indian developments in direction, purpose and history. This challenges modern history, caught between the ‘Greek Miracle’ as history school, which has stuck to the Egypt->Greece->Rome->Europe–>West-Is-The-Greatest Axis. For long, the West has systematically suppressed Indian achievements in various spheres – largely for reasons of colonial propaganda.
Western historians trace Indian own significant achievements in astronomy to ‘import’ from Babylon – via Greece! David Brown, an ‘expert’, on Mesopotamian astronomy and astrology, goes further and asserts that the “evidence for transmission to Greece and thence to India in the Hellenistic period was overwhelming.” (from Learned antiquity By Alasdair A. MacDonald, Michael W. Twomey, G. J. Reinink).
What is this ‘overwhelming’ evidence that he presents? Nothing, but the usual dating mix ups. Considering “it unlikely that it was the work of one person’ , analysts are surprised, ‘considering its internal consistency”.
Worried, Mr.Brown? There is more, where this from, Mr.Brown.
Surely, if Indians needed to learn, would it not have been easier and simpler, Mr.Brown, for Indians to have learnt this directly, from the Babylonians – instead of getting of it second hand from the Greeks.
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Your polite astonishment at the Western presumption that Greeks invented mathematics and astronomy – and presentation of the logical possibility the path was India – The Rig Veda – Babylon – Egypt (?) Greece; makes sense, to me.
Congratulations on your suggestions on language – links to Sanskrit in this context. (Enlil is the Assyrian God of Winds and Skies. (e.g.,. Anil अनिल is also the modern Sanskrit word for air, wind).
Modern Western Christian practice sits at the end of the long trail; and appears to reproduce a relics of debased residues of lost exact science – repressed and forgotten astronomical knowledge in which stars, planets, and nodes, reappear, de-ified, as Gods. (As they do, in Indian pantheons).
Tibetan sand mandalas likewise, appear to offer the Babylonian circular version of the square astronomical records of the Vedas; Tibetan gods tell the similar stories.
I find some comfort in the realisation of at least 30,000 years of catacyclysms, wars; and repetitive re-discovery of prior broad knowledge of, the working of the universe.
The recent imaging and subsequent reconstructions of the Antikythera Mechanism, for example; a bronze hand-cranked clock-calendar-computer to predict planetary moves, eclipses and festivals, excited some degree of Greek amazement, as it was built about AD 70 – perhaps in the life time of Archimedes, and was perhaps made in his home-town – (21 Centuries ago) a good 5 centuries before the supposed Western invention of the clock.
The tooth count of the bronze gears use Metonic and Saros cycles and were built to serve both Egyptian and Greek calendar needs. A revolutionary device; as it would tend to reduce the value of Brahminic-style astroomical mathematical temple-calendar and eclipse-predictiion scholarship.
A disruptive technology, for sure.
CORRECTION: I meant to write The tooth count of the bronze gears use Metonic and Saros cycles and were built to serve both Egyptian and Greek calendar needs. A revolutionary device; as it would tend to REPLICATE ( or RE-PRODUCE) the (EARLIER-CREATED) valueS of Brahminic-style astronomical mathematical temple-calendar and eclipse-predictiion scholarship.
A disruptive technology, for sure.
Rig Veda – Babylon – Egypt (?) Greece
Instead of Rig Veda – Babylon – Egypt (?) Greece, which you seem to takeaway from my post, I am proposing that it was India+Assyria=Babylon -> Whole World path.
I am continually amazed at what was achieved in Babylon – which seemed like a intellectual ‘free-port’.
I like this thought!
The Antikythera ‘legend’ is another classic case of thin data – and massive fiction, speculation, and propaganda.
Look at the subsequent history of astrolabes – which were similar to the Antikythera. These were made in the arc of Middle East and India. Greek was the lingua france of the Byzantine Empire till the 15th century – and for a Byzantine astrolabe maker /mechanic to construct the Antikythera using Greek language would be but natural, naturales, naturel, 自然 (Japanese), 自然的;有关自然界的 (Chinese).
The Native Greeks never displayed such a fine sense of mechanical construction – but is abundant in the Islamic Middle East. The Islamic Middle East did cater to the Greek language users of the Byzantine Empire.
Would a Japanese Toyota car, discovered in Saudi Arabian ruins, after 500 years, using Arabic numerals, become a ‘marvel of Saudi engineering’?
The answer to the Antikythera is in the accompanying artefacts. I have not found any discussions anywhere in the last 4 years, about the ‘companion’ artefacts of the Antikythera.
On a detail, I disagree with you that the:
“The Antikythera ‘legend’ is another classic case of thin data – and massive fiction, speculation, and propaganda”.
Two weeks ago I saw a working reproduction, built in Australia from plans compiled from the Athens Museum team, after the millimetre by millimeter layer-imaging.
You write: ‘Look at the subsequent history of astrolabes – which were similar to the Antikythera. These were made in the arc of Middle East and India. Greek was the lingua france of the Byzantine Empire till the 15th century – and for a Byzantine astrolabe maker /mechanic to construct the Antikythera using Greek language would be but natural, naturales, naturel, 自然 (Japanese), 自然的;有关自然界的 (Chinese).
I have seen a reproduction Antikythera mechanism made in Sydney, Australia.
My reading supports your India+Assyria=Babylon -> Whole World path theory. If the locus of the Antikythera invention – which appears connected to Smyrna, and Archimedes; and, which came from a Roman trading vessel full of artworks in bronze, metals, and marble, at a time of a peak of sea-trade, and transport of wheat from Egpyt and loot (and ideas), of wide-spread Roman-invasions – to Rome; then, I would argue the shipplng of a SINGLE calendric and navigation-device on a ship, makes sense. Did Cook take a box-load of sextants when he crossed the Pacific? If we found one sextant in a wreck, would we call that “thin data”. I think not.
Who needs a box-load of Antikytheras? I would argue the Antikythera was too-strategic a device, to mass-produce. (If Bill Gates had been there at the time, perhaps Antikythera factories would prove the next step). But, it was near the begining of the decline of Roman rule; and, the rise of Christianity, as a mass-movement in Europe. Roman culture had split, and Rome itself near that time recorded sporadic years of famine near this time, when wheat harvests failed in Egypt.
The wreck was reported, as looted itself, in advance of its “discovery” by sponge-divers, on an island on the sea-route to Rome. It was designed for Roman needs; as it gave dates for Roman festivals.
If the (school-of) Archimedes was the builder; then, looking at the history of Smyrna; Archimede’s father was also an astronomer-mathematician. Smyrna, a centre of military-device invention; and, Archimedes a Greek under Roman rule, a living treasure to the Romans, due to his ability to design seige-weaponry.
The record tells Archimedes was in the middle of diagram in the sand (‘Don’t step on my circles), when killed by a rogue Roman.
How to build an Antikythera
The builder of the Antikythera in circa AD 70 did NOT wake, one day, and say:” Mmmm. After I have my yoghurt, I think I will build a thing today which counts planetary moves, allows ships to locate themselves in the open ocean, counts Saros Cycles, computes nodes of the Moon, and predicts eclipses, Roman festivals and what-not, for my Roman overlords”‘.
The arrival of device like the Antikythera – takes generations and generations and generations of record-keeping, know-how and failed experiments. I have seen similar simpler bronze calender devices in old metals markets in South India.
To build the Antikythera needed metals and wood-working workshop, with fine tools. It needed a long-standing tradition of metal working; accumulations of maybe thousands of years or more of data-collection; much mathematics and theorising – its a work of generations of record-keeping and calculations; records, once controlled by “priests”, in “temples”.
Turned into a portable device, the Antikythera meant political and social dynamite.
In short, my reading supports your premise of the transmission of ideas India+Assyria=Babylon -> (then, in this case Greek – >Roman, Antikythera) Whole World path theory.
The fact that the Antikythera was, perhaps MADE by a Greek in a Roman city, for Roman needs, simply demonstrates application of a time-stream of knowledge, passed-on by invasion, or invention funded by current tax-collecting social class of the era – The Romans.
Inventors don’t care where knowledge comes from. But may need financial sponsorship, and devices – as, great leaps of ideas – come after generations of mentoring in a stable civilisation. But, can pass from one civilisation to another. Or stop at one inventor, if records get destroyed, hidden, or stolen. Or, if working models and prototypes get sunk beneath the sea. Or one civilisation fades – or say, volcanic events, tsumanis, or ice-dam-break sea-level rises or dam-breach flood-catastrophes remove whole centres of learning, in one go.
How does this make it Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Babylonian – anything at all? Am I missing a point?
I value your reading and informed agreement.
Now this connection is what bothers me! How did this connection come about? There is no ‘evidence’ except some pretty solid ‘mythic’ modelling.
14th-16thcentury Italian sculptures and bronze statues were pretty Greco Roman – going by appearances. So, to assign dates basedon ‘appearances’ and ‘design schools’ is suspect methodology.
On what basis was the Antikythera dating done? On what basis was this identified as a Roman ship? Any radio carbon dating? The fact that this was from a Roman trading vessels – does not make it Greek. Did you notice the complete lack of coverage for the other artifacts in this ship? Did you notice the funding for this project comes from the Leverhulme Trust of Britain? Does the propaganda motive occur to you as ‘credible’?
The Romans did trade with the Byzantine Empire – and could have easily bought a Antikythera mechanism in Istanbul bazaars.
Largely agree.
Where did I imply, state that every ship would need to carry many Antikytheras.
Most probably, it was made by skilled craftsmen, one-at-a-time. Roman buyers possibly ponied up advance payments – and collected the mechanism 6 months – 1 year later.
Greco Roman festivals were common – and if it was made in the Byzantine city of Istanbul, it still does not clash with my alternative.
If .. If .. If .. then Bob’s my Uncle! Completely and purely speculative.
Never before did the Greeks or Romans make any such finely crafted mechanical device. To imagine, that the school Archimedes acquired these skills to make one such fine crafted device – and promptly lost these skills. It is a lot like Hannibal’s elephants.
Am I imagining the contradiction? So, where did these skills disappear? How come no other mechanical contrivance (of alternative functionality) have ever been found?
The use of Greek language makes the Antikythera origin from India improbable – though Bactrian coin manufacturers could be prime suspects, if one wants to make ‘artificial’ case.
Which the Greeks or Romans did not possess.
While I welcome your openness to the Indo-Assyrian Babylonian Theory, I think Antikythera had very little ‘Indian’ and Babylonian contribution. There is however significant Byzantine origin logic.
Romans as buyers of the output? Yes! As manufacturers, there is no evidence – of anyone in any culture of making a mechanical device of the Antikythera complexity in 70BC-70AD period. It is clearly a 700 AD product.
Lord Vishnu lies asleep on the ocean of all causes….
No, not a 700AD product! The core concepts were known 2000 years before the dated wreck of the ship. Which lay there for another 2000 years. Hard to imagine – as I may not live past 100; but we all play our small part.
I would argue – as it appears ‘Chaldean’ astronomy, appears in
[...] yogi and Socrates, which was mentioned by Aristoxenus – and recalled by Eusebius. Or the Indo-Assyrian collaboration which is known as Babylonian astronomy – [...]
What’s particularly odd about all this is that Greek Latin English are all new languages (ranging from 1500 BC to 6th BC) Vedic literatures (Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Vedas) Vedic astronomy, Sulba Sutras predate by a good 2000 years. If the “Sumerian Gods” all have Sanskrit origin names – well, where is Sherlock when you need him? & thanks to commenter who noted that ancient Hindu temples existed all along Pacific Islands as well as Buddhist east and west of India. Ancient as in thousands of years to centuries older than Christian temples & the Koran was written in 700 AD & first Hebrew literatures came into existence in 1200 BC. Hinduism was dominant in all of India since 3000 BC!
Krishna’s writings& Bhagavad Gita, his temples reside in the city of Dwaaraka which has recently been uncovered.
Even in Vedic literatures you will see India’s formal numerical system (ek dho theen) & Sanskrit is written in same script as modern Hindi (Devanagari). See also Scientific Verificaition of Vedic Knowledge videos as well as Aryan Invasion Theory Proven False videos (proof of continuity in these areas: cultural, linguistic, genetic, religious for India’s religion & Vedic texts)
http://india_resource.tripod.com/indian-languages.htmlArticle above explains how Tamil and Sanskrit are sister languages, and closer than Sanskrit is to other branches of Indo European..both share same syllabic placement, alphabet to writing/spoken structure (Greek is very different in this regard as are others outside of India), same Subject noun verb placement.
Encyclopedia Brittanica (in Search Dravidian languages)The presence of Dravidian loanwords in the Rigveda implies that Dravidian and Aryan speakers were, by the time of its composition, fused into one speech community in the great Indo-Gangetic Plain, while independent communities of Dravidian speakers had moved to the periphery of the Indo-Aryan area (Brahui in the northwest, Kurukh-Malto in the east, and Gondi-Kui in the east and central India).
From article in Google, copy and paste whole paragraph to view
‘In this view, the early Indus Valley civilization (Harappa and Mohenjo Daro) is often identified as having been Dravidian. [6]. Cultural and linguistic similarities have been cited by researches such as Finnish Indologist Asko Parpola as being strong evidence for a proto-Dravidian origin of the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Remember there is no other genetic race in INDIA, Dravida refers to language group.
There is no other genetic race in India whoever created Indus Valley civilization: this much is fact &proven: TAMIL SANGAMS were present (Dravida is a term Brit gave to S. Indians language group” to divide India light north dark south- SEE PROOF OF THIS BY TYPING TAMILS MAHABHARATA WAR into Google, same time of Indus Valley Civilization -Vedic culture was dominant in south &north India then &now, See TAMIL SANSKRIT LINK INTO GOOGLE, THESE ARE SISTER LANGUAGES
The Romans used to cremate up until the6th Century..only in the Bhagavad Gita are cremation ceremonies outlined.
http://library.thinkquest.org/26602/ceremonies.htm
& Remember Italian, Greek, Latin, and German are all very new languages. In high school books it is taught per Indian history, that Aryans “civilized” the Dravidian population.. yet, again, the Vedic texts (Krishna’s verses), Vedic culture were present in all of India and India only, and no where else-
the precise position of the stars and planets were noted in the writing of Bhagavad Gita, this is how we are able to date it to about 3000 BC (birth of Krishna).
Interesting article on Vedic astronomy: http://www.crystalinks.com/indiastronomy.html
and here is article that provides evidence re: dates of Bhagavad Gita
http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/intro.html
“That proof of the date 3102 B.C. can be verified by any knowledgeable indologist in India based on the fact that this was the year when the Pandava King Yudhisthira ascended the throne and was coronated as emperor of the Earth. Also according to the Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II, the Battle of Kuruksetra took place in 3102 B.C. with Lord Krishna reciting the Bhagavad-Gita before its commencement. As well precise information of the positions of the constellation at the commencement of the Battle of Kuruksetra have been given in the great historical epic Mahabharata itself, which is based on the 26,920 year astronomical cycle known as the precession of the equinoxes which is the time it takes our solar system to revolve around the central sun.”