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Definition:
The Mul.Apin [i.e. Mul and Apin] tablets contain the most comprehensive
surviving Babylonian star and constellation catalogue
from before 600 BC.
Here follows the list of the 33 Stars
on the Path of Enlil from the text from
Mul.Apin: Column I, Lines 1-39.
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C I
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Textual line
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Interpretation and annotations
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1
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The Plow (GISH.APIN), d.Enlil, the lead star of
the stars of d.Enlil.
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{Perseus} Pflug, Triangulum
boreale
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2
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The Wolf (UR.BAR.RA) , seed-funnel of the plow
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[Perseus] {The seed
are the Pleiades ???}
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3
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The Man, Old One (SHU.GI), d.Enmesharra
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{Auriga} Perseus??
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4
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The Crook Staff (GAM), god of the crook staff (d.Gamlum)
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{Staff in the hand of Orion, Camelopardalis} Hirtenstab
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5
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The Large Twins (MASH.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL), d.Lugalgirra
and d.Meslamtaea.
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{"End" rather than large}; Bottom stars of Gemini}
bei Papke unklar, östl.
der Waage ?
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6
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The Small Twins (MASH.TAB.BA.TUR.TUR), d.LAL and
d.NIN.EZENxGU4.
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{Pollux, In Gemini} bei
Papke unklar
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7
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The River Crayfish (AL.LUL), domicile (shu-bat d.Anim)
of d.Anu.
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{Cancer}
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8
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The Lion (UR.GU.LA), d.Latarak.
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{Regulus, in Leo}
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9
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The Breast-Star of Leo, the "king-star" (MUL).LUGAL
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{the large upper bone of the leg, rather than breast}
{Duhr also called Zosma} bei Papke
Regulus
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10
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The weaker stars of Leo's tail: the date-palm panicle
(sissinnu) of d.Erua, d.Zarpanitum
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[Coma Berenices] {Denebola, in Leo} Dattelrispe,bei
Papke 2 lichtschwache Sterne.
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11
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- reads together with line 10 -
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12
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SHU.PA, d.Enlil which determines the "aptitude"
of the mountain KUR
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[Corona Borealis] {Arcturus in Bootes}
bei Papke unklar
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13
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The star before him: Chegalaju, the messenger of
d.Ninlil
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[Argo Navis, Vela] {Star before Arcturus}
bei Papke unklar
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14
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The star after him: BAL.TESH.A, messenger of d.Tishpak
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[eta in Carina, Chinese Tseen She, Heaven's Altars,
to the right of Crux] {Alphekka in Corona Borealis}bei
Papke unklar
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15
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The (great) Wagon (MAR.GID.DA), d.Ninlil
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[The Great Bear??]
{Libra} Gr. Wagen
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16
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The star at the shaft of the (great) Wagon: the
Fox (KA5.A) d.Erra, the strong one among the gods
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{The star Graffias (Beta-Scorpius) and Lupus as
the Fox} bei Papke Alcor
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17
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- reads together with line 16 -
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18
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The star to the front of the (great) Wagon: the
Mother Sheep (U8), d.Aja.
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{Antares, in Scorpius ???}
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19
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The Yoked Yoke (MU.BU.KESH.DA) d.Anu, the great
one of the heavens
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{The star theta in Ophiuchus, Kash-Shud in Babylonian}
bei Papke zu
Draco gehörig, Polarstern
??
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20
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The (small) Wagon of Heaven (MAR.GID.DA.AN.NA),
d.Damkianna
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{The middle stars of Scorpius, Persian KhezDUM
= Damkianna}
bei Papke keine
Info
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21
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The star on its Cable: Inheritor of the Great Temple
(IBILA.E.MACH), the first, highest son of d.Anu
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{"Lord of the Seed", Antares?} zukünftiger
Polarstern??
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22
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- reads together with line 21 -
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23
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The Standing Gods DINGIR.GUB.BA.(MESH) of E.KUR
The Sitting Gods DINGIR.TUSH.A.(MESH) of E.KUR
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[Scorpio] [front stars of Sagittarius] {GUBBA -
the manzil Jabhah or Jabbah are the stars at the end (stinger of)
Scorpio; TUSH are the stars of Sagittarius. All rise at about the
same time.} bei Papke u.a. Arktur
oder die Sterne a und b
Coronae borealis (oberhalb der Waage, Zibanitum = ZI.BA.AN.NA)
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24
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The Goat (UZ) , d.GU.LA
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[Hercules] {UZ GU.LA and GULA are two different
constellations. GULA is CAPRICORN the boat, not the goat UZ GU.LA
which is Hercules} bei Papke Aquarius,
das Sternbild EN.KI-Ea's.
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25
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The star before the goat: the Sitting Dog (UR.KU)
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{Serpens Caput} bei Papke
Herkules
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26
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The bright star of the Goat d.LAMMA, the messeger
of d.Baba
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{Rasalhague, in Ophiuchus}
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27
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Two stars, behind her: d.NIN.SAR and d.ER.RA.GAL
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{Sheliak, in Lyra}
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28
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The Leopard (UD.KA.DUCH.A), d.U.GUR
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UD.KA.DUCHA.A has its "head of the Milky Way" at
Cygnus and the tail at Cepheus
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29
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The star to his right: the swine (SHACH), d.Damu
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{This is Sagitta, Sham or Schaham in Arabic (see
Hinckley, Star Names)}
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30
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The star to his left: the horse (ANSHE.KUR.RA)
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{Lacerta. This is later confused with Equuleus.}
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31
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The star behind him: the stag (LU.LIM), messenger
of the Pleiades (MUL.MUL)
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{This star "behind" Cygnus as LU.LIM is Cassiopeia,
Latin SO.LIUM which precedes the setting of the Pleiades on the
horizon. Cassiopeia is seen here as the stag's antlers}
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32
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The weak stars at the breast of the stag: d.Charriru,
god of the rainbow (d.TIR.AN.NA)
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{This is Andromeda. The Sumerian-Akkadian d.TIR.AN.NA
is Alpheratz as SIRRAH = TIR}
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33
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- reads together with line 32 -
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34
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The bright red star at the kidney of the stag, the
Destroyer (KA.MUSH.I.KU.E)
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{Algol in Perseus = I.KU.E (earlier red-coloured)}
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35
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- reads together with line 34 -
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36
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When the stars of Enlil are finished, a large star
of matted light divides the heavens there: the star of d.AMAR.UD
(d.Marduk), of the pass-over
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[Lines 36/37 were added to later MUL.APIN copies,
and are not found on the original tablet ] {Hamal = AMAR, in Aries}
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37
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- reads together with line 36 -
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38
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Jupiter (SAG.ME.GAR) changes its position continuously,
crossing the heavens
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39
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Those are the 33 stars of Enlil
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where d. is used
as the abbreviation for the Sumerian determinative DINGIR
"god".
( ) indicates the cuneiform
syllables.
Additional Comments in parenthesis by [ ] Werner Papke,
and { } Andis Kaulins; eigene Anmerkungen in Farbe.
Further Information: Looking
at a modern North Celestial Pole star map it is notable that these constellations
form a complete path: Perseus, Auriga, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Coma Berenices,
Bootes, Libra, and then turning back via Scorpius, Sagittarius, Sagita,
Lacerta, Cassiopeia, to return to Perseus. This path is on the ecliptic
for about a third of its length and follows the Milky Way for about half
its length [from about galactic latitude 0 degrees to galactic latitude
180 degrees.]
What is it the path of? The answer lies
in the fact that the path is a fairly symmetrical circle around the north
celestial pole. In other words this is a star chart of stars all lying
a similar number of degrees above the celestial equator. From star positions,
in modern notation, the path describes a band in the northern sky at a
declination above the celestial equator between about +12 and +33, and
up to +40 if the later interpolation of Algol is included.
Star declinations of the identified stars
are approximately: Regulus, in Leo, Dec +12; Pollux, in Gemini +28; Denebola,
in Leo +14; Alphekka, in Corona Borealis, +27; Rasalhague, in Ophiuchus+12,
Sheliak in Lyra, +33,. Sham, in Sagitta, +18; Algol, in Perseus +40.
The exception appears to be the stars
of Scorpius: Graffias -19, Jabbah -19 and Antares -26. Either those star
attributions are incorrect or there is a large deviation at Scorpius from
the +12 to +33 declination band for a reason which is not known.
The Cuneiform Inscription are:
| One: |
The 33 Stars
on the Path of Enlil |
[Mul.Apin: Column I, Lines 1 - 39] |
| Two: |
The 23 Stars
on the Path of Anu |
[Mul.Apin: Column I, Lines 39 - 44; Column
II, Lines 1 - 18] |
| Three: |
The 15 Stars
on the Path of Ea |
[Mul.Apin: Column II Lines 19 - 35 ] |
| Four: |
The Heliacal
Risings of 34 Stars by Month |
[Mul.Apin: Column II, Lines 36 - 47, Column
III, Lines 1 - 12] |
| Five: |
Heliacal Node
Stars Rising and Setting |
[Mul.Apin: Column III, Lines 13 - 33] |
| Six: |
Day Differences
in the Rising of 15 Stars |
[Mul.Apin: Column III, Lines 34 - 50] |
| Seven: |
The Ziqpu Stars |
[Mul.Apin: Column IV, Lines 1 - 30] |
| Eight: |
Stars on the
Path of the Moon |
[Mul.Apin: Column IV, Lines 31 - 39] |
Entnommen aus: Dr. Shepherd Simpson,
Galactic Astrologer, http://www.reocities.com/astrologymulapin/index.htm
Weitere Informationen aus: Andis Kaulins,
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi171.htm
und
W. Papke, Die Sterne von Babylon, Gustav
Lübbe Verl. 1989. S.a. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Papke_(Historiker)
back/zurück
Literaturhinweis:
Gößmann, P.E. Planetarium
Babylonicum, Rom, 1950.
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