Mesopotamian Astrology

In episode 490 professor M. Willis Monroe joins the podcast to discuss the history of astrology in ancient Mesopotamia. Willis is a historian of the ancient Near East and scholar of Cuneiform Studies with a focus on the science and scholarship of first millennium Mesopotamia, and he did his doctoral thesis on the use of zodiacal subdivisions in cuneiform sources. During the course of the episode we give an overview of the origins of western astrology in ancient Mesopotamia, starting with the earliest surviving sources around 2000 BCE, and then working our way forward until cuneiform writing died out around the 1st century CE. We end up discussing the earliest evidence for astrology in eclipse omens from the 2nd millennium BCE, the high point of state supported astrology under the Neo-Assyrian kings in the 7th century BCE, and eventually the development of the zodiac and natal astrology in the 5th century BCE. This episode is available in both audio and video versions below. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:01:22 Ancient Languages: Akkadian, Sumerian & Cuneiform00:02:49 The Origin of Writing in Mesopotamia00:07:28 How Urbanization Led to Specialized Roles like Diviners00:10:02 The Role of Polytheism and Gods of Specific Cities00:12:46 The Concept of a God's "House" (Temple)00:17:48 The Emergence of Divination in Mesopotamian Culture00:20:01 Earliest Evidence: Gudea's Dream & Divination (c. 2100 BCE)00:22:38 Three Forms of Divination: Astrology, Dreams, and Entrails00:28:43 The Omen Series Format: "If P, then Q"00:32:08 Early Significance of Eclipses & Rituals to Avert Omens00:35:25 How Astrology Motivated the Development of Astronomy00:40:46 The Enuma Anu Enlil: The Canonical Collection of Omens00:42:42 No Distinction Between Astronomy and Astrology00:50:52 High Point of State-Sponsored Astrology (7th Century BCE)00:54:38 Astrologers Reporting to the King & Scholarly Disagreements01:12:37 The Late Period: Development of Natal Astrology (Birth Charts)01:20:23 The Astronomical Diaries: Daily Records of Sky & Earth01:28:02 Goal-Year Texts & Long-Term Planetary Cycles01:32:04 The Standardization of the 12-Sign Zodiac01:40:51 Early Qualities of the Signs (Body Parts, Gender)01:46:40 The Exaltations (Hypsomata) Originated in Mesopotamia01:50:31 The First Images of the Zodiac Signs on Clay Tablets02:02:49 The Hellenistic Period & Cross-Pollination of Astrology02:08:32 The End of the Cuneiform Tradition & Loss of Knowledge02:20:01 The Babylonian Creation Myth (Enuma Elish)02:30:20 Adapa: The Mythical Sage Who Revealed Astrology02:37:05 Lineage vs. Individual Authorship02:42:31 Regional Differences in Astrological Practice (Babylon vs. Uruk)02:57:33 Willis's Current Research Projects03:06:23 Conclusion Watch the Video Version of This Episode Watch the video version of this episode on Mesopotamian astrology on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkcM6wOJBZY - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 490 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3: