Astrology in ancient Mesopotamia: How was astrology used in Mesopotamia?;Did the Mesopotamians invent the zodiac? The temperature and geology of Mesopotamia, in southwest Asia, surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, were ideal for the emergence of human civilization to take place.
World history has been profoundly influenced by inventions such as the concept of time, arithmetic, a wheel, sailboats, maps, and writing, to name a few examples.
Over the course of thousands of years, Mesopotamia was characterized by a succession of ruling bodies from diverse areas and cities that rose to power and consolidated their hold on the region’s resources. Mesopotamia was the first place where five planets were discovered and investigated, as well as other celestial phenomena such as stars and moons.
Mesopotamian literature and iconography on the Moon and planets include astronomical, astrological, and religious components, as well as astronomical and astrological symbols. The term “astral science” refers to Mesopotamian intellectual interaction with celestial occurrences, which includes divination and astrology, among other things.
Modern research into Mesopotamian astral science began in the 1870s, when huge volumes of clay tablets from Nineveh, Babylon, and other sites in what is now Iraq arrived in the United States from their original locations in Mesopotamia.
There is an increasing emphasis in modern study on comprehending the significance of astral science in Mesopotamian culture, as well as an effort to restore the intellectual underpinnings on which it was founded.
How was astrology used in Mesopotamia?
Historically, ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China have all been identified as the birthplaces of astrology. When they were initially found, it was about the second millennium BC, and they were living in the Old Babylonian era. The Sumerians were well aware of the situation more than a thousand years before the Romans arrived on the scene. Following the motions of the planets, astrologers conferred godlike characteristics and powers on them as a consequence of their observations.
Each planet had its own set of gods and goddesses who were in charge of different aspects of existence on that world. The astrologers’ instructions are that you should provide direction to the rulers on how to comprehend planetary movements and use them to foresee the future.
The approach is based on divination, which was a prominent feature of Mesopotamian society at the time of its development…. According to Mesopotamian religious beliefs, the gods influenced human fate and ruled over the planet, and divination was employed to contact them on a more intimate level than was previously possible.
In ancient times, astronomy and astrology were regarded to be one and the same thing, according to popular belief. The origins of modern astrology may be traced back to the ancient city of Babylon. Originally, it originated out of a religious concept that since the stars were under the control of the Gods in the skies, they might disclose one’s future as well as the notion that the movements of the planets and stars determined one’s fate on this world.
Did the Mesopotamians invent the zodiac?
To supplement their astronomical observations, the Babylonians relied on myths about constellations and astrology from the beginning, which resulted in the first recorded account of the 12 zodiacal signs.
Each of the twelve constellations of the zodiac is represented by one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, which together form a complete circle. In its most basic form, this style of astrology evolved from Babylonian astrology, which was further polished by the Egyptians and Greeks before being accepted as a type of divination by the Romans.
Certain Babylonian myths were incorporated into Greek and Roman mythology as sources of inspiration, but they also took some of the stories from the Babylonians. ‘Astrology’ and ‘astronomy’ are both derived from the Greek word for “star,” which is at the root of the terms astrology and astronomy.
The zodiacs were created by the Neo-Babylonians as a result of the Greek word “circle of animals,” which means “circle of animals.” As the sun crosses the equator during the year, it goes through 12 zodiac signs, each representing a constellation, which it passes through throughout the year as it traverses the equator.
Approximately 3000 BCE, the Mesopotamians started utilizing a calendar with months and years, showing that the Moon was already being studied at that time.
Between 600 BC and 100 CE, Babylonian astronomers recorded lunar and planetary phenomena in their astronomy journals and accompanying literature, which are still in existence today. Techniques such as period-based forecasting, often known as “Goal-Year” forecasting, were employed to anticipate the observed occurrences.
The Babylonian astronomers developed mathematical astronomy around the end of the 5th century BCE in order to predict lunar and planetary events. Following the development of horoscopy and other types of astrology, they started utilizing the zodiac and other celestial bodies to predict future events on Earth at the same time.
Horoscopes are created when the sun rises over the Eastern Horizon and stays there for many hours. The idea was developed and polished over time. It was those who were interested in medicine who first started utilizing the zodiac signs in an attempt to pinpoint which sections of the body each sign may have an effect on.
The 12 signs of the zodiac are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and Taurus is the second. The constellation that is closest to the sun at the time of a person’s birth determines the sign that they are born under.
Conclusion
It has been a part of Mesopotamian civilization for three millennia to observe, conceptualize, interpret, and anticipate the Moon and the planets, as well as to predict the future. Diverse regions of Asia, each with its unique set of beliefs and traditions that had formed through time, contributed a plethora of innovative concepts. Initially, the general people believed them as heavenly manifestations, which dates back to the second century.
At the same time, the ancients were interested in the Moon and the planets as possible transmitters of divine messages, which they considered to be related.
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