154 JASTROW— THE SIGN AND NAME 



[April 25, 



to the observer, dependent upon the naked eye. But whatever the 

 reasons, we can only conclude from the fact that Mercury is the 

 " sheep " par excellence that it was at one time singled out as the 

 planet of revelation and that, therefore, it was in all probability 

 the first planet whose movements were observed for the purpose of 

 securing through them a means of determining what events the gods 

 were preparing to take place on earth. 



The designation of Saturn as lulimn, " ram," I am inclined to 

 regard of secondary origin, that is to say, dependent upon the appli- 

 cation of bi-ib-bu to Mercury— the latter term taken no longer in 

 the sense of an " omen " but already as a specific and distinguishing 

 designation. As companion piece, therefore, to Mercury as a 

 " sheep," Saturn was called a " ram " just as the designation of 

 the seven Masi-stars by the determinative Lu ("sheep")''- is a 

 secondary extension from Lu-Bat, limited originally to the planets. 

 Saturn presents in almost every respect a contrast to Mercury. It 

 is infinitely larger'*^ in bulk, at a great distance from the sun, the 

 most regular of the planets and the slowest in its motion, taking 10,759 

 days or 29.46 years to pass around the sun. In Greek astrology a 

 preeminent position is accorded to Saturn,** which is expressed, for 

 example, by making the planet the head and " brain " of the plan- 

 etary world — reflecting the later view which placed the seat of the 

 soul in the head,*^ while the association of Saturn with Mercury 



■^ Kugler, /. c, p. 7. 



*' Jupiter alone is larger. 



" Bouche-Leclercq, /. c, p. 94 f. It is to be noted that Saturn is in 

 Babylonian astrology called "the star of the sun" (as Diodorus, II., 30, also 

 says) — which reminds one that Mercury (see above, p. 152) was identified 

 with the sun in Greek astrology; the same appears to have been the case 

 with Saturn. Sec Kugler, /. c, p. 8. 



*^ Ibid., p. 95. The soul was placed successively (a) in the liver, (b) in 

 the heart and (r) in the brain. "Liver" divination is the outward expression 

 corresponding to the first stage. The addition of the " heart " (and then 

 of other organs) to the "liver" in the examination of the sacrificial animal — 

 as among the Romans — is a concession to the second stage, while phrenology 

 is an expression — outside of the official cult — of the third stage. See Jastrow, 

 "Divination through the Liver and the Beginnings of Anatomy" (University 

 of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin, January, 1907)- I" a special paper on " The 

 Liver as the Seat of the Soul " I propose to treat in detail of these suc- 

 cessive views. 



