660 JASTROW— HEPATOSCOPY AND ASTROLOGY [December 4, 



involuntarily forced on one's notice by conditions prevailing in the 

 heavens were not and could not be neglected. A few examples from 

 astrological texts will suffice for our purposes. Thus we read in an 

 official report of the Assyrian period :^^ 



" If the moon is seen on the first day, good faith and stable conditions 

 in the land. If the first day is abnormally long, the king will have a long 

 reign." 



The prognostication is clearly based on a natural association of 

 ideas. From the fact that the new moon is visible on the day set 

 for it, the conclusion is drawn that as the moon kept good faith, 

 as it were, so the king may expect those entrusted with any mission 

 to be faithful and that his subjects in general will be loyal. By 

 a still clearer association long days point to a long reign. 



Another report states :^- 



" If the moon is seen out of the expected time, prices will be low." The 

 moon was seen with the sun on the twelfth day. If moon and sun are seen 

 together at an abnormal time, a strong enemy will oppress the land, but the 

 king of Babylonia will accomplish the overthrow of his enemy." 



The normal period when moon and sun should be seen at the 

 same time in the heavens is on the fifteenth day — the moment of 

 opposition. The bdru-pviest reports, however, that the appearance 

 of moon and sun took place already on the twelfth day — earlier, 

 therefore, than was expected. The abnormal condition points to 

 some misfortune and two omens that are to be regarded as extracts 

 from actual collections are introduced, the one referring to economic 

 conditions, the other to political afifairs, and though both are un- 

 favorable, yet in the second instance it is added that ultimately the 

 enemy will be overthrown. In the case of such specific prognosti- 

 cations we are perhaps justified in concluding that they rest on past 

 experience. In other words, on some occasion when sun and moon 

 were seen together in the heavens earlier than the fourteenth or 

 fifteenth day of the month, prices went down or an enemy entered 

 the land but was eventually vanquished. The occurrences were 



^^ Thompson, " Reports of the Magicians and Astrologers of Nineveh 

 and Babylon" (London, 1900), Vol. I., No. i. 



^^ 0. c, No. 119. 



°'Low prices were regarded as an unfavorable condition in Babylonia 

 and Assyria. 



