146 
Gr. Tbibaut —Babylonian Origin of the Lunar Zodiac. [No. 4, 
similar documents by being clearly dated in a known era, so that astro¬ 
nomical calculation could be resorted to for the interpretation of their 
contents. I cannot, interesting as it would be, give in this place an 
account of tlie steps by which F. Epping, throughout assisted by the vast 
philological and palseographic learning of F. Strassmaier, arrived at 
a convincing and almost complete interpretation of the contents of those 
tablets ; how, by calculations and reflections continued through many 
years, he succeeded in eliminating one unknown quantity after the other ; 
and thus in the end establishing a firm basis for all future research in 
this field. Nor can I here undertake to give a full account of the nature 
of the results worked out. Of these so much only will be concisely 
stated as may be considered to bear on the question treated of in 
this paper. 
It appears from the astronomical tablets interpreted, that the Baby¬ 
lonian astronomers were in the habit of referring the positions of the 
live planets to a certain number of fixed stars situated near the Ecliptic. 
The tablets explained, in the book above referred to, are supposed by 
Professor Epping to contain what he calls planetary ephemerids, i.e., 
methodical statements of the places of the planets, as calculated before 
hand for a certain period of time. Other tablets of a generally similar 
nature, which Professor Epping has since published and translated in 
the ‘ Zeitschrift fur Assyriologie,’ are supposed by him to embody the 
results not of previous calculation but actual observation. It may in 
some cases be difficult of decision whether a certain tablet contains a 
statement of calculations or of observations; for, so far, we do not know 
with what degree of accuracy the Babylonians either were able to pre¬ 
dict the positions of the planets, or cared to observe and record their 
actual positions. Professor Epping naturally supposes that, wherever 
the statements are very nearly accurate, i.e., very nearly agree with the 
positions of the planets, as determined for that time by the methods of 
modern astronomy, we have to do with records not of calculation but 
actual observation. The decision of this important question does not, 
however, concern us here. 
A few examples quoted from Professor Epping’s book will serve to 
illustrate the Babylonian method of stating the places of planets. One 
of the tablets says, that in the night of the 20th of the month Airu 
(April to May) of the year 189 of the Seleucidan Era ( —122) Venus 
appeared (or was to appear) in the eastern sky, and above her the 
western star of the head of the Ram, at a distance of four yards. Again 
we read that in the night of the 26th of the month Abu (July 
to August) of the same year, Mars appeared (or was to appear) in 
the eastern sky, and above it the western star of the mouth of the 
