1894.] G. Thibaut— Babylonian Origin of the Lunar Zodiac. 147 
Twins, at the distance of eight inches. A. S. 0. The observations — 
or calculations — recorded, comprise positions of all the five planets. 
We cannot in this place dwell at length on the elaborate and 
ingenious processes by which F. Epping succeeded in identifying the 
planets and the fixed stars — normal stars, as F. Epping calls them—to 
which the places of the planets are referred, nor can we discuss the 
methods employed by the Babylonian astronomers in determining and ex¬ 
pressing these places. We are concerned only with the results arrived 
at by F. Epping, and these seem so well assured, that we need not hesi¬ 
tate to accept his identifications in toto , so that we have trustworthy 
information about a number of stars — none of them far from the 
Ecliptic—which the Babylonian Astronomers used as their fundamental 
stars. The planetary tables analysed in Epping’s book mention twenty- 
eight such stars (or rather twenty-nine, if we take into account y 
Cancri, mentioned in the Note to Epping’s Constellation xiii, p. 126). 
But since the publication of that book, Epping and Strassmaier have 
continued their researches and succeeded in explaining some further 
planetary tablets — constructed on much the same lines—which supply 
a few more normal stars, so that a list published in the December part 
of the Assyriological Beview for 1892, contains altogther thirty-three 
normal stars. Whether just so many normal stars were recognised by 
the Babylonian Astronomers, or whether the future decipherment of 
further tablets will add to that number, we are not at present able to 
say. Taking into account that the Babylonians manifestly aimed at a 
considerable degree of accuracy in their observations, and possibly pre¬ 
dictions, the former alternative would not, a priori, appear improbable. 
But the fact, on the other hand, that so far, in all the Tablets explained, 
only thirty-three stars have been met with, while, most probably, there 
would have been more than once an opportunity of mentioning other 
stars also, seems to indicate that for some reason or other a limited 
number of stars had been singled out once for all, and that to them 
only the positions of the planets were referred. The number of these 
stars may, of course, have exceeded thirty-three to some extent. A 
conjecture made by Professor Hoinmel with reference to this point does 
not lack plausibility. According to a well-known passage in Diodorus, 
the Chaldeans taught that thirty stars, called the ‘ Counsellor Gods,’ 
were ranged under the planets, — fifteen above and fifteen below the 
earth—one of which went every ten days from the upper to the lower 
regions. From the last mentioned item of doctrine, Professor Hommel 
concludes that we have to read, in the text of Diodorus, ‘ thirty-six ’ 
instead of ‘ thirty,’ 36 x 10 being equal to 360, the approximate number 
of the days of the year; and seems inclined — if I rightly apprehend 
