Jan. 14] PROCEEDINGS. [1890.
REMARKS ON THETABLET OF THETHIRTY STARS.
PartI.
By Robert Brown, Jun., F.S.A.I.
The TabletW.A.I. V, 46, No. i, written in the Babylonian
cuneiform,is of great interestin connexion witharchaicastronomy
and stellar mythology. It is divided into threeparts. Part I,
lines 1-38, including the obverse and the two first linesof the
reverse,is in two columns, the first of which givesthe names of thirty
stars,andthe second theirregentdivinities. PartII, lines 39-53,
is also dividedintotwocolumns,the first of which givesa further
star-list,andthe second addssome remarksandexplanations. At
the head of this secondstar-list stand Sakvisa {Mercury),Dilbat
(Venus), Lubat (Jupiter), and Nibatanu (Mars).* Part III,
lines54-64,consistsof text, not in columns but in two divisions
the first containing six, and the second five lines. TheTablet,as of
course,is very difficultto transliterate andtranslate; and the mean
ing of much in the astronomico-mythological tablets is extremely
involvedandobscure,evenwhena satisfactory renderingis possible,
theserecordsbeingessentiallyfor the illuminated, andnot for the
profane.
Accordingto the well-known passagein Diodoros (ii, 30), the
Babylonian heaven was divided into three parts: (1) a central
portion,roughlycorrespondingwiththe Ecliptic, in which moved
sun, moon, and the five planets, theselatterbeingcalled'Interpreters,'
which " is probably the meaning of the word >~<y< -]<]£^— or
-<y< «-y<y y»-, which might be read ticsi, ticliv, or ticpi."\
Yro ec rrjv toirrwv Ipopav Xc/ovai reTa^Oat TpiaxovTa aoTepas, ovv
rpoaa-/opfvovaai fiovXat'owOeow. "And underthe orbitof these
[the planets] they say that thirty stars, which they denominate
'Divinities of the Council,' have been marshalled." As I have
* Vide Robt.Brown,Jun.,Namesof Stars in Babylonian (Proceedings,
Feb.,1889,p. 145 et sea.).
t Sayce {Transactions,III, 1 73).
137