20 Rochberg
will have sons and daughters.” The inclusion of such apodoses makes it
appear as though the Babylonians viewed the situation of the heavens on
the date of birth as a complex celestial omen. As such, horoscopes do not
represent an entirely new form of astrology but a development closely tied
to celestial divination. Babylonian horoscopes were perhaps the extension
and elaboration of the late nativity omens, but, as the following example
attests, depended on a far more sophisticated astronomical apparatus than
did the earlier tradition of celestial omens or nativity omens:Year 77 (Seleucid Era), the 4th of Simanu, in the morning of the 5th(?),
Aristocrates was born. That day, the moon was in Leo, the sun was in 12;30°
Gemini. The moon goes with increasing positive latitude. “If (the moon) sets
its face from the middle toward positive latitude: prosperity and greatness.”
Jupiter was in 18° Sagittarius... The place of Jupiter: (the native’s life will
be) prosperous, at peace(?), his wealth will be long- lasting, long days (i.e.,
life). Venus was in 4° Taurus. The place of Venus: he will fi nd favor wherever
he goes, he will have sons and daughters. Mercury was in Gemini with the
sun. The place of Mercury: the brave one will be fi rst in rank, he will be more
important than his brothers; he will take over his father’s house. Saturn in 6°
Cancer. Mars in 24° Cancer... (remainder broken).^15The purpose of the Babylonian horoscope was to assemble the posi-
tions of the seven planets (moon, sun, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and
Saturn) in the zodiac (the division of the ecliptic into twelve 30- degree
“signs,” developed by the late fi fth century BCE) on the date of a birth.
The question of the derivation of the astronomical data in the horoscopes
is relevant to the problem of the relationship between “astrology” and
“astronomy” in Babylonia. The terminology of the horoscope documents
points to the nonmathematical astronomical texts, such as the astronomi-
cal diaries, as well as other genres of astronomical texts as the primary
sources for this data. However, as in the example just given, some horo-
scopes computed planetary positions to degrees of zodiacal signs, indicat-
ing the use of some arithmetical scheme as a technique of generating the
planetary positions. Despite changes in textual formalities and even spe-
cifi c content and methods, the continuity between Babylonian celestial
divination and horoscopy may be found in the persistent belief that the
sky could be “read” as a symbolic system and interpreted as relevant for
the human realm.
The interest in celestial phenomena, from the earliest period of the
omen texts to the latest period of the horoscopes, was a refl ection of a par-
ticular relationship between human and divine in ancient Mesopotamia.