The Star Lore of Babylon
Hall explored the connection between Babylonian star lore and the development of astrology in Western nations, citing the work of Sir A.
Hall clarified that the Babylonians and their neighbors did not worship the stars.
The Babylonians, like many ancient cultures, created an intricate system of knowledge that combined astronomy (the study of heavenly bodies) and astrology (the psychological interpretation of those bodies).
The Babylonians used primitive instruments, such as astrolabes and hollow tubes, to measure celestial phenomena.
The Babylonians had a clear understanding of the planetary orbits and devised accurate calendars, including the Platonic year and the Metonic cycle.
Hall discussed the geocentric systems of the Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans.
Hall explained the symbolism of the universe according to Babylonian and other ancient beliefs.
He described how this understanding of the cosmos shaped the theology, ethics, and philosophy of the Babylonians, and how it influenced later civilizations.
In the Babylonian system, the sun was central, representing the ego, while the planets and constellations symbolized higher spiritual and lower material forces.
Hall also touched upon how ancient traditions, including Christianity, absorbed elements of this Babylonian star lore, evidenced in stories like Ishtar’s descent or St.
Chronological Nations and Tribes
Summary: Babylon was a major cultural and political center, known for its Hanging Gardens and the Babylonian Exile of the Israelites.
The divine stone
Head of Gold: Represents the Babylonian Empire, over which Nebuchadnezzar ruled.
This section in Israel's prehistory closely resembles the Sumerian Kings List, written around the Old Babylonian period (2000-1600 BCE).
Mesopotamia played an enormous role in the development of the Genesis creation stories—Adam and Eve, the flood, and now the post-flood table of nations, which includes the Tower of Babel resembling a Babylonian ziggurat.
This Tammuz even gets a month named after him in the Hebrew calendar, derived from the Akkadian and Babylonian calendar.
Described as a mighty hunter before the Lord and considered the original king of Babylon, Nimrod's inclusion in the genealogical list bears a striking resemblance to the Sumerian Kings List from the Old Babylonian period.
Nimrod's rule over Assyria reflects the long-standing cultural superiority of Babylonia over Assyria, pointing to a period before 2000 BC under the Akkadian or Ur III dynasties, or around 610 to 539 BC during the Neo-Babylonian Chaldean rule.
Moreover, the association of Cush, Nimrod's father, with the Kassites and the mention of Shinar possibly reflecting Shanghara—a designation of Kassite Babylonia—indicates the utilization of Babylonian traditions originating in the later second millennium BC.
Ninas is not attested in any of the extensive king lists compiled by the Mesopotamians themselves, nor mentioned in any Mesopotamian literature, and it is possible that this Hellenic creation was inspired by the deeds of one or more real kings of Assyria or Assyro-Babylonian mythology, just like Nimrod.
Similarly, the biblical character of Nimrod is not attested anywhere in Assyrian, Babylonian, Akkadian, or Sumerian literature or kings lists but is believed by many scholars to have been inspired by one or more real kings.
In contrast, Genesis portrays Nimrod as a Babylonian king who holds authority over both Babylon and Assyria.
The Genesis accounts reflect a Babylonian tradition that rejects the Ninus legend and emphasizes Babylon's preeminence.
Berossus's work, the Babylonica, aligns closely with the Nimrod story and its pro-Babylonian standpoint.
The accurate depiction of Babylonian and Assyrian cities in the Nimrod accounts aligns with Berossus's expertise in Mesopotamian geography.
Let's not leave out the historical rulers of Mesopotamia, such as the Sumerian kings, Assyrian monarchs, and Babylonian leaders.
The Legend of Etana
The myth is best known from versions found in Assyrian and Babylonian texts, although it likely has earlier Sumerian origins.
Thus shall Babylon sink
Head of Gold: Represents the Babylonian Empire, over which Nebuchadnezzar ruled.
Was there a tower in Babylon?
Etemenanki is thought to have been about 91 meters tall, making it a dominant feature of the Babylonian skyline.
However, Herodotus does not focus extensively on the physical destruction of the city itself, but more on the conquest and the end of Babylonian independence.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, while not exclusively a Babylonian text (it has Sumerian roots), was central to the literary and cultural tradition of Babylon and other Mesopotamian civilizations.
These flood stories are deeply connected to the ancient Mesopotamian understanding of the relationship between humanity and the divine, and they have left a lasting legacy in both Babylonian culture and in the broader literary traditions of the ancient world.
This term appears in various places throughout the Hebrew Bible, including in the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis and in the prophecies and historical accounts concerning the Babylonian Empire.
The Deluge of the Chaldeans
"By the side of this version," says Lenormant, "which, interesting though it be, is, after all, second-hand, we are now able to place an original Chaldeo-Babylonian edition, which the lamented George Smith was the first to decipher on the cuneiform tablets exhumed at Nineveh, and now in the British Museum.
Mount Zagros
Rulers such as Sargon of Akkad and later Assyrian and Babylonian kings campaigned in the Zagros to secure their borders and exert influence over the highland tribes.
Oannes (Babylonian): A fish-like deity who emerged from the sea to impart wisdom and knowledge to humanity.
Pleiades and Orion
Gilgamesh: In Babylonian mythology, the constellation is sometimes associated with Gilgamesh, the hero of the epic bearing his name, symbolizing his strength and heroic deeds.
Oannes is a figure from Mesopotamian mythology, specifically from the traditions of ancient Sumer and later Babylonian culture.
Historical Context: The stories of Oannes come primarily from later Babylonian sources and are associated with Berossus, a Babylonian priest of the Hellenistic period who wrote a history of Babylon.
Oannes, as described by the Babylonian priest Berosus, had the form of a fish but with the head of a man under his fish’s head and under his fish’s tail the feet of a man.
Berossus' Account: The most famous account of Oannes comes from Berossus, a Babylonian priest who wrote a history of Babylon called the Babyloniaca around the 3rd century BCE.
Enuma Elish and Other Texts: The Apkallu, including figures similar to Oannes, are mentioned in various Babylonian and Assyrian texts, such as the Enuma Elish (the Babylonian creation myth) and other cuneiform tablets that discuss creation, wisdom, and the flood.
Cuneiform Tablets: Numerous cuneiform tablets from the Assyrian and Babylonian periods reference the Apkallu.
The Baal Cycle
This battle echoes similar myths such as the Babylonian "Enuma Elish," where Marduk defeats the chaos dragon Tiamat.
The Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Myth):
Great Flood Stories World wide
The 10 Chaldean Epochs: 432,000 Years
The Babylonians and Chaldeans had a concept similar to the Hebrew Adam-Kadmon, or first man, and recorded ten epochs from their head mortal to the Flood.
This structured timeline provides a clear view of the Babylonian and Chaldean epochs leading up to the Flood, reflecting Randolph’s discussion of ancient chronologies in "Pre-Adamite Man."
The Babylonian exile was a transformative period for the Yahwistic religion.
The interactions with various empires and cultures, from the Assyrians and Babylonians to the Persians and Hellenistic Greeks, further enriched and diversified Yahwistic religious traditions, contributing to the complex tapestry of Abrahamic religions.
Law Codes: The role of Moses as a lawgiver parallels that of Hammurabi, an earlier Babylonian king known for the Code of Hammurabi.
Slavery
The composition of Leviticus likely occurred during or after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE), when the Jewish community was seeking to preserve and codify its traditions and laws.
After the Babylonian Exile, the observance of Shemitah continued, though its practice and enforcement varied over time, especially during periods when the Jewish people were not sovereign in their land.
Weekdays
Ad-, Atl-, At-, Atlantis
Chaldean legends, as deciphered from Babylonian tablets, mention an original race of men called Ad-mi or Ad-ami, who were distinct from a "light race." This race's fall and subsequent deluge echo the destruction of Atlantis:
Babylonian Flood: The flood narrative parallels the Atlantean deluge, indicating a shared memory of a cataclysmic event.
Turanian, in Ancient Chaldaea.
While the later Babylonian kingdom might have surpassed its predecessor in military power and territory, the older civilization excelled in simplicity, devotion to religion, and knowledge of nature.
The Akkads, who later formed the Babylonian Empire, tried to revive Chaldaean traditions, but their efforts produced only a pale imitation.
The far later Babylonian sculptures which we know give us a fair idea of this royal type, though at that date the Aryan blood had permeated almost the entire race, whereas in the time of which we are speaking it had scarcely tinged it at all.
These spoilers were in their turn driven out by the Akkads from the northern hill-country — AtlanteanB still, but of the sixth sub-race ; and these, coalescing gradually with the remnants of the old race and with other tribes of Turanian type, made up the Sumiro Akkad nation out of which the later Babylonian Empire developed.
Below is a table showing the Babylonian months, their lengths, and the alternating pattern of days.
A major Babylonian festival celebrated at the beginning of the New Year in the winter solstice period.
New Year Celebration: Zagmuk marked the Babylonian New Year and was one of the most important religious events of the year.
Enuma Elish Recitation: The Babylonian creation epic, Enuma Elish, was recited.
Akitu and Zagmuk are related but distinct festivals in the Babylonian calendar.
New Year Celebration: Akitu marked the beginning of the Babylonian New Year.
Atlantis – Taurid meteor shower
The Akitu festival was celebrated twice a year in ancient Mesopotamia, most notably at the beginning of the Babylonian calendar’s first month, Nisannu (March-April), and again in the seventh month, Tashritu (September-October).
The Akitu festival was celebrated twice a year in ancient Mesopotamia, most notably at the beginning of the Babylonian calendar's first month, Nisannu (March-April), and again in the seventh month, Tashritu (September-October).
It was primarily associated with the Babylonian god Marduk and the renewal of kingship and the cosmos.
Origins: The Akitu Festival has its origins in the Sumerian civilization and was later adopted and elaborated by the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.
Date: The primary Akitu Festival was celebrated at the beginning of the Babylonian calendar's first month, Nisannu (March-April).
Enuma Elish Recitation: The Babylonian creation epic, "Enuma Elish," was recited, recounting Marduk's victory over Tiamat and the creation of the world.
Assyrian Adaptations: In Assyria, the Akitu Festival included elements specific to the Assyrian pantheon and political context, though many core elements remained similar to the Babylonian tradition.
Significance: In the Assyrian city of Assur, the temple of Ashur was central to their New Year celebrations, which included elements similar to the Babylonian Akitu Festival.
Beginning in the second millennium B.C., Babylonian theologians classified their major gods in a hierarchical numerical order.