Astrology in Ancient Mesopotamia: The Science of Omens and the Knowledge of the Heavens

Amazon.com Price: $18.00 (as of 03/05/2019 04:26 PST- Details)

Categories: , , , , , , , , ,

Description

A detailed study of the earliest sorts of astrology in Mesopotamia and their far-reaching hermetic influences from the Renaissance to the present day

• Reveals the roots of up to date astrology within the Babylonian science of omens, which used to be concerned not with individuals but with the state and king

• Explores Mesopotamian mythology as it pertains to the planets and to astrology

• Traces the hermetic transmission of this knowledge over the centuries from Mesopotamia to Egypt to Renaissance Italy

Among the many significant discoveries excavated from Assyrian king Ashurbanipal’s royal library in Nineveh were tablets documenting the development of Mesopotamian astrology, now recognized as the earliest astrological science.

Drawing upon translations of the Nineveh library tablets in addition to many other ancient sources, Michael Baigent reveals the roots of up to date astrology within the Babylonian science of omens. He explains how astrology within the Babylonian and Assyrian empires used to be concerned not with individuals but with the king and the state. He shows that by the first dynasty of Babylon, around 1900 to 1600 BC, astrology had grow to be a systematic discipline, the preserve of highly trained specialists intent upon interpreting omens from the movements of planets and stars. He explores Mesopotamian mythology as it pertains to the planets and to astrology in addition to to Mesopotamian religion, magic, and politics–for the mythology of Babylon and Assyria served the state and thus changed as the state changed. He shows how this ancient type of astrology uniquely represents both Sun and Moon as masculine entities and Saturn (Ninurta) as the main of order imposed on chaos. He examines the connections between ancient astrology and the symbolism of Western religions, such as how the “Greek” or “Templar” cross may symbolize the Babylonian god Nabu, now referred to as Mercury.

Tracing the hermetic transmission of this knowledge over the centuries from Mesopotamia to Egypt to Florence, Baigent reveals how the religious and magical aspects of early Babylonian cosmological speculation played a significant role within the Renaissance, influencing prominent figures such as Cosimo de Medici, Marsilio Ficino, and Botticelli.

Related products

Home » Shop » Books » Subjects » Arts and Photography » History and Criticism » History » Ancient Civilizations » Assyria, Babylonia and Sumer » Astrology in Ancient Mesopotamia: The Science of Omens and the Knowledge of the Heavens

Recent Products