Hypsomata (was Moon Calc 6.0)

[Guest guest]

Steve wrote:

>I've often wondered if it would be possible to exactly calculate

>something like the first Nissan Moon chart, since it seems this is based

>partly at least on observation (if I understand it right).

 

>Bert Fannin wrote:

>> The only thing around that time in that location was the dedication of a

>> temple to Nabo (Mercury) I do not think that is enough to impress

>> those [exaltation] degrees of the Zodiac with some sort of affinity with

>>the planets that were heliacally rising and setting then.

>

>Steve wrote:

>

>Yes, I get the feeling that these degrees may antidate the temple

>dedication--most likely we'll never know, unless of course someone

>uncovers some long lost tablets that explain otherwise.

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Bert and Steve,

 

It seems that the entire question of exaltation degrees is a bit foggy.

Here's the latest I've found on them from Hunger and Pingree's ASTRAL

SCIENCES IN MEOPOTAMIA (1999, p. 28). I've inserted [secret place] instead

of using the Babylonian term.

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" The Babylonian term [...] literally " place of secret " occcus in texts

referring to the planets' positions. Each planet has its specific [secret

place]. These places seem to correspond to the Greek hypsoma, which is the

place in the ecliptic where a planet exerts its strongest influence.

[reference] The underlying concept in Babylonia is different, however.

 

" The earliest attestation of this concept is found in the inscriptions of

Esarhaddon of Assyria [ruled -679 to -668]. There it is said of Jupiter

that he reached his [place of secret] in the month of Pet-babi...The

[secret place] of Jupiter is between Cancer and Leo, as can be seen both

from computation of the celestial events [...] From these two texts the

[secret place] of Jupiter seems to be at a longitude of 91 degrees...It has

to be remembered, however, that the concept of longitude measured in

degrees was not present in Assyrian times.

 

" Another passage of Esarhaddon [reference] mentions the [secret place] of

Venus. Several omens derived from the secret place of Venus do not suffice

to locate it precisely.

 

" The secret place of Mercury is placed in Virgo by a text from the middle

of the 3rd century BC. [reference]

 

" In the horoscopes the term [secret place] occurs several times.

Unfortunately, the positions do not agree with what can be derived from

other sources. " END QUOTE

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Several sources make it clear that the Mesopotamian secret houses of

planets were by sign or constellation only, not by degree. The locations

given in texts don't always agree with the notations in horoscopes. So the

question still remains: When and how did the exaltation degrees come about?

 

The year of first Nisan given by Fagan is 786 B.C. (Bert, do I have that

right?) At that time no specific degrees were used in the zodiac--the 30

degree 12 sign zodiac apparantly was not yet defined. Degree measurement

came much later, at least based on the ancient text translations we have so

far. The precise exaltation degrees may be Greek...?

 

Therese