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Systematic record of celestial phenomena — Astronomers of the Esangil temple

~350 BC · Transmission: Global

AstronomyMethodMesopotamian

Systematic record of celestial phenomena (eclipses, planetary positions) begun under the reign of Nabonassar (747-734 BC) and maintained by generations of astronomers of the Esangil temple until the 1st century BC. It allowed the discovery of the 18-year Saros cycle of lunar eclipses. Reference year approximated to the midpoint of the documented period (8th c. BC–1st c. BC).

InstitutionEsangil temple, Babylon

Historical regionBabylon (Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq)

Primary sourceCuneiform tablets — British Museum, London

Secondary sourceSachs, A. and Hunger, H. — Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylonia, Vol. 1 (1988)

Original languageAkkadian (cuneiform)

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