a history of science-1-第15章

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　of　course；　overlook　the　attention…compelling　fact　of　the　solar　year；　but　his　unit　of　time　was　the　lunar　period　of　thirty　days；　and　his　year　consisted　of　twelve　lunar　periods；　or　360　days。　He　was　perfectly　aware；　however；　that　this　period　did　not　coincide　with　the　actual　year；　but　the　relative　unimportance　which　he　ascribed　to　the　solar　year　is　evidenced　by　the　fact　that　he　interpolated　an　added　month　to　adjust　the　calendar　only　once　in　six　years。　Indeed；　it　would　appear　that　the　Babylonians　and　Assyrians　did　not　adopt　precisely　the　same　method　of　adjusting　the　calendar；　since　the　Babylonians　had　two　intercular　months　called　Elul　and　Adar；　whereas　the　Assyrians　had　only　a　single　such　month；　called　the　second　Adar。＇8＇　（The　Ve'Adar　of　the　Hebrews。）　This　diversity　further　emphasizes　the　fact　that　it　was　the　lunar　period　which　received　chief　attention；　the　adjustment　of　this　period　with　the　solar　seasons　being　a　necessary　expedient　of　secondary　importance。　It　is　held　that　these　lunar　periods　have　often　been　made　to　do　service　for　years　in　the　Babylonian　computations　and　in　the　allied　computations　of　the　early　Hebrews。　The　lives　of　the　Hebrew　patriarchs；　for　example；　as　recorded　in　the　Bible；　are　perhaps　reckoned　in　lunar　〃years。〃　Divided　by　twelve；　the　〃years〃　of　Methuselah　accord　fairly　with　the　usual　experience　of　mankind。　Yet；　on　the　other　hand；　the　convenience　of　the　solar　year　in　computing　long　periods　of　time　was　not　unrecognized；　since　this　period　is　utilized　in　reckoning　the　reigns　of　the　Assyrian　kings。　It　may　be　added　that　the　reign　of　a　king　〃was　not　reckoned　from　the　day　of　his　accession；　but　from　the　Assyrian　new　year's　day；　either　before　or　after　the　day　of　accession。　There　does　not　appear　to　have　been　any　fixed　rule　as　to　which　new　year's　day　should　be　chosen；　but　from　the　number　of　known　cases；　it　appears　to　have　been　the　general　practice　to　count　the　reigning　years　from　the　new　year's　day　nearest　the　accession；　and　to　call　the　period　between　the　accession　day　and　the　first　new　year's　day　'the　beginning　of　the　reign；'　when　the　year　from　the　new　year's　day　was　called　the　first　year；　and　the　following　ones　were　brought　successively　from　it。　Notwithstanding；　in　the　dates　of　several　Assyrian　and　Babylonian　sovereigns　there　are　cases　of　the　year　of　accession　being　considered　as　the　first　year；　thus　giving　two　reckonings　for　the　reigns　of　various　monarchs；　among　others；　Shalmaneser；　Sennacherib；　Nebuchadrezzar。〃＇9＇　This　uncertainty　as　to　the　years　of　reckoning　again　emphasizes　the　fact　that　the　solar　year　did　not　have　for　the　Assyrian　chronology　quite　the　same　significance　that　it　has　for　us。　The　Assyrian　month　commenced　on　the　evening　when　the　new　moon　was　first　observed；　or；　in　case　the　moon　was　not　visible；　the　new　month　started　thirty　days　after　the　last　month。　Since　the　actual　lunar　period　is　about　twenty…nine　and　one…half　days；　a　practical　adjustment　was　required　between　the　months　themselves；　and　this　was　probably　effected　by　counting　alternate　months　as　Only　29　days　in　length。　Mr。　R。　Campbell　Thompson＇10＇　is　led　by　his　studies　of　the　astrological　tablets　to　emphasize　this　fact。　He　believes　that　〃the　object　of　the　astrological　reports　which　related　to　the　appearance　of　the　moon　and　sun　was　to　help　determine　and　foretell　the　length　of　the　lunar　month。〃　Mr。　Thompson　believes　also　that　there　is　evidence　to　show　that　the　interculary　month　was　added　at　a　period　less　than　six　years。　In　point　of　fact；　it　does　not　appear　to　be　quite　clearly　established　as　to　precisely　how　the　adjustment　of　days　with　the　lunar　months；　and　lunar　months　with　the　solar　year；　was　effected。　It　is　clear；　however；　according　to　Smith；　〃that　the　first　28　days　of　every　month　were　divided　into　four　weeks　of　seven　days　each；　the　seventh；　fourteenth；　twenty…first；　twenty…eighth　days　respectively　being　Sabbaths；　and　that　there　was　a　general　prohibition　of　work　on　these　days。〃　Here；　of　course；　is　the　foundation　of　the　Hebrew　system　of　Sabbatical　days　which　we　have　inherited。　The　sacredness　of　the　number　seven　itselfthe　belief　in　which　has　not　been　quite　shaken　off　even　to　this　day　was　deduced　by　the　Assyrian　astronomer　from　his　observation　of　the　seven　planetary　bodiesnamely；　Sin　（the　moon）；　Samas　（the　sun）；　Umunpawddu　（Jupiter）；　Dilbat　（Venus）；　Kaimanu　（Saturn）；　Gudud　（Mercury）；　Mustabarru…mutanu　（Mars）。＇11＇　Twelve　lunar　periods；　making　up　approximately　the　solar　year；　gave　peculiar　importance　to　the　number　twelve　also。　Thus　the　zodiac　was　divided　into　twelve　signs　which　astronomers　of　all　subsequent　times　have　continued　to　recognize；　and　the　duodecimal　system　of　counting　took　precedence　with　the　Babylonian　mathematicians　over　the　more　primitive　and；　as　it　seems　to　us；　more　satisfactory　decimal　system。　Another　discrepancy　between　the　Babylonian　and　Egyptian　years　appears　in　the　fact　that　the　Babylonian　new　year　dates　from　about　the　period　of　the　vernal　equinox　and　not　from　the　solstice。　Lockyer　associates　this　with　the　fact　that　the　periodical　inundation　of　the　Tigris　and　Euphrates　occurs　about　the　equinoctial　period；　whereas；　as　we　have　seen；　the　Nile　flood　comes　at　the　time　of　the　solstice。　It　is　but　natural　that　so　important　a　phenomenon　as　the　Nile　flood　should　make　a　strong　impression　upon　the　minds　of　a　people　living　in　a　valley。　The　fact　that　occasional　excessive　inundations　have　led　to　most　disastrous　results　is　evidenced　in　the　incorporation　of　stories　of　the　almost　total　destruction　of　mankind　by　such　floods　among　the　myth　tales　of　all　peoples　who　reside　in　valley　countries。　The　flooding　of　the　Tigris　and　Euphrates　had　not；　it　is　true；　quite　the　same　significance　for　the　Mesopotamians　that　the　Nile　flood　had　for　the　Egyptians。　Nevertheless　it　was　a　most　important　phenomenon；　and　may　very　readily　be　imagined　to　have　been　the　most　tangible　index　to　the　seasons。　But　in　recognizing　the　time　of　the　inundations　and　the　vernal　equinox；　the　Assyrians　did　not　dethrone　the　moon　from　its　accustomed　precedence；　for　the　year　was　reckoned　as　commencing　not　precisely　at　the　vernal　equinox；　but　at　the　new　moon　next　before　the　equinox。

ASTROLOGY　Beyond　marking　the　seasons；　the　chief　interests　that　actuated　the　Babylonian　astronomer　in　his　observations　were　astrological。　After　quoting　Diodorus　to　the　effect　that　the　Babylonian　priests　observed　the　position　of　certain　stars　in　order　to　cast　horoscopes；　Thompson　tells　us　that　from　a　very　early　day　the　very　name　Chaldean　became　synonymous　with　magician。　He　adds　that　〃from　Mesopotamia；　by　way　of　Greece　and　Rome；　a　certain　amount　of　Babylonian　astrology　made　its　way　among　the　nations　of　the　west；　and　it　is　quite　probable　that　many　superstitions　which　we　commonly　record　as　the　peculiar　product　of　western　civilization　took　their　origin　from　those　of　the　early　dwellers　on　the　alluvial　lands　of　Mesopotamia。　One　Assurbanipal；　king　of　Assyria　B。C。　668…626；　added　to　the　royal　library　at　Nineveh　his　contribution　of　tablets；　which　included　many　series　of　documents　which　related　exclusively　to　the　astrology　of　the　ancient　Babylonians；　who　in　turn　had　borrowed　it　with　modifications　from　the　Sumerian　invaders　of　the　country。　Among　these　must　be　mentioned　the　series　which　was　commonly　called　'the　Day　of　Bel；'　and　which　was　decree