How 4QAstronomical Enoch a-b (4Q208-4Q209) Transformed Elements of Late Babylonian Magical Hemerological Texts into a Synchronistic Calendar

Helen R Jacobus

How 4QAstronomical Enoch a-b (4Q208-4Q209) Transformed Elements of Late Babylonian Magical Hemerological Texts into a Synchronistic Calendar

Religions & Theology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

In light of the existing research on the Aramaic calendars from Qumran, the development of 4QAstronomical Enocha-b (4Q208–209) is further explored in relation to a group of Late Babylonian magical, astrological and witchcraft texts.
Previously, I reconstructed the calendar of 4Q208–209 and argued that each day corresponds to a position in the zodiac within the context of an adapted schematic calendar of 12 ideal 30-day months, similar to schemes that developed from the third millennium in Mesopotamia until the Late Babylonian period.
It is here proposed that the model is comparable to the Late Babylonian magical text BRM IV, 19 and related texts. It is shown that 4Q208–209 and BRM IV, 19 and related texts are probably descended from common astrological-magical sources from Mesopotamia.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Science in Qumran Aramaic Texts
Editors	Ida Fröhlich
Place of Publication	Tübingen
Publisher	Mohr Siebeck
Chapter	6
Pages	83-109
Number of pages	27
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-16-161388-3
ISBN (Print)	ISBN 978-3-16-161387-6
Publication status	Published - 27 Nov 2022

Publication series

Name	Ancient Cultures of Sciences and Knowledge
Publisher	Mohr Siebeck

Keywords

Aramaic Astronomical Book
zodiac calendars
Babylonian astronomy
Babylonian astrology
Qumran zodiac calendars
Aramaic Book of Watchers
Book of Enoch
Astronomical Enoch
4Q208-4Q209
BRM IV, 19
BRM IV, 20
STT, 300
ancient zodiac
Mesopotamian astrology
astrological calendar
witchcraft texts
ancient spells

Cite this

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title = "How 4QAstronomical Enoch a-b (4Q208-4Q209) Transformed Elements of Late Babylonian Magical Hemerological Texts into a Synchronistic Calendar",

abstract = "In light of the existing research on the Aramaic calendars from Qumran, the development of 4QAstronomical Enocha-b (4Q208–209) is further explored in relation to a group of Late Babylonian magical, astrological and witchcraft texts. Previously, I reconstructed the calendar of 4Q208–209 and argued that each day corresponds to a position in the zodiac within the context of an adapted schematic calendar of 12 ideal 30-day months, similar to schemes that developed from the third millennium in Mesopotamia until the Late Babylonian period. It is here proposed that the model is comparable to the Late Babylonian magical text BRM IV, 19 and related texts. It is shown that 4Q208–209 and BRM IV, 19 and related texts are probably descended from common astrological-magical sources from Mesopotamia.",

keywords = "Aramaic Astronomical Book, zodiac calendars, Babylonian astronomy, Babylonian astrology, Qumran zodiac calendars, Aramaic Book of Watchers, Book of Enoch, Astronomical Enoch, 4Q208-4Q209, BRM IV, 19, BRM IV, 20, STT, 300, ancient zodiac, Mesopotamian astrology, astrological calendar, witchcraft texts, ancient spells",

author = "Jacobus, {Helen R}",

year = "2022",

month = nov,

day = "27",

language = "English",

isbn = "ISBN 978-3-16-161387-6",

series = "Ancient Cultures of Sciences and Knowledge",

publisher = "Mohr Siebeck",

pages = "83--109",

editor = "Fr{\"o}hlich, {Ida }",

booktitle = "Science in Qumran Aramaic Texts",

address = "Germany",

}

How 4QAstronomical Enoch a-b (4Q208-4Q209) Transformed Elements of Late Babylonian Magical Hemerological Texts into a Synchronistic Calendar. / Jacobus, Helen R.
Science in Qumran Aramaic Texts. ed. / Ida Fröhlich. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022. p. 83-109 (Ancient Cultures of Sciences and Knowledge).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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N2 - In light of the existing research on the Aramaic calendars from Qumran, the development of 4QAstronomical Enocha-b (4Q208–209) is further explored in relation to a group of Late Babylonian magical, astrological and witchcraft texts. Previously, I reconstructed the calendar of 4Q208–209 and argued that each day corresponds to a position in the zodiac within the context of an adapted schematic calendar of 12 ideal 30-day months, similar to schemes that developed from the third millennium in Mesopotamia until the Late Babylonian period. It is here proposed that the model is comparable to the Late Babylonian magical text BRM IV, 19 and related texts. It is shown that 4Q208–209 and BRM IV, 19 and related texts are probably descended from common astrological-magical sources from Mesopotamia.

AB - In light of the existing research on the Aramaic calendars from Qumran, the development of 4QAstronomical Enocha-b (4Q208–209) is further explored in relation to a group of Late Babylonian magical, astrological and witchcraft texts. Previously, I reconstructed the calendar of 4Q208–209 and argued that each day corresponds to a position in the zodiac within the context of an adapted schematic calendar of 12 ideal 30-day months, similar to schemes that developed from the third millennium in Mesopotamia until the Late Babylonian period. It is here proposed that the model is comparable to the Late Babylonian magical text BRM IV, 19 and related texts. It is shown that 4Q208–209 and BRM IV, 19 and related texts are probably descended from common astrological-magical sources from Mesopotamia.

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KW - zodiac calendars

KW - Babylonian astronomy

KW - Babylonian astrology

KW - Qumran zodiac calendars

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KW - Astronomical Enoch

KW - 4Q208-4Q209

KW - BRM IV, 19

KW - BRM IV, 20

KW - STT, 300

KW - ancient zodiac

KW - Mesopotamian astrology

KW - astrological calendar

KW - witchcraft texts

KW - ancient spells

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BT - Science in Qumran Aramaic Texts

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PB - Mohr Siebeck

CY - Tübingen

ER -

How 4QAstronomical Enoch a-b (4Q208-4Q209) Transformed Elements of Late Babylonian Magical Hemerological Texts into a Synchronistic Calendar

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