BABYLONIAN STAR-LORE an Illustrated Guide to the Star-lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia

Book excerpt: This book is the first of its kind, specifically written for the layman, to explore the constellations and star-lore of ancient Babylonia. The introduction describes the structure of the archaic cosmos, then goes on to reconstruct the Babylonian constellation figures, and finally gives an overview of the whole star-map.The main body of the book is comprised of an A-Z gazette, which explores the names, appearances and associated lore of each constellation in greater detail.A set of appendices furnishes additional background information on the history of star-lore, the calendar, the cuneiform writing system and the use of the stars in divination.Beyond the familiar figures of the zodiac, the Babylonian constellations have laid in almost total obscurity for the last two thousand years. Here for the first time the complete star-map is reconstructed and many of its secrets revealed, so that now the whole system of celestial symbolism can be restored to something approaching its former glory.