Advice from the Stars: the Micro-Zodiac in Seleucid Babylonia by M
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Advice from the Stars: The Micro-zodiac in Seleucid Babylonia by M. Willis Monroe Department of Egyptology and Assyriology – Brown University May 2016 © Copyright 2016 by M. Willis Monroe This dissertation by Martin Willis Monroe is accepted in its present form by the Department of Egyptology and Assyriology as satisfying the dissertation requirements of Doctor of Philosophy. Date: _______________ _____________________________________________ John M. Steele, Advisor Recommended to the Graduate Council Date: _______________ _____________________________________________ Matthew T. Rutz, Reader Date: _______________ _____________________________________________ Francesca Rochberg, Reader Approved by the Graduate Council Date: _______________ _____________________________________________ Peter M. Weber, Dean of the Graduate School - iii - Curriculum Vitae M. Willis Monroe was born January 4th, 1986 in New York city. After graduating from the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island he went to London to begin studying Assyriology. He earned a BA (Hons) Ancient Near Eastern Studies and MA Ancient Near Eastern Languages from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2007 and 2008 respectively. In 2010 he began a PhD program in Assyriology at Brown University in the Department of Egyptology and Assyriology. In 2013 and 2013 he was a participant in the Advanced Seminar in the Humanities held at Venice International University. In 2014 he was the recipient of a fellowship from the American Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TAARII) as well as Joukowksy Summer Research Award to conduct dissertation research in European museum collections. From 2007-2014 he worked as the registrar for the Ziyaret Tepe Archaeological Expedition in south-eastern Turkey. - iv - Acknowledgements This dissertation could not have been completed without the care and attention of many people both at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island and others further afield. First and foremost is the constant and unparalleled support of my advisor, John M. Steele, who guided this project from its inception to conclusion. My readers, Matthew T. Rutz and Francesca Rochberg, provided insightful advice and revisions to the text, and I am deeply indebted to their careful reading and excellent comments. The community here at Brown has been the most productive and supportive environment of my academic career. I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to study with and spend time with my fellow students, especially my those in my extended cohort: Müge Durusu, Linda Gosner, Kerry Sonia, and Zack Wainer. Kathryn Howley and Julia Troche provided excellent advice in the final stages and I am thankful for their friendship. There are countless other students and professors in Archaeology, Religious Studies, Classics, and Anthropology who made my time at Brown so enjoyable. My work has benefited as well from colleagues and friends from around the world. I would like to thank the staff at the British Museum and the Louvre who made this project possible. In particular, Jon Taylor, Christopher Walker, and Jeanette Fincke were invaluable resources. It would be remiss not to acknowledge the training and inspiration provided by my first professors at SOAS and UCL, who fostered my early interest in the Ancient Near East. In particular, Andrew George, Daniel Schwemer, Frans van Koppen, Karen Radner, Mark Geller, and Roger Matthews were all inspirational teachers. I would also like to thank John MacGinnis and especially Timothy Matney who have been mentors to me in all ways since 2007. I am deeply grateful for their example and guidance. And of course, the rest of the Ziyaret Tepe team made living in south-eastern Turkey not just endurable but fun. I would also like to express my appreciation for Ruth Breindel who fostered my love for the ancient world and its languages in my formative years at Moses Brown School. Finally, I must thank my family for the opportunities afforded to me and their unwavering support. Their engaged interest in my research has been an inspiration during the project. Most of all, thanks are due to my wife Hayley, her companionship and support are unparalleled. - v - Table of Contents 1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Astrology and the Zodiac......................................................................................................................2 1.3 The Textual Corpus.................................................................................................................................4 1.4 Previous Scholarship..............................................................................................................................4 1.5 Aims............................................................................................................................................................5 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation...............................................................................................................7 2 The Historical and Scholarly Context of the Micro-zodiac Texts.....................................................10 2.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................10 2.2 Historical Context.................................................................................................................................12 2.2.1 Seleucid Political History.......................................................................................................13 2.2.2 Greek and Mesopotamian Interactions...........................................................................16 2.2.3 Late Babylonian Temple Institutions...............................................................................20 2.3 Archaeological Excavations in Babylon and Uruk......................................................................22 2.3.1 Babylon......................................................................................................................................22 2.3.2 Uruk...........................................................................................................................................24 2.4 Cultic Practice.......................................................................................................................................26 2.5 Astrology................................................................................................................................................29 2.6 Scribes and Scholars............................................................................................................................32 2.6.1 Scribal Attribution.................................................................................................................36 2.6.2 Sîn-lēqi-unninni.....................................................................................................................36 2.6.2 Ekur-zākir................................................................................................................................40 2.7 Conclusion..............................................................................................................................................41 3 The Micro-zodiac Series..............................................................................................................................47 3.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................47 3.2 Overview of an ideal micro-zodiac tablet.....................................................................................48 3.3 Descriptive Catalog..............................................................................................................................62 3.3.1 Text 1 (BM 42288 + 42644 + 43414 + 43716)......................................................................62 3.3.2 Text 2 (VAT 7851).....................................................................................................................62 3.3.3 Text 3 (BM 34572 + 81-7-6, 705 + Sp-II, 253).....................................................................63 3.3.4 Text 4 (W 22554/7a)...............................................................................................................63 3.3.5 Text 5 (BM 39680)..................................................................................................................64 3.3.6 Text 6 (BM 38452)..................................................................................................................64 3.3.7 Text 7 (VAT 7847 + AO 6448)...............................................................................................64 3.3.8 Text 8 (BM 32517 (+) BM 32716)..........................................................................................65 3.3.9 Text 9 (BM 41583)...................................................................................................................66 3.3.10 Text 10 (BM 36292)...............................................................................................................66 3.3.11 Text 11 (K