VENUS TABLETS

Re: Creationism, Myth and Catastrophism

Post by Lloyd » Sat May 31, 2025 1:18 am

VENUS TABLET

Here are the full 21 lines of the Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa.
ES: When Venus disappears in the morning sky (becomes invisible).
WR: When Venus reappears in the evening sky (becomes visible after sunset).
WS: When Venus disappears in the evening sky (becomes invisible after sunset).
ER: When Venus reappears in the morning sky (becomes visible before sunrise).
Line -- ES -- WR --- WS ---- ER -- Days of Invisibility
1 --- 12/25 --- 3/11 --- 3/15 --- 6/15 --- 3
2 --- 6/16 --- 9/8 --- 9/12 --- 12/6 --- 23
3 --- 12/9 --- 2/25 --- 3/1 --- 5/27 --- 20
4 --- 6/17 --- 8/29 --- 9/3 --- 11/27 --- 17
5 --- 11/21 --- 2/7 --- 2/11 --- 5/7 --- 18
6 --- 6/15 --- 8/25 --- 8/29 --- 11/29 --- 3
7 --- 12/7 --- 2/23 --- 2/27 --- 5/23 --- 17
8 --- 6/13 --- 8/21 --- 8/25 --- 11/21 --- 7
9 --- 11/19 --- 2/5 --- 2/9 --- 5/5 --- 274
10 --- 6/11 --- 8/17 --- 8/21 --- 11/17 --- 7
11 --- 11/13 --- 1/29 --- 2/3 --- 4/29 --- 12
12 --- 5/25 --- 8/9 --- 8/13 --- 11/9 --- 15
13 --- 11/7 --- 1/23 --- 1/27 --- 4/23 --- 7
14 --- 5/19 --- 7/11 --- 7/15 --- 10/15 --- 47
15 --- 10/16 --- 1/8 --- 1/12 --- 4/6 --- 23
16 --- 5/9 --- 7/25 --- 7/29 --- 10/29 --- 15
17 --- 10/7 --- 1/23 --- 1/27 --- 4/23 --- 4
18 --- 4/25 --- 7/9 --- 7/13 --- 10/9 --- 15
19 --- 10/1 --- 1/17 --- 1/21 --- 4/17 --- 16
20 --- 4/13 --- 6/29 --- 7/3 --- 10/29 --- 15
21 --- 9/25 --- 12/9 --- 12/13 --- 3/9 --- 7
Note: There are some variations and uncertainties in the original cuneiform text due to damage and scribal errors{?}, so the above is a standard scholarly reconstruction. As many as 20 copies of the Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa are currently on record, though many are fragmentary and fall into six groups, distinguished by provenance, age, and textual features. The best-known group is “B” from Kish; the other groups are defined in technical literature by their findspots and textual relationships, but are not named in most general summaries.

There are disagreements among the 20 copies — mostly minor differences in dates, intervals, and sometimes missing or extra lines. These are typical of ancient textual transmission and are carefully documented in modern scholarly editions.
Examples of Specific Disagreements
- Source B (Kish copy), considered among the oldest and most reliable, sometimes differs by a day or two in the dates for Venus’s first or last visibility compared to other groups.
- In some copies, the invisibility interval for a given year might be listed as, for example, “7 days,” while in another copy it is “8 days.”
- The Babylon copy and the Assyrian library copies (from Nineveh) sometimes have different month numbers for the same event.
- Some copies omit certain years or events entirely, while others include them.
- There are also cases where the order of events is reversed or where scribes made corrections in the margins.
Scholars such as Erica Reiner and David Pingree, in their critical edition (The Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa, 1975), document these disagreements in detail. They use collation tables to show variant readings for each line among the main manuscript groups (A, B, C, D, E, F).

The Babylonians kept copying the original Venus Tablet instead of making new observations for several interconnected reasons:
- Astrological and Omen Tradition: The Venus Tablet was not just an astronomical record; it was part of the Enuma Anu Enlil, a massive collection of celestial omens. These omens were believed to have been divinely revealed and historically significant, so preserving the original observations was essential for maintaining the authority and continuity of the omen tradition.
- Authority of the Past: Ancient Mesopotamian culture placed great value on tradition and the authority of earlier texts. The original observations from King Ammisaduqa’s reign were seen as canonical and authoritative, so scribes were expected to preserve and transmit them faithfully, rather than replace them with new data.
- Purpose of the Tablet: The Venus Tablet’s primary use was for astrological prediction, not for ongoing scientific observation. Scribes and astrologers used the original data as a reference for interpreting omens, not as a dynamic, updated astronomical record.
- Copying as Preservation: Over centuries, tablets deteriorated or were lost, so copies were made to preserve the information for future generations. The act of copying was a way to ensure the survival of the original tradition, not to update it with new observations.

The Enuma Anu Enlil is a massive compendium of celestial and atmospheric omens, estimated to contain between 6,500 and 7,000 omens organized on about 68–70 tablets. The series is not fully reconstructed—many tablets are fragmentary, untranslated, or lost—so a complete, itemized list of all omens is not available in any single modern source.
- The omens are grouped by the type of phenomenon they interpret:
- Tablets 1–13: First appearances of the moon, its relation to planets and stars, lunar haloes, crowns, and other lunar phenomena.
- Tablet 14: Mathematical schemes for predicting lunar visibility.
- Tablets 15–22: Lunar eclipses, with details on date, time, and affected regions or cities.
- Tablets 23–29: Solar phenomena—appearances, colors, markings, and the sun’s relation to clouds and storms.
- Tablets 30–39: Solar eclipses and their interpretations.
- Tablets 40–49: Weather phenomena and earthquakes, with special attention to thunder.
- Tablets 50–70: Stars and planets, including planetary omens (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn) and constellations; these often use coded language, substituting fixed star names for planets.
- A typical omen from the series might read:
“If the moon becomes visible on the first day: reliable speech; the land will be happy.
If the day reaches its normal length: a reign of long days.
If the moon at its appearance wears a crown: the king will reach the highest rank.”
- Only about 30% of the tablets have been translated into modern languages, and many omens remain unpublished or only partially reconstructed.
- Some tablets are known only by number or subject, with their contents still uncertain or missing.

The Enuma Anu Enlil is a vast collection of celestial and atmospheric omens, covering the moon, sun, planets, weather, and more.
- Tablet 63 of this series is the Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa, which specifically records Venus’s appearances and disappearances and their astrological significance.
- The omens in the rest of the Enuma Anu Enlil are based on a wide range of astronomical and meteorological phenomena—not just Venus.
- While Tablet 63 is focused on Venus and includes omens derived from Venus’s observed movements, the other tablets in the series focus on omens from the moon, sun, eclipses, weather, and other planets.
- The final 20 tablets of the series are dedicated to the stars and planets, with planetary omens often encoded using the names of fixed stars and constellations. While Venus receives the most attention, especially for its appearances and disappearances, there are also omen sections for Mars and Jupiter (notably their retrograde arcs and other phenomena), as well as for Mercury and Saturn.
- Ev Cochrane has suggested that Mercury was not visible or not important to the ancients, but historical evidence from Babylonian astronomy shows that Mercury was observed and recorded, even if it was more difficult to track than other planets.

Re: Creationism, Myth and Catastrophism

Post by Lloyd » Sat Jun 07, 2025 2:22 am

VENUS TABLET/S

Nick, I got this table from Perplexity.AI. It kept wanting to give me the “corrected” version, but I kept insisting on the original, and I think it finally relented. If this below is an accurate translation of the original, as it says, then there are a few errors in the table or tablet, which are indicated by parentheses and asterisks and explained at the end. I put the numbers from each line at the beginning of each line for convenience. See if the numbers in the actual translated text seem to be the original, ignoring parenthetic numbers. If we can agree on what’s the original text, we can then analyze it for potential indication of catastrophism etc.

Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa (Literal Translation, Section I, Years 1–21)
(ES=EAST SETTING, WR=WEST RISING, WS=WEST SETTING, ER=EAST RISING, xx=EAST SETTING; SETTING=DISAPPEARANCE; RISING=REAPPEARANCE)

_Line 1.
ES --- 3,15,3 --- In month III, day 15, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 3,18,9,4 --- In month III, day 18, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 9(4) months 4(27) days in the sky,
WS --- 8,15,5 --- disappeared in month VIII, day 15. After 5 days,
ER --- 9,18,7,11 --- in month IX, day 18, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7(6) months 11(27) days,
xx --- 4,15 --- disappeared in month IV, day 15.
_Line 2.
ES --- 4,16,3 --- In month IV, day 16, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 5,3,10,2 --- In month V, day 3, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 2 days,
WS --- 9,5,7 --- disappeared in month IX, day 5. After 7 days,
ER --- 10,8,7,4 --- in month X, day 8, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 4(7) days,
xx --- 5,15 --- disappeared in month V, day 15.
_Line 3.
ES --- 5,15,3 --- In month V, day 15, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 6,1,10,6 --- In month VI, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 6 days,
WS --- 10,7,8 --- disappeared in month X, day 7. After 8 days,
ER --- 11,10,7,4 --- in month XI, day 10, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 4 days,
xx --- 6,14 --- disappeared in month VI, day 14.
_Line 4.
ES --- 6,14,3 --- In month VI, day 14, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 7,2,10,6 --- In month VII, day 2, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 6 days,
WS --- 11,8,8 --- disappeared in month XI, day 8. After 8 days,
ER --- 12,11,7,2 --- in month XII, day 11, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 2 days,
xx --- 7,13 --- disappeared in month VII, day 13.
_Line 5.
ES --- 7,13,3 --- In month VII, day 13, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 8,1,10,9 --- In month VIII, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 9(8) days,
WS --- 12,9,8 --- disappeared in month XII, day 9. After 8 days,
ER --- 1,12,7,0 --- in month I, day 12, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 0 days,
xx --- 8,12 --- disappeared in month VIII, day 12.
_Line 6.
ES --- 8,12,3 --- In month VIII, day 12, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 9,1,10,9 --- In month IX, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 1,10,8 --- disappeared in month I, day 10. After 8 days,
ER --- 2,13,7,0 --- in month II, day 13, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 0 days,
xx --- 9,11 --- disappeared in month IX, day 11.
_Line 7.
ES --- 9,11,3 --- In month IX, day 11, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 10,1,10,9 --- In month X, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 2,11,8 --- disappeared in month II, day 11. After 8 days,
ER --- 3,14,7,0 --- in month III, day 14, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 0 days,
xx --- 10,10 --- disappeared in month X, day 10.
_Line 8.
ES --- 10,10,3 --- In month X, day 10, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 11,1,10,9 --- In month XI, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 3,12,8 --- disappeared in month III, day 12. After 8 days,
ER --- 4,15,7,0 --- in month IV, day 15, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 0 days,
xx --- 11,9 --- disappeared in month XI, day 9.
_Line 9.
ES --- 11,9,3 --- In month XI, day 9, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 12,1,10,9 --- In month XII, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 4,13,8 --- disappeared in month IV, day 13. After 8 days,
ER --- 5,16,7,0 --- in month V, day 16, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 0 days,
xx --- 12,8 --- disappeared in month XII, day 8.
_Line 10.
ES --- 12,8,3 --- In month XII, day 8, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 1,1,10,9 --- In month I, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 5,14,8 --- disappeared in month V, day 14. After 8 days,
ER --- 6,17,7,0 --- in month VI, day 17, Venus became visible in the east; stayed 7 months 0 days,
xx --- 1,7 --- disappeared in month I, day 7.
_Line 11.
ES --- 1,7,3 --- In month I, day 7, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 2,1,10,9 --- In month II, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 6,15,8 --- disappeared in month VI, day 15. After 8 days,
ER --- 7,18,7,0 --- in month VII, day 18, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 0 days,
xx --- *2,11 --- disappeared in month II, day 11.
_Line 12.
ES --- *2,6,3 --- In month II, day 6, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 3,1,10,9 --- In month III, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 7,16,8 --- disappeared in month VII, day 16. After 8 days,
ER --- 8,19,7,0 --- in month VIII, day 19, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 0 days,
xx --- *3,12 --- disappeared in month III, day 12.
_Line 13.
ES --- *3,5,3 --- In month III, day 5, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 4,1,10,9 --- In month IV, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 8,17,8 --- disappeared in month VIII, day 17. After 8 days,
ER --- 9,20,7,0 --- in month IX, day 20, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 0 days,
xx --- *4,13 --- disappeared in month IV, day 13.
_Line 14.
ES --- *4,4,3 --- In month IV, day 4, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 5,1,10,9 --- In month V, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 9,18,8 --- disappeared in month IX, day 18. After 8 days,
ER --- 10,21,7,0 --- in month X, day 21, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 0 days,
xx --- *5,14 --- disappeared in month V, day 14.
_Line 15.
ES --- *5,3,3 --- In month V, day 3, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 6,1,10,9 --- In month VI, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 9 days,
WS --- 10,19,8 --- disappeared in month X, day 19. After 8 days,
ER --- 11,22,7,0 --- in month XI, day 22, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 0 days,
xx --- *6,14 --- disappeared in month VI, day 14.
_Line 16.
ES --- *6,2,3 --- In month VI, day 2, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 7,1,10,19 --- In month VII, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 19 days,
WS --- 11,20,3 --- disappeared in month XI, day 20. After 3 days,
ER --- 11,23,7,8 --- in month XI, day 23, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 8 days,
xx --- *6,1 --- disappeared in month VI, day 1.
_Line 17.
ES --- *7,1,3 --- In month VII, day 1, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 8,1,10,20 --- In month VIII, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 20 days,
WS --- 12,21,3 --- disappeared in month XII, day 21. After 3 days,
ER --- 12,24,7,8 --- in month XII, day 24, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 8 days,
xx --- *7,1 --- disappeared in month VII, day 1.
_Line 18.
ES --- *8,1,3 --- In month VIII, day 1, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 9,1,10,21 --- In month IX, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 21 days,
WS --- 1,22,3 --- disappeared in month I, day 22. After 3 days,
ER --- 1,25,7,7 --- in month I, day 25, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 7 days,
xx --- *8,1 --- disappeared in month VIII, day 1.
_Line 19.
ES --- *9,1,3 --- In month IX, day 1, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 10,1,10,22 --- In month X, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 22 days,
WS --- 2,23,3 --- disappeared in month II, day 23. After 3 days,
ER --- 2,26,7,6 --- in month II, day 26, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 6 days,
xx --- *9,1 --- disappeared in month IX, day 1.
_Line 20.
ES --- *10,1,3 --- In month X, day 1, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 11,1,10,23 --- In month XI, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 23 days,
WS --- 3,24,3 --- disappeared in month III, day 24. After 3 days,
ER --- 3,27,7,5 --- in month III, day 27, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 5 days,
xx --- *10,1 --- disappeared in month X, day 1.
_Line 21.
ES --- *11,1,3 --- In month XI, day 1, Venus disappeared in the east; for 3 days it was not seen.
WR --- 12,1,10,24 --- In month XII, day 1, Venus became visible in the west; stayed about 10(4) months 24 days,
WS --- 4,25,3 --- disappeared in month IV, day 25. After 3 days,
ER --- 4,28,7,4 --- in month IV, day 28, Venus became visible in the east; stayed about 7 months 4 days,
xx --- *11,1 --- disappeared in month XI, day 1.

Errors: The intervals WR-WS on each line are about 6 months off; they should say 4 months instead of 10 or 9. Corrections are shown in parentheses.
The “xx” (last disappearance) vs. next line’s “ES” (first disappearance):
What Should Happen: In a continuous and accurate record, the “xx” date at the end of one line (the second disappearance of Venus as Morning Star in that cycle) should match the “ES” date at the start of the next line. This is because the “xx” event marks the end of one cycle, and the next “ES” event should be the very next disappearance, so the dates should be identical for a seamless sequence.
What Actually Happens (Lines 11–21): From line 11 onward, the “xx” date at the end of each line does not match the “ES” date at the start of the next line.
The mismatches are marked by asterisks.

https://www.academia.edu/68373292/Astronomy_and_ancient_chronology