astronomy

Old Babylonian oracle

Old Babylonian oracle is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Old Babylonian oracle rather than just read about it. In short: The Old Babylonian oracle is a Sumerian myth, written on clay tablets dated to between 2340 and 2200 BC. The myth was discovered on the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, catalogue of the Babylonian section (CBS), tablet number 8322 from their excavations at the temple library at Nippur.

Key takeaways

Old Babylonian oracle belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Old Babylonian oracle to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Old Babylonian oracle from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Old Babylonian oracle is a Sumerian myth, written on clay tablets dated to between 2340 and 2200 BC. The myth was discovered on the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, catalogue of the Babylonian section (CBS), tablet number 8322 from their excavations at the temple library at Nippur. This was translated by George Aaron Barton in 1918 and first published as "Sumerian religious texts" in Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions, number two, entitled "An Old Babylonian Oracle". The tablet is 3.2 inches (8.1 cm) by 2.6 inches (6.6 cm) by 0.85 inches (2.2 cm) at its thickest point. Barton suggests the text is difficult and enigmatic, he confesses the interpretation put forward is uncertain and with great reserve. He suggests that it describes an oracle given by a seer for a priest called "Allu-Kal" who wished to rebuild dwellings or a temple of cedar wood. Barton suggests Enlil then appears and takes Enki's axe, presumably to chop cedars for the building he proceeds to guard. Allu-Kal then entreats the gods for protection of the dwellings of cedar to which the gods exalt him in reply and he is called a "bearded prince," suggested as a hint that he may be deified as were Naram-Sin, Gudea and Shulgi.

with cedar he shall build. Strong are the houses; the dwelling is of aromatic wood, the great dwelling of Enlil.

See also Barton Cylinder Debate between Winter and Summer Debate between sheep and grain Enlil and Ninlil Self-praise of Shulgi (Shulgi D) Hymn to Enlil Kesh temple hymn Lament for Ur Sumerian religion Sumerian literature

References

External links CDLI University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Museum no.: CBS 08322 Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Barton, George Aaron., Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions, Yale University Press, 1918. Online Version

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Old Babylonian oracle

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Old Babylonian oracle claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Old Babylonian oracle before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Old Babylonian oracle ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Old Babylonian oracle

In research: Old Babylonian oracle appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Old Babylonian oracle in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Old Babylonian oracle is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1918 archaeological discoveries, 3rd-millennium BC literature, Classical oracles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Old Babylonian oracle outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Old Babylonian oracle in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Old Babylonian oracle means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Old Babylonian oracle out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Old Babylonian oracle in simple terms?

Why does Old Babylonian oracle matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Old Babylonian oracle?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Old Babylonian oracle.