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249 THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

249 was consecrated

to the particular planet that ruled

during the early hours of the morning. The Talmudists were familiar with the planets

Seven

and

their characteristics (see

Astrol-

Planets.

ogy); but only the week-days were counted, while the Sabbath had a name of its own. The names of the seven planets are: (1) "Shabbetai," Saturn; (2) "Zedek," Jupiter; (3) "Maadim," Mars; (4) "Hammah," the sun; (5)"Ko-

kebet" or"Nogah," " Kokab-Nogah, " Venus; (6) " Kokab, " Mercury Ac(7) "Lebanah," the moon. cording to the first letter of each of their names, they

are called "SheZaM HeNKaL " (Shab. 129*, 156a; Pesik. R. xx. Pirke R. El. vi.). The worship of Venus is mentioned (Pesik. R. xxxi., ed. Friedmann,

and warning

is given not to confuse it with (JOriBH NO^K Yer. Ber. i. 2c). The twelve constellations of the zodiac are Aries ("Taleh"), Taurus ("Shor"), Gemini ("Teomim"), Cancer ("Sarton"), Leo (" Ari"), Virgo (" Betulah"), Libra (" Moznayim "), Scorpio ("'Akrab), Sagittarius, Archer (" Kasshat "), Capricornus (" Gedi "), Aquarius (" Deli "), and Pisces ("Dagim"). According to the first letter of each, they are collectively called " TeSHeT, " " Sa AB, " " Ma AK, " " GeDaD " (Pesik. R. I.e., and Pirke R. El. I.e. Rashi on B. M.

p. 143a),

the

dawn







The first three are in the east, the second three in the south, the third three in the west, and the last three in the north and all are attendant on the sun. According to one conception, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius face northward Taurus, Virgo, and Capricornus westward; Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius southward; and Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces 1066,

and elsewhere).

The Zodiac,





eastward (Yalk., Ex. 418; Kings 185). According to the tannaitic view, Taurus (" 'Eglah ") is in the north and the Scorpion in the south ('Er. 56a; Pes. 94a). [Some read " 'Agalah " (Wagon = Charles's Wain), see Tos. to Pes. I.e.] Each constellation rules for one month; viz., Aries in Nisan (March), Taurus in Iyyar (April), etc. (Pesik. R. xxvii., ed. Friedmann, p. 1336; Pesik. R. K. xiii. 116a).

That the zodiacal circles were generally known is evident from the frequency of their interpretation in sermons and from their liturgical application in postTalmudic times. An allusion to Aquarius is found also in a Babylonian incantation (Git. 69«). The Milky Way is called "Fire-Stream," a name borrowed from Daniel vii. 10 ("Nehar di-nur"), where it may possibly have had the same signification.

The statement

is

also

made

that the sting of Scorpio

be seen lying in the Milky Way Other (Hag. 136; Ex. R. xv. 6, B>N inj; Stars and Ber. 586). Samuel said " We have it Comets, as a tradition that no comet ever passed across the face of Orion [" Kesil ."] for if this should happen the earth would be destroyed.

may





When his hearers

objected to this statement, saying, Samuel replied: "It only appears so for the comet passes either above or below the star. Possibly also its radiance passes, but not its body. " Again, Samuel says " But for the warmth of Orion, the earth could not exist, because of the frigidity of Scorpio furthermore, Orion lies near Taurus, with which the warm season beThe comet, gins (Yer. Ber. ix. 13c; Bab. Ber. 686).

"Yet we

see that this occurs,"





because of

Astronomy

its tail, is called "

Joshua

kokba de-shabbit

" (rod-

Hananiah, the famous teacher of the Law (about 100), declared that a star appears once every seventy years and leads mariners astray hence they should at such time lay in a larger store of provisions (Hor. 10a). Rapoport endeavors to prove that the path of Halley's comet had been computed by a wise rabbi (Epistle to Slonimski in " Toledot ha-Shamayim," Warsaw, 1838). Samuel said: "I know all the paths of heaven, but nothing of the nature of the comet." The following Biblical names of constellations are mentioned and explained: fiD'S = ilNDD. Pleiades [a cluster of] about a hundred stars, and for the muchdisputed E>y, its equally obscure Aramaic equivalent KnV (MS. M. xnS), Syriac NDVJJ. is given (Ber. The following two sagas also have reference 586). to natiral phenomena. When R. Jacob died, stars were seen by day when R. Hiyya died, stones of fire The latter may posfell from heaven (M. K. 256). sibly be a reference to meteors. Bibliography Winer, B. B. ii. 526-529, Leipsic, 1848 Hamstar).

b.







burger, B. B. T. j. sr.

ii.

77-81, s.v.

L.

In Post-Talmudic Times

B.

With

the revival of Greek science which took place in Islam, Jews were intimately connected, and the " Almagest " is said to have been translated by Sahal ibn Tabari as

early as 800, while one of the earliest independent students of Astronomy among the Arabs was Mashallah (754-873?). Jews seem to have been particularly concerned with the formation of astronomical Sind ben tables of practical utility to astronomers. Ali (about 830) was one of the principal contributors to the tables drawn up under the patronage of the Sultan Maimun. No less than twelve Jews were concerned in the Toledo tables, drawn up about 1080 under the influence of Ahmad ibn Zaid, and the celebrated " Alfonsine Tables " were executed under the superintendence of Isaac ibn Sid, while Jews were equally concerned in the less-known tables

of Pedro IV. Isaac Alhadib compiled astronomical tables from those of Al-Rakkam, Al-Battam, and Ibn al-Kammad. Joseph ibn Wakkar (1357) drew up tables of

the period 720 (Heg.); while Mordecai Comtino and Mattathia Delacrut commented upon the Persian and Paris tables respectively the latter were commented upon also by Farissol Botarel. Abraham ibn Ezra translated Al-Mattani's Canons of the Khowarezmi Tables, and in his introduction tells a remarkable

story of a Jew in India who helped Jacob ben Tarik to translate the Indian astronomical tables according Other tables to the Indian cycle of 432,000 years.

were compiled by Jacob ben Makir, Emanuel ben Jacob, Jacob ben David ben Yom-Tob Poel (1361), Solomon ben Elijah (from the Persian tables), and Abraham Zacuto of Salamanca (about 1515). The earliest to treat of Astronomy in Hebrew on

a systematic plan was Abraham bar H iyya wn0 wrote at Marseilles, about 1134. Discussions on astronomical points, especially with regard to the .

and disputed points in calculating the calendar occur frequently in the works of Judah haLevi, Abraham ibn Ezra, and Maimonides, while a new system of Astronomy is contained in the " Wars spheres,