Assyrian calendar

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The Assyrian calendar was a stationary calendar, consisting of 12 months with 30 days each. The week had 10 days. A normal year therefore consisted of 360 days, to which a leap month with 30 days was added at irregular intervals.

Assyrian calendar

Previous assumptions

Previously it was assumed that the Assyrian year was determined by a lunisolar calendar and that the months began with the lunar new light days . In addition, the researchers took the view that the start of the New Year was determined by the interaction of the sun and the spring equinox .

This assumption can no longer be maintained by evaluating several astronomical texts . Rather, the calendar was determined by so-called calendar stars. The striking calendar star was the Sirius , which was referred to in the Akkadian texts as KAK.SI.SÁ (lance, arrow) . The time of its heliacal rise automatically determined the necessary leap year , in which a further twelfth month ( Addaru II ) with 30 days was added.

The leap month was proclaimed by royal decree , but had no lengthening effect in the economic area, as it was agreed in the contracts that the due dates had to be brought forward by one month in the case of leap years . The sexagesimal system used did not have a seven-day week and therefore set 30 days as the monthly size.

Leap year point in time

Among other sources, was in the MUL.APIN - cuneiform texts : the exact time described

“DIŠ-ina iti ZIZ UD 15 KAM mul KAK.SI.SÁ ina li-la-a-ti IGI MU BI DIR -at ... Translation: When the arrow star (Sirius) rises on the evening of the 15th Sabatu is acronic this year a leap year (Addaru II) . "

- Johannes Koch

Another calendar star was the open star cluster of the Pleiades, which were called MUL.MUL in the Akkadian language and meaning many stars or tufts of hair (assignment to the constellation Taurus ) in translation. The basis of the beginning of the New Year was the heliacal rising of MUL.MUL on the 1st Ajaru and the resulting recalculation of the start date of the new light moon (Akkadian DINGIR SIN ina IGI ) on the 1st Nisannu . MUL.MUL was postponed to the 1st Simanu in the leap year .

The MUL.APIN tablets are written down for about 1370 BC. Adopted. The city of Assur is chosen as the observation site . During this period, Sirius had its heliacal dusk rise around December 28th, which adds up to 45 days for February 11th for the 30th Addaru and places the earliest possible Sirius rise on the 20th Tebetu .

The beginning of the New Year in the earliest times is controversial in modern research, as there are no reliable findings as to whether the beginning of autumn or spring marks the start of the new year. With corresponding records of the heliacal rises at dusk, there are indications in the Sumerian compilation Astrolab B that originally, similar to the Jewish calendar, the agricultural New Year began in September.

Month names

The Akkadian month names, which come from the ancient Babylonian period (2000–1600 BC), were used in both the Babylonian and the Assyrian calendar; optionally in the Assyrian name form.

Month names in different epochs and regions
Month no. Babylonian calendar Assyrian calendar Nippur calendar Lagaš calendar
1 Nisannu Belat ekalli BARA-zag-gar-ra Gan-maš
2 Ajaru Sa sarrate GU 4 -si-su Gu 4 -du-bi-sar-sar
3 Simanu Ša kenate SIG 4 -ga Ezen- d Li 9 -si 4
4th You'uzu Muḫur ilani ŠU-numun Šu-numun
5 Abu Abu Sarrani NE-NE-gar-ra Munu x - (DIM 4 ) -cu
6th Ululu Ḫibur KIN d Inanna Ezen d Dumu-zi
7th Tašritu Sippu DU 6 -ku Ezen- d Sul-gi
8th Araḫsamna Qarratu APIN-you 8 -a Ezen- d Ba-ba 6
9 Kislimu Kanwarta GAN-gan-e Mu-šu-you 7
10 Tebetu Canoe AB-E Amar-aa-si
11 Sabatu Kuzallu ZIZ-A Še-gur 10 -ku 5
12 Addaru Allanatu ŠE-gur 10 -ku 5 E-il-la

See also

literature

Notes and evidence

  1. ↑ Johannes Koch: Once and for all: Ancient Mesopotamia did not have a 364 day year. 121 (112), 4th NABU, 1998 ( online ; PDF; 159 kB)