N.M. Swerdlow's Books

The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

By: N. M. Swerdlow

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The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

By: N. M. Swerdlow

In the second millennium b.c., Babylonian scribes assembled a vast collection of astrological omens, believed to be signs from the gods concerning the kingdom's political, military, and agricultural fortunes. The importance of these omens was such that from the eighth or seventh until the first century, the scribes observed the heavens nightly and recorded the dates and locations of ominous phenomena of the moon and planets in relation to stars and constellations. The observations were arranged in monthly reports along with notable events and prices of agricultural commodities, the object being to find correlations between phenomena in the heavens and conditions on earth. These collections of omens and observations form the first empirical science of antiquity and were the basis of the first mathematical science, astronomy. For it was discovered that planetary phenomena, although irregular and sometimes concealed by bad weather, recur in limited periods within cycles in which they are repeated on nearly the same dates and in nearly the same locations. N. M. Swerdlow's book is a study of the collection and observation of ominous celestial phenomena and of how intervals of time, locations by zodiacal sign, and cycles in which the phenomena recur were used to reduce them to purely arithmetical computation, thereby surmounting the greatest obstacle to observation, bad weather. The work marks a striking advance in our understanding of both the origin of scientific astronomy and the astrological divination through which the kingdoms of ancient Mesopotamia were governed. Originally published in 1998. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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265

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Princeton University Press

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ISBN 10

1400864860

ISBN 13

9781400864867

Mathematical Astronomy in Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus

In Two Parts

By: N.M. Swerdlow,O. Neugebauer

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Mathematical Astronomy in Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus

In Two Parts

By: N.M. Swerdlow,O. Neugebauer

When I first laid out the framework for A History of Ancient Mathe matical Astronomy, I intended to carry the discussion down to the last applications of Greek astronomical methodology, i. e. Copernicus, Brahe, and Kepler. But as the work proceeded, it became evident that this plan was much too ambitious, and so I decided to terminate my History with late antiquity, well before Islam. Nevertheless, I did not discard the running commentary that I had prepared when studying De revolutionibus in its relation to the methodology of the Almagest. Only recently, E. S. Kennedy and his collaborators had opened access to the" Maragha School" (mainly Ibn ash-Shalir), revealing close parallels to Copernicus's procedures. Accordingly, it seemed useful to make available a modern analysis of De revolutionibus, and thus in 1975 I prepared for publication "Notes on Copernicus. " In the meantime, however, Noel Swerdlow, also starting from Greek astronomy, not only extended his work into a deep analysis of De revolu tionibus, but also systematically investigated its sources and predecessors (Peurbach, Regiomontanus, etc. ). I was aware of these studies through his publications as well as from numerous conversations on the subject at The Institute for Advanced Study and at Brown University. It became clear to me that my own investigations lay at too superficial a level, and I therefore withdrew my manuscript and suggested to Swerdlow that he undertake a thoroughgoing revision and amplification of my "Notes. " His acceptance of my proposal initiated the present publication.

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709

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Springer Science & Business Media

Published Date

ISBN 10

1461382629

ISBN 13

9781461382621

The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

By: N. M. Swerdlow

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The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

By: N. M. Swerdlow

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N/A

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

265

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1400864860

ISBN 13

9781400864867

Book's by N.M. Swerdlow

The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

Mathematical Astronomy in Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus

Mathematical Astronomy in Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus

The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

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