A solar eclipse of Sargon of Akkad
Researcher Peter S. Huber is familiar with the astronomical observations of the ancient world. He cites J. G. Westenholz's treatise Legends of the Kings of Akkade.
Based on these legends, he considers it likely that there was a total solar eclipse during the time of Sargon, the first king of Akkad.
He quotes this passage from the legend:
As was evident from the previous chapter, a ultra low chronology is the most likely option when dating ancient history. We will look at eclipses in this chapter according to that condition.
There is one total solar eclipse for that solar eclipse, January 23rd, 2207 BCE. and one annular solar eclipse that was on August 19th, 2199 BCE. In 2207 BCE. solar eclipse was visible in totality in Nineveh, but slightly partial in Babylon. It also looked perfect in the area a little further north, which has been considered the area where the ancient Gutians lived. Sargon’s expanded empire reached Assyria.
These solar eclipses would fit both of the chronology options presented in the previous chapter. According to them, Sargon's reign would have started in 2233 BCE. or in 2215 BCE.
This January 2207 BCE. what makes the solar eclipse a bit interesting is that two weeks after this there was a lunar eclipse.
There is also another interesting aspect to this. Earlier it was mentiin that in 2207 BCE. the solar eclipse that took place was visible as a total slightly northward, in Babylon it was visible as a partial one. At the end of the description, Sargon is said to have captured ‘Simurrum’.
Simurrum was an ancient kingdom during the Akkadian Empire. Scholars have assumed that this kingdom was located in the area of present-day Iran.27-2 This fits well with the area mentioned above where this 2207 BCE. the solar eclipse was visible completely in that area.
Let's make a small assumption then. Sargon could be estimated to have gone to Simurrum in the 1st year of his reign.27-3 If this solar eclipse could be assumed to have happened in that year, it could clarify the chronology of ancient times to some extent.
But there is no information about Sargon's exact reign.
Many scholars are willing to support that he ruled for 40 years. However, it seems that, taking into account this solar eclipse, he should be assumed to have ruled for at least 48 years if a ultra low chronology is applied.
Applying a ultra low chronology is considered the most likely option in this thesis. If we assume that Sargon ruled for 40 years, then we would have to apply August 2199 BCE. solar eclipse that occurred, which in that case would have been in the 1st year of his reign.This assumption is indicated by the way in which the kings of the Akkadian and Gutian and Uruk V dynasties ruled at the same time.
However, the aforementioned description of the solar eclipse also mentions 'the stars came out', which refers to the totality of the solar eclipse as it was in 2207 BCE.Therefore, this thesis sees the grounds for applying the length of Sargon's reign as 55 years. According to the chronologies used here, his reign would have begun in 2232 BCE. or in 2215 BCE.
Connection to the Gilgamesh legend
The beginning of this legend mentions ’the land of Uta-rapaštim’. Researchers have somewhat mixed opinions about the location of this and even the meaning of the phrase. What seems to be common is that the Uta-rapaštim mentioned here is understood to be the name of a person. Some consider this to mean some very distant country, a border region.
However, there are other types of assessments, the presenters of which are not all actual researchers. Some people have noticed a remarkable similarity to the name of Uta-napishtim mentioned in the legend of Gilgamesh.27-4 This legend tells that this Uta-napishtim survived the flood. In this treatise, it is considered possible that Uta-rapaštim and Uta-napištim could be the same person. Since these parts of the Gilgamesh legend may have been familiar accounts in ancient Akkad, it would not be surprising if this person's name could be mentioned in some context there. So what could be the 'Land of Uta-rapaštim'?
In this thesis it is considered likely that the area in question was the area where this Uta-rapaštim, or Uta-napištim, had lived. Given the area in which this solar eclipse of 2207 BCE. was fully visible, it was probably near the present Lake Van on the Turkish side and Lake Urmia on the Iranian side. It is quite possible that when Sargon saw this eclipse he was in the land of Uta-Rapastim.Lunar eclipse and rise of Venus
Writings have been found on clay tablets that can be interpreted as describing a lunar eclipse.
Here we can take into account what has already been noticed before. First, the calendar used to flow far back.
These lunar eclipses may confirm that assumption.
Second, a ultra low chronology seems the best option for the solar and lunar eclipses of the Ur III dynasty.
Abbreviations from different chronology options are used in this context. The abbreviation ‘UL’ stands for Ultra Low Chronology and ‘SC’ stands for Short Chronology.
Let's take a look at the first of these.
It is not clear from the clay tablet during which king this lunar eclipse took place. Therefore, one has to look for lunar eclipses like this description throughout the Akkadian Empire. According to the old chronology, this lunar eclipse has been proposed for the reigns of three different kings.
This description of the lunar eclipse is a somewhat open to interpretation. First of all, it can be interpreted as having occurred in the early hours of the morning. This is accompanied by references to 'the south', 'the north' and 'the last watch'.
It could also be concluded that Venus rose at the same time as the lunar eclipse. However, the lunar eclipse could not begin just before the moon set. The reason for this is that here the lunar eclipse is described as having ended, i.e. the moon was not partially eclipsed when the moon set.
There is only one such lunar eclipse, where Venus rose at the same time as the eclipse was happening and the eclipse was over before the moon set. Such a lunar eclipse occurred on March 11th, 2153 BCE., which was a total lunar eclipse. But in that case, the time of The beginning of the year had moved back a month and a half. This was at the end of the reign of the Akkadian king Rimush(UL). Venus rose a few minutes after the total phase of the eclipse was over. The lunar eclipse ended about an hour and 10 minutes after Venus rose.
However, there is another alternative to this, April 23rd, 2081 BCE. Here, Venus rose at the same time as the lunar eclipse began. The moon had time to set before the end of the eclipse. This option would come into play if one could assume that that ancient calendar had not flowed backwards. This would fit Shar-khali-sar's 17th tegnal year(UL). This is the same year that Shar-khali-sarri claims to have conquered Gutium.
Lunar eclipses in the 1st and 6th months
Next, let's look at two lunar eclipses that mention the 1st and 6th months. Of these the latter has been applied by Peter Huber to the reigns of two different kings, but the lunar eclipse of the 1st month only to the reign of Shu-Durul.
Here, too, we can initially evaluate those moments of lunar eclipses. That lunar eclipse in the 1st month would seem to date to the early morning night, as it mentions the end of the evening watch. That 6th month eclipse would seem to take place in the evening, the eclipse would possibly end around midnight. However, the meaning of the mentions 'begins in the north' and 'clears in the south' seems uncertain. Let's draw attention to the mentions 'it starts in the evening watch' and ends in the 'middle watch'.
(UL) and April 2nd 2052 BCE.(UL). The lunar eclipses of 2106 BCE. (SC) and 2088 BCE. (UL) coincide pretty much exactly with the year in which Shar-khali-sharri captured Sarlagab, but the latter occurred in the evening.
The best of these seems to be in 2099 BCE. a lunar eclipse occurred, which at the end of Naram-Suen's reign(UL).
Next, let's look at the lunar eclipse in the 6th month.
This would seem to have been at least partially realized at midnight.
Somewhat surprisingly, good alternatives for this are not very easy to find. One option is July 24th, 2160 BCE. a lunar eclipse occurred. It corresponds to the end of Sargon's reign (UL). Another, which is dated quite precisely to the 6th month, is found on September 27th, 2071 BCE. This happened a little before the beginning of Dudu's reign (UL).
Lunar eclipse in the 11th month
The fourth lunar eclipse, which has been found on clay tablets, dates to the end of the year, the 11th month.
The king of Amurru and Gutium is also mentioned here. There is very little information about the kingdom of Amurru. It is estimated to have been founded sometime in the 2000s BCE. This assumption supports the idea that the mention of a lunar eclipse is appropriate for the end of the Akkadian Empire. Huber applies this to the end of Dudu's reign.
There are a few options for this. At the end of Sargon's reign (UL) we find a lunar eclipse on January 28th, 2160 BCE. Another lunar eclipse is found on February 20th, 2078 BCE., about three years before the end of Shar-khali-sarri's reign. (UL) Although this lunar eclipse is not very specific to the end of his reign, it is supported by a related reference: ‘the untrue son of the king' does something, possibly ascending to the throne.
Gutium’s Lunar Eclipse
Peter Huber also reports on a lunar eclipse that is tjought to have taken place at the end of Gutium's realm.
This can be judged to have taken place in the morning, as it speaks of 'the West'. Such a lunar eclipse can be found on June 15th 2037 BCE. (SC) The lunar eclipse of July 7th, 2020 BCE. (UL) Applying this might make for a somewhat interesting observation. The Gutian dynasty ended shortly after this, but perhaps only a few months later the Uruk V dynasty ended. This thesis considers this to be the best option.
There is another possibility for this theory, May 15th 2026 BCE., the 1st year of the reign of Utu Hengal.
No other lunar eclipses suitable for the description can be found at a good time.
Uruk’s Lunar Eclipse
Previously, there was already reference to a possible lunar eclipse at the end of Uruk's king Utu-hengal. Peter S. Huber's treatise looks a little at the lunar eclipse that happened around the same time. This also happened during the 4th month.
This seems to have happened in the evening, as it says 'eastern' and 'southern'. Another supporting point is that it refers to the 'first watch', which refers to night watches.
Given the ultra low chronology, this could be found at a surprising time if it is thought to have been near the end of the Uruk V dynasty. On June 26th 2019, a total lunar eclipse occurred. It could be assumed to be one year too late.
Instead, the lunar eclipse of May 25th 2027 BCE. would fit well with the end of the Uruk IV dynasty.
Moreover, the calendar had rolled back in the way that was customary at the time. In this new edition of this book, this lunar eclipse is applied.
In the short chronology, this is the lunar eclipse of June 26th 2038 BCE.
Note that the previous lunar eclipse of Gutium and this lunar eclipse of Uruk can form a pair of eclipses with not much time difference, other in the morning and the other in the evening.
References
27-2 Frayne, D.R.: On the location of Simurrum. Crossing Boundaries and Linking Horizons: Studies in Honor of Michael C. Astour, p.243-269
27-3 cdli.ox.ac.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=sargon_year-names
27-4 answersresearchjournal.org/noahs-flood/solar-koine/
27-5 Peter S. Huber: Dating of Akkad, Ur III, and Babylon I, p. 719
27-6 Peter S. Huber: Dating of Akkad, Ur III, and Babylon I, p. 717
Note
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned earlier, in the winter of 2207 BCE. the solar eclipse that occurred would also fit the short chronology. According to a brief chronology, Sargon's reign would have begun in 2231 BCE. However, the short chronology has many disadvantages, as it has become clear above:
In 1995 BCE. the double eclipse that occurred was of low quality.
In 1786 BCE. the solar eclipse that occurred was too early.
The Akkadian double eclipses do not coincide with historical events.