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Ancient tablet offers glimpse into early solar eclipse observations and fears
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands /Culture & Society

Ancient tablet offers glimpse into early solar eclipse observations and fears

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • An ancient Ugaritic clay tablet, potentially dating back to 1223 or 1375 BCE, describes a solar eclipse and is considered one of the oldest known observations of such an event.
  • The tablet's inscription, mentioning the sun being "ashamed" and setting mid-day, has alternative, more mundane translations, leading to scholarly debate about its precise meaning.
  • Throughout history, solar eclipses have often been viewed as ill omens, evoking fear and prompting rituals like the Assyrian 'ลกar pรปhi' practice of using a substitute king to ward off perceived danger.

A clay tablet unearthed in the ancient city of Ugarit, located on the present-day Syrian Mediterranean coast, offers a glimpse into early astronomical observations and the anxieties surrounding celestial events. The inscription, dating back over 3,000 years, describes an event where "the sun was ashamed, the sun went down in the middle of the day." This is widely considered one of the oldest recorded observations of a solar eclipse, with initial dating placing it at 1375 BCE, later revised to 1223 BCE.

On the day of the new moon, in the month Hiyar, the sun was ashamed, the sun went down in the middle of the day and the planet Mars [the god Rashep] was there.

โ€” Ugaritic scribeThe inscription on an ancient clay tablet describing a solar eclipse.

However, the interpretation of the tablet is not without its complexities. While one side describes the sun's apparent disappearance, the reverse side contains a commentary: "Two livers have been examined: danger!" This suggests a divinatory purpose, linking the eclipse to potential misfortune. Yet, a more prosaic translation exists for the inscription, suggesting "During the six days of the new-moon rituals of the month Hiyyaru, the sun went down. And her companion was the god Rashep [the planet Mars]." The reverse side, in this interpretation, reads: "The men will go to the prefect." This alternative reading, however, is not universally accepted by scholars.

Two livers have been examined: danger!

โ€” Ugaritic scribeCommentary on the reverse side of the clay tablet, linking the celestial event to potential misfortune.

The Ugarit tablet is just one of many contenders for the title of the oldest documented solar eclipse. Other candidates include concentric circles inscribed in the Newgrange megalithic tomb in Ireland, dating back over 3000 BCE, and a cryptic Chinese verse purportedly from 2100 BCE. Even a passage from Homer's Odyssey, describing "the sun vanished from the sky," is cited, though its dating is difficult.

During the six days of the new-moon rituals of the month Hiyyaru, the sun went down. And her companion was the god Rashep [the planet Mars].

โ€” Ugaritic scribeAn alternative, more mundane translation of the inscription on the clay tablet.

Regardless of the precise dating and translation, the inscription's mention of "danger!" underscores a common historical perception of solar eclipses as bad omens. The sudden and dramatic obscuring of the sun, plunging day into an eerie twilight, disrupting natural rhythms like bird songs, and causing a noticeable drop in temperature, would have been a profoundly unsettling experience across cultures. This fear is vividly illustrated by the Assyrian practice of 'ลกar pรปhi,' or the substitute king ritual, where a commoner or condemned individual would temporarily assume the throne during periods of perceived cosmic threat, only to be executed to absorb the ill fortune.

The men will go to the prefect.

โ€” Ugaritic scribeThe translation on the reverse side corresponding to the mundane interpretation of the inscription.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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