Note
"passed towards the east. The 9th, solstice."
The best way to show that there could be an issue here is to see what is actually on the tablet. Below is an photo of the part that is translated "passed towards the east. The 9th, solstice."
For it to read the way it is translated it would require the two following symbols:
Dib meaning "passed along"
the symbol used on every other occasion for 9.
Photo credit: Olaf M. Teßmer, Vorderasiatisches Museum
The problem?
- There isn't enough room to fit both these symbols between NIM and U.U.
- Neither of the remaining parts of the damaged symbols look like what they are translated to represent
The highest number the damaged symbol could be is 8 since all the other times 9 is written it looks like the symbol above.
The original German translation notes that the number is most probably 8, They assume that the scribe misread 9 and put an 8 instead. Had a 9 been written it would have been the same as every other time 9 was written on the tablet. -Ein astronomischer Beobachtungstext aus dem 37. Jahre Nebukadnezars II. (-567/66); Sitzung vom 1. Mai 1915. [Von] Paul V. Neugebauer und Ernst F. Weidner. Pg 50
Note B
Moon position 7
the moon was balanced 3½ cubits above α Scorpii.
| 3½ cubits above α Scorpii | Moon | α Scorpii | 7.7° | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC588-07-09 22:30 | 1506846.31250 | +04°30'05" | 4.501 | -04°13'56" | 4.232 | 8.734 | above |
| BC568-06-29 20:10 | 1514141.21528 | +03°21'00" | 3.350 | -04°14'05" | 4.235 | 7.585 | above |
Position 6 | Position 7 | Position 8
Note C
| Symbol | Syllables | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
 |
DIŠ | Constantly, always, one, sixty, if |
 |
NIM | šaqû: to become high, elevated, to rise repeatedly |
 |
?? | ?? |
 |
? 7 or 8 ? | ? 7 or 8 ? |
 |
niš MAN šamaš2 |
twenty Mars Sun |
 |
DU DE6 GUB TUM6 |
go bring stand, sheep |
 |
GI6 ĝi6 ku10 mi |
mūšu: night ṣalāmu: cause to become dark, darkened, obscured |
 |
U bur3 šu4 ge14 |
Earth, finger, ten, totality Unit Cover Blow and |
  |
GU2.NUN USAN |
šimētān; evening, in the evening |
 |
3 | 3 |
 |
MAŠ BA7 BAR |
ḫuzālu: gazelle kid; ṣerru: snake, possible name for Hydra constellation; Māšu: twin, Gemini; bīru: goat half Nissan, first month - on VAT4956 there seems to be no distinction between BAR and MAŠ |
 |
U2 kuš3 |
load, horn unit |
 |
ušu3 ba3 es2 sin |
šalāšā: thirty, 30 half the moon |
 |
E | above |
 |
SU4 SI4 |
red α Scorpii. |
 |
LAL2 | šaqālu: to be equal, in balance; planets said to be in opposition or in conjunction hang small |
 |
12 | twelve |
 |
AN DINGIR ILU |
Sky, Heaven, Mars Deity, Determinative for a deity God |
 |
ŠANABI | šinipu: two-thirds |
|
U2 kuš3 |
load, horn unit |
|
E | above |
Note D
A. The moon observations.
7. On the evening of the night of the 10th (Sivan) the moon was 3 1/2 cubits over Antares held the balance for him (vs. 16). June 29, 8h evening:
- Moon λ = 217°.9 ß = +3°.9
- Antares λ = 214°.1 ß = -4°.2
Zu kakkabḪurru = Antares s. Epping, Astronomisches aus Babylon, p. 131; Kugler, Sternkunde I, p. 260 f.
TRANSLATION FROM: Paul V. Neugebaner und Ernst F. Weidner (1915) Ein astronomischer Beobachtungstext aus dem 37. Jahre Nebukadnezars II (- 567/66).
Modern Results
SkyCharts
- BC568-06-29 20h00m00s ( +03 )
- Moon: L: +218°07'19" B:+03°22'00"
- Antares: L: +214°07'34" B:-04°14'05"
- ΔT 18205.33s ( 05h03m25.33s )
Front Line 15 | Front Line 16 | Front Line 17