VR 46, Enlil/Lumasu/Tikpu/Twin Stars, Old Babylon Starlists

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The following is from Babylonian Star-lore: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia by Gavin White
I have the book www.amazon.com/Babylonian-Star-Lore-Illustrated-Star-Lore-Constellations/dp/0955903742/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1554158827&refinements=p_27%3AGavin+White&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Gavin+White


VR 46

VR 46 is a star-list dating from the Late Babylonian period. It parallels the first section of the Mul-Apin in giving a list of star names and their associated deities. However, several of the deity attributions are different, the most notable divergence is the prominence given to Marduk who isn't mentioned at all in the star-lists of the Mul-Apin.



The Plough - Assur

The Wolf - Anu

The Crook - the weapon in the hand of Marduk

The Great Twins - Lugalirra and Meslamtaea

The Great Twins - Sin and Nergal

The Little Twins - Alammus and Ningublaga

The King Star - Marduk

The Abundant One - Girra

The Star of Dignity

Supa, Enlil who decrees the destiny of the land - the great Enlil, Marduk

The Hitched Yoke - Anu, the great one of the Heavens

The Inheritor of the Exalted Temple = Sakud, the Divine Judge

The bright star in front of Enmesarra's pole - Nusku

The Standing Gods of E-kur - Sin and Nergal

The Sitting Gods of E-kur - Anu and Enlil

Lammu, the messenger of Baba - Urmatak, the messenger of Gula

Ninsar and Erragal - Nergal and Ihibutum

The Swine, Damu - Anu

The Horse - The and Anzu-bird

The Stag - Emmesara

Lulal and Latarak - Sin and Nergal

The Bow - Star of Babylon

The Wild Boar - Uras

The Harrow, the weapon of Mar-biti within which one sees the Abyss

The Cluster - the weapon in the hand of Marduk

The Rooster - Enlil of Kullaba, Lugalbanda

The Dead Man - the corpse, disease-demons

The Serpent - Ereskigal

Sullat and Hanis - Samas and Adad

The Scorpion - Ereskigal

Sarur and Sargaz - that which corrects wrongdoers and the divine weapon of Marduk

The Mad Dog, Kusu - the Grea Mountain (Enlil)

Anunitum and the Swallow - Tigris and Euphrates

Yoke of the Sea - the Star of Eridu

The Cargo-boat and the Goatfish - Nabu and Tasmetu





The second section is much more esoteric in character, here the names of the various stars and planets are developed into epithets expressing the ominous character of the stars.



Sagmegar (Jupiter) - the giver of signs

Dilbat (Venus) - the brightest of stars Udu-Idim (Wild Sheep) - the death of cattle

Salbatanu (Mars) - widespread pestilence

The Panther - the roaring storm demon

The Star of Dignity - that star of Balti ('dignity' in Akkadian)

The Frond of Erua - the fertile seed

The Hitched Yoke - the bound yoke

The Wild Boar, Ningirsu - who robs the field of Anu

The Ram - the head (or top) of the Crook

The Field - star of the field - the land of Babylon

The Arrow - the star of wealth

Supa - the bright star

The She-Goat - the Lady of Divination

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Seven Enlil
The seven Enlils are a set of stars all attributed to different local versions of the god Enlil. Of the seven, only two require some comment - the Bull of Heaven is written with the AM-sign meaning a 'wild bull' rather than the more familiar GUsign; the star Hum0ba is otherwise unknown, it is named aftr Humbaba or Huwawa, the guardian of the cedar forest killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

The Old Man, Enlil of Nippur.
The Fox, Enlil of Enamtila.
The Wolf,Enlil of Hursagkalama.
The Rooster, Enlil of Kullaba.
The Wild Bull of Heaven, Enlil of Aratta.
Hum-ba, Enlil of Suba (ZA+SUH): Elam.
Supa, Enlil of Babylon.

Seven Lumasu Stars
The Seven Lumasu stars appear in the Great Star List: The word Lumasu simply means 'constellation'. On a more cryptic note, King Esarhaddon is said to have written his name with Lumasu stars. Modern scholars have suggested that was using artistic glyphs such as trees, ploughs, bulls, and lions, to spell out his name.
The Oldman
The True Shepherd of Anu
The Wild Boar
The Sagittarian
The Panter
The Arrow
The Eagle

Seven Tikpu Stars
The seven 'Tikpu' or 'Point' stars, as their name implies, are all individual stars father than constellations.

They are enumerated in the Great Star List"

The Crook - transmitted to the Greek heavens as the star, Capella, the 'little goat'
The Eagle - the brightest star of Aquila, known as Altair
The Jaw of the Bull -signifying the star, Aldebaran
The King star- corresponding to Regulus located 'at the breast of the Lion'
The Destroyer - the 'bright red star at the kidney of the Stag', probably gamma of Cassiopeia.
The Serpent - probably the brightest star of the Serpent constellation known as Alphard, the 'solitary one'.
Lisi - corresponding to Antares at the 'breast of the Scorpion'.

Seven Twin Stars

The Great Twins
The Little Twins
The Twins which stand before the True Shepherd of Anu
Ninmu & Erragal
Sullat & Hanis
Sarur & Sargaz
The Scales of Heaven

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Old Babylonian Star-lists
One of the most characteristic text groups found in cuneiform literature is the list. All maner of objects - fish, metals, stars, plants and professions were listed and organised into discreet categories. The oldest star-lists date from the Old Babylonian period (1950 - 1651 BCE), although some unpublished fragments are now tentatively dated to the Third Dynasty of Ur. They constitute the earliest irrefutable evidence for the existence of the constellations in Mesopotamia. These lists appear to be ordered on a lexical basis with no discernable astronomic or astrological order.

The longest complete list is known as the Nippur Forerunner. It is widely assumed to be an Old Babylonian copy of an earlier Sumerian tablet - largelly because it is written in Sumerian alone with no Akkadian equivalanets unlike the vast majority of later star-lists. It is given here in its entirely with some brief notes in italics explaining unfamiliar temrs.

The Category of Stars, Planets and Constellations
The Star Cluster
The Great One
The Hitched Yoke
The Wild Boar
The Rainbow
Ninsianna - a name for Venus
The True Shepherd of Anu
The Plough
The Wagon
The Chariot
The Stag
Wild Sheep
The Raven
The Triangle - an otherwise unknown constellation
The Serpent
Balag - The 'Star of Lamentation', a name for Mars
The Scorpion
The Bow
The She-Goat
The Miseh of Pabilsag
The Widow's Oven
The Hired Man