The Enuma Anu Enlil and related tablets contain thousands of omens for solar, lunar, planetary, and anomalous celestial events. Babylonians believed eclipses and planetary conjunctions were divine warnings to the king. When omens appeared, they performed a substitute king ritual, using a commoner to take on the king's misfortune, and then executing him afterward to preserve the true king.
Account
The Enuma Anu Enlil and related tablets contain thousands of omens for solar, lunar, planetary, and anomalous celestial events. Babylonians believed eclipses and planetary conjunctions were divine warnings to the king. When omens appeared, they performed a substitute king ritual, using a commoner to take on the king's misfortune, and then executing him afterward to preserve the true king.
Sources
- Enuma Anu Enlil and MUL.APIN tablets
- British Museum Babylonian astronomical diaries