Ancient cuneiform tablets prove historically correct when it comes to a prospective threat to Earth.
Astrologers working for the Assyrian king kept a close eye on the skies some 3,000 years ago, and what they discovered and recorded on cuneiform tablets can give us incredibly valuable insights into things like solar flares and other cosmological happenings that are just as relevant today as they were when they were first recorded.
According to Ancient Origins, astrologers noticed something interesting around 2,700 years ago, and they wrote it on stone tablets:
“(The astrologers) mentioned a strange red glow in the sky.) At least three ancient cuneiform tablets, discovered by a team from the University of Tsukuba, indicate such an event, which is sometimes characterized as a “red cloud” or with language that says “red covers the sky.”
According to Science Daily, those findings were matched to carbon-14 concentrations in tree rings from the same time period, and the results were astonishing:
“These were most likely instances of what we now refer to as stable auroral red arcs, which are light generated by electrons in atmospheric oxygen atoms after they have been energized by powerful magnetic fields. While aurorae are typically associated with northern latitudes, they can be seen far further south during periods of high magnetic activity, such as during a solar mass ejection. Furthermore, the Middle East was closer to the geomagnetic pole throughout this period in history due to changes in the Earth’s magnetic field over time.”
Ancient Assyrians Provide Assistance
It turns out that the Assyrians could be able to assist modern-day scientists who are researching the sun.
Solar events are a greater threat now than they were thousands of years ago, according to researchers writing in the Astrophysical Letters Journal:
“Because of our increasing reliance on technological infrastructure, these space weather phenomena pose a substantial threat to modern civilization.”
Consider this: Cell phone towers and internet connections could be harmed by a big solar flare like the one described by the Assyrians. We already know how vulnerable satellites and spacecraft are to such events. How long will our modern, interconnected world be able to function without the telecommunications equipment on which we all rely?
In certain ways, the Assyrians can teach us a lot, and that information could help us prepare for future solar events:
“It’s important from a historical standpoint because these cuneiform tablets are thought to be the earliest records of this type of solar occurrence, stretching information back at least a century. As a result, the ancient Assyrian astrologers who penned the books have provided yet another example of how learning about the past can help us better understand the present and even ‘predict’ the future.”
Other Aspects of the Universe
Astrologers in ancient times did more than merely observe the sun and its impact on the Earth. Comets, meteors, planetary movements, and other celestial events that might portend good or terrible omens for their society were carefully tracked.
According to Sarah Roberts, the role of an astrologer was exceedingly serious and well-respected:
“When reading these signals, the priests were mostly interested in what was going on in the state as a whole, as well as in the life of the king as the state’s dominant character. They also believed that by performing rituals to placate the gods and neutralize any negative warnings shown by the stars, they could appease the gods.”
The Road to Scientific Discovery
It may seem absurd to say that astrology paved the way for scientific understanding, but in many ways, it is exactly what happened with the ancient Assyrian astrologers’ work:
“By the 8th century BC, Babylonian astronomers had evolved an empirical approach to predicting planetary movement. Their research was later taken and expanded upon by the ancient Greeks, and contained some excellent illustrations of ancient Babylonians employing advanced mathematical techniques. They employed calculus, for example, to track Jupiter, a vital planet in their thinking because of the link they established between Jupiter and their key god, Marduk.”
For millennia, man has pondered his place in the cosmos, and our fascination with the stars finally led to the space program, which has carried us to regions in our solar system that were previously only a fantasy. Our forebears paved the way for what would later happen, and we owe them a debt of appreciation for taking the time to write down what they observed as they gazed into the night sky.
Video:
