Keeping Watch in Babylon

A groundbreaking collection of essays, 'Keeping Watch in Babylon,' offers unprecedented insights into the Astronomical Diaries of ancient Babylon, a vast archive of nearly 1000 clay tablets spanning five centuries (6th to 1st century BCE). These meticulous records not only document celestial observations but also provide invaluable data on the economy and history of Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions. The volume delves into the identities of the scholars who maintained these diaries, their motivations, and how their observational practices evolved over time. Drawing from diverse disciplines such as Assyriology, Classics, ancient history, and the history of science, this interdisciplinary work sheds light on the intellectual and cultural dynamics of Babylonian scholarship during its golden age.

Haubold, J., Steele, J., & Stevens, K. (Eds.). (2019). Keeping Watch in Babylon. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004397767